The Great Letter

XI.1 Although one and the same goal, of which we spoke above, stands before all the brothers who follow the same manner of life, let each contend according to the measure of his strength and trust the God who does not lie, so that through all his good zeal and continual exercise in virtue he may attain the perfect measure of Christian adoption. Simplicity, sincerity, mutual love, joy, and humility in everything should always remain among you as unshakable foundations of the brotherhood. Otherwise, if you exalt yourselves over one another, or become puffed up, or grumble against one another, your labor will become fruitless. For it is when we are filled with humility of mind, regarding our neighbors as surpassing us and as our masters, that we become imitators of Christ, who became poor for our sake.

XI.2 Let the one who continually persists in prayer neither exalt himself nor become puffed up over those who are not yet able to do the same, so that his work may prosper before God and men. And let the one who gives himself to service or obedience for the brothers neither murmur nor, yielding to malice, speak evil of the one who devotes all his time to prayers and fasts, so that he himself may obtain grace before God and his work may be well-pleasing to him. Since we are members of one another, we ought also to give rest to one another, doing nothing from rivalry or vainglory [Phil. 2:3], as the Apostle commanded.

XI.3 Just as the members of the body, governed by one soul, serve one another without envy—the eye cannot say to the hand, "I have no need of you," nor the head to the feet, "I have no need of you"; rather, upon those members of the body that seem weaker we bestow more abundant care and cherish them more [1 Cor. 12:21-23]—so we also, being members of one another, as has been said, ought to act in the same way. Being members of one another, governed by the one Spirit and nourished by the one living Word of Truth, we ought, for the sake of our common rest, to be brought into harmony by love, simplicity, goodness, and joy. For it is for this that we were made, according to the saying: "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them." [Eph. 2:10]

XI.4 If we live in this way, God rejoices in the free choice of each person, receiving the work performed for him alone. When simplicity of disposition toward one another is preserved, the abundance of those who persevere in prayer makes up what is lacking in those who serve and labor for the rest of the brothers; and conversely, the abundance of those who serve and labor makes up what is lacking in those who devote themselves wholly to prayer. Thus there comes to be, according to the Apostle, an equality, as it is written: "The one who gathered much had nothing over, and the one who gathered little had no lack." [2 Cor. 8:14-15; Exod. 16:18] Only let simplicity, love, humility, and freedom from pretension be firmly established among the brothers, and let each, according to the measure of his strength, travel joyfully along the course of the good, fighting the good fight, so that, walking the straight road of piety, each may advance daily according to the measure of his faith, love, and labor and be deemed worthy of the Kingdom.

XI.5 This is truly an angelic life upon earth. It is signified by the words: "Your will be done, as in heaven, so also on earth." [Matt. 6:10] Living in this way, we do not exalt ourselves over one another, but are united to one another in freedom from pretension and envy, in simplicity, love, peace, and joy, regarding the progress of our neighbor as our own gain and his infirmity, weakness, and affliction as our own loss. For it is said: "Let each look not only to his own things, but each also to those of his neighbor." [Phil. 2:4] Thus, having compassion on one another and bearing one another's burdens—especially the strong bearing the burdens of the weak and the vigorous those of the infirm—we shall be able to fulfill the law of Christ according to Paul's exhortation. [Gal. 6:2]

XI.6 Living together in this way, we shall truly be able to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy [Luke 10:19], crushing by unanimity and the grace of Christ the heads of the spiritual serpents, treading upon the asp and basilisk, and trampling the lion and the serpent. [Ps. 90:13 LXX]

XI.7 For when the brothers, as was said above, remain with one another in love, simplicity, and purity, the one who has reached higher degrees of spiritual progress and continually devotes himself to prayer makes still greater progress and growth through the cooperation and concord of the brothers. Likewise, the one who stands at a lower degree, lovingly encouraged by those who are more perfect, advances daily, laboring with joy, and moves toward greater perfection. But if you are not thus disposed toward one another, and murmuring, reproaches, slander, and exaltation over one another arise among you, then even those who seem to devote themselves to prayers and fasts cannot become better because of the discord and harmfulness of their companions and because of their own pride; and those who serve the bodily rest of the brothers cannot obtain grace in their service because they murmur against those engaged in prayer and because hatred exists among the brothers. When there is division in the body, it is impossible for us to receive spiritual edification, and the will of God cannot be accomplished in us.

XI.8 The Apostle, gathering the distribution of many spiritual gifts into one harmonious whole like the unity of the members of one body, says: "Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: whether prophecy, according to the proportion of faith; or service, in serving; or the one who teaches, in teaching; the one who exhorts, in exhortation; the one who gives, in simplicity; the one who leads, with diligence; the one who shows mercy, with cheerfulness. Let love be without hypocrisy" [Rom. 12:6-9], and so forth. Again: "Each of you has a psalm... has a revelation, has knowledge, has prophecy: let all things be done for edification." [1 Cor. 14:26] That is, let each receive mutually from the gifts of the other through unanimity and concord with one another. So also you, brothers, who in the monasteries have given yourselves to the Lord and to one another, whether strong in body or in understanding, bear the burdens of the weak [Gal. 6:2] through blessed hope in Christ. Whatever good each possesses by nature—strength, understanding, courage, some good intention, or zeal—let him give it wholly for the other. And if, by the grace of Christ, we have been deemed worthy of spiritual gifts, let us become sharers with one another in every good thing for the edification and benefit both of ourselves and of our neighbors and, indeed, of all people. By thus fulfilling the law of Christ [Gal. 6:2], we shall become worthy of eternal life.

XI.9 That the work of prayer and of the word, when properly performed, is preferable to every virtue and every commandment is witnessed by the Lord himself. When he entered the house of Martha and Mary, and Martha occupied herself with service while Mary, sitting at the Lord's feet, nourished her soul with saving teaching, Martha reproached her sister for not helping and said to the Lord: "Lord, tell my sister to come and help me, because she has left me alone." But the Lord, judging Mary's attention to be first and principal, answered: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is needed; Mary has chosen the good part." [Luke 10:38-42] By saying this, the Lord indicated the work that is first of all and better than the works of the virtues.

XI.10 Yet he did not regard the work of service as insignificant. For if he had considered it so, why did he accept Martha's service and himself perform her work by washing the feet of the disciples? And, exhorting them, he taught: "If I, the Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought ... to do as I have done to you." [John 13:14-15] Again: "Whoever wishes to be first among you, let him be servant and slave of all. For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his soul as a ransom for many." [Mark 10:43-45] And again: "Whoever does this to one of these ... does it to me." [Matt. 25:40] Nevertheless, when the apostles, as Acts relates, were occupied with bodily service at the tables, they judged the work of prayer and the word to be better for themselves. They said: "It is not right for us to leave the word of God and serve tables. But let us choose men full of the Holy Spirit ... whom we may appoint over this service. We, however, will devote ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word." [Acts 6:2-4]

XI.11 You see how the first is preferred to the second, though both are shoots from one good root. Let prayer, therefore, draw your zeal, be valued above the other commandments, and be preferred to them. Only let everything be done out of love for God and be determined by the goal of attaining, with the help of grace, passionless purity. Let us not do these things merely from bodily habit, casually and indifferently; nor let us suppose that by outward expressions of prayer, psalmody, or service not performed for God alone, or by other outward achievements, we have realized the Truth itself, which is the love of God sought by him in the inner man and brought into operation by the Spirit. Otherwise, through ignorance, we may conceal this Truth from ourselves while placing our confidence only in bodily observances. Rather, above all the commandments let the goal of love for God from a sincere conscience and a pure disposition rule in us. For when this goal continually points out the way, when it is prepared and brought to fulfillment in us by the Holy Spirit working together with our great desire, then inward prayer is accomplished in full correspondence with outward bending of the knees, service is performed in a manner well-pleasing to God, and the practice of all the commandments can, through the cooperation of the Spirit, be accomplished by us purely and without blemish.