In Preparation for the Discussion of
Chapter Three of The Way of a Pilgrim
Chapter 3 of The Way of a Pilgrim consists of a short flashback of the life of
the pilgrim before he learned the interior way of the “Jesus Prayer.” It is told to the “spiritual father” at
Irkutsk before the pilgrim carries out his plan to leave for Jerusalem. The pilgrim relates that he endured a series of
losses until he has nothing besides the desire to make a pilgrimage to Kiev to
ask the saints to help him in his grief.
(Note: the page numbers in parenthesis refer
to Helen Bacovcin, trans. The Way of a
Pilgrim. New York: Image-Doubleday Books, 1978.)
Topics:
·
Contrast between pious grandfather (and pilgrim)
and the impious brother (51)
·
The piety of trust in God, church attendance,
prayer, Bible reading, memorial prayers
·
(Implicit) Not hating those who wrong us (52)
·
The imperfection of vocal prayer and
prostrations without the understanding of interior prayer (53)
·
Sorrow and the consolation of the saints (53-55)
Synopsis
·
The pilgrim visits his spiritual father to thank
him and announce that he was headed for Jerusalem (80)
·
He tells the story of his origins on request of
the spiritual father. (50 ff.)
·
He recounts his birth and the death of his
parents, leaving him with his older brother at the age of two. (21)
·
He recalls that his grandfather, an owner of an
inn, took him to church often and read the Bible to him. (51)
·
He recalls that at the age of seven his brother
pushed him off the hearth and he injured his left hand so severely that it
withered and was useless. (51)
·
His grandfather taught him to read from the
Bible and his clerk taught him to write. (51)
·
At age seventeen, his grandfather arranged for
him to marry a “girl” of twenty (52).
·
His grandfather dies giving him, a thousand rubles,
his whole inheritance, and last instructions (22)
·
Left out of his inheritance, his brother stole
the money and burned down his house. The pilgrim (to be) and his wife are left
with only the Bible (52)
·
The pilgrim builds a small house and lived with
his wife for two years: she did weaving,
spinning, and sewing and he read the Bible to her (53)
·
His wife dies and he weeps uncontrollably (53)
·
He sells the house for twenty rubles, gave his
clothes away and set out for Kiev to pray his respects to the saints and ask
for help in grief. (53-54)
·
He says that “God willing” he will leave his
bones in Jerusalem (54)
Questions for Discussion
1.
Count the losses
of the pilgrim in this short chapter.
2.
Count the gains of the pilgrim in this chapter
3.
Does this chapter express or imply any theology of
suffering?
a.
Compare “Either because of my sinfulness or because I
had to learn certain lessons about spiritual life, at the end of the summer
there were trials in store for me. And “This was permitted so that you would
not fall into spiritual complacency.” (18)
b.
What does it mean to say “God willing I will” (54)
c.
See the proverb:
“Man proposes by God disposes.”
(55).
i.
What about human will? Is “God willing...” fatalism?
ii.
Is the acceptance of God’s will easier for peasants
like the pilgrim than the rich and powerful?
4.
Describe the character of the pilgrim.
a.
How did the events of his life shape his character?
b.
Compare this chapter (Chapter 3) to the beginning of
the book when the pilgrim hears the scripture about praying constantly.
(3).
i.
Is Chapter 3 necessary for us to understand the message
of the book?
ii.
What do we learn in Chapter 3 that helps us understand
the book?
Excursus on Chapter 3
1.
This chapter raises the question of suffering and the
purpose of God.
a.
The comment “This was permitted…” (18) reflects the
Orthodox distinction between the intentional
and permissive will of God. See Father John Breck.
b.
In the ultimate sense, nothing exists or happens
outside the will of God. Otherwise, we have dualism—the
existence of a sovereign power that is equal to God.
i.
“In Him also we have obtained an inheritance, being
predestined according to the purpose of Him who works all things according to the counsel of His will.
(Ephesians 1:11)
c.
Orthodoxy holds that believe that suffering can have a
purpose.
2.
The pilgrim’s guide is the Philokalia, a tradition of spirituality that teaches that suffering is necessary for spiritual growth in
Christ.
a.
According to the Philokalia
tradition, the spiritual life consists of the struggle of virtue against
the passions
b.
The goal is perfection of holiness (righteousness) that
leads to theosis
i.
“…since we were
originally created by God as ‘very good’ (Genesis 1:31), we owe it to God to be
such” (Philokalia: II 14).
ii.
The ultimate goal is theosis (restoration of the “image of God” and realization of the
“likeness” to God.
c.
The struggle requires constant watchfulness (nepsis-guarding the heart, vigilance,
against the passions) and the practice of “stillness” (hesychia-inner stillness of the heart; a state of openness to God and
listening to him
i.
“He who gives himself to desires and sensual
pleasures and lives according to the world’s way will be quickly caught in the
nets of sin. And sin, once committed is like fire put to straw…” (Philokalia: II 15)
ii.
“You must purify
your intellect completely through stillness… the more the intellect is stripped
of the passions and purified through stillness, the greater the spiritual
knowledge” (Philokalia:
II 345)
iii.
…how it is
impossible to conform to God without
complete stillness; how stillness gives birth to ascetic effort, ascetic
effort to tears, tears to awe, awe to humility, humility to foresight,
foresight to love; and how love restores the soul to health and makes it
dispassiate, so that one then knows that one is not far from God” Philokalia:
II 345
d.
The struggle is waged with prayer.
i.
“The Fathers
define prayer as a spiritual weapon. Unless we are armed with it, we cannot
engage in warfare but are carried off as prisoners to the enemy’s country:
(Philokalia: II 15).
e.
Prayer that is pure requires the hesychist to “cleave to God with an upright heart” (Philokalia Volume II 15).
3.
Suffering instructs and corrects the hesychist which he regards as deserved
“chastening”
a.
The scriptural basis: suffering is “chastening”
(“instructive” and “corrective” discipline)
i.
”Ye
have not yet resisted unto blood, striving against sin. 5And ye have
forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son,
despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of
him: 6For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every
son whom he receiveth. 7If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with
you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? 8But if ye be without
chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. 9Furthermore
we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them
reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of
spirits, and live? 10For they verily for a few days chastened us
after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of
his holiness. 11Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be
joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of
righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. 12Wherefore
lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees; 13And make
straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way;
but let it rather be healed” (Hebrews 12:4-13)
b.
The teaching of the Philokalia:
suffering is regarded as spiritual discipline
i.
“As he advances
through this humility toward divine and unfailing love, he accepts sufferings as
though he deserved them. Indeed, he
thinks he deserves more suffering that he encounters’ and he is glad that he
has been granted some portion of the punishments which he has prepared for
himself in the world to be” (Philokalia:
III 85)
1.
Chastening is “instructive’ and “corrective”
discipline.
2.
If instruction is not heeded, then corrective
discipline follows.
3.
“Chastening” takes place in the struggle against sin.
ii.
“Chastening” is regarded as for the good of the hesychist
1.
“Those who love
God are saved through the trial and temptations He allows them to undergo;, but
despite such trials we are threatened with destruction because of our pride and
fail to remain faithful to God, as children who are ‘chastened’ and not killed”
(2 Cor. 6:9)” (Philokalia: Volume III
179)
4.
Suffering helps the hesychist
to overcome sin and grow in the virtues of holiness.
a.
The scriptural basis: “As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten. Therefore be zealous and
repent. Behold I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and
opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him and he with Me. To him
who overcomes I will grant to set with me on My throne, as I also overcame and
sat down with My Father on His throne” (Revelation 3:19-21
b.
The scriptural basis: “And not only that, but
we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; 4
and perseverance, character; and character, hope. 5 Now hope does
not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by
the Holy Spirit who was given to us” (Romans 5:3-15)
c.
The teaching of the Philokalia:
i.
Suffering teaches the soul to detach from material
things.
1.
"Suffering
cleanses the soul infected with the filth of sensual pleasure and detaches it
completely from material things by showing it the penalty incurred as a result
of its affection for them. This is why God in His justice allows the devil to
afflict men with torments” (Maximus the Confessor)
ii.
Even involuntary suffering is to be welcomed for the
lessons it gives.
1.
“In addition to
voluntary suffering, you must accept that which comes against your will-- mean
slander, material losses, and sickness, If you do not accept these but rebel
against them, you are like someone who wants to eat his bread only with honey,
never with salt” (Philokalia
Volume 39)
iii.
Suffering
tempers the soul so that it is “hardened” like a sword for the struggle against
the passions.
1.
“Suffering
deliberately embraced cannot free the soul totally from sin unless the soul is
also tried in the fire of suffering that comes unchosen. For the soul is like a
sword: if it does not go 'through fire and water' (Psalm 66:12, LXX) -- that
is, by suffering deliberately embraced and suffering that comes unchosen -- it
cannot but be shattered by the blows of fortune" (Philokalia Volume III- Ilias the Presbyter.).
5.
Suffering is useless without love (and accompanying virtues).
a.
The scriptural basis: love is the highest and all-encompassing
virtue.
i.
“And though I
bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and thought I g9ve my body to be burned,
but have not love, it profits me nothing.” (1 Cor. 13:3)
ii.
“And we have
known and believed that the love that God has for us. God is love and he who
abides in love abides in God and God in him” (1 John 4:16)
b.
The teaching of the Philokalia:
unless it leads to love, endurance of hardship has no purpose.
i.
… this applies
not only to prayer, but every labor and hardship undertaken for the sake of
virtue, whether this be virginity, fasting, vigil, psalmody, service or any
other work. If we do not see in ourselves the fruits of love, peace, joy,
simplicity, humility, gentleness, guilelessness, faith, forbearance and
kindliness, then we endure hardship to no purpose. We accept the hardship in
order to reap the fruits. If the fruits of
love are in not in us, our labar is useless// … Thus the labors and hardships
must be regarded as labors and hardships and the fruits as fruits” (Philokalia III 293-94).
c.
Metropolitan Anthony Bloom: suffering is redemptive only
if it not only endured but undertaken in love.
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