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 روح الفرح الذي عمّ الرهبنة، قال في إحدى عظاته على إنجيل القديس متى: [“هلموا إلى برية مصر لتروها أفضل من كل فردوس! ريوات الطغمات الملائكية في شكل بشري… لقد تهدم طغيان الشيطان وأشرق ملكوت المسيح ببهائه!…السماء بكل خوارسها ليست في بهاء برية مصر الممتلئة من قلالي النساك![1]]
تحتاج مفاهيمنا إلى مراجعة، فالحديث المستمر عن الخطية يُحطم الرجاء، لكن الكنيسة الأولى مع دعوتها المستمرة للتوبة ركزت أنظارها على الصليب، لتردد مع داود التائب: “ردّ لي بهجة خلاصك!”
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 كما أن “العث يفسد الثياب، والسوس يفسد الخشب، هكذا فإن الاكتئاب يفسد قلب الإنسان” (أم 0:25″الترجمة السبعينية”)… 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?
كما أن الثوب الذي يفسده العث لا يعود ذا قيمة تجارية أو ذا نفع على الإطلاق، وكذلك الحال مع الخشب الذي يفسده السوس لا يعود صالحاً للاستعمال حتى في بناء عادي، بل يلزم أن يصبح طعاماً للنار، كذلك أيضاً النفس التي تقع فريسة لنوبات الاكتئاب الملحة المهلكة، تصبح غير أهل لذلك الثوب الكهنوتي الذي هو وفقاً لنبوة داود البار، طيب الروح القدس النازل من السماء، أولاً على لحية هارون، ثم على هُدب ثوبه، كما جاء بالمزمور: “مثل الطيب على الرأس النازل على اللحية، لحية هارون النازل إلى طرف ثوبه” (مزمور 133: 2).
كذلك لا يمكن أن يكون لنا نصيب في تشييد أو تجميل ذلك الهيكل الروحي الذي وضع القديس بولس أساساته، كبناء حكيم قائلاً: “أنتم هيكل الله وروح الله يسكن فيكم” (1كو 16:3، 1كو 19:6). وما هي الألواح الخشبية التي لهذا إلا كما تقول العروس في نشيد الأناشيد: “جوائز بيتنا أرز وروافدنا سرو” (نشيد 16:1)، وهكذا فان هذه الأنواع المنتقاة من الخشب لهيكل الله ذات رائحة ذكية وغير معرضة لأن تتآكل أو تبلى من طول الزمن أو نخر السوس.
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
حيث ثبت في وضوح أن أوجاع الاضطرابات لا تحدث فينا دائماً عن طريق أخطاء الآخرين، إنما عن طريق أخطائنا، لأننا اختزنا في أنفسنا بواعث التعدي، وبذور السقطات، التي ما يكاد رذاذ من التجربة يبلل نفوسنا، حتى تبرز فوراً في نبت وثمر. [حول هذا الموضوع ألقى القديس يوحنا الذهبي الفم عظة، سجلت بعنوان “
No one can harm a human being unless that human being harms himself“… (الشبكة)]
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
لزم علينا أن نسعى جاهدين لإصلاح أخطائنا ومعالجة سلوكنا، فإذا ما وُفّقنا في ذلك توفرت لنا أسباب السلام دون أدنى شك، ليس مع البشر فحسب، بل وحتى مع الحيوانات والوحوش، مصدقين ما جاء في سفر أيوب المطوَّب: “لأن وحوش البرية تسالمك” (أى :5-23). لأننا لن نخشى أية ضروب للإثارة تأتى إلينا من الخارج، ولا أية فرصة للسقوط تزعجنا، مادامت لا تلج أو تغرس داخل نفوسنا: لأن “سلامة جزيلة لمحبي شريعتك وليس لهم معثرة” (مز 165:119).
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
علينا أن نعلم أن الحزن يفيدنا في حالة واحدة فقط، حين نذعن له إما في الندم علي الخطيئة، أو يدفعنا للتعطش نحو الرغبة في الكمال، أو التأمل في متعة العطف الإلهي، وعن هذا يقول الرسول المطوَّب: “لأن الحزن الذي بحسب مشيئة الله ينشئ لخلاص بلا ندامة، وأما حزن العالم فينشئ موتاً” (2كو :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?
الاكتئاب أو الحزن الذي “ينشئ توبة لخلاص بلا ندامة” يجعل الإنسان مطيعاً، مهذباً، متواضعاً، عطوفاً، لطيفاً، طويل الأناة، ذلك لأنه نابع من محبة الله. وهو ينبعث دون ملل أو كلل، من رغبة في الكمال، ممتداً إلى كل أسى جسدي أو حزن روحي، بطريقة أو بأخرى، إذ يبتهج ويتغذى على رجاء لنفعه الخاص، يحتفظ بلطف معاملته وطول أناته، ذلك لأن في ذاتها كل ثمار الروح القدس، التي قدم الرسول نفسه قائمة بها: “وأما ثمر الروح فهو محبة، فرح، سلام، طول أناة، لطف، صلاح، إيمان، وداعة، تعفف” (غل 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
أجل، فإنه فيما عدا الحزن الذي يُقبل لأجل توبة الخلاص، سعياً وراء الكمال، أو إيثاراً للحياة القادمة، لا مناص من مقاومة كل حزن واكتئاب يتعلق بهذا العالم، ومادام كذلك “مؤدياً إلى الموت” فلابد من استئصاله من قلوبنا كروح الزنى والطمع والغضب.
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.