The Ascetic Podvig
of Living in the World
by Metropolitan
Laurus of Eastern America and New York
The situation of an Orthodox person, an Orthodox Christian who
lives in the contemporary world, may be described, without any
exaggeration, as extremely difficult. The whole of present-day
life, in all its tendencies, in one way or another is directed against
a person who is trying to live according to the teachings of
the Orthodox Church. In life around us, in our environment, in
our heterodox surroundings, everything is essentially a total
denial of Christianity. If, in the beginning of the Christian
era, Christ's beloved disciple, St. John the Theologian, could
write, "... the whole world lieth in wickedness" (I
John 5:19), then how much more justified we are in speaking thus
of our times.
Being a true Orthodox Christian, prepared to preserve unto
death one's faith in Christ our Saviour, is much more difficult
in our day than it was in the first centuries of Christianity.
It's true there were persecutions then and Christians were
tormented, but the Christians well remembered the Saviour's
words, " . . . fear not them which kill the body, but are
not able to kill the soul" (Matt. 11:28). Being fortified by
God's grace, they joyfully went to their martyrdom and gave up
their lives for Christ. This was also the case in Russia during
the torture and persecutions. Now nobody threatens us, living
here in freedom, with persecution and torture, but in spite of
this, a persecution in its most diverse forms is being carried on
against Christianity and against the Christian way of life. Today
we see that everything connected with faith in God, with the
teaching of God's Word, with Christ's teachings and the teachings
of the Orthodox Church, in one way or another is being driven out
of a person's life. This process that is taking place in the
contemporary world is a process of apostasy, and it can be
detected in every aspect of life.
The Old Testament says, "God, to be sure, framed man for
an immortal destiny, the created image of His own endless being;
but, since the devil's envy brought death into the world, they
make him their model that take him for their master" (Wisdom
2:23-25).
We have been given our holy Christian faith so that we might
obtain eternal life in blessedness. But to conform perfectly with
the spirit of the Founder of our faith, Christ our Saviour, and
with His teaching, to really cleanse ourselves morally, to
increase in virtue, to become acquainted with spiritual
perfection, all this demands special, grace-filled cooperation
from above, in addition to an Orthodox person's own efforts. This
grace-filled cooperation is called sanctification and is given to
us by the Lord. It is achieved by the Holy Spirit in the holy
Church founded by our Lord Jesus Christ for our sanctification
and salvation.
You and I are children of the Russian Orthodox Church. The
question arises, do we live as Orthodox Christians are supposed
to live? No, we are far from living in the way we should.
At our holy baptism we gave vows (if we were baptized as
infants, our sponsors gave them on our behalf), we made a
contract with Christ and in this way we became His children, His
servants, the children of God. At baptism the holy Church sings, "As many as have been baptized into Christ have put on
Christ. Alleluia."
Therefore, since we belong to God, we must live in accordance
with God's commandments, in accordance with Christ's teachings
and the laws of the Church. We are baptized, we are Orthodox
Christians but we don't know very much about our Orthodox Faith.
All who are born in the bosom of the holy Church through holy
baptism are born into a new life. They grow and are brought up in
the Spirit of Truth and receive in the spiritual life
grace-filled gifts for life on earth, with the promise of eternal
gifts for the future life. Thus, to live in the Church is
an essential condition for a Christian's moral development.
The Church of Christ was founded by our Lord the Saviour and
He showed us the path by which we must go to Him, and He showed
us how to follow His teaching. He said, "I am the way, the
truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Consequently, we must go
by this path, pointed out to us by our Saviour.
Every path and every action demands a podvigthat is, an
ascetic struggle. Therefore, our holy Orthodox Faith is an
ascetic faith demanding ascetic labor in the struggle with our
sinful passions and lusts.
How must we live and struggle? Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself
shows an example: "For I have given you an example, that ye
should do as I have done to you" (John 13:15). The saints
also provide us with an example.
In His Sermon on the Mount our Lord Jesus Christ gives us the
whole essence of Evangelical teaching. This is found in the
fifth, sixth, and seventh chapters of the Gospel of St. Matthew.
In the Beatitudes the Lord teaches us that we must be born again
spiritually and thus prepare ourselves for the beatitude of
eternal life in the heavenly man signs. The first step towards
this is to recognize one's spiritual emptiness, one's sinfulness
and worthlessness, to become humble. This is why "blessed
are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven"
(Matt. 5:3). But only those who observe all the commandments will
achieve this. "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord,
shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the
will of my Father which is in heaven" (Matt. 7:21).In order to go by the path that our Lord pointed out in the
holy Gospel, we have to take ourselves under control, we must
check and test ourselves.Bishop Theophan the Recluse says:
The true Christian tests himself every day. Daily testing
to see whether we have become better or worse, is so
essential for us that without it we cannot be called
Christians. Constantly and persistently we must take
ourselves in hand. Do this: from the morning establish
thoughts about the Lord firmly in your mind and then during
the whole day resist any deviation from these thoughts.
Whatever you are doing, with whomever you are speaking,
whether you are going somewhere or sitting, let your mind be
with the Lord. You will forget yourself, and stray from this
path; but again turn to the Lord and rebuke yourself with
sorrow. This is the podvig of spiritual attentiveness.
St. John of Kronstadt says:
Every day, hour, and minute, keep a strict watch and
consider every thought, desire, and movement of the heart,
every word and deed, and do not let yourself be defiled by
one sinful thought, desire, or movement of the imagination,
in word or deed, knowing that the Lord is the Righteous Judge
Who is judging you every instant and is evaluating the inner
man. Continually keep yourself pure for God.
Now the question will arisehow do you definitely find
out exactly what is sinful and to what degree, so as to know
clearly and distinctly if one has sinned, and how frequently, and
to critically examine one's life like a strict and unhypocritical
judge?Bishop Theophan advises as follows:
To do this, put the law of God on one side and your own
life on the other, and see where they are similar and where
there is no resemblance. Take your deeds and subject them to
the law to see if they are permissible, or take the law and
see if it is applied in your life. So as not to omit anything
in this important matter, you have to have an orderly system.
Sit down and call to mind all your duties towards God, your
neighbors, and yourself, and then go through your life in
relation to all these. Or you may go through the ten
commandments and the beatitudes, one after the other, and see
if your life accords with them. Or read those parts of the
Gospel of St. Matthew where the Saviour sets out the strictly
Christian law, and also the epistles of St. James and the
epistles of St. Paul, especially to the Romans and Ephesians.
Read all this and then check your own life, how it conforms.
Or, finally, take the rite of Confession and check your own
behavior against it. The result of such an examination of
one's life is to reveal a vast number of deeds, words,
thoughts, feelings and desires that were against the law but
were permitted, even though they should not have been; a vast
number that should have been done but were not, and many that
were done in accordance with the law but turned out to be
defiled by an impure motive. From all this you will gather a
vast number, and even your whole life, perhaps, will be made
up only of bad deeds.
Perhaps someone will say that all this is not necessary for
all Christians, but only for the monastics. But no, this is for
everyone! A person is a Christian not by calling, but by his way
of life. All of us, not just monastics, have to think about and
be concerned for our salvation. The law of the Gospel is given
for everyone.In answer to the question, how must a Christian live, how must
we act and behave? the Apostle Paul shows us. His words, directed
to the Ephesians, are also addressed to us:
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and
walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given
Himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a
sweet-smelling savor. But fornication, and all uncleanness,
or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as
becometh saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor
jesting, which are not convenient [not proper, according
to the Slavoniceditorial note]: but rather giving of
thanks. For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean
person, nor covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any
inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. Let no man
deceive you with vain words: for because of these things
cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. Be
not ye therefore partakers with them. For ye were sometimes
darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children
of light: (for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and
righteousness and truth;) proving what is acceptable unto the
Lord. And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of
darkness, but rather reprove them. For it is a shame even to
speak of those things which are done of them in secret. But
all things that are reproved are made manifest by the light:
for whatsoever cloth make manifest is light. Wherefore he
saith, Awake thou that sleepest, and arise from the dead, and
Christ shall give thee light. See then that ye walk
circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time,
because the days are evil. Wherefore be ye not unwise, but
understanding what the will of the Lord is. And be not drunk
with wine, wherein is excess but be filled with the Spirit;
speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual
songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;
giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father
in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves
one to another in the fear of God (Ephesians 5:1-21).
We have to become interested in the holy Orthodox Faith, we
must study it and live in accordance with it. We must take care
concerning our salvation. We will do this if we read holy
Scripture, if we study the law of God, if we pray morning and
evening and at all times, if we fast, if we carry out God's
commandments and the Church's commandments.In addition to this, we have to acquire Christian
virtueslove, joy, peace, long-suffering, generosity, mercy,
faith, meekness, abstinence, etc. We have to go to church, attend
divine services, be cleansed of our sins and be sanctified
through the holy Mysteries which are given by the holy Church for
our salvation.We can find out from the holy fathers what significance prayer
should have for us. The saints, who, in fact, tested the
significance of prayer, wrote about this from experience.
Therefore we must read what they wrote and learn from them.This is what St. John Chrysostom writes about prayer:
Prayer is a refuge for those who are shaken, an anchor for
those tossed by waves, a walking stick for the infirm, a
treasure house for the poor, a stronghold for the rich, a
destroyer of sicknesses, a preserver of health. Prayer keeps
our virtues intact and quickly removes all evil. If
temptation overtakes us, it easily drives it away; if we lose
some property or something else, which causes our soul grief,
it removes it. Prayer banishes every sorrow, causes good
humor, facilitates constant well-being. It is the mother of
the love of wisdom. He who can sincerely pray is richer than
everyone else, even though he is the poorest of all. On the
contrary, he who does not have recourse to prayer, even
though he sit on a king's throne, is the poorest of all....
On prayer in church and on attending church services, St. John
Chrysostom says the following:
The right confession of dogmas should be combined with
righteousness of life and deeds so that we do not achieve our
salvation only by halves. Nothing can so facilitate
righteousness of conduct and purity of life as being here, in
church, and sincere attentiveness. As the body needs food, so
the soul needs the study of divine Scriptures, for "man
shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that
proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. 4:4). For
this reason those who do not participate in this meal
(liturgy) usually suffer hunger. Hear how God threatens such
hunger and places it alongside punishment and torture:
"Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will
send forth a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a
thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the
Lord..." (Amos 8:11). Is it not madness to do everything
and take all measures to avoid bodily hunger but willingly to
incur spiritual hunger? No, I beg and entreat you, let us not
be so badly disposed toward ourselves....
Further, St. John Chrysostom continues:
To be here in church is the source of all blessings. When
they leave here, it seems that a husband is more respectful
to his wife and a wife is more kind to her husband, since it
is not the physical beauty of the body that makes a wife
loving, but the virtue of the soul, not cosmetics and beauty
aids, not gold and rich clothing, but chastity, meekness, and
constant fear of God. This spiritual beauty nowhere develops
to such an extent as in this wonderful and divine place
(church), where the apostles and prophets wash away, reform,
and cleanse old sin and bring forth the brightness of youth;
where they extinguish every stain, every blemish, every
defilement of our soul .... Let us try, husbands and wives,
to rejoice in our inner beauty.
We give very little attention to fasting, considering this to
be something that the Church has laid down which is of no
importance. But it is divinely established. The commandment to
fast is as old as the world. It was the first commandment given
by God to man. Because we did not fast, we have been banished
from Paradise. Therefore we must fast in order to gain entrance
again to Paradise (St. Basil the Great). Not to fast is to be
like animals to which such a thing is unknown. Abstinence for the
body is food for the soul (St. John Chrysostom). We do not live
in order to eat, but we eat in order to live and fulfill our
duties. Our Lord Himself fasted, as recounted in the Gospel.
Often you and I see someone in need but go past without
responding and without helping as we consider that there are no
really poor people and no one who has genuine need. But according
to the Lord's commandments, we have to help, we are obliged to
show mercy. St. John Chrysostom says this about mercifulness:
Consider mercifulness not for what you give but for what
you get, not as a loss but a gain, because through it you
receive more than you give. If you give bread, you will
receive eternal life. You give clothing and receive the robe
of immortality; you give shelter under your roof and you
receive the heavenly kingdom. You give perishable joys and
receive eternal blessings.
Thus we see that in accordance with Scripture, in accordance
with the teachings of the Church and the holy fathers, we must
struggle in order to go by the Orthodox path to salvation. The
holy apostles taught their disciples and instruct us as well:
"We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of
God" (Acts 14:22). The Lord also says to us: "Enter ye
in at the straight gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the
way that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in
thereat" (Matt. 7:13,14).
No doubt many of you will say or think: "There they go,
they want us to live like monks or hermits. But look at our
friends and acquaintances, and everyone around us, they live for
their own pleasure, do what they want, and none of them ever
think about what is being said here. They do not think about the
heavenly kingdom, the future life; they do not spoil their mood
by such considerations."
Yes, it's truethey live and pay no attention to the
spiritual life. They do not believe in that or in the future
life. Therefore there is nothing spiritual in them, they have no
peace of soul, or spiritual joy. So they have no restraining
center, nothing has any moral or spiritual value for which they
might restrain themselves, or for which they might strive.
Therefore they are connected with debauchery and lasciviousness,
crime, spiritual suicide, and spiritual bankruptcy.
We children of the Orthodox Church have to beware of this and
be careful and run away from all this as though from fire.
His Beatitude, Metropolitan Anthony, the founder and first
head of our Russian Orthodox Church Abroad, in his wonderful
article entitled "How Does
Orthodoxy Differ from the Western Denominations?" wrote
of the profound difference between our Faith and heterodoxy. He
sees this profound difference in the fact that the Orthodox Faith
teaches how to arrange ones life according to the
requirements of Christian perfection, while heterodoxy takes
from Christianity only that which coincides with the
conditions of contemporary cultural life.
Orthodoxy views Christianity as an eternal foundation of
true life and demands that each break himself and his life
until such time as it agrees with that norm, but the
heterodox looks on the bases of contemporary cultured life as
on an unshakable fact, and only in areas of its existing
private options does he indicate which of them are most
approved from the Christian viewpoint. Orthodoxy demands
moral heroismpodvig; heterodoxy considers what elements
of Christianity would be suited to us in our current way of
life. For the Orthodox, a man called to life after death in
which true life will begin, the historically-shaped mechanism
of contemporary life is an insignificant illusion, but for
the heterodox the teaching about the future life is an
elevated, ennobling idea, an idea which helps to arrange our
real life here better and better.
These remarkable words of Metropolitan Anthony clearly and
distinctly point out that bottomless abyss which separates the
true Christian FaithOrthodoxyfrom its
distortionheterodoxy. Orthodoxy is a podvig, a striving for eternity, while in
heterodoxy we see a strong attachment to the earth, to faith in
human progress. Vladyka Anthony points out further that the Orthodox Faith
is an ascetic faith, that:
The Golden Age which the worshippers of the 'superstition
of progress' await on earth is promised by the Saviour in the
life to come, but neither the Latins nor the Protestants want
to accept this for the simple reason that (speaking openly)
they believe feebly in the resurrection and believe strongly
in the happiness of the present life, which, on the contrary,
the apostles call a vanishing vapor (James 4:14). This is why
the pseudo-Christian West does not want to and cannot
understand the negation of this life by Christianity, which
commands us to struggle, having put off the old man with
his deeds and having put on the new, which is renewed after
the image of Him that created him' (Col. 3:9-10).
If we were to follow up all the errors of the West, both
those which entered into its teaching of the faith as well as
those inherent in its morals . . . we would see that they
all are rooted in a misunderstanding of Christianity as the
podvig of the gradual self-perfection of the individual.
Christianity is an ascetic religion, Christianity is a
teaching about the gradual extirpation of the passions, about
the means and conditions of the gradual acquisition of
virtues; these conditions are internal, consisting of
podvig, and given from without, consisting of our dogmatic
beliefs and grace-giving sacraments which have only one
purpose: to heal human sinfulness and lead us to perfection.
This is what we must remember, and hold fast to the Holy
Orthodox Church and her teachings. In doing so we shall not be
far from the path of salvation!
From Orthodox Life, vol. 36, no. 1 (Jan.-Feb., 1986),
pp. 40-47.
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