№21 (184) May, 2004
WHERE TO SEARCH FOR ANSWERS TO THE PUZZLING QUESTIONS OF MODERNITY?
Inok Vsevolod (Filipiev)
St. John of Shanghai & San Francisco
"If the letters, conversations, journals and all sorts of similar literature of the saints give answers to individual spiritual questions, then let's say that the sermons and articles of our contemporary confessor John of Shanghai and San Francisco point us into the right direction in our confused spiritual lives..."
Our times are times of ambiguity and temptation, times of weakness and worldliness in church life, a time of false goals and false guides. Who will lead us upon the right path in the tempestuous sea of life? Who will give clear answers with only one meaning? In whom can we place our complete trust, without reservation? At first glance, answers to such questions simply do not exist. For is there an absolute spiritual authority anywhere, even in the Church, not to mention the world at large? "I said in my haste, all men are liars" (Psalms 116,11; 115,2; {LXX}), - thus spoke the author, long ago. And many people, not seeing or finding a spiritual authority, actually come to the conclusion that one can only hope on and rely in oneself, which has serious implications; exclusively in one's own reason and strength. It goes without saying that such a position in life is based on their self-image and hubris. But if not in oneself, who can we rely on? Who do we get the answers from?
In tough Church and life circumstances, Christians ought to search for the answers in our Lord Jesus Christ. But the question is, how can this be brought about practically, for Chris does not speak to us personally, does he? Of course, His words are engraved in the Bible for all eternity, but how can the counsels and exhortations, given by other people in other circumstances, be applied to our own modern life? Even at the very dawn of Christianity, the holy Apostles discussed and explained the words of the Savior to the faithful. The Apostles were replaced by their disciples, who in their own right helped people to comprehend the meaning of Christ's teachings as they applied to new times and new circumstances. The Apostle's students were replaced by church teachers and the holy fathers, whose writings the Church directs to this very day.
In every epoch, the Holy Spirit moved the guides in concurrence with the circumstances and needs. The holy fathers safeguarded and passed on the God-given flame of unadulterated Christian teachings to the faithful. They helped us to make sense of and concretely apply in real life-situations the Savior's sermons, admonitions of the Apostles and the earlier Church teachers. The tradition of safeguarding and passing along unchanged Christian teaching is called the tradition of the holy fathers.
The holy fathers are the ones we truly want: There are our true and faithful teachers! Those who have grasped that reason of the holy fathers have grasped the reason of Christ. There is no question about the church or personal life of a Christian for which an answer could not be found in the writings of the holy fathers. It befits us to learn from them, to partake of their wisdom and to imitate them. The way of the holy fathers is true - their deeds are clean, their advice sober. They had already gained salvation, and thus so do we have the opportunity to be saved by the Lord if we follow in their footsteps and direct ourselves according to their exhortations.
How does one go about reading the holy fathers? One must remember first and foremost that in this field, and in any spiritual enterprise, steadfastness and gradual advances are absolutely necessary.
Medicine does not help anyone if it is only taken from time to time, whenever one feels like it. And likewise the expected spiritual goal will not be attained from an episodic reading of the holy fathers. It is vitally important to constantly and willingly daily read the works of the holy fathers, at least one page or even one paragraph.
A starving person cannot immediately dig into an abundant and satisfying meal - he will do himself harm. Likewise, someone who is a stranger to the legacy of the holy fathers must not take to the reading of speculative or highly ascetic works. Let's say that it is not right to begin familiarizing yourself with the works of the holy fathers starting with the labors of the most holy Isaac of Sirina. Even such a classical work is not within the capability of someone in our time approaching the writings of the holy fathers; even though it is not ascetic, but dogmatic, like a "precise outlay of the Orthodox faith," of the most holy John of Damascus.
Then where to begin? It stands to reason that one should begin with the holy fathers of our times. Their language and customs are completely natural to us. Being our contemporaries, they make for us a small bridge from our present to the holy fathers of the past. The writings of contemporary saints, their language and customs, are entirely familiar to us. Their experience is near to our own. They are the very best guides for us on our journey in the land of Church writings. The writings of modern saints teach us the alphabet of the holy fathers; teach us to understand the language of the holy fathers. Then we will be able to turn to the exalter masterpieces of the ancient teachers of the Church. The reading and choosing of their works is best done under the supervision of a confessor who will direct us to read this or that book based upon our spiritual condition and our spiritual attunement. In this way we must harmlessly move towards salvation, with God's help, on the well-traveled path of the tradition of the holy fathers.
Those setting about the study of the legacy of the holy fathers should first of al turn their attention to the multitude of letters and conversations of the holy elders of Optina: the most holy Ambrosius, Makarius, Anatolius, Varsonofia and others, and likewise on the letters and journal entries of such modern wonder-workers of piety as the confessor Ignatius (Bryanchaninov), Theophan the Recluse, the righteous John of Kronstadt, and the most holy Siluan of Athos. The letters and journal entries of modern wonder-workers are easily read and interpreted; for they are undoubtedly directed towards us, literally. This type of church literature, although it does not carry the systematic character of theology, does in fact contain within itself the knowledge of moral theology, asceticism, sociology, apologetics and even dogmatics that is both valuable and easily applicable to the modern world. Together with that, this is the realest work of the holy fathers, having a blessed advantage over the ancient Christian teachers.
Some modern Christians go after the reading of the literature of the holy fathers in search of knowledge about the Jesus prayer and prayer of the mind. But here is where wisdom is absolutely necessary. For those who want to familiarize themselves with the enterprise of the Jesus prayer do not immediately commit themselves to the Philokalia. It is better to begin with an essay on the topic by the holy confessor Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) from the collection of his works, and likewise the inspiring narration "The Way of the Pilgrim" With "The way…", very many of its 20th century adherents and supporters were successfully engaged in unceasing prayer. For example, the well-known Russian wonder-worker of the monk of Skhima Nicodemus Karulskij (1984) from Athos. It is also important to remember that the prayerfully smart and ascetic experience must first be exercised in life for a certain long time with the blessing of a confessor who is looking after our spiritual condition. In fact, acquaintance with all sorts of varieties and multitudes of ascetic experience of the holy fathers is always healthy for the soul, or even those living under the spontaneous spiritual leadership of an experienced tutor.
If the letters, conversations, journals and all sorts of similar literature of the saints give answers to individual spiritual questions, then let's say that the sermons and articles of our contemporary confessor John of Shanghai and San Francisco point us into the right direction in our confused spiritual lives. The writings of any person of God fortify us in uncompromising faith of Holy Orthodoxy; and at the same time they are completely free from the spirit of self-exaltation. The confessor John, having checked his judgments with prayer and fasting, gained from the Lord the gift of judicious and calming words, of which we become convinced when reading his writings page after page. The Christian's soul is sated with blessings and grows in its faith from the thoughts and words of the confessor...
And so, if the waves of the sea of life buffet us, if we are confused in the complexities of church politics, if something is bothering us that is going on in the government of the Church, then with prayer and acceptance we will take to the reading of the holy fathers. With God's help we will soon receive answers on even the most difficult questions; the answers are sometimes plain and simple, but are always irreproachably faithful and spiritually useful. And so we will gain the world inside of us and won't doubt any longer in the way chosen for us with the help of the holy fathers, for their path is the path of Christ!
2001(Translated from Russian by Andrew Choufrine)
