Unwilling to Speak "from himself", a Priest May Remain Silent if God has not Revealed anything to him

From a conversation with Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh.

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (1914 - 04.08.2003)

There are two examples from the life of Saint Ambrose of Optina that illustrate this. Twice, merchants from neighboring towns came to him for confession, confessed, had a long conversation with him, revealed their entire lives and souls, and waited for an answer. He told them, "I will pray and then I will answer."

And a day later, then another, then a third, in each case, the confessed person would come and say, "I need to go back to the city; why are you silent?" And two times Ambrose of Optina said, "I've been praying to the Mother of God these three days, asking her to reveal to me what to say. She is silent. What can I say?"

And you must respect this when you come to confession. A priest may say, "I can't tell you anything."

And here we shouldn't think, "Well, he doesn't care about me! I opened my whole soul to him, I brought the whole tragedy of my life, and he tells me, 'Well, go away now in peace. I'll give you a prayer of absolution and that's enough for you!'" This is not true. This means the priest responsibly refuses to say anything that isn't rooted in God, in prayer, in communication.

We must remember this, because it happens. If a priest is truly thoughtful and serious, then this must happen, because fabricating an answer is a crime.

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In a Passionate State, Tears should not be Trusted

Venerable Macarius of Optina. "Edifying Teachings" (from letters).

Venerable Macarius of Optina (1788-1860)

You inform me... that you are now deeply distressed about your former life and even weep and sob. We must weep; true repentance requires weeping, and much weeping; but tears, in a passionate state, should not be trusted as correct.

St. John Climacus in the 7th Step says: do not trust the sources of your tears before complete cleansing from the passions. And again, in the same Step: "When we see anger and pride in those who think they weep for God, then such tears must be considered incorrect, for what communion has light with darkness?" This saint says in the same place that novices have tears for many and varied reasons: from nature, from unjust sorrow, from vanity, from the demon of fornication, and from other causes. He advises examining such tears with the fear of God and purifying them with the memory of our departure from this life, in order to acquire pure and undefiled tears, in which there is no loss due to arrogance, but rather a cleansing, washing clean of sin. Moreover, one must always remember the words of this same saint, spoken by him in the same Step: "Great is the malice of our enemies; they make the mother of virtues the stuff of passions, and turn the self-reproach of humility into a pretext for pride" (V, 447, 757-758).

You write about N. N.'s constant prayer and other matters; one must find out if she has a secret high opinion of herself due to this, and that is why her infirmities are increasing. One must pray to the Lord not to allow to fall into delusion (VI, 57, 92).

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Pride Combined with Prayer can even Lead to Mental Disorders

Archimandrite Sergius (Shevich) (1903 – 25.07.1987)

S. Devyatova. "Elders and Ascetics of the 20th-21st Centuries. Biographies, Memories of Contemporaries, Teachings, Feats and Miracles, Prayers."

Archimandrite Sergius (Shevich) (1903 – 1987).

The practice of the Jesus Prayer requires the guidance of an experienced spiritual father... "For someone who prays a lot, there is a great risk of falling into delusion," said Elder Sergius. The spiritual father to whom one should turn should not be a fellow practitioner (and certainly not an adherent of prayer "techniques"), but one who has navigated all the pitfalls and has been granted the gift of discernment from God. He can thereby reliably determine which prayerful states are emotional and which are spiritual, which are from God and which are from the evil one...

The slightest pride combined with prayer leads to deviations and even mental disorders. In this regard, Elder Sergius used to repeat that the practice of prayer is incompatible with passions, and that anyone who prays while, for example, in a state of pride or impurity, is running toward their own catastrophe...

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Freedom is Given by God to those who Cut out their Own Will

Saint Silouan the Athonite (1866 - 24.9.1938)

Saint Silouan the Athonite.

We all suffer on earth and seek freedom, but few know what freedom is, where it is.

And I, too, desire freedom, and I seek it day and night... I have come to know that it is with God, and from God it is given to humble hearts who have repented and cut out their will before Him. To the repentant, the Lord gives His peace and the freedom to love Him. And there is nothing better in the world than to love God and one's neighbor. In this, the soul finds peace and joy.

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With what Attitude toward Pride should one Deliver Sermons?

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain (1924 – 12.7.1994)

Elder Paisios the Athonite. "Words." Vol. 5.

Only humble thoughts bring humility, and only humility makes pride go away. One preacher told me that he once prepared a very good sermon. He ascended the pulpit and began to speak, speaking very beautifully. Suddenly, a proud thought flashed through his mind, and he lost his train of thought. He burst into tears and descended from the pulpit, disgraced. Afterward, he was unable to deliver sermons for a long time—he had become ineffective. I said to him: “This happened to you because of pride. You became arrogant, and therefore the Grace of God departed. Now, start all over again with humility. When the time comes to ascend the pulpit, tell yourself: “If I lose my train of thought, it means that for spiritual benefit I must again become a laughingstock.” And if you suddenly begin to weep again, people will think you are crying from tenderness, and they will not be offended, but will benefit. So do not be afraid.” And indeed, he returned to his work and began to deliver sermons with humility, always prepared for humiliation.

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It's Risky to Desire to See Apparitions of Saints

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain (1924 – 12.7.1994)

Venerable Elder Paisios the Athonite. "Words." Volume VI.

The presence of saints is real

– Geronda, I would like to see Saint Arsenios.

– Your desire to see Saint Arsenios is risky, because the enemy might present you with a fantasy, and your thoughts will begin to tell you that you supposedly have achieved something, since you were honored with seeing the saint. Then, when you accept this "achieving something," the enemy will use your imagination to constantly play movies in your mind. Therefore, venerate Saint Arsenios, but don't strive to see him. Whether he appears to you or not is his business.

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The Villagers Believed the False Elder who Predicted the End of the World for the Following Day

Archimandrite Pavel (Gruzdev) (1910 - 13.1.1996)

Hegumen Peter (Pigol). "Archimandrite Pavel (Gruzdev)."

From Father Pavel's stories about his life.

I was already in exile, in the city of Petropavlovsk in Northern Kazakhstan, working there in a stone-crushing facility. One day, they called for us (we were all administrative exiles) to go to the village of Zuyevka. What was Zuyevka? Why go there? It's about thirty, forty, or maybe more miles from Petropavlovsk. And they told us we were going to harvest. But rumors say something happened there. The livestock and poultry were left unattended. But they didn't tell us the truth.

And there, in Zuyevka, there was this Father Athanasius, some kind of parasite. Maybe he was a holier-than-thou, or something? He'd been there for a long time, may be arrived even before the revolution.

On the Signs of Delusion

Bishop Vasily of Kineshma (1876 - 13.08.1945)

Bishop Vasily of Kineshma. "Conversations on the Gospel of Mark."

If, without considering his own strength, a Christian takes on excessive prayerful labor, the usual consequence is either despondency and complete slackening, with even the simplest prayer rule seeming incredibly difficult and not being fulfilled; or, conversely, fanaticism, spiritual pride, and its worst expression—the so-called demonic delusion, that is, spiritual self-delusion, which subjugates an overly zealous ascetic to the spirit of wild conceit and the power of the enemy.

How, however, can one distinguish "demonic delusion" from the spirit of sincere, ardent zeal for God? By these signs, one can detect its inception in the soul, but what are the means to combat it?

This is a very important question, for it always poses a great danger to zealous beginners. Many have perished in this temptation, which the devil skillfully exploits, ensnaring especially talented, ardent, and enthusiastic natures.

Holy ascetic writers in their ascetic works point out the following manifestations of "delusion."

Examples When One Can See That There Is No Will of God (For Marriage or Monasticism)

Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov

Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov.

But you still need to seek God's will. How? You need to pray. You need to beg the Lord so that the Lord Himself will show you. And the Lord often shows you in different ways. You can try to take one path or another. It happens that a person comes and says: “I found a bride, and then she suddenly refused. Some time passed, I found another, and she refused. And I found a third, and she refused.” Then the priest says: “Maybe it is not God's will for you to get married? Maybe you should think about monasticism?”

Or another says: “I went to a monastery. I can't live there. I went to another one - again it's the same. I lived for some time as a novice, worked, was a monastery worker. I can't live the way monks live” - that means it is not God's will.

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A Nun Boasted that she had never Experienced the Carnal Passion

Archimandrite Gennady (in schema Gregory) (1911 – 19.7.1987)

"Great Russian Elders." Archimandrite Gennady (in schema Gregory) (1911–1987).

A ninety-year-old nun once came to the elder and said, "I have never experienced the carnal passion in my life." The elder replied, "Wait, you will." Some time later, the nun came to him in tears, in despair: "Father, save me! I am perishing, burning as if in fire." The elder began to pray, and the temptation passed. "Never boast, remember: you should not boast of your virtues," the elder said.

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Insistently Asking for a Blessing is Fulfilling one's Will

Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin)

Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). "On the Path from Time to Eternity."

Hegumeness Angelina recounted: "A novice came to me and said, 'Mother, bless me to go to the city market today.' I replied, 'You'll go tomorrow.' But she continued to insist, 'No, Mother, bless me to go today.' I replied, 'Child, this will not be my blessing, but yours. You wish to fulfill your own will through me.'"

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Delusion via Night Dreams

Saint Macarius of Optina (1788-1860)

Letters of St. Macarius of Optina.

...Your dream cannot be trusted precisely because it disturbed you; I always write to you that your disturbing thoughts stem from the enemy's wiles, so why do you need further confirmation from a dream? Perhaps the enemy has a method of seducing you with true dreams, then leading you into complete delusion. Better yet, leave them alone and don't believe in dreams. We have the word of God and the advice—the teachings of the holy fathers. And in your perplexities, you have the Mother Abbess, the sister, and I, a sinner, will write something according to your faith...

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A Demon, Disguised as an Angel, Began Waking a Monk for Services

St. Leo of Optina (1768 - 1841)

From the life of St. Leo of Optina

"In the first days after joining the monastery," recounted Monk N., "I was excessively zealous for monastic labors. Sometimes, after Matins, others would go to rest, while I would do something in my obedience, and then, already tired, I would lie down for a short rest, mentally worrying about not oversleeping and being in time for the very beginning of the early Liturgy. Then someone began waking me. At the first ring of the bell, it seemed as if someone was saying a prayer at my door. I got up and looked—no one was there. The next day, again. The bell had just rung for Liturgy, and someone's voice seemed to be saying a prayer. I thought of our monk, Fr. I. I went out—no one was there. I explained all this to the elder, Fr. Leonid. "What do you think," he asked me, "who is it that wakes you?" "I'm wondering, Father," I replied, "whether it's an Angel already?" "With horns," the elder retorted, "we'll see what happens next." "The next day, no one woke me, and I overslept the service. The next day, and the third, I overslept it again. So we were both ashamed—both my unknown wakener and I, a credulous zealot."

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When Heaven is Silent, one should not do anything

Schema-Archimandrite Michael (Krechetov) (1937 - 14.11.2025)

From a conversation with the elder Archpriest Valerian Krechetov.

(before his repose, Fr. Valerian was tonsured in Great Schema as schema-archimandrite Michael)

"There's a saying: when heaven is silent, one should not do anything. In any difficult situation, one must first turn to God, asking Him to reveal His will, to enlighten one. I'm often asked how He will do this. I can't know; He will find a way. There's the biblical example of Balaam, who was brought to reason by the donkey he was riding. Life situations are many, and all sorts of possibilities exist. But the Lord hears everyone who turns to Him. When you do this with faith, He will certainly answer."

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Many of those who Fell into Delusion Prayed with Prayer with Imagination

Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin). "On the Path from Time to Eternity."

Saint Seraphim (Romantsov)

Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim (Romantsov).

A hieromonk asked Schema-Archimandrite Seraphim about a hermit who, during prayer, imagined the faces of Christ and the saints. The hieromonk wanted to know whether one could be saved by such a method of prayer (forbidden by the Fathers). Father Seraphim replied, "Whether he will be saved or not, I do not know, but it is impossible to attain high spiritual levels with improper prayer. Imagination is a quality of the soul, not of the spirit; it is connected with the passions. The Holy Fathers compare such prayer to the dead of night, where there is no light; a person does not know where he is going, receives blows from the enemy, but is unable to respond or even avoid them." The hieromonk said, "I tried to dissuade him, but it was useless. He said that he learned to pray this way from his spiritual father, whom he considers great." Father Seraphim replied, "Imagining the spiritual world can evoke in a person a feeling of secret pride; he will begin to think that he actually sees this world during prayer." Many of those who fell into delusion prayed such a prayer. In any case, if this hermit isn't deluded, he's on a dangerous path."

The hieromonk asked Schema-Hegumen Savva the same question. He replied, "You're not asking me, but testing me: will I answer correctly? You came to test me, and you've already been told about the hermit. Besides, you yourself had read about such a prayer in the Philokalia." Then he added, "In spiritual life, it's dangerous not only to imagine but also to lie to an elder." The hieromonk was embarrassed, but he lost heart and didn't admit it was true, instead saying, "I wanted to know if there are exceptions here." He replied, "If a monk has childlike simplicity, he believed his father, and recalls certain images he saw, then the Lord may accept such a prayer as an exception."

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On Tears Before Cleansing from Passions

Venerable Ambrose of Optina. From Letter 391. 

St. Ambrose of Optina (1812 - 1891)

You also write that Peter Damascene confused you with what he said in Part 2, Homily 8, about tears, saying that before cleansing from passions, they are nothing other than the delusion of demons. Reread this chapter carefully. It's not stated that way, nor is the meaning correct; you've greatly emphasized it. The main meaning here is impartiality; and he says that the tears of those living among people, preoccupied with sensual, that is, worldly, things, are caused by the mockery and theft of demons. But your efforts related to your treasury duties don't fall under this category; what is done out of holy obedience, according to monastic duties, cannot be called vain care. Of course, even in such cases, one must carefully guard oneself and conduct oneself in the fear of God, guarding one's conscience. It is true that tears, before being cleansed of passions, are not entirely pure, but, according to St. John Climacus, they are purified and made right if, while weeping and crying, a person always thinks of the end of this life and of his presence at the Last Judgment, and of the final utterance therein. And then they also purify the soul of the weeper. During tears, one must guard against vanity and arrogance, which make tears like swamp water, where leeches and other hideous vermin breed. Secondly, during tears, according to St. John Climacus, one must guard against the seduction of unreasonable joy, lest one accepts a wolf instead of a shepherd. This saint expresses amazement at the extent to which the cunning enemy has contrived to transform the source of virtue, that is, weeping, into a source of passions.

If a person can weep, then let him weep wisely, humbly, with heartfelt contrition, and with the remembrance of his sins (but not of carnal details, for that is more harmful), and with the remembrance of death and God's judgment. Saint John Climacus writes that the mental Pharaoh, who is called a roaring lion by the Apostle Peter, is drowned in the water of tears, just as you yourself once imagined. It is rightly said that in the water of tears and tender weeping there is no place for this roaring lion, seeking to devour someone. Mother N. asks whether she may keep the sisters' money for safekeeping. If the ancient, strict order of communal life had been preserved, when the residents were given everything they needed, then this would be inappropriate and could be considered improper; but at the present time, due to the general weakness of both superiors and subordinates, it is absolutely impossible to forbid this. There can be need and a immediate demand for the latter.

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Falling into Sins that Reproach the Conscience Can be Due to Subtle Mental Demeaning of Others

Saint Macarius of Optina (1788-1860)

"Great Russian Elders." Venerable Macarius of Optina.

Consider the actions of your heart and mind: are there any high opinions of yourself, both in spiritual and secular matters—does your thoughts demean others? If you sense such things, strive to quickly banish them from your heart and not give them room. For those who let them creep in, as punishment for friendship with them, God may allow them to fall into sins that reproach the conscience. Have compassion for your neighbors who require your help; pay attention to the poor, the orphaned, and the needy, according to your ability. All this will attract God's mercy to you.

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An Example of How a Person Found an Elder Who Revealed God’s Will to Him

Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov

From a conversation with Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov.

I can only tell you one thing from my own experience. When I was young, I also heard a lot about different elders and saints. It was in the Soviet times. And there was no one around me. For many years, I had no spiritual father at all and I did not know where to go. I was a believer, but I did not even know which church to go to. In those days, we were very intimidated. And our parents scared us, saying: "If you go to church now, they will expel you from school, from university, and maybe even put you in jail." So, we were afraid, we did not trust priests, because there were informers among them. When I was young, I began to pray: "Lord, give me a spiritual father." And then I also asked, as I now understand, very boldly: "Show me an elder from whom I can learn Your will. I want to act according to Your will. Whom should I ask?” And I distinguished between a spiritual father and an elder. And I prayed for many years, and only then, after decades, I understood that the Lord had literally fulfilled my request. I had both a spiritual father and an elder who wrote to me: “This is the will of God.” And the Lord did not give me just any elder, but the one I asked for, who revealed the will of God to me.

God is merciful. If we seek and ask with all our hearts, if we ask for good, if we want to truly do well, to arrange our lives spiritually, then the Lord will definitely answer. Maybe not right away. Maybe you need to pray, to work. But you should not doubt this for a single minute. But if you have such a desire, I am deeply convinced that the Lord will not leave you without an answer.

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Who Can Teach Others

St. Theophan the Recluse (1815 - 1894)

Apophthegmata Partum as translated by St. Theophan the Recluse.

Chapter X. About reasoning.

115. Abba Poemen said: teaching one’s neighbor is characteristic of the sane and dispassionate, for what need is there for anyone to build another’s house and ruin his own.

291. The elder said: there is nothing poorer than the mind that philosophizes without God about the divine. Anyone who teaches in a church or in a cell must first fulfill what he speaks and teaches, as it is said: “The husbandman that laboureth must be first partaker of the fruits” (2 Tim. 2:6).

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You Cannot Trust Yourself either During Peace or During Temptations

Venerable Isaac the Syrian of Nineveh. "Spiritual Alphabet".

Venerable Isaac the Syrian (~ VI - VIII cent.)

Distrust. In yourself during peace of mind.

If before entering the city of humility you notice in yourself that you have calmed down from the rebellion of passions, then do not trust yourself: for the enemy is preparing some kind of net for you; on the contrary, after peace, expect great anxiety and great rebellion. If you do not pass through all the abodes of virtues, then you will not find peace from your labor and will not have rest from the enemy's wiles until you reach the abode of holy humility.

(Word 73, p. 370).

In temptations, do not trust yourself.

Do not trust yourself that you are strong until you are tempted and find yourself unchanged. So test yourself in everything.

(Word 57, p. 294).

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