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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It is Impossible to Love your Enemies without God's Grace

Saint Silouan the Athonite (1866 - 24.9.1938)

Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov). "Saint Silouan the Athonite".

When the soul learns love from the Lord, then it feels mercy for the whole universe, every creature of God, and it prays that all people will repent and accept the grace of the Holy Spirit. But if the soul loses grace, then love departs from it, for it is impossible to love enemies without the grace of God, and then evil thoughts come from the heart, as the Lord says (Matthew 15:19, Mark 7:21-22).

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Elder Silouan about the Signs of Grace and Delusion

Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov). "Saint Silouan, the Athonite".

Saint Silouan the Athonite (1866 - 24.9.1938)

In our desire to learn from the Elder if there is a criterion that allows to distinguish in a certain way between the true spiritual path and ‘illusions of truth’ that are found when we turn away from the path, we talked to him about this issue. His words were precious. He said:

"When the Holy Spirit fills the whole man with the sweetness of his love, the world is completely forgotten and the soul contemplates God with unspeakable joy. But when the soul remembers the world again, it cries then, full of love for God and compassion for men and prays for the whole universe.

Given over to tears and prayer for the world that love inspires in her, the soul, full of the sweetness of the Holy Spirit, can forget the world again and rest in God. And when the memory of the world returns, she prays anew, shedding tears, imploring, submerged in affliction, the salvation of all men.

This is the true way that the Holy Spirit teaches.

The Holy Spirit is love, peace and sweetness. The Holy Spirit teaches to love God and neighbour. But the spirit of delusion is a spirit of pride; it forgives neither man nor other creatures, for it has created nothing. He acts as a thief and predator; his path is strewn with ruins.

Elder Silouan about Discretion (Discernment)

Archimandrite Sophrony (Sakharov). "Saint Silouan, the Athonite". Part II. Works of Elder Silouan

Saint Silouan the Athonite (1866-1938)

If you see a light either within or outside yourself, do not trust it, if you have not got together with this light in your heart adoration to God and love for your neighbour; but have no fear either, just humble yourself, and this light will disappear.

If you see some vision, image, or a dream, give no trust to it, for if it is from Our Lord, then the Lord will give you understanding. The soul that does not know the savour of the Holy Spirit is unable to understand the origin of a vision. The Enemy gives some kind of sweetness mixed with vain self-satisfaction to the soul, and that is how you can understand it is a delusion.

The Fathers say that if a vision is provoked by the Enemy, the soul experiences a certain confusion. But only a humble man, who does not judge himself to be worthy of visions, experiences turmoil or fear under the action of the Enemy; but a vain man may experience neither fear nor even the least distress, for he desires to have visions and judges himself to be worthy of them, and for this reason the Enemy deceives him easily.

What is in heaven is known by the Holy Spirit, what is on earth, by intelligence; whoever tries to know God by the ways of intelligence is in delusion, for God cannot be truly known except by the Holy Spirit.

If you see demons by your spirit, humble yourself and try not to see them, but go without delay to the confessor or to the elder to which you entrusted yourself. Tell everything to your confessor and then the Lord will have compassion on you and you will escape delusion. But if you think that in the domain of the spiritual life you see further than your confessor, if in confession you stop telling him what happens to you, then by that pride you will certainly experience some delusion, by God’s will, in order to give you instruction.

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It Is Impossible to Escape Delusion without Confession

Extracts from the book by Archimandrite Sofronii. "Saint Silouan the Athonite".

Saint Silouan the Athonite

Beware these two thoughts, and fear them. The first suggests "You are a saint;" the other, "You will not be saved". Both come from the enemy, and there is no truth in them.

Instead, think to yourself, "I am a great sinner but the Lord is merciful. He loves man with a great love, and will forgive my sins."

Evil thoughts afflict the pride soul, and until she humbles herself she knows no rest from them.

Be assured of this - if evil thoughts torment you, it means that you are not humble. The Lord said, "Learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls."

Without Christ-like humility the soul will never be at rest in God - she will always be agitated by divers thoughts and impulses which will not let her contemplate God.

The Lord gives the soul understanding to recognize His coming, to love Him and do His will. Fight the enemy with the weapon of humility.

Man falls under the spell of delusions either because he is unpractised or through pride. If it is because of inexperience, the Lord is swift to heal, but if pride is the cause, the soul must suffer long until she learns humility, and then the Lord will restore her to health.

We fall and are beguiled when we chink ourselves more intelligent and more practised than others, even our spiritual father. In my inexperience I thought this once, and suffered for it; and I give heartfelt thanks to God that through this He humbled me and gave me understanding, and did not remove His mercy from me. And now I think that it is impossible to escape beguilement unless we make confession to our spiritual father, for to a confessor the Lord has given power to loose and to bind.

If you see a light within yourself, or outside, put no trust in it unless at the same rime as you see the light, your heart within you is melted to tenderness for God and love for your neighbour; but have no fear either. Humble yourself, and the light will disappear.

If you see some vision or image, or dream a dream, put not your trust in it, for if it be from God the Lord will enlighten you. The soul that does not know the savour of the Holy Spirit is unable to apprehend the origin of a vision. The enemy offers the soul sweetness intermixed with vain self-satisfaction, and thereby is the presence of beguilement.

When we weep tor our sins and humble our soul, we do not see visions, and the soul has no desire for them; whereas when we give up weeping, and forsake humility, we may be attracted to seeing visions.

For a long time I did not understand why we must continue with contrite hearts once the Lord has forgiven us our sins. But afterwards I understood that where contrition is missing, one cannot hold out in humility; for evil spirits are proud and would instil pride in us, whereas the Lord teaches meekness, humility and love, and through these the soul.

The Lord loves the soul that is valiant and sage, and if we have neither courage nor good sense, we must ask God for them, and listen to our spiritual fathers — in them lives the grace of the Holy Spirit. In particular, the man whose mind has suffered harm from the working of the devil should in no wise trust himself but always listen to his confessor.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/264-it-is-impossible-to-escape-delusion-without-confession

Saint Silouan the Athonite Overcame Delusion

Archimandrite Sofronii. "Saint Silouan, the Athonite".

Saint Silouan, the Athonite

I myself was twice deluded. Once the enemy showed me light and the thought tempted me: Accept what you see, it proceeds from grace. Another rime I accepted a vision and suffered greatly on that account. Once, at the end of Matins when the choir were singing 'Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord,' I heard King David in heaven singing the praises of God. I was standing in the choir and it seemed to me that there was neither roof nor dome, and that I was looking at the open sky. I spoke of this to four men of God but not one of them told me that the enemy had made mock of me, while myself I thought that devils could not be singing the praises of God, therefore my vision could not be from the enemy. But I was beguiled by vanity and began to see devils again. Then I knew that I had been deceived, and I made full disclosure to my confessor and asked him for his prayers; and because of his prayers I am now saved and ever beseech the Lord to grant me the spirit of humility. And were I to be asked what would I have of God - what gifts I should answer: 'The spirit of humility in which the Lord rejoices above all things." Because of her humility the Virgin Mary became the Mother of God, and is glorified in heaven and on earth above all others. She committed herself wholly to God's will. 'Behold the handmaid of the Lord,' she said. And we must all try to do likewise.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/saints-that-overcame-spiritual-delusion/314-saint-silouan-the-athonite

The Man Who Engages in Prayer without Spiritual Director or Who Does not Trust His Confessor, Falls into Delusion

Archimandrite Sofronii. "Saint Silouan the Athonite".

On Prayer

He who loves the Lord is ever mindful of Him, and the thought of God begets prayer. If you are forgetful of the Lord, you will not pray, and without prayer the soul will not dwell in the love of God, for the grace of the Holy Spirit comes through prayer. Prayer preserves a man from sin, for the prayerful mind stays intent on God, and in humbleness of spirit stands before the Face of the Lord. Whom the soul of him who prays knoweth.

But the novice naturally needs a guide, for until the advent of the grace of the Holy Spirit the soul is involved in fierce struggle against her foes, and is unable to disentangle herself if the enemy offer her his delights. Only the man with experience of the grace of the Holy Spirit can understand this. He who has savoured the Holy Spirit recognises the taste of grace.

The man who sets out without guidance to engage in prayer (imagining in his arrogance that he can learn to pray from books), and will not go to a spiritual director, is already half beguiled. But the Lord succours the man who is humble, and if there be no experienced guide and he turns to any confessor he finds, the Lord will watch over him for his humility.

Think in this wise: the Holy Spirit dwells in your confessor, and he will tell you what is right. But if you say to yourself that your confessor lives a careless life, how can the Holy Spirit dwell in him, you will suffer mightily for such thoughts, and the Lord will bring you low, and you are sure to fall into delusion.

***

Some there are who say that prayer beguiles. This is not so. A man is beguiled by listening to his own self, not by prayer. All the Saints lived in prayer, and they call others to prayer. Prayer is the best of all activities for the soul. Prayer is the pith to God. Through prayer we obtain humility, patience and every good gift. The man who speaks against prayer has manifestly never tasted of the goodness of the Lord, and how greatly He loves us. No evil ever comes from God. All the Saints prayed without ceasing: they filled every moment with prayer.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/how-to-avoid-or-get-rid-of-spiritual-delusion/349-the-man-who-engages-in-prayer-without-spiritual-director-or-who-does-not-trust-his-confessor-falls-into-delusion

Pride is the Source of Sin

Archimandrite Sofronii. "Saint Silouan, the Athonite".

'The enemy fell through pride.' Pride is the source of sin, comprising every aspect that evil can assume - conceit, ambition, indifference, cruelty, disregard of the suffering of others; day-dreaming, over-fantasising, a demented expression in the eye, in every other feature; gloom, melancholy, despair, animosity; envy, an inferiority complex, carnal desires; wearisome psychological disturbance, rebellious feelings, fear of death or, on the contrary, wanting to put an end to life; and, lastly and not seldom, utter madness.

These are the indications of demonic spirituality. But until they show up clearly, they pass unnoticed for many.

It does not need all these symptoms to denote someone who has let himself be seduced by satanic thoughts or visions or revelations. In some people megalomania predominates, or ambition. With others, nostalgia, despair, hidden anxiety. In still others, it is envy, gloom, hatred. With many it is the desires of the flesh. But they all suffer from unbridled imagination and pride — masked, maybe, by an air of false humility.

http://oprelesti.ru/index.php/what-is-pride/316-pride-is-the-source-of-sin