Heavenly exultant life!

Although the book that St. John Cassian recorded for us in his resistance to the sin of melancholy is small, the designation of a monastic book that attacks melancholy as one of the cardinal sins, so to speak, has its own meaning in early Christian thought.

In our discussion of this book in the chapter on the writings of Saint John Cassian, we saw that Christianity is an invitation to enjoy heavenly joy, not deadly gloom. Saint John Cassian warned us against this bitter sin, stressing that its cause is not the mistakes of those around us, but rather the emptiness of the inner heart. Our Christ came asking us for tears of repentance, constructive sadness, filled with hope, opening the soul’s eyes to the gates of heaven so that it may rejoice and the heavenly people rejoice with it.

Perhaps one of the most dangerous sins that many people fall into in the modern era is despair, small-mindedness, and loss of purpose, which pushes the soul into a state of depression that destroys a person’s inner being and destroys his hope in the Lord.

Saint Cassian and other Western men who came to Egypt were amazed and saw the prairies transformed into paradise full of joy. He expressed this by saying that when he crossed from Alexandria to the far south of Egypt, he heard the sound of cheering coming from the monasteries, cells, and caves until he wondered: Are these angels who descended to earth or people who ascended to heaven?!

He was attracted Saint John Chrysostom to The spirit of joy that pervaded the monasticism, he said in one of his sermons on the Gospel of Saint Matthew: [“Come to the wilderness of Egypt to see it better than any paradise!” The ravages of angelic groups in human form... The tyranny of Satan has been destroyed and the kingdom of Christ has shone with its splendor!... The sky with all its features is not as splendid as the wilderness of Egypt, which is filled with the cells of hermits![1]]

Our concepts need to be revised, as constant talk about sin destroys hope, but the early church, with its constant call to repentance, focused its attention on the cross, to repeat with the repentant David: “Restore to me the joy of your salvation!”

In this book Saint Cassian records for us.

1. Depression is the enemy of the soul, like moths that spoil clothes and weevils that spoil wood (Chapter 3).

2. We often fall into this sin as a result of our feelings of failure and neglect, and our inability to grow spiritually (Chapters 4,6-8).

3. Behind depression is the emptiness of the soul, not the mistakes of others that we try to explain away (Chapter 5).

4. It is appropriate for us to distinguish between excessive sadness that devours the soul and spiritual sadness that fills the soul with inner peace (Chapters 10-12).

5. Contemplation of the eternal glory prepared for us and the anticipated divine joy are the soul’s medicine for recovery from depression (Chapter 13).

Father Tadros Yacoub Malti

Chapter one

Our fifth struggle is directed against the spirit of depression and the damage it causes to the soul

In our fifth struggle, we must resist the fatal attacks of depression: for if these attacks, by sporadic, reckless attacks, and random, unexpected changes, had the opportunity to dominate our thinking, to constantly hinder us from all wise distraction in divine contemplation, they would completely destroy and demoralize the mind. Which descends from a state of complete purity. Hence, it is impossible for him to practice his prayers as he was accustomed to with joy of heart, or to benefit from the consolation that reading the Holy Scriptures brings, or to treat the brothers with calm and kindness. Rather, it makes him violent and restless in fulfilling all the duties related to work and worship, as long as all good advice is fulfilled. It has become in vain, and the integrity of the heart has been shattered. Feelings may collapse until they reach the brink of madness and foolishness, and despair takes over as a reward.

Chapter II

In the care necessary to heal depression

Why should we, if we are serious about completing the legal struggle with our spiritual battle, seek to treat this disease as well, with no small care... This is because Just as “moths spoil clothes, and weevils spoil wood, so depression spoils the human heart” (Proverbs 0:25 “Septuagint”… Thus, with an abundance of complete clarity and precision of meaning, the Holy Spirit expressed the violence of this dangerous and deeply harmful fall.

 Chapter III

What does a soul that falls prey to bouts of depression compare to?

Just as a garment spoiled by moths is no longer of commercial value or usefulness at all, and the same is the case with wood that is spoiled by moths, it is no longer fit for use even in an ordinary building, but must become food for the fire, so also is the soul that falls prey to urgent, fatal bouts of depression. You become unworthy of that priestly garment, which, according to the prophecy of righteous David, is the perfume of the Holy Spirit descending from heaven, first on Aaron’s beard, then on the hem of his garment, as stated in the Psalm: “Like the perfume on the head descending upon the beard, the beard of Aaron descending to the edge of his garment.” ” (Psalm 133:2).

Likewise, we cannot have a share in constructing or beautifying that spiritual structure whose foundations St. Paul laid, as a wise builder, saying: “You are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you” (1 Corinthians 3:16, 1 Corinthians 6:19). What are the wooden boards for this, except as the bride says in the Song of Songs: “The rewards of our house are cedars, and our tributaries are fir trees” (Song 16:1). Thus, these types of wood selected for the temple of God have a pleasant scent and are not susceptible to corrosion or wear out due to length of time or Weevils gnaw.

 the fourth chapter

Where does depression come from? And in what way?

 Sometimes it becomes clear that it is the result of a fall from previous anger, or from a desire for some gain that was not achieved, when a person finds that he was unable to achieve his hope of achieving those things that he targeted and planned.

And other times, without any apparent reason for luring us into this ordeal, we are suddenly overtaken by the temptation of the malicious enemy, so great a depression that we are unable to receive, with proper politeness, the visits of the people closest to us and dearest to us, so much so that we consider that any topic of conversation they broach has fallen out of place and is out of place! We are also unable to respond politely because of the bitterness that seizes every corner of our hearts.

Chapter V

Troubles fall upon us not because of the mistakes of others, but because of our own

It has been clearly proven that the pains of turmoil do not always occur in us through the mistakes of others, but rather through our own mistakes, because we have stored within ourselves the motives of transgression and the seeds of falls, which as soon as a spray of experience wets our souls, until they emerge immediately into germination and fruit. [On this subject, Saint John Chrysostom delivered a sermon, recorded under the title “
No one can harm a human being unless that human being harms himself"… (the network)]

Chapter six

No one is saddened by a sudden fall, but destroyed by a long series of neglect.

No one is led into sin by the fault of another person unless he has the fuel of evil stored up in his heart. Likewise, we should not imagine that a man will suddenly be tempted when he looks at a woman and fall into the abyss of shameful lust, since in reality the opportunity to see her attracted the symptoms of the disease to the surface. Which was hidden and concealed deep within himself.

 Chapter VII

We should not give up dealing with our brothers in the pursuit of perfection, but it is good to always cultivate the virtue of patience and tolerance.

Thus, God, the Creator of all things, because He cares above all about the perfection and goodness of His work, and because the roots and causes of our failures have nothing to do with others as they are within our souls, gives us the commandment not to give up contact with our brothers, and not to avoid those whom we think we have wronged, or they have wronged us. Rather, we must reconcile them and calm their souls. Knowing that perfection of the heart is not achieved by a person by staying away from people and isolating them as much as it is achieved through the virtue of endurance and patience, which if we truly adhere to, will provide us with the means for peace even with those who hate peace.. Therefore, if we do not achieve it, we will always become no match for those who are perfect and those who are better than us. This is because the desire to distance ourselves from those with whom we have ties of affection does not last long as long as we live among people. Therefore, we will not achieve complete escape and salvation. Rather, we must change the causes of depression that Because of this, we parted ways with our first friends.

Chapter Eight

If we behave well, it will be easier for us to reach understanding with all people

 We must strive to correct our mistakes and correct our behavior. If we succeed in this, we will have the means for peace without a doubt, not only with humans, but even with animals and wild beasts, believing what is stated in the blessed Book of Job: “For the beasts of the field will be at peace with you” (i.e. :5-23). For we will not fear any forms of provocation that come to us from without, nor will any chance of falling disturb us, as long as it does not penetrate or implant itself within our souls: for “those who love your law have great safety, and they will have no stumbling block” (Psalm 119:165).

Chapter Nine

Another type of depression that leads to despair of salvation

There is also a hateful type of depression, which does not generate in the guilty soul a determination to purify life from evil or correct mistakes, but rather feeds it with despair that leads to destruction, as happened with Cain, who did not regret and repent after killing his brother, and with Judas Iscariot, after his betrayal. It did not push him to abandon evil, but rather led him to hang himself.

Chapter Ten

The only thing good for us is sadness

We must know that sadness benefits us in only one case, when we submit to it, either in regret for sin, or it pushes us to thirst for the desire for perfection, or to contemplate the pleasure of divine compassion, and about this the blessed Apostle says: “For sadness that is according to the will of God produces salvation.” Without remorse, but the sorrow of the world produces death” (2 Corinthians 7-10).

 Chapter Eleven

How do we distinguish the house of beneficial sadness that is according to the will of God, and the destructive sadness that Satan inspires?

Depression or sadness that “produces repentance for salvation without regret” makes a person obedient, polite, humble, compassionate, gentle, and long-suffering, because it comes from love for God. He tirelessly emanates from a desire for perfection, extending to every physical sorrow or spiritual sadness, in one way or another. As he rejoices and feeds on a hope for his own benefit, he maintains the gentleness of his treatment and longsuffering, because in itself are all the fruits of the Holy Spirit, which he provided. The Apostle himself lists them: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

As for the other type of sadness, it is violent, narrow-minded, cruel, full of hatred, useless sorrow, and deadly despair. Therefore, it destroys the person to whom it is attached, and hinders him from healthy, healthy sadness, because it is unreasonable, and deprives him of his energy. Not only does he hinder the desired fruits of his prayer, but in addition to that, he actually destroys all the fruits of the Holy Spirit that we have enumerated, and which the first type of sadness knows how to produce.

Chapter Twelve

Other than that healthy sadness that arises in three ways, any sadness or depression that results in harm should be resisted

Yes, with the exception of sadness that is accepted for the sake of repentance of salvation, in pursuit of perfection, or in preference to the next life, there is no escape from resisting every sadness and depression related to this world, and as long as it “leads to death,” it must be eradicated from our hearts like the spirit of adultery, greed, and anger.

Chapter thirteen

Means by which we can uproot the roots of depression from our hearts

We must then be able to remove from our hearts this excessive harmful tendency, so that through spiritual contemplation we can To keep our minds always busy with hope for the future and making promises The anticipated divine joy. Through this means, it is possible for us to benefit from all types of this depression, whether it is what we feel due to the inability to earn, or the loss of something, or being offended, or because of reckless excitement that oppresses the mind.

Firstly, it is the kind that fills us with mortal despair and then we rejoice in penetrating spiritually into the depths of immortal and future matters, and continuing to abstain from instability. We do not become depressed over the disasters that befall us in the present, or rejoice excessively in success and prosperity. Rather, we look at each situation with consideration. It is not stable and is likely to disappear quickly.

Translated by: Monk Basil the Syrian (former).

[1] In Matt. Hom 8:6. PG 58:87.