Letters of schema-hegumen John (Alexeev)
Letter 100
7.6.1954
The most God-loving handmaid of God T.
I wrote you about the way to accomplish your prayer rule in your family life, but now I am writing you about spiritual life.
St. Agathon said: ‘Spiritual life is like a tree: bodily labours, (podvig) are leaves, and spiritual deeds are fruits’. The Holy Scripture says: every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire (Matt.3,10). Generally speaking, asceticism is not a virtue by itself but a tool to reach the virtue. If there are not the fruits: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance (Gal 5, 22), the physical ascetic deeds are in vain. St. Barsonuphius the Great said: ‘if the inner work does not come to our assistance after God, then one is laboring in vain on the outward self.’ Not many at all are familiar with spiritual life and got stuck at the letter that kills the spirit such as: ‘touch not; taste not; handle not’ (Col 2, 21)
St Maximus the Confessor said: ‘Do not exercise much on the outer work but bring all your strengths to do the inner work’. St John of the Ladder says: ‘The present generation is seriously corrupt and all full of pride and hypocrisy. In bodily labours it perhaps reaches the level of our ancient Fathers, but it is not graced with their gifts, though I think nature never had such need of spiritual gifts as now. And we have got what we deserve. For God is manifested not in labours but in simplicity and humility’. St Isaac the Syrian says: ‘If you practice an excellent virtue without perceiving the taste of its aid, do not marvel; for until a man becomes humble, he will not receive a reward for his labour. Recompense is given, not for labour, but for humility’.
