Spirituality | Monasticism
The following article is based on extracts of letters and correspondence of the late saintly Pope Kyrillos VI on the topic of "Seclusion". While mainly addressed to monks, the article still speaks loudly to those of us living in this fast-paced world who are in desperate need of learning about silence and spiritual solitude...it is in such silence that we hear the voice of God ("Be still, and know that I am God" - Psalm 46:10).
On Seclusion
Inspired by the Holy
Spirit, Jeremiah the Prophet spoke about solitude and seclusion in
simple but meaningful words. Pope Kyrollos VI chose some of these words
and used them in a letter's introduction he sent to a monk:
"I said, 'O, that I had wings like a dove for then would I fly away
and be at rest, then would I wander far off, and remain in the
wilderness'."
"This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. Through the
Lord's mercies we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. 'The Lord is my
portion', says my soul, 'therefore I hope in Him'! The Lord is good to
those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one
should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord It is good
for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep
silent, because God has laid it on him." (Lamentations 3:21-28).
Pope Kyrollos VI explains solitude through the sayings of the holy fathers:
"St. Isaac the Great said, 'In older times, our holy fathers
encouraged everyone, men, women, children, the elderly and the simple
minded, to live in peace. Whoever, among the brothers, the monks, wants
to please our Lord Jesus Christ, should believe in the promises of our
Lord. He should protect himself from the Lord's wrath by maintaining
silence, fearing nothing, depending on and hoping in His grace. The
spirit of the Psalms will comfort and encourage him. Those who are in
seclusion, maintaining silence, and trusting in the Lord, should fear
nothing. As Jerusalem is surrounded by mountains, so Christ, our Lord
surrounds us; and whoever puts his trust in the Lord, the grace of the
Spirit will surround him. 'The angel of the Lord encamps all around
those who fear Him, and delivers them'. (Psalm 34:7). Each of us has a
guardian angel that saves us, prays for us, enlightens our mind, and
gives us spiritual insights. He, who lives in solitude and
tranquillity, is surrounded by the grace of our Lord. An angel always
guards him, comforts him, and guides him. Blessed be our Lord Jesus
Christ who gave us the gift of silence. Blessed is the hermit who loves
the Lord and abides in Him, and accepts troubles with forbearance in
order to gain eternal life'."
"My beloved, through the grace of God, I shall continue writing to
you of the glories of this path. To walk in this path, in conformity
with the laws of the fathers, one will gain unspeakable joys. One's
heart will always be comforted. One will be free from sorrow and grief,
enjoying happiness and joy. In comparison, all the worldly joys and
pleasures are worth nothing. God is able to provide us with this gift
through His grace and not through our works or righteousness."
Pope Kyrollos VI related his personal experience to his sons, the monks, should they wish to follow in the path that he took:
"I have become accustomed to a life of solitude, and yearning for
this life, I was driven towards it again. On my way to the monastery,
our Lord Christ guided me to a cave in the mountain that was carved out
by the late Hegomen Sarabamoun. I took one of the laborers with me and
had it cleaned so that I may live in it. It is difficult for me to
describe what happened during my first night there. I felt that the
enemy had gathered all his forces to battle against a weak man like
myself. I was filled with fear, for man's nature is weak, as I heard
terrible sounds' and fearful quakes. But, with God's care as an
invisible power, I was encouraged, remembering, 'Fear not, for they
that are with you are more than they that are against you'. As the
Prophet David said, 'I have set the Lord always before me, because He
is at my right hand, I will not be moved. Therefore, my heart is glad,
and I rejoice at His glory' .The next day, the monks came and wanted to
bring me back to the monastery against my wishes, but they failed. They
sent a telegram to the patriarch, and another one to the president.
After strong opposition from all, the patriarch agreed that I could
stay in the cave. I thank the Lord for His mercies.
"I walked, through God's grace, along this path. I would go
weekly to the monastery to partake of the divine mysteries, and obtain
my ration. During my stay in the cave, I met with severe wars and
opposition from the devil."
His Holiness replied to one of the brothers who had written him
regarding the dangers of seclusion, and the consequences of making such
a rash decision without sufficient thought or guidance, "You asked, 'Do
you want to sit alone in a cave to seek fame, the praise of people, and
high esteem'? How can you say this? If I wished this, I would have
continued at the monastic ecclesiastical college to be famous in the
sciences and other fields, thereby attaining high status. You said,
'You are full of envy, and you cannot bear to see others in a higher
status that you'. It is good for a man to escape far away so as not to
envy his brother. You asked, 'Is this a way to escape working in the
monastery'? You made several other comments that I am unable to repeat.
In conclusion, you said that you are worried about the troubles that
will besiege me. God forbid! What are you so worried about? Am I better
than any of my colleagues, or the sons of the kings who dwelt in caves,
or our forefathers of whom I am not as worthy as the dust on their
feet? No, a thousand times no! I am not worthy to compare myself to the
least, the smallest, the most despised monk of all monasteries and,
permit me to say, that I am not even worthy to be equal to a wild
donkey. Do you know why I want to live in a cave? No, you do not. But
you judge according to appearances, for what man knows the thoughts of
another man save the Spirit that dwells within him? Do I want to dwell
in the cave because I am holier than the other monks? No, but I desired
this path, as one of the fathers said, because a monk who finds himself
faced with wars and battles, should have tranquillity in his cave in
order to conquer evil thoughts. If you experienced the wars that faced
me, you would agree with what this father said of his own experiences.
I have had the idea of dwelling in the cave for nearly three years now.
Whenever I thought about it, my heart felt terror, and my whole body
trembled with fear. These thoughts haunted me frequently, leading me to
experience unbelievable dejection and concern. I lacked the courage to
take such a step. Do you know the reason why I celebrated many Divine
Liturgies? I was pleading with God, night and day, to guide me
according to His will. Do you know why I traveled to Sohag? It was my
intent to dwell in a cave not in the monastery. Do you know the reason
I left school (of divinity) when our great pope allowed me to choose
between the monastery and the cave? It was for the same reason; I
wanted to dwell in a cave. This information is for you so that you are
no longer disturbed about this matter. "
"I am going to stay in the monastery and pray and beseech Jesus
Christ to look upon me with His mercy and to prepare the way for me. I
sought the opinions of the faithful fathers, I revealed my thoughts to
them, I searched the books of the saints and, I celebrated the Divine
Liturgy in the monastery. I hope that God will facilitate this matter
according to His will. Whatever may come from the enemy, may the Lord
cause it to fail. Rest assured and do not reflect upon on this matter
too much. Leave it in God's hands, for man cannot prevent anything that
the Lord has ordained to happen."
"I do appreciate your love and kindness, but remember I am God's
servant. Am I a servant to a cruel and domineering master? No, I serve
a merciful Master and a great God, and no power under the sun can
challenge Him. He will help me complete my course in life well. 'Cast
your burden upon the Lord, and He shall sustain you'. 'Blessed are
those who trust in God, fear not...'"
Pope Kyrollos VI experienced
and walked in solitude. He understood the value of the heavenly comfort
hermits received when they walked in the Lord's path, followed the lead
of the forefathers and accepted the counsel in the books of the saints.
He was pleased with every monk who wanted to become a hermit. He helped
them to fulfill this by supporting them with letters and guidance.
Hegomen Mina the Hermit (Pope Kyrollos VI) sent the following
letter to Hegomen Mina of St. Samuel's Monastery. In the letter, he was
recommending a monk who had come to him seeking permission to become a
hermit. "I introduce to you Father ___________, our beloved brother,
who wishes seclusion. I am interested in having his request granted. I
hope that you will approve his request and permit him to dwell in the
cave that is near the monastery .God will reward you in heaven. I am
confident that you will take care of our beloved brother, Father
___________. Try your best to facilitate this matter. God guides
everyone's life in accordance with His good will. He enlightens our way
so that we may not fall and reach our heavenly home safely."
Pope Kyrollos encouraged the monks to walk the solitary path of
seclusion. He wrote, "It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his
youth. Saint Isaac, in wisdom said, 'Love seclusion, even if you are
incapable of experiencing its full benefits. One prayer that a man says
in seclusion is better than a hundred prayers said with a crowd. Anyone
who is aware of his sins knows that seclusion is better than benefiting
the whole world with his appearance. He who cries over his sins in
seclusion is better than the one who raises the dead by his prayer'. He
also said, 'To sleep one night in seclusion is better than working a
hundred days among people'.
"Blessings, grace and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus
Christ our Redeemer and Savior, and the Holy Spirit our Guide and
Comforter. My beloved sons, whom I truly love, I was very pleased to
hear of your desire for seclusion. I greatly thanked our Lord for
giving you this great blessing. Truly, the most difficult struggle is
patience and acceptance of God's ordinances. It is true that our
forefathers encouraged solitude. They gave these orders and strictly
stressed them. St. Isaac said, 'Those who left the world and went to
the monastery should, after staying a while, serve in the community,
learn the tradition of monasticism, and bear anything that befalls
them. After that, God's grace grants them the gift of solitary life,
should they feel the calling to do so with God's help. The monk should
ensure that his motivation to lead the solitary life is pure and not
the result of his lusts or aspirations. He must ascertain that God's
grace is guiding him. A condition of a hermit's life is that his
motivation is pure and not the coveting of gifts or praise by people,
or worldly honor. He should be remorseful of his sins. He should humble
himself, and remain in his cave, lest he become a stumbling-block to
people. Seclusion is not for practicing virtues, for living within a
community can also encourage the practice of virtues. Rather, seclusion
is to allow the heart to remain silent and calm. There are three open
doors, which if they become well secured, will allow us to see Christ:
the door on a monk's physical shelter, the door on thoughts and senses,
and the door on the heart. Without the closing the first door, it is
impossible to acquire the second; without the second, it is impossible
to acquire the third. Being inside the cave helps guard the senses and
thoughts resulting in a pure and quite heart. When purity of heart is
attained, one can see God. There is so much more that I could say and
write about the benefits of solitude, yet time will not allow me. The
benefits of solitude far exceed those of living amongst people. Be
strong and happy, trusting in God's grace all you who lead the solitary
life."
Pope Kyrollos VI concludes his letter, "Great is the gift you have
received, that is, solitude. Yes, my son, the blessings of solitude are
very great. But, we should never forget the difficult wars facing those
who proceed in this path; fear at night, grief and sadness by day,
persecution by the devils and their tricks. He offers wisdom from the
Bible: 'The Lord keeps you'. 'The sun shall not smite you by day, nor
the moon by night'. 'Do not fear, I am with you'. 'Have courage, and He
shall strengthen your heart'. 'Be strong and of a good courage; fear
not'. 'Those who are with us are more than those who are against us'.
'The Lord is my strength and my salvation, whom shall I fear'.
"The first condition of a life of solitude is motivation that is
pure; the second is prayer of the canonical hours, and the third is the
support of a spiritual guide. These three conditions are essential. If
the second and third conditions cannot be readily fulfilled, then
adhering to the first condition becomes of greater importance.
"My sons, walk in reliance upon the Lord's blessings being very
careful of every step we take. Study the books and the teachings of the
saints, because they function as our guidance during these times. We
should walk quietly step by step, not too rushed, or coveting the
rewards of the hermits. The rewards that the hermits receive, certainly
are the result of extensive struggles to the extent of shedding their
blood. These rewards are not manifested immediately, rather through
perseverance and long suffering. A youth once approached an elder and
complained to him of his trials and tribulations. The elder beheld the
youth and said, 'My son you are young and God would not permit that you
enter into temptation' .The youth said, 'Yes, I am indeed a youth, but
the trials and tribulations of strong men befall me'. The elder said to
him, 'Keep silent, the Lord loves you'. The youth said, 'How can He
love me, when I taste death every day'? The elder replied, 'The Lord
will grant you the gift of peace and joy. My son, I want you to know
that during my thirty years of seclusion, not a single day passed
without trials and tribulations. But, I tell you, after the first
eighteen years, I began to feel rest with the Lord, and now, after
thirty years, this feeling has grown. The peace and joy in God that one
is granted, is boundless. Today, when I begin my service, my mind is in
heaven with God. The struggle of few days can result in the acquisition
of great blessing'. The youth was comforted by these words. He accepted
his struggles and the Lord granted him peace.
"I entreat you my sons, in the name of love, to walk quietly and in
humility, for, 'God grants grace unto the lowly'. May the Lord Almighty
grant you the spirit of wisdom and understanding. May the Lord send the
angel of peace to surround you and save you from the snares of the
enemy. Finally, may He enlighten your path. I ask that you pray for us
before the throne of His glory. I pray to see you so that together we
may be comforted in faith. The grace of our Lord be with you. Accept my
salutation."  http://www.coptichymns.net/
|
