And then there is the next paragraph on page 9, which is beautiful. I read it as one of our readings at the office the other day. God is with you. God is in you, everywhere you are. Don't try to go from one place to the other to find God, saying God is here and God is there. God is within you. So, every place you are, become guileless, like a guileless sheep whose pool is sheared up without their saying a word. Do not go from one place to another, saying, I will find God here or there. God has said, I fill the earth. I fill the heaven. If you cross over water, I am with you. The waves will not swallow you up. My son, be aware that God is within you in such a way that you dwell in his law and command. And so the rest of the paragraph is beautiful. There was a thief on the cross, and he entered paradise. On the other hand, there was Judas among the apostles, and he betrayed his laughter.

[01:04]

There are a long series of parallels like that. On the one hand, Rahab, the prostitute, listed among the saints. On the other, he is in paradise, deceived. On the one hand, Job, on the dying feet, compared to his Lord. On the other, Adam in paradise, and he fell away from the rock. So, it doesn't matter too much where you are. how you are, and how you relate to God and the others. And then, next paragraph, how long, my son, are you careless? Carelessness again. And then he gave the example of Samson. Samson was very trying, but he was careless, and he let his hair be cut, and that was the end of his strength. So, and says, if God did not, next paragraph, center of the page, if God did not spare the saint, did not spare the saint, so be careful, he goes, why would he spare you?

[02:14]

Then he comes back to the very subject of the Catholicism. Why to get upset when a brother says something to you? So when a brother doubts his word, at you probably what happened. Why do you get angry? Why become a beast to him? That's very clear. You don't remember that Christ died for you? On the other hand, the minute the enemy, the devil, whispers in your ear, you tip them in his direction for him to pour in field. You open your heart to him and absorb the poison it throws your way for you. I like that translation. This is the time for you to become a beast, or to become acclaimed and consume all his malice, not against your brother, but against the devil. You have to be a beast to the devil, not to your brother. To get nauseated and vomit up is stinking evil. You must not let this poison spread through and kill you.

[03:20]

Oh man, you did not put up with a funny word darted at you by a brother, but When the enemy wants to devour your soul, what do you do? You show him patience. If you're patient, the devil is pouring in, you are kind of filled. And if your brother comes to you with a little reward, you are just upset. That makes no sense. No idea. No need to mourn for you, because instead of wearing a golden headdress, Your head will be shaved details of your words. That's a quotation from Ikema. But take care of yourself. Put up cheerfully with the one who insults you. Be merciful to your brother. Have no fear of punishment of the flesh. That's really where he comes to the real part of the catechism. And then the rest will be elaboration of the same thing. And since, pay attention, my son, to the words of the wise Paul, the Paul example.

[04:28]

And then, again, beware of fornication. That's the same word as was translated in the paragraph before concubition. Do not corrupt the members of Christ. And then, take refuge in Christ. That's a beautiful paragraph. Take refuge in God, and God who is Christ. My son, take refuge at the feet of God. And you remember that, when he described his own temptation, On page 3, he said, I think it was on page 3, yeah. He said, well, I went through all the trials too, but I took shelter at the feet of God. Then I was saved. Then here he came back and used the same expression. Take refuge at the feet of God. For it is He who created you. It is for you that He underwent these sufferings. So it does not say, take refuge at the feet of Christ, at the feet of God. It says, it is he, God, who underwent suffering.

[05:32]

God's suffering in Christ. In fact, he said, I turn my back toward the widths and my cheek towards the slats and so on at Isaiah, servants of God. The rest of the paragraph is beautiful too. The transpiration is evil. And then again, he comes back to the same kind of referring. And page 12, do not look about for a throne of human glory. If you are angry because the brother said a little praise to you in the world, it might be an insult, it's because you are full of vain glory. You are too concerned about human glory. So do not look for a throne of human glory. so that God may shelter you against winds you do not know and set you up in his capital, the heavenly Jerusalem. Then again, next paragraph, be careful in using this word.

[06:36]

You have to use this word, but be careful in the way you use it. Now, then, my son, make careful use of this word. Go on counting yourself as nothing. Follow the Lord in all things to have security in the valley of Josephus. Be considered in the world as one of its rejected. And discover yourself coated with glory under their judgment. And trust your heart to no one for the gratification of your person. But put all your cares in the hands of God and He will feed you. And keep away from fornication again. And then guard your body and your heart in all watchfulness. Check out the peace and purity that are knit together, peace and purity, and you will see God. And here, again, you learn from that part. And it's the same spirituality.

[07:38]

The content is very similar. But you will see that this is another style, much more other, logically, another type of logic. It's more Greek. Let's read that biography, and I think you will see immediately that although the content is basically the same, the ideas are altered in a different way. Do not be in trouble with anyone, because me who is in trouble with his brother is in enmity with God. And he who is at peace with his brother is at peace with God. So, have you not learned by now that nothing is preferable to peace? so that each one loves his brother, and so on. So I read that text this morning. It's a beautiful one. And then the next one is just the same. Love your enemies. Not love only your brother, but Christ said that we have to love even your enemies, even the brother who made an insult to you.

[08:41]

If the Lord has ordered us to love our enemies, to bless those who curse us, the brother that cursed you, And to do good to those who persecute us, what danger we are in when we hate one another, our brother members, when we cut, sons of God, branches of the true vine, sheep of the spiritual flock gathered by the true shepherd, the only begotten of God, who offered himself in sacrifice for us. So our brother in the community, by community or in the local church, for Adonis, our brothers are members of the same body, sons of the same God, branches of the same fruit vine, sheep of the same spiritual flock, gathered under the same fruit shepherd, who is the only begotten of God. So if we hate one of them, in what problem we are, since we are supposed to love even our enemies. The living world put up with this suffering for such a great creation and new man

[09:47]

hated it through jealousy and vainly or avarice or contempt, things for which the enemy has ensnared you to make you a stranger to God. What will be your defense before Christ? He will say to you, just as you hate your brother, so I hate you. And you will go up to eternal torment because you are hostile to your brother. Your brother will enter into eternal life because he humbled himself before you. Remember the quotation of Matthew 25, by which we ended yesterday morning. I was third day, I was not very young. You recognized me in the little one. So we have to be aware because if you don't forgive, God will not forgive you. That's the next paragraph. And then page 15. Let's learn according to our... propositive to our profession, to our ideal.

[10:49]

The only beloved, you know that we have put on Christ, the good friend of man, the good friend of man. Let us not take him out through our evil works. So we have put on Christ. But if we do evil, we put him out. Having promised God's purity, having promised the monastic life, That short sentence is added by Pacomian to Anthony Lippon-Lavis. Let us act accordingly with fast, unceasing prayer, purity of body, purity of heart. Again, the monastic abscessing. Prayer, unceasing prayer, fast, purity of body and purity of heart. If we have promised God purity, may we never be called in fornication. at which there are several poor. It is, in fact, said, they prosecuted themselves in a number of ways.

[11:54]

Our kind of sin, our prosecution, the paragraph. Infidelity to God. My brothers, may no one ever catch us in walks of this kind. May no one ever find us inferior to any man. And then next paragraph. We have promised to be disciples of Christ. We have also promised one another to be disciples of Christ. Do you feel the expression? We have promised one another to be disciples of Christ. The meaning of community life, a commitment to one another, and not only a commitment to one another, but a commitment made to one another to be disciples of Christ. So each one of us is responsible now, accountable for the commitment of the other. Let us mortify ourselves, because mortification deals roughly with impurity. Here we are in combat. Let us not run out for fear of becoming slaves of sin. We have been set up as torches for the world. Let no one be scandalized in us.

[12:55]

Let us put on silence for many who silence their salvation. Be vigilant again. Watch over yourself, brother. Let us not be demanding of one another for fear will be demanding of us in the hour of trespassment. Whether you are virgins, That's Athanasia, first speaking. Whether you are virgins or apotactic, whether you are hermit, they will still say to you, give me back my good with hindrance. They will recommend us and say, where is the wedding garment? Where is the light of the lamps? So whatever is your state of life, God will be asking you to give an account. It's how you have been faithful to your state of life, that account. It's not the state of life in itself. If you are, next page in the top, the second line, if you have had hatred of me in this world, depart from me, for I do not know. Whatever was your state of life, you were a monk, you were a hermit, you were a virgin, whatever you were.

[14:00]

If you have hatred for one of my sons, I do not know you. If you have hated your brother, you are a foreigner in my kingdom. If you have had differences with your brother, If you have not pardoned him, they will tie your hands behind your back and pull you into the darkness outside, where they will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. Just like in the beautiful painting by Laverance there, the scale going the ladder, the ladder going to heaven and then the monk who is just falling his feet out in the mouth of the dragon. If you have hit your brother, you will be handed over And then there is a beautiful text, next paragraph about Christ speaking, the same way as in the, do you say, in proper, [...] on the, good Friday.

[15:12]

Did I leave you in one when I migrated into the world? When I became a man. When I migrated into the world. Migrated. Migrated. When I became a stranger. I don't know if I can find it yet. Just be patient for... I have to find the French text to see the return to . So in . That would be page 17. Thank you. Transition is good. When I traveled into this world, migrated.

[16:20]

This gives the meaning quite well. Did I leave you in a month when I traveled, when I became one of you? Did I not satisfy you with my body and blood as living food? I've given you anything you needed. Did I not taste that because of you, to save you? Did I not bring you to know the heavenly mystery, the sacrament, to make of you my brother and friend? Did I not give you the power to crush serpents and scorpions and the whole power of the enemy under your foot? Did I not supply you with a whole stack of medicines for life so that you could save yourself? My miracles, my prodigies, and my wonder-walking were my military armament. here in the world. I have given them to you as your equipment for beating Gaudiat, that is the devil. What is lacking to you now, that you should have become a stranger to me?

[17:21]

Your negligence alone has cast you into the gulf of hell. So you had everything. I have given you everything you needed, all the armaments and all the equipment you needed. And the only thing that has cast you into the gulf of hell is your negligence. So you think why insisting so much about not to be negligent. Now, think of the judgment, next paragraph. Think of the judgment. And then what we have been given by God, next page, 17. We were given faith. First, we were given faith and knowledge to be able to cast out unbelief. And then we were given charity and peace Powerful in our world. And then one paragraph on page 17 and another one, page 18, about not drinking too much wine. Because gluttony or lack of, however you say, temperance

[18:36]

is pretty much like fornication, and pretty much bound up too with vain glory, because it's self-centeredness. Each one of those sins are self-centeredness. So after speaking of fornication and wine, then again, speak of humility. Next paragraph, page 18, the center. Better still, we have been given humility. So we have been given faith. and knowledge, charity, and peace, we have been given humility, which watches over all the virtues, and is the great holy strength God floated himself with when he came into the world. He came with humility. Humility is the rampart of the virtues, the treasury of works, saving armor, and the cure for everyone. And so our next paragraph, well, we live in a time of trial. We live in a time of sin. And we live in a time of trap, page 19.

[19:41]

And so let's be constant in the struggle, second paragraph of page 19. And in the group number one, yesterday morning, they mentioned, and I think it's very true, that that paragraph can be considered as a concise summary of the whole spirituality of that text. Let us keep up the fight, my dearly beloved. to receive the crown, not bitter. The throne is ready. The door of the kingdom is open. I shall give secret manna to the one who will conquer. If we struggle with and conquer the passions, we shall reign eternally. But if we are conquered, we shall have regrets and with bitter tears. Let us do battle with ourselves, not with the brother who has cursed us. Let us do battle with ourselves, since penance is within our grasp. The metanoia, the conversion of the heart, is within our grasp. That's something that we can do ourselves, to be given to us.

[20:43]

But it is within our grasp, because let us put on mortification. That's what we can do. And then we shall be renewed in purity. That means that we will receive the gift of the conversion. To be converted is to be renewed in purity. This is given by God. We cannot do it ourselves. But it is within our grasp of the same because we can receive it. God is always ready to give it to us if we do the mortification, which is preparation to it. And the part of that preparation is, let us love man, and we shall be friends of Jesus, friend of mankind. That's beautiful. Jesus is friend of man. He came, he's philanthropist. And so if we love man, We are friends of Jesus. We are friends of man. Let us love one another. Then, if you have promised God the monastic life with love, virginity, not only of body, but virginity, withdrawn from every sin.

[21:48]

And then here, after that first sentence, is the end of the Athanasian quotation. And then the rest is facomious. In the Gospel, The virgins were set back because of their laziness, while those that kept courageous watch entered into the wedding chamber. May we all enter there for eternity. And then, it's paragraph, page 20, second paragraph. It's the conclusion. It's the first conclusion. There is a kind of conclusion there with the amen. But it seems then he decided to add a few more reflections on the subject because he wanted to come back to the real subject of the catechesis. So the first conclusion was nothing very special. Beloved, I greet you in the Lord. Yes, you have taken out God as your support.

[22:50]

You have become dear to him. You have set out with all your heart on a march according to the orders of God, so and so on. Then he added, a few recommendations. After all this, I urge you again not to give your heart rest, not be needed again, for the pleasure of the demons is in the heart of man at rest, for leading him afterwards ambush before he notice it. Do not be careless then about taking instructions in fear of the Lord. And then, page 21, second paragraph. Well, what is proposed to us is struggle, not that pseudo-rest, that struggle. Now then, here is the struggle that is proposed to you. Ponder daily, whatever happens to you, to see whether you are on our side or in the fight of those that fight against us. Important to know what side of the battle we are. To you, demons come from the right, while to all other men, they come from the left.

[23:56]

That's a bit obscure, but... I won't fight through Jesus. But what is important is the next one, paragraph. Be imitator of Christ. Now, my son, put on humility. For that struggle, you need an armor. You have to put on something. Put on humility. Take Christ and his good father as your counselors. Be the friend of man of God. Be the friend of a man of God. I think the law of God in his heart. So help as one of your friends, a man of God who has the law of God in your heart and can lead you. As we saw at the beginning, if you cannot make the journey alone, then join another who is walking according to the gospel of Christ. The same idea here. Be the friend of a man of God, having the law of God in his heart. So if you cannot, either you listen yourself to the law of God or you obey to someone who listens to it.

[24:59]

the same idea here. Be like a poor one carrying his cross and loving his tears. You too be poor with a sweatband about your head. May your dwelling be atoned for you as you wait for God to raise you and give you the crown of victory. Do you have a disagreement with a brother? I'm trying to forget the thing he was speaking about. If on occasion you have a disagreement with a brother who has caused you to suffer by a word, or if your heart wounds a brother by saying, he does not deserve that, or if the enemy hinted to you against someone that he does not deserve that praise, if you agree with this thought and suggestion of the devil, if the hostility of your understanding increases, if you are in a dispute with your brother, knowing that there is no bond in God or doctor in your company, then take shelter without delay in solitude with the conscience of God.

[26:06]

And the expression as, take refuge at the feet of God. If you are in all those things, you may feel anger in your heart. If your brother is insulting you, you may feel all kind of bad feelings. You may be wounded. You may have wounded your brother. Whatever happens, They take shelter without delay in solitude with the conscience of God. Weep alone with Christ. And then the Spirit of Jesus will speak to your understanding in your heart. He will convince you of the fullness of the Lord. He will instruct you. He will instruct you completely of the fullness of the Lord. The Spirit of God can do that. The Spirit of Jesus. Very often, I can use the expression, the Spirit of Jesus. For what need is there of your fighting alone? Because if you fight alone, you are sure that you will be a loser.

[27:07]

What need do you have to fight alone? Making yourself seem obese as if all this venom were in you. So don't fight alone. Fight with the spirit of Christ. And if your brother has inculted you, if your brother has sinned against you, you have to remember that you are taller very often too. you have put sinned against Christ very often. Remember that you too have fallen often. Have you not heard Christ saying, Forgive your brother seventy-seven times? Have you not often went while praying, Forgive me the great number of my sins? Now, if you insist on the little your brother owes you, the Spirit of God will lose no time in setting judgment and fear of chastisement before your eyes. For if you want to be forgiven, forgive. So, again, let us do battle against ourselves. Not against our brother, but against ourselves.

[28:08]

Now then, my brother, let us do battle against ourselves. You know that darkness falls on different sides. Now there is a kind of... Thakomius is a bit... He seems a bit discouraged. He says, The churches are filled with quarrels and the impatient. Monastic congregations have become ambitious. Pride reigns as master. There is no one left who is dedicated to his neighbor. On the contrary, everyone is crushing his neighbor. We are plunged into misery. There is neither prophet nor gnostic. I mean, the one who knows. No one is left who can win over another, for hardness are the bound. Though to understand, keep silence, for the times are evil. Each one is his own lord. These are the scum pool where there shall be no score. Oh, I have some doubts about thee. The origin of the diagram was really original afterwards. It's so different from the rest of the catechism.

[29:10]

Anyway, the last one is beautiful. Now then, my brother, be at peace with your brother. That's the last lesson. If you have been upset because your brother has insulted you, if you have become spiteful, that's because you were full of backstory. And that was very dangerous because then you were the victim of the devil. And he had taken hold of you, and he could take anything he wanted with you. But now, the last lesson, be at peace. Pray for me too, for I can do nothing, though I am tormented by my desires. As for you, be ever watchful. Pray, preach, be steadfast in trial. Stay in the combat of the monastic life. right to the end, with humility, lioness, and trepidation of the words you will hear. Keeping your virginity, avoiding lack of moderation.

[30:12]

It's a summary of other things that were mentioned. And avoiding those frightful mistrusted words, abiding within the writings of the sins. but firm in faith to Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory to him, to his good Father, and to the Holy Spirit. Amen. Bless us. Now I think the time to start. We spoke a good deal yesterday about the book of Perseus, yesterday morning and yesterday evening. I thought of continuing this morning, but then I changed my mind once more. Yesterday morning I was in one of the group, group number four, I guess. Group number one, number one. And they made some very good reference to that catechesis concerning . And with them I discovered a certain number of things I ended up with before.

[31:16]

So this morning I went back to that catechesis and I read it very carefully again. I found it much more interesting than I had always thought as well. So I would like to come back to that category with you this morning to try to see the following upheld. It's very interesting. There is a pedagogy in that. What are the expressions of the . You know when TV or radio sometimes, you know when somebody is curting, they will just . It's the same thing. I don't, they don't do that anymore. It's more straightforward now. But Tacomius is going to

[32:22]

try to correct his mark, and he has a very specific thing against him, he wants to speak to him about, but he's approaching the subject in a very gradual way, and he's introducing many other elements as a way of preparation, and he's relating that question. Probably that mark has been heard in his coming out in the... coming out in the office? No. But maybe you have to... Is it any... There is a volume there. Better now? Okay. So... Probably that monk had some... He was hurt in his pride by a remark by some of his brothers.

[33:26]

And so the real reason for his spitefulness is that his vainglory is bringing him to the awareness of that vainglory gradually. But that is related also to all the other dimensions of life. We should not try to find in the catechesis by a Coptic monk or abbot of the 13th century, a Cartesian logic of somebody of the 20th century. We have another type of logic. Maybe it's closer to life. But then I will mention the part where he quotes Athanasius. And then we find in that part something which is much more overt. because Athanasius, he was a Coptic writer, as the parrachian, but he had a Greek formation.

[34:30]

So the Greek formation appears there. You will see the difference quite clearly. So just try to give the general outline of the catechesis and reading the most significant parts of it. There is the title, first paragraph, catechesis pronounced by, and so on. This is added, of course, by the scribe. And then it begins with the words, my son, listen, be wise, accept the true doctrine. The true doctrine, for there are two ways. And he mentions in the following paragraph only one way. But when he says, accept the true doctrine, that means there is a true doctrine because there are two ways. There is the other way, the way of evil, the wrong one. But now I'm going to give you the right one, the true doctrine. Be able to obey God. So a true doctrine, the true way is the way of obedience, like Abraham. And then he gives the example of Abraham, next paragraph, Isaac, then Jacob, then Joseph.

[35:39]

Abraham's obedience, Isaac's candor, Jacob's humility, Joseph's wisdom and submission. And then he says, At the end of the page, my son, compete with the lives of the saints. Practice their virtues. Wake up and do not be negligent. Do not be negligent once more. Compete with the saints. That's the true doctrine, that's the true way, the example of the saints. That's a good introduction. And then if you do that, next page, grace will blossom within you. In fact, it is patience that discovers every grace the saints receive. All that was promised then because they were patient. The pride of the saints is patience. And so, next paragraph, be patient. And then that paragraph is very good because it gives most of the elements of the monastic asses. The struggle against the temptation, the curse and prayer and chastity and so on.

[36:47]

Let's read that paragraph. Be patient to be admitted to the legion of the saints, sure that you will have a crown that will never rise. A thought, that means that you are the thought. A thought in Catholic is pure. That's the translation of logismos in Greek. Logismos is a temptation, a thought of something, a temptation of something. The logismoi are the temptations. So a thought, come to terms with it in patience. We think for God to give you calm. You have to be patient if you are tempted. The devil is around you. Be patient. Don't get upset. Don't lose control of yourself. Don't be patient. And it is God who will give you calm. The calm will come from God. Not by your getting upset. And then fasting. What about fasting? Protect with it in perseverance. It's...

[37:47]

But I always prefer a reason in the fasting than with perseverance, and somebody will try to pray for a whole week and then be the victim of the illusions of the devil. We put up with it with perseverance. Prayer without let-up in your room between you and God. Then one single heart with your brother. Virginity in all your members. Virginity in your thoughts, purity of body, and purity of heart. a thought, a body, and a heart. A headboard and humble heart, gentleness in the moment of anger. It's a long enumeration of virtues and attitudes fitting to the mind without much explanation. It's good to have all of them together. When a thought bothers you, a temptation. When a thought bothers you, do not be timid, but put up with it in courage, saying, Though they completely encircle me, I push them back in the name of the Lord.

[38:52]

And the divine help arrives at your side immediately. You push them far up, God protects you, and the divine glory walks with you, because courage walks with him who is humble. So we have said at the beginning, and yet the thought comes to terms with it in patience. We think for God to give you that count. And here he explains how God gives you count. He does it if you are humble, and God comes to your rescue and helps you. The ways of God are, in fact, humility of heart and gentleness. Gentleness powers oneself. Gentleness powers the situation in which you are. For it is said, whom shall I consider if not the humble and the gentle one? Gentle man. If you move my head on the ways of the Lord, he will watch over you, will give you strength, will fill you with knowledge and wisdom. Your memory will be present to Him always. Not present to God. Your memory will be always mindful of God.

[39:54]

That contradiction, that prayer, when we see that prayer is not mentioned very often, it is mentioned in many ways. Your memory will be present to Him always. If this is not contradiction, I don't know what it is. He will save you from the devil and will please you with his peace through your dying day. He has spoken about the struggle against the devil. And now Peconeus, as a good spiritual master, is going to help him to identify the forces of evil in him and around him. That's one of the main things in our ascetical life, in our struggle, is to identify the forces that are present in us, the spirit of God and the spirit of evil. And then Peconeus has a good experience of that. He will mention his own experience in the next paragraph. But here he says, who are those spirits? My son, I ask you to be watchful and to be on your guard, acquainted with those who lie in ambush against you.

[40:57]

You have to be acquainted with the outward forces if you don't want to be deluded by them. The spirits of cowardice and distrust work hand in hand. The spirit of lying and the spirit of suspicious plans work hand in hand. The spirits of greed and commercialism It sounds very modern. And we'll have to find another translation. Of perjury and dishonesty, and that of jealousy, while hand in hand. The spirit of vanity and the spirit of gluttony, while hand in hand. The parallel is not always very obvious. So we have to rely on the experience of my community to know that vanity and gluttony, that goes together, fornication and impurity, enmity and disappointment. Pity the poor soul in which they make their home and take over.

[41:57]

They hold such a soul far from God because it is in their power. It wrangles from side to side and ends in the abyss of hell. And if Pachomius is able to identify like that the experience of people, It's because he has gone through the struggle against them. My son, obey me. Do not be careless. Let's listen to me. Well, it's the same word in Catholic, like in French, in the old French, that means to obey. So obey and listen. Sometimes he translate obey, sometimes he translate listen. But in Catholic, the same word. My son, listen to me. Do not be careless. Do not give your eyes sleep. or let your eyelids droop, so that, like a gazelle, you may escape the net. For my son, all these spirits have attacked me often since my childhood. I know what I'm thinking about. When I was in the devil, they tackled me until I thought my heart would give out, to the point where I thought I could not resist the threats of the dragon.

[43:01]

He tormented me in every possible way. Then he explained all his own temptation. And then he was delivered from death. When I took shelter at the feet of God, at the end of the paragraph. When I took shelter at the feet of God, with tears, humility. Humility is one of the words that comes most often. With tears, humility, fasts, and vigils. When the enemy and all his spirits grew weak before my eyes, the divine ardor came into me, and I understood at once what the health of the God means. So we don't know what the health of the God means. until we have experienced it, until we have realized that it is only through that help that we could get away from the snare of the driver. But the help of God gained when He took shelter at the feet of God, with tears, humidity, past, vigil, without the means to have the help of God.

[44:06]

For in His mercy, He makes His strength and availability known to the sense of God, of men. Now he's getting to the subject gradually. The Oriental usually will never get the subject too soon. They talk around, talk around for about half an hour. And then gradually you begin to understand why they came forth. So he's doing that back when he's here with his disciples. That's it. He's not the abbot who called the The Munganese artist said, well, I heard that you had an argument with your brother yesterday. No, he's just speaking generally about the imitations of the sense, and the asses, and the struggle against the devil. And then he gets engaged with the subject. My son, never have a poor opinion of anyone. You cannot be judged of anyone.

[45:08]

And if he has been hurt by the remark of his brother, it's because he has pride in himself. And if he has pride in himself, it's because he has a poor opinion of his brother. So, that's what the muse is making him aware of that. My son, never have a poor opinion of anyone. If you see someone getting ahead, you shall never say. He already has received his reward. Never think in this way. It is very bad. But God detests the man who has praise only for himself, scorning his brother. So that man will never understand the lesson that Bacomus is giving him if he does not acquire a humble attitude. So Bacomus is first bringing him to a humble attitude. At the end of the paragraph, he judges no one, has a poor opinion of no one. When a man says he has acquired humility, he has judged himself and said that his sins are greater than those of any man.

[46:15]

He judges no one, has a poor opinion of no one. Who are you to judge a servant that is not yours? The Lord can certainly raise out anyone who has fallen. Keep part of yourself, my son. Have a poor opinion of no one. Give all the virtues a try and keep them. And then he gives... That's the first clear hint at his point. Now, he let his monk digest that. And so he will be speaking about the biblical example, a long paragraph about biblical examples of Daniel and the other paragraph on page four. And then after that long series of biblical example at the end of the page, he will say, be steady, be constant yourself. Recite the words of God every hour. Be steady in the face of fatigue. Be grateful for everything. Shun the praise of man. That man is too eager to be praised.

[47:15]

He is upset if he is not praised. So shun the praise of man. Love the one who, in fear of the Lord, gives you every man. You have received every man. Love that man. May all be good for you, so that you may be good for all. Persevere in your work and in language approach. Do not take one step forward, then a step backward. For God will test you. For the crown goes to the one who perseveres. And then the next paragraph. Don't be no joking, one brother. No pleasantries. Be serious. And then take God as your hope. And now, my son, if you take God as your hope, It will be your help in time of languish. For it is important for the one who turns to God to believe that he exists and that he rewards those who search for him. If you really search for God, put your hope in him. And then he says at the end of the page, maybe you are forgetful, you are negligent, but be aware that your enemy is never negligent.

[48:28]

It's always watchful. Maybe you are a bit forgetful, but your enemies have not fallen asleep. And night and day, they do not neglect to set up ambushes for you. Do not seek after honors. One of the ambushes of the Bible is that it makes you seek after honors. It makes you proud. Do not seek after honors. Then, so as not to be humiliated to the great joy of your enemies. And here there is a play of words in Catholic, to be humble and to be humiliated, to be degraded. Try rather to be humble, for he who exalts himself will be Lord, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. And then there is a very important thing here, a very good advice, which deals... with something about which we spoke yesterday, the spiritual direction.

[49:32]

If you cannot get along alone, that means, meaning is, if you cannot go forward by yourself, if you cannot journey by yourself alone, you are at the last. Join another who is walking according to the gospel of Christ, who is walking according to the gospel. So, if you If you don't know how to go forward by your thought in your spiritual journey, join another one who is experienced. He's walking along according to the Gospel of Christ. And you will make progress with him. That's the meaning of living in a community or living with a spiritual master. Either listen or submit or obey. Instead of submit, I would say obey. Either listen or obey to one who listens, or be strong and be called Elias, or obey the strong and be called Eliasius.

[50:36]

For obeying Elias, Eliasius receive the double of Elias' spirit. So, either you listen to the scripture, or if you cannot understand the meaning of the scripture, you obey to someone who is listening to the scripture, and then you are imitating either Elias or Eliasius. And Eliasius received a double aphelius spirit. This might be a wrong translation. I tried to check, but I don't have the application right here. Do you have it in the library? It is a reference to the book of the Kings, chapter 2, verse 9. where Elasius asked of Elasius to have a double part of his spirit. So here it is, he said that Elasius received a double part, I think we should translate it, a double part of Elasius' spirit.

[51:44]

That does not mean necessarily twice the spirit of Elasius. What it means exactly, I don't know. But it is in Celtic just a translation of the Bible, a double part of the spirit. I think the double of the spirit is wrong. And then there is the next paragraph again about the example of the prophets. Do you wish to live among men? Imitate Abraham, Lot, Moses, and Samuel. Do you wish to live in the desert? other prophets have led you the way there. So you have always examples in the Bible. If you live among men, among men does that mean in the world, means in community, if you live with men. And then if you live in the desert as a hermitical life, other prophets have led you the way there. So the man to run, by community speaking, is not necessarily

[52:48]

One Apisnon, and as a matter of fact, it was not one Apisnon. But the monk was brought to him by an abbot, Abbot Ebrove, to be judged or to be corrected by him. So I don't know if that monk lived in a chinobium or he lived in a desert under the direction of Abbot Ebrove. So that teaching that Pakomis is giving him Here, it's a basic monastic teaching. It can be applied to any type of monastic life. It's not necessarily the Pachomian type. And then my son, three concupiscence. And then that will come over and over again, two or three times. And Pachomius shows, in a very delicate way, the link between concupiscence and lost fornication and vain glory. and pride.

[53:51]

There is a very deep psychology in that approach. And he does not insist, just say it by the way, and then he will say it again, to remind his mind that if you are pride, if you are proud, don't be careful what can happen to you at that level. And then he says, after mentioning that, turn towards God, my son, convert towards God. And love him. Flee the enemy. Despise him. May the favors of God come your way. And may you fall here to the blessing of Judah, son of Jacob. It is said, Judah, your brothers will bless you. Your hands will be on the back of your enemies. And the sons of your father will be your servants. Keep away from pride. It is the beginning of every evil. So the beginning of the evil for which your father brought you to me. your spitefulness is pride. And so convert.

[54:53]

Convert from, flee from the enemy. If I say, just try to fight against that individual sin that you have committed. But flee from your enemy. And convert from pride. The beginning of pride is keeping your distance from God. And what follows is hardening of the heart. So if you think that you can struggle alone against the devil. So you flee away from God. That's the beginning of pride. And then that's also the beginning of the hardening of heart. Your heart will become hardened and then you will not less fear to God anymore. If you watch out for this, your resting place will be the heavenly Jerusalem. If the Lord loves you and gives you glory, the only glory that you have to to wait for the glory that God will give you, not the glory that man can give you. If the Lord loves you and gives you glory, keep from becoming proud.

[55:54]

On the contrary, persevere in humility, and you will abide in the glory that God has given you. Watch out, be vigilant, for blessed is the one who is found, and watch, because he will be set over the good of his master, and he will enter joyous into the kingdom, joyous kingdom of God. The friends of the bridegroom will love him because they have found him keeping watch over his vineyard. And then, it's okay, humility. But then strive to acquire all the virtues. And the next paragraph is about all series of virtues that you have to acquire. And then it comes again after that paragraph. There is a general paragraph, and then you always come back to pride or to humility. Next paragraph. Do not desire to be praised. and it's getting more and more to the point. Then he had said, if you are in the world among men, and if you are in the desert, and then here he comes back, if you are in the desert, to battle with prayer, fasting, mortification.

[57:01]

Those are the truths of the monk in the desert. Prayer, fasting, mortification. If you are among men, be prudent as serpents and simple as dogs. And then, That's really the thing that happens. If someone curses you, put up with him cheerfully. Oh, that's easy. Hope that God will bring about what is best for you. As for yourself, do not curse the image of God. The image of God is a neighbor. To love the image of God is to love one brother. So the expression, the image of God, is an expression just to say that the brother on the neighbor. So do not curse the image of God. Do not curse your brother. It is by himself who has said, the one who glorifies me, I shall glorify. And the one who curses me, I shall curse. So if someone curses you, well, don't be upset. But if, on the other hand, someone praises you, do not be happy about that.

[58:06]

You have to be indifferent. Do not be happy about this, somebody praising you. Why? For it is written. Too bad for you if I'll praise you. That's Luke. Well, I don't know exactly what is the... Because sometimes the... is always quoting from the translation of the New Testament. And in many instances, there is a little nuance proper to that translation. What is the corresponding in Luke 6? Nobody knows by heart. Ah, okay, won't be too bad. Furthermore, blessed man if you are snapped to a hat and haunted, if your very name is cast out as devil. Remember all your fathers down the bus and poor, won't praise, shredded their clothing, and bathed themselves out of scorn for human glory. Peter and John too, and so on.

[59:09]

So you have to be careful not to be... touch more by praise than by cursing. And then you have to spurn not only cursing and praising, but all the conveniences of this world. You, my son, ought to spurn the conveniences of our vines, English translate, of this world, to enjoy yourself in the time to come. Do not be careless, letting the days pass, die, till quite suddenly they come looking for you. And you arrive at the dangerous path of doom and judgment. And the power of faces surround you and drag you out violently. But the end of the paragraph is, Do not be upset when you are cursed by men. Be upset on side over your sins. That's the only thing about where people be upset, your sins. The true curse, they are the true curse, your sin.

[60:12]

And I'm over you, you coming to such a wishful end. So again, after that, beware of vainglory. That's the meaning of the next paragraphs. I heard you from my heart to storm vainglory. You could see that the Catechesis is about vainglory. It's about pride. Because that is the root of the other sins. And then there is the next paragraph on page 9, which is beautiful. I read it as one of our readings at the office the other day. God is with you. God is in you everywhere you are. Don't try to go from one place to the other to find God, saying, God is here and God is there. God is within you. So, every place you are, become godless. like the Dallas sheep whose pool is sheared up without their saying a word. Do not go from one place to another, saying, I will find God here or there.

[61:15]

God has said, I fill the earth, I fill the heavens. If you cross the water, I am with you. The waves will not follow you up. My son, be aware that God is within you, in such a way that you dwell in His law and commandments.

[61:36]

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