A Treasury of Father Herman s Spirituality

THE ORTHODOX SPIRITUAL LIFE

A Treasury of Father Herman's Spirituality

A first compilation of Father Herman's teachings on spiritual life drawn from his letters and conversations.

I

THE WAY OF A CHRISTIAN

WITHOUT EXALTING myself to the rank of teacher, nonetheless, fulfilling my duty and obligation as an obedient servant for the benefit of my neighbor, I will speak my mind, founded on the commandments of Holy Scripture, to those who thirst and seek for their eternal heavenly homeland.

A true Christian is made by faith and love toward Christ. Our sins do not in the least hinder our Christianity, according to the word of the Saviour Himself. He deigned to say: not the righteous have I come to call, but sinners to salvation; there is more joy in heaven over one who repents than over ninety righteous ones. Likewise concerning the sinful woman who touched His feet, He deigned to say to the Pharisee Simon: to one who has love, a great debt is forgiven, but from one who has no love, even a small debt will be demanded From these judgements a Christian should bring himself to hope and joy, and not in the least accept an inflicted despair. Here one needs the shield of faith.

Sin, to one who loves God, is nothing other than an arrow from the enemy in battle. The true Christian is a warrior fighting his way through the regiments of the unseen enemy to his heavenly homeland. According to the word of the Apostle, our homeland is in heaven; and about the warrior he says: our warfare is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, [against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spirits of wickedness under heaven (Eph.6: 12)].

The vain desires of this world separate us from our homeland; love of them and habit clothe our soul as if in a hideous garment. This is called by the Apostles the outward man. We, traveling on the journey of this life and calling on God to help us, ought to be divesting ourselves of this hideous garment and clothing ourselves in new desires, in a new love of the age to come, and thereby to receive knowledge of how near or how far we are from our heavenly homeland. But it is not possible to do this quickly; rather one must follow the example of sick people, who, wishing the desired [health], do not leave off seeking means to cure themselves.

(From a Letter of June 20, 1820)

II

LOVE OF GOD

ONCE THE ELDER was invited on board a frigate that had come from St. Petersburg. The captain of the frigate was a man quite learned, highly educated; he had been sent to America by Imperial command to inspect all the colonies. With the captain were some 25 officers, likewise educated men. In this company there sat a desertdwelling monk of small stature, in an old garment, who by his wise conversation brought all his listeners to such a state that they did not know how to answer him. The captain himself related: "We were speechless, fools before him!"

Father Herman gave them all one common question: "What do you, gentlemen, love above all, and what would each of you wish for his happiness?" Diverse answers came out. One desired wealth, one glory, one a beautiful wife, one a fine ship which he should command, and so on in this fashion. "Is it not true," said Father Herman at this, that all your various desires can be reduced to one – that each of you desires that which, in his understanding, he considers best and most worthy of love?" "Yes, it is so," they all replied. "Well, then, tell me," he continued, "can there be anything better, higher above everything, more surpassing everything and in general more worthy of love, than our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who created us, adorned with such perfections, gave life to all, supports all, nourishes and loves all, Who Himself is love and more excellent than all men? Should one not therefore high above all love God, and more than all desire and seek Him?" All began to say: "Well, yes! That is understood!" "That speaks for itself!"

"And do you love God?" the Elder then asked. All replied: "Of course, we love God. How can one not love God?" "And I, sinful one, for more than forty years have been striving to love God, and cannot say that I perfectly love Him," answered Father Herman; and he began to show how one should love God. "If we love someone," he said, "we always think of him, strive to please him, day and night our heart is occupied with this subject. Is it thus that you, gentlemen, love God? Do you often turn to Him, do you always think of Him, do you always pray to Him and fulfill His holy commandments?" It had to be acknowledged that they did not! "For our good, for our happiness," concluded the Elder, "at least let us make a promise to ourselves, that from this day, from this hour, from this minute we shall strive to love God above all, and fulfill His holy will!" Behold what an intelligent, superb conversation Father Herman conducted in society; without doubt this conversation must have imprinted itself on the hearts of his listeners for their whole life!

(Yanovsky, in Life of Monk Herman of Valaam, 1868)

III

THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD

A TERRIBLE ACCIDENT has a power to awaken us to the realization of the existence of various calamities and dangers surrounding us, from which the Providence of God preserves us. At the same time it convincingly persuades us to acknowledge our own infirmity and weakness and to seek the Father's protection and His most powerful defense, which affirms us in the Wisdom and the Word of God, Which came down from above by the will of the Heavenly Father under a curtain of flesh like ours, woven by the Divine Might from the Most Pure Virgin, for our salvation. He became man and deigned to teach us to pray that we be not led into temptation. This reminds us from what Father we have our existence, and this in turn should make us seek our heavenly fatherland and our eternal inheritance.

(From a Letter to Baranoff, 1809)

IV

THE SPIRITUAL WARFARE

NOT AMIDST THE STORMY waves of the sea are we tossed, but within the seductive and much-agitated world, suffering and wandering according to the Apostle's word. Although we do not have such Grace as the Apostles had, still our wrestling is against the same fleshless principalities and powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against the spirits of evil under heaven, who strive to intercept and hold and prevent all travelers toward our heavenly fatherland; for, according to the word of St. Peter, our adversary the devil as a roaring lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour (I Peter 5:8); wherefore we weak and infirm ones most certainly have need to seek help from each other's prayers.

(From a Letter of December 13, 1819)

The Elder was occupied in his cell with handiwork, when suddenly his disciple Gerasim came to the cell and did not say the usual prayer ["By the prayers of our holy Fathers, O Lord God, have mercy on us"] at the door. Entering the cell, he said: "Bless me, Father." The Elder answered nothing; the disciple repeated his request several times, but the Elder did not answer. The disciple stood for several hours and finally decided to leave the cell. Coming again the next day, he said the usual prayer; the Elder answered: "Amen." The disciple said: "Bless me, Father"; the Elder blessed him and sat down at his work. Then the disciple asked him: "Father, why did you not bless me and answer when I asked you yesterday?" To this the Elder replied: "When I came to this [Spruce] island, many times demons would come to me in my cell, sometimes in the form of a man for some necessities, and sometimes in the form of a beast, and did many fearful and evil things to me; this is the reason why I do not receive anyone in my cell without the prayer."

(Notes of Lazarev, October, 1864)

V
APOSTOLIC FERVOR

OH! HERE ENRAPTURED in spirit, in spite of all the shortness of time I will snatch a short minute to relate some narratives [of the missionaries' travels and apostolic fervor].

Finding myself between fair weather and foul, between joy and tedium, between sufficiency and insufficiency, satiety and hunger, warmth and coldness, in all my sorrows I find something that cheers me, when I hear conversations between the brethren about their preaching, and about their dividing up for this various regions among themselves especially the discussion between Hieromonks Makary and Juvenaly, for they set out around Kodiak, too, in the smallest little boats of hide, despite all the sea's dangers, and Father Archimandrite Ioasaph Bolotov remained with us, as if with little children, in the harbor.

And so these hieromonks extended their thoughts yet farther: Once when taking a stroll in our harbor, where I, sinful one, happened to be among them, we climbed a little hill toward the southern side, sat down facing the ocean, and among other things began to speak as to which of us should go where to preach, for the time was then at hand for the departure of the ships on which they had to travel. And then an argument broke out between them which for me, humble one, was comforting and joyful. On Kukovsky's maps of the north, it is indicated that along a certain river Russians live; among us there are different rumors of them, about which we then recalled in our discussion, wishing somehow to see them. Father Makary began to speak: "According to my intention, if it please God, when I shall be in the Aleutian Islands, in all propriety I should go also to Alaska [the mainland],1 to which place the Alaskans have already called me, too; and as that side is nearer those Russians, I shall find means somehow to learn something more certain about them," But Father Juvenaly, having heard about Alaska, and in his zeal not allowing the other to speak further, hastened to say to him: "Alaska in the whole belongs to my part, and so I beg you to yield to me and not offend me in this; since the ship now is setting out for Yakutan, I shall have to begin preaching from the south, and proceeding along the ocean toward the north and going round the Kenai inlet, I shall absolutely have to go by way of Alaska to go out to this harbor." Hearing this, Father Makary became shrouded in despondency and, having assumed a sorrowful air, said with feeling: "No, Father, don't hem me in with this; you yourself know that the Aleutian chain of islands adjoins Alaska, and so it absolutely belongs to my part, and from there the whole northern shore; but as for you, if you please, the southern part of America is sufficient for your whole lifetime." And I, lowly one, hearing such a debate went from joy to rapture.

(From a Letter to Abbot Nazary of May 19, 1795)

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1. So identified in Kukovsky's (i..., Captain Cook's) maps.

VI
PROTECTOR OF ORPHANS

AFTER FATHER HERMAN settled on Spruce Island, in the first years there was an inundation or tidal wave (it must have been from an earthquake), and the people, residents of the island, in fear let the Elder know of it. He had come from his cell to the home of his pupils, where every Sunday he served the hours, there being no chapel or church. Having taken up an Icon of the Mother of God from its place, he brought it out to the siltbank, and placing the Icon at the spot to which the water had risen the last time, he began to pray to God. And when he had finished praying, he informed those present that they should not be afraid, saying that above and beyond this spot where the holy object had been placed the sea would not go; which indeed came to pass! This has been confirmed by those who heard of this happening.

And when it was necessary to carry the Icon back, after instructing the people, Father Herman is said to have told to Sofia Vlasova (who was already in charge of the girl pupils [of his orphanage]) that in case there should ever be again such a rising of the sea, then this Icon should be placed on the siltbank, and he promised that the sea would not go beyond this spot. This Icon is to be found to this day on Spruce Island, called New Valaam.

(Notes of Constantine Larionov, May, 1867, Sitka)

VII
SPIRITUAL POWER

I WAS THIRTY years old when I met Father Herman. Here it should be said that I was brought up in the naval corps, knew many sciences and read much, but unfortunately, of the science of sciences, that is God's Law, I scarcely understood the surface, and that theoretically, without applying it to life, and I was only in name a Christian, while in soul and in deed I was a freethinker, a deist, as are nearly all who are brought up in the military corps and in public institutions. How unfortunate that no attention is given this: that God's Law is everywhere taught superficially, even in the seminaries; yes, and even from the theological academies there come out students, even Masters, who are very learned, but do not have an active faith in their heart, and thus do not live in a Christian way.

All the more did I fail to recognize the Divineness and sanctity of our religion, in that I had read many atheist writings of Voltaire and other philosophers of the 18th century. Father Herman immediately noticed this and wished to convert me. But this was not easy! I had to be convinced, to be shown the sanctity of our religion; and therefore there was required much time, knowledge, nnd the ability to speak well and convincingly.

To my great amazement, the simple, uneducated monk, Father Herman, being inspired by grace, spoke and argued so wisely, powerfully, and convincingly that, it seems to me, no kind of learnedness and earthly wisdom could withstand his words. In actual fact Father Herman had a great innate intelligence and sound thinking, had read many spiritual patristic books; and most important, he had the grace of God! But since in a short winter's day I had no time at all to devote myself to him, he therefore came to me every day for evening tea, and sometimes also for dinner, and we conversed with him until midnight, and sometimes after; he never stayed for the night. Neither rain nor snow nor storm kept the zealous elder from visiting me and returning alone at midnight a half mile! He came to me regularly every day in an old ryassa without a coat; I warmed him with tea and I conversed with him without ceasing: on God's Law, on eternity, on the salvation of the soul, on Christian life, and other things. A sweet discourse flowed from his mouth in an unceasing, enthralling torrent!...

Then at midnight, or after, the elder went home alone with his – in every kind of storm and cold weather; no one accompanied staff him on the slippery rocky path; but angels accompanied him and supported him: For He shall give His angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways (Ps. 90:11). And Christian love warmed him, with which he was penetrated for the salvation of his neighbor.

By such constant conversations and by the prayers of the holy elder the Lord completely converted me to the true path, and I became a real Christian. For all this I am obliged to Father Herman: he is my true benefactor.

(Letter of Yanovsky, November 22, 1865)

VIII
PRIDE

DURING THE SPRING of 1820 you sent me two books so that I could tell you my opinion of the author;1 but at that time I did not manage to look at them. But having read them later I saw that he, having flown high above the clouds in the pride of Western thinking, includes himself in the number of the prophets and thinks that through his high learning and calculations he can likewise write as the prophets wrote on the condition of governments; wondrous and most wondrous indeed how pride blinds one! He says that his writings may not please everyone, that some may ridicule, and he does not see that he has ridiculed himself first of all; he thinks that he affirms the truth, but he quarrels with himself and with Holy Scripture. It is boring to speak more of him, but you can see from these few words my opinion of him; a person who may not know the truth solidly should by all means avoid such books.

(From a Letter to Yanovsky, August 10, 1821)

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1. This unnamed author, from the description given here, was perhaps Saint-Simon or one of the other 'prophetic socialist philosophers, predecessors of Marx, whose writings were as popular among the Russian and European intelligentsia in the early 19th century as Voltaire's and others' had been a little earlier.

IX
HUMILITY

IN ALL MY LIFE HERE from my own Russians I have seen more of scorn and reproach and mockery, to which I have already become accustomed, and from such custom I think that in actual fact my lowliness is such.

(From a Letter of December 28, 1818)