Elder Silouan the Athonite: Sorrow for God – 3
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(Excerpt 3)
One who knows the love of God, loves the whole world, and never groans over his destiny, because enduring temporary trouble, for God’s sake, brings eternal joy.
A restless soul that has not surrendered to the will of God cannot recognise anything, but it goes from one thought to another and can never pray with a pure mind and does not glorify the greatness of God. The soul that humbly surrendered to the will of God, sees Him invisibly every moment, and all of this is inexpressible for the soul itself. The soul cannot speak about it, but only through experience knows the mercy of God, and the soul knows when the Lord is with it. The soul surrenders to Him as a small child, who receives food every day, but does not know where that food comes from.
Thus the soul feels good with God, but how this happens, it cannot explain.
Lord, enlighten Your people with Your Holy Spirit, so that everyone may know Your love.
The Lord Himself inspires us to pray for people, and He Himself gives us the strength to pray, and for that He rewards the soul. Such is the mercy of the Lord upon us.
Whoever abides in the love of God on earth through the Holy Spirit, he will also be with the Lord on the other side, because love cannot disappear. But let us not make a mistake in reasoning, let us humble ourselves according to the word of the Lord: ” I say unto you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the Kingdom of God.” (Matt. 18: 3)
Woe to me, for I have come to know the Lord through the Holy Spirit, but I lose Him and cannot get hold of Him in full, even though I see that the grace of God is with me.
God loves us so much that even we are not able to love ourselves in such way. But the troubled soul thinks that God has forgotten her/him, and that He does not even want to see her/him, and the soul suffers and grieves. But it is not like that, brothers. The Lord loves us infinitely and gives us the grace of the Holy Spirit and comforts us. God does not want the soul to be in despair, and to hesitate for its salvation. Believe firmly that we only suffer until we humble ourselves. As soon as we humble ourselves then the suffering stops, because the Spirit of God, for the sake of our humility, informs the soul that it is saved.
Praise be to the Lord Who loves us so much, and such love is known through the Holy Spirit.
The earthly things are recognised by the human mind, but God and all heavenly things are recognised only by the Holy Spirit, and cannot be recognised by the mind alone.
He who knows God by the Holy Spirit forgets the earth, as if it does not exist. But after the prayer, he will look around with his eyes and will see the earth again.
Brethren, the saints in the Kingdom of Heaven see the glory of God. Let us humble ourselves, and the Lord will love us, and He will give us on earth all that is good for the soul and the body, and He will reveal all secrets to us.
People are stuck to the earthly things with their souls, and they lost the love of God. Therefore there is no peace on earth. Many throughout their lives curiously want to know, for example, how the sun was created, not caring about getting to know God. The Lord did not speak to us about the sun, but He did reveal to us the Father and the Kingdom of Heaven. He said that the righteous in the Kingdom of the Father will shine like the sun. (Matt. 13:43) Also the Scriptures say that the Lord will be the Light in heaven (Rev. 21, 23; 22.5). And the Light of the Lord will be in the souls, in the minds, and in the bodies of the Saints.
We live on earth and do not see God, and we cannot see Him. But if the Holy Spirit comes into the soul, then we will see God, just the same as the Holy Archdeacon Stephen saw. The soul and the mind immediately find out through the Holy Spirit that it is indeed God.
Thus, Saint Simeon the God-receiver, through the Holy Spirit, recognised the Lord in the little Newborn. Saint John the Baptist also recognised the Lord through the Holy Spirit, and made Him known to the people. Without the Holy Spirit no one can recognise (know) God and how much He loves us. Although we read that He loved us and suffered for us because of His love towards us, we still think about it only with the mind, and the soul does not understand the love of Christ like it should. When, on the other hand, the Holy Spirit teaches us, then we clearly know the love and we become like the Lord.
Merciful Lord, teach us all, with Your Holy Spirit, to live according to Your will, so that we may get to know You, the true God in Your Light. For we cannot understand the fullness of Your love without Your Light. Enlighten us with Your grace, then Your grace will warm our hearts, thus we can love You.
