Discourse 8

How does a person become worthy to approach God in his heart? And what is the sure cause that he is approached by hidden help? And what is the reason by which a person is brought to humility? Blessed is the person who knows his weakness! This knowledge becomes for him the foundation and beginning of all good and beautiful things. But when a person knows and perceives that he is truly and in reality weak, then he restrains himself from audacity, which is the offspring of the ignorance of knowledge, and he increases caution for himself. For if he is left even a little, and there comes to him a small negligence, and he is surrounded by afflictions—either by the thoughts of the body or by the distress of the soul—a person cannot perceive his weakness. Then, from the experience of his weakness, he also learns about the help from God, how great it is. And again, when he sees how much he is scattered, he increases caution, and restrains and hides himself in many ways; and how much he is scattered by the causes of trust, yet the heart does not cease from trembling. Then he is perplexed and sees that all this agitation of the heart indicates something else that is more urgent upon him, showing that he is lacking: that is, that he is in need of another help.

The heart becomes a witness from within by the fear of the casting down of hope in it. The lack of something makes it known. And because of this, it cannot abide in trust. The help of God is necessary for salvation. And when it knows that it is in need of divine help, it increases prayer. And when it increases supplications, the heart becomes humble. For there is no one who is in need and asks, and is not humbled. And a heart that is lowly and humble, God does not reject. Until the heart becomes humble, it does not cease from entreaty. Humility of the heart gives it wings. And when a person becomes humble, at that very hour mercy surrounds and embraces him. And when mercy draws near, immediately the heart perceives help. For this reason: that even trust is something, and strength is cast into it. And when it perceives the arrival of divine help with it, and that it has become its helper and its aid, then at that very hour the heart is filled with faith. And it is known henceforth and trusted that prayer is the mother of help, and the source of salvation, and the treasury of trust, and the key to deliverance in the midst of afflictions, and the illuminator of the dark, and the fire for the weak, and a shelter in the time of trials, and a healing in the time of illnesses, and a wall of helps in battle, and a sharp arrow against enemies.

And all good things are brought in through prayer. And from now on, he is raised up by the prayer of faith, while his heart rejoices in trust, and not blindly and only by the word of the mouth, as until now. And what he has come to know, he now establishes for prayer as a treasure within his soul. And from his joy, he changes the intention of his prayer into the tones of thanksgivings. And this is the saying that was spoken to the wise one among the saints, Mār Evagrius: he who set his intention on every matter, that prayer is not the joy of a mind that rejects thanksgiving. Concerning the prayer that comes after the reception of the knowledge of God, he says: that which rejects, in that it is not a person who prays with effort, like the rest of the prayer of suffering, which is before the perception of grace, but rather the heart, when it is filled with joy and wonder, pours forth from itself, simply, in the movements of thanksgiving and of acceptance of grace, in the silence in which it places its blessing.

He is outside of faith, from within: for he is greatly moved in wonder at the concepts of the goodnesses of God. From silence he raises his voice and praises without satiety, while he extends his confession, that faith from within and also in language, and he goes about heavily and in a manner that is to be marvelled at, he makes what is read in these things in a hidden manner and not in a clear manner, and he places in them a knowledge with distinction, and he trusts something of what he says, that there is no change in it, because of the great help of the will. And from here then he remains from the vanities, and is filled with God without disturbance in the steadfastness of prayer, while he hastens to be hidden from the persecution of her helpers. All these good things are born from that which a person perceives in his weakness. That from here, because of the love of the helper, he presses towards God in the petitions of his prayer. And as he approaches him in his thought, God approaches him through his gifts. And never does his humility raise him up from him, because of his great humility. For like a widow towards a judge, she cries out every day: 'Avenge me from my oppressor.' Because of her, as she is more, there is for him a cause for approach towards him. And because of his need, he is filled towards the source of helps. While from them his requests are fulfilled for him quickly, and from them not.

He is one who knows that without her he cannot live, and the rest is amazed. And in some things he is defeated by the enemies, and in some things he gives his hand to his passions. As this one, as I said, it becomes for him a cause for his approach to God, and that he become wise from the passions. And this is what is said in Scripture: that the Lord left many nations, and did not destroy them quickly, and did not deliver them into the hand of Jesus for the salvation of Israel, because he knew the generations of the sons of Israel, that they had learned war. A righteous man who does not cease in his weakness: his intentions are in measure. And he is not far from falling, and the lion that strengthens is not far from him, the demon of pride. For he who is lacking in the knowledge of his weakness is lacking in humility. For he who is lacking in humility is lacking in perfection. For he who is lacking in perfection is now cut off. And when he is, the enemy has a place against him. Without a firm foundation, his city is with iron walls and gates of wood. For even humility is not established without its causes, because of which there is a breaking of the heart in a measured way and a suppression of the thoughts of hope. Without humility, the service of man is not sealed.

He does not set his freedom upon the seal of the nature of the spirit; he is still a servant. And he does not raise his labor from its measure. Not without humiliation is his labor established, and not without trials does wisdom stand, and not without wisdom does he attain humility. For this reason, God necessarily leaves upon the saints the causes of humility: brokenness of heart, prayer that is fervent and without distraction. When he is plundered by the afflictions of his passions, the pure one is oppressed by them; and by the transitions that come through beloved thoughts. And he is plundered by distress, and by the groanings of the stomach that he endures from illnesses and pains of the body. And he is plundered by poverty and by the lack that comes from necessities. And he is plundered by the severe pains of the fear of open battles with demons, which leave upon them their weariness inscribed. And by the changes of powers, where one is stronger than his companion, and harsh and difficult. And all these things are as a cause for them for humility, and for that which is not, they stand in negligence, or for those who stand and in them the ascetic is sick, or from the measure of that which is future. Therefore, trials necessarily adorn the bodies.

And this is not what is said: that it is fitting for him now, because he has a cause for humility, to turn by his will toward evils, as if humility comes about through the memory of them, or that he should hasten toward these other services. Rather, it was fitting for him that, with that which serves and works in good things, he should rouse himself diligently, and consider himself as one who has done [something], and clothe himself in supplications. And everything that he has done, he also ceases from another power. This, then, is for the future. And any cessation from another power indicates the deficiency of his purity. And everyone who knows that he is deficient, humility is also fitting for him, as he receives that which he has ceased from the one who is able to give to him. And all these things, if he had known from the beginning, and looked upon them at all times, he would not have slept. If he had not slept, he would not have been delivered into the hands of the tormentors of his conduct. Now, it is fitting for the one who walks in the path of God, in everything that comes upon him, to confess, and to refrain, and to restrain himself, while knowing that either because he has sinned, his course is hindered by the command of the guide, or because he has been exalted. And in no way should he leap or be shaken, and he should stand himself without wavering, so that his evil may not increase. For there is no iniquity with God; rather, he is the source of righteousness.