Chapter

  1 Intro|      received~as a bishop. He was a spiritual abba of countless people,
  2 Intro|             testify to his enormous spiritual experience,~manifested in
  3 Intro|            to show them~how to give spiritual advice and help during confession,
  4 Intro|            already many books about spiritual life,~such as the Philokalia
  5 Intro|             more attention to their spiritual life. The special value
  6 Intro|          act the part of a “Russian Spiritual Father.”~When Confession
  7 Intro|          attention in this field of spiritual pathology and therapy,~which
  8 Intro|            dukhovnik,” which means “spiritual father,” has been~rendered
  9 Intro|         been~rendered sometimes as “spiritual father” and sometimes, for
 10 Intro|            the right and duty to be spiritual fathers,~hence the two terms
 11 1    |      Christians refer to priests as spiritual fathers, they~are acknowledging
 12 1    |        unattainable for an ordinary spiritual father: the majority of
 13 1    |            not realize what a great spiritual force is in the hands of
 14 1    |    willingly expounds it all to his spiritual father.~Admittedly, he will
 15 1    |   Admittedly, he will tell even his spiritual father only after a severe
 16 1    |             the confidence that the spiritual father will not repeat his
 17 1    |         decisions. Blessed are you, spiritual father, if God tells you
 18 1    |           things that can help your~spiritual child in the complete or
 19 1    |             obtaining experience in spiritual healing, that is, in giving~
 20 1    |            already mentioned that a spiritual father, in order to acquire
 21 2    |                              2. The Spiritual Father’s own Disposition.~“
 22 2    |        words, if not to all of your spiritual children, then to many of
 23 2    |           rich not through your own spiritual strength,~but through “the
 24 2    |             the earth on which your spiritual seed is falling, is fertile.
 25 2    |         reflection of the countless spiritual feats, struggles and~sufferings
 26 2    |            enlightens his soul with spiritual love and~compassion towards
 27 2    |    principal condition for fruitful~spiritual direction consists in being
 28 2    |          wisdom that enlightens~our spiritual children and strengthens
 29 2    |             persistence to convince spiritual fathers to embark~on this
 30 2    |             ascetic task of being a spiritual father is great, holy and
 31 2    |              not their flock,~their spiritual children, as the Christians
 32 2    |            would let you taste that spiritual sweetness with which you
 33 2    |           gift, a special virtue of spiritual~love, of which St. John
 34 2    |           of the priesthood, says:~“Spiritual love is not born of anything
 35 3    |             the gentle voice of his~spiritual father, filled with love
 36 3    |         gentle though they are, the spiritual father has already~deeply
 37 3    |       confession of one person, new spiritual children will come to you
 38 3    |           at home and weep over his spiritual wounds, or ask~consolation
 39 3    |            all these entreaties for spiritual healing that~are put before
 40 3    |       fulfilling~your vocation as a spiritual father are not in people,
 41 3    |        course, you are right,” many spiritual fathers will answer me. “
 42 3    |          and for the majority of my spiritual children turn out to he
 43 3    |        wisdom, in order to teach my spiritual children~how to struggle
 44 3    |            will become an~excellent spiritual physician for the faithful.
 45 3    |      repentance~that you were not a spiritual father for all of them;
 46 3    |             a~perfect man, and your spiritual children into the fullness
 47 4    |             out of the whole year.1~Spiritual fathers will confirm this
 48 4    |             five minutes with their spiritual father~have for the soul.
 49 4    |             their soul before their spiritual father, how “It was just
 50 4    |            experienced and edifying spiritual father, you will acquire
 51 4    |     confession of sins before their spiritual father. In the second one,
 52 4    |         chapter “Exhortation from a Spiritual Father~to his Spiritual
 53 4    |             Spiritual Father~to his Spiritual Child”; at this point also
 54 4    |  instruction under~the heading “How Spiritual Fathers Should Dispose those
 55 4(9) |             before embarking on the spiritual struggles of the approaching
 56 4(12)|           of the~individual and his spiritual father.~
 57 5    |                                  5. Spiritual Direction.~In a few words
 58 5    |        given directions about how a spiritual father should establish
 59 5    |             even for an experienced~spiritual father to give intelligent
 60 5    |            jostling people; but our spiritual fathers experience even
 61 5    |            most of them do not have spiritual experience, and~have not
 62 5    |            read in order to acquire spiritual wisdom? Read much, but~know
 63 5    |            for the priest.s general spiritual~development; there also
 64 5    |             to the~understanding of spiritual life, i.e. to read the book
 65 5    |     Sophronius of Jerusalem, or~the Spiritual Meadow by? John Moschus,
 66 5    |            the~Heavenly Kingdom and spiritual perfection with a less painful
 67 5    |             a~whole library of such spiritual cures. Such primarily is
 68 5    |       Exarch of Georgia, which many spiritual~fathers in monasteries had
 69 5    |          attention in this field of spiritual pathology and therapy, which
 70 5    |        confession and in general in spiritual talks.~
 71 6    |                                  6. Spiritual Healing. Unbelief and Weak
 72 6    |            Fathers and from our own~spiritual experience.~To begin with,
 73 7    |             four examples a zealous~spiritual father will learn how to
 74 7    |            Christian laments to his spiritual father, “At times I believe
 75 7    |             man more informed about~spiritual life, who will explain to
 76 7    |             Faith is a very subtle, spiritual,~feeling. However much it
 77 8    |            Admitting a Sin.~Several spiritual fathers in monasteries have
 78 8    |          perplexing events.~Healing spiritual children of these demonic
 79 9    |       righteous~life. What were the spiritual qualities which caused them
 80 9    |            of many very widely read spiritual works. See his life in “
 81 9    |       hearts of men.” Convince your spiritual children that they must
 82 9    |         their own good will towards spiritual perfection, and flourished
 83 9    |   flourished in~various virtues and spiritual struggles. Behold those
 84 10   |                                 10. Spiritual Delusion (Prelest).~Weak
 85 10   |        person is not protected from spiritual sickness if he does not
 86 10   |         either a~living person or a spiritual writer. This sickness is
 87 10   |      sickness is called prelest, or spiritual delusion,~imagining oneself
 88 10   |             against this sickness —~spiritual delusion.~Prelest endangers
 89 10   |            appearance anywhere as a spiritual epidemic and the life of
 90 10   |         deluding~others. But such a spiritual epidemic goes too deep to
 91 10   |           fornication.~Of course, a spiritual father cannot struggle with
 92 10   |           against~falling over this spiritual precipice, as soon as he
 93 10   |        explained by the~fathers and spiritual writers we have just mentioned.
 94 10   |          the~pseudonym of a Russian spiritual writer of the Holy Mountain.~ ~
 95 10   |       either to father or mother or spiritual father.” Only before~an
 96 11   |             Such a diagnosis of our spiritual infirmities and approach
 97 11   |           the passions of the soul. Spiritual fathers must~explain to
 98 11   |            out the two exercises of spiritual warfare or asceticism, selfopposition~
 99 11   |             essential condition for~spiritual perfection, through which
100 11   |             prayer of a believer.~A spiritual father must interrogate
101 11   |         person or, as it is said in~spiritual books, “give place to anger,”
102 11   |          our souls and the value of~spiritual gifts, we would understand
103 11   |           point that on Mount Athos spiritual fathers not only do not~
104 12   |           began our~instructions to spiritual fathers with the struggle
105 12   |         thing if you can direct the spiritual gaze of your parishioner
106 12   |          Christ, having~come to his spiritual father with repentance,
107 12   |            spoken much against this spiritual~blindness which, alas, has
108 12   |        every kind of~humiliation.~A spiritual father must at least try
109 12   |              vainglory and inner or spiritual pride. The first passion
110 12   |            this~applies not just to spiritual fathers but to all members
111 12   |    themselves, ask their elder’s or spiritual father’s permission to stop
112 12   |    priesthood. What, then, should a spiritual father~say when a Christian
113 12   |          account like this from the Spiritual Meadow (or another~patristic
114 13   |         confess these sins to their spiritual~fathers; husbands and wives
115 13   |            when interrogating their spiritual children, priests must be
116 13   |           do not meet soon enough a~spiritual father who would be capable
117 13   |             is not the end of~their spiritual disaster: another thought
118 13   |          away, not having found any spiritual support.~And so, dear priest,
119 13   |          you find out what sin your spiritual child has committed~and
120 13   |           In these circumstances, a spiritual father can hope for success
121 13   |         wonderful thing with a deep spiritual significance for our contemporary
122 13   |           to God’s Church and their~spiritual fathers. But this is not
123 13   |             eyes opened to his real spiritual state, full of self-deception
124 13   |             derision. What should a spiritual father do with him? Of course,~
125 13   |           else in a state of severe spiritual conflict, horrified by some
126 13   |         these truths to penitents a spiritual father will benefit them~
127 13   |      poisoned by debauchery.xxiii~A spiritual father must even more persistently
128 14   |            his family. Of course,~a spiritual father will in this case
129 14   |             he personally knows his~spiritual son and his family and so
130 14   |      because they are united with a spiritual passion and malice. This
131 14   |        broken his oath. What~is his spiritual father to do then?~It will
132 14   |          giving these examples, the spiritual father should~explain to
133 15   |           confession aware of their spiritual state and of the implications
134 15   |        given, a priest can make~his spiritual children understand once
135 15   |          spiritually sick, that his spiritual diseases~must be cured,
136 15   |      penitent understands this, his spiritual father can thank God on
137 15   |            the mind and soul of the spiritual father into this realm of
138 15   |           father into this realm of spiritual struggle and~spiritual life.
139 15   |           of spiritual struggle and~spiritual life. If we have achieved
140 15   |        achieved this even for a few spiritual fathers, then in their future~
141 15   |              This is a loss of that spiritual joy~of living which is nourished
142 15   |          now perform it without any spiritual enjoyment or even find it~
143 15   |            heals Christians of this spiritual~ ~illness at once. The victim
144 15   | inconsolable grief~and sadness, his spiritual father must ask him lovingly
145 15   |            us go on to consider the spiritual~causes. However, it will
146 15   |           without the~blessing of a spiritual father or elder — then remind
147 15   |        consolations such as these a spiritual father~must bring to his
148 17   |          that, but it is hard for a spiritual father to do the same,~and
149 17   |             the son of a robber.” A spiritual father should strictly condemn~
150 17   |      examples we have given here of spiritual exhortations against various~
151 17   |            healing of more pressing spiritual sicknesses, in the form
152 18   |   Individual) Sins.~Sometimes a new spiritual father finds it difficult
153 18   |      thought out list. Of course, a spiritual father cannot question every
154 18   |         beginning of our counsel to spiritual fathers: those who come
155 18   |             the~inexperience of his spiritual father, who has been unable
156 18   |          not been organized, so the spiritual~father often has to restrict
157 18   |           In situations like this a spiritual father will be fulfilling
158 19   |            and devour people.” If a spiritual father has managed~to dislodge
159 20   |         they were or what grief and spiritual~harm they brought to your
160 20   |             remain in your state of spiritual indifference and would not
161 21   |         Against one’s Own Soul.~The spiritual father continues his exhortations: “
162 21   |         parent of all vices, and in spiritual life even less should you
163 21   |           you wish to move ahead~in spiritual life. This is the virtue
164 21   |      inclination towards prayer and spiritual reading.”~When the priest
165 21   |        counsel to a conclusion, the spiritual father says: “Seek~spiritual
166 21   |        spiritual father says: “Seek~spiritual joys, the joys of pure love
167 21   |             satisfied if even a few spiritual fathers will read this and
168 21   |             essence of my task as a spiritual father, and I think I will
169 21   |           have~been speaking of the spiritual curing of sinners, but we
170 21   |            or three~words about the spiritual guidance of the righteous.
171 21   |        passions and could teach the spiritual father~himself how to be
172 21   |       purely physical sensation for spiritual~exaltation; his heart palpitates,
173 21   |            a great man of prayer, a~spiritual person, and falls into proud
174 21   |        these are well on the way to spiritual delusion (prelest)~and superstitions.
175 21   |           too insignificant, in the spiritual~sense, for evil spirits
176 21   |         lust. While restraining his spiritual~children from desiring miracles
177 22   |          But it is regrettable that spiritual fathers no longer give~penances
178 22   |         accordance with the lowered spiritual strength of our contemporaries.~
179 22   |             our brotherly advice to spiritual fathers to~an end.~ ~
180 B    |           at the command of another spiritual father, then this time counts
181 B    |      remitted from his penance.~How Spiritual Fathers Should Dispose Those
182 C    |           Brief Confession Before a Spiritual Father.~I confess to the
183 C    |            with all my senses, both spiritual and physical, wherefore
184 D    |             46)?~Have you committed spiritual murder, i.e. have you led