So the state that the announced (the prayer struggler) must enter is humble love, humble mercy, because being in such a state, the announced is capable of being baptized in the Holy Spirit, receiving in the heart the Fire of Divinity, that is, becoming a Christian. Humility is the state entered by a person by zealous fulfillment of all God’s commandments (that is, love), it is the state of knowing the Truth, the truth (about oneself – I am nothing, the greatest sinner; and about God – God is Love). The humble cannot but be merciful; they themselves need mercy, pray, ask for mercy for themselves, and therefore show mercy to others: “Do to others as you would have them do to you”; and they know the truth about every person – all people (not Christians), who are in this world, – all poor, needy, wretched primarily spiritually (being in hell, in sins, that is, in wounds-diseases-passions, suffering from godlessness), soulfully (in need of a good word, affection, warmth, etc.) and physically (hungry, thirsty, naked, homeless…). The merciful cannot judge – they pity every person and humble themselves before them!
Now, before closing our pharmacy for the night (if an old woman needs medicine in the middle of the night, she can call the pharmacist, because he dispenses necessary medicine-thoughts around the clock, without holidays), we have a little time left to say (to give) a few words about humility and mercy, more precisely, about one important component of mercy – non-judgment.
P. S. In the works of the Holy Fathers, when speaking of repentance, the words virtue (= good deed, goodness) and passion (= evil deed, evil action) often appear; repentance = struggle with passions and planting virtues (good deeds) in their place (for example, if you stole – you no longer steal, but give alms; if you cursed – now you bless everyone; if you were promiscuous – now you live chastely, etc.). Virtue = goodness = a habit, a natural habit to do good, to desire good (fulfilling God’s commandments; a good deed = God’s commandment; to do a good deed = to fulfill God’s commandment, God’s will in the name of Jesus Christ to the glory of God the Father; a good deed is only such a deed that is done in the name of Jesus Christ, for Christ, for the sake of Christ, in Christ! And that bears the fruit of humility!). Passion – it is a “natural” (second nature) habit, inclination to do evil (sins), evil deeds, lust, desire for evil, malice. What you often do – that grows into a habit, inclination. Often done good deed gradually becomes a virtue (goodness), and often done sin – becomes a passion. Virtue = goodness = a habit, an inclination, a desire for goodness; passion = a habit, an inclination, a desire for evil deeds = to commit sin, evil action. A good deed – God’s commandment, to do a good deed – to fulfill God’s commandment, God’s will in the name of Jesus Christ. To commit an evil deed – to fulfill the will of the devil or one’s selfish, proud, passionate will. Therefore, as you see, we are talking about the same thing, just in different words. For us, it is very important to say a thousand times “God’s commandments,” “… in the name of Jesus Christ,” and not just “virtues,” “passions,” which are also spoken of in all ascetic practices, in all pagan religions (and even atheists talk about it). For us, it is important to emphasize that the essence of repentance is not just to overcome passions and plant virtues (which all pagans also do), but to do it all with one goal – for the sake of Jesus Christ, for the sake of union with Jesus Christ, for the sake of acquiring the Holy Spirit! Repentance is not a goal, it is a path to Jesus Christ, to the knowledge of the Father in the Son by the Holy Spirit! Repentance – movement from lawlessness to the Law (struggle with passions, habits, desires to commit sin, trying not to sin, not to do evil), and from the Law to Grace (planting, acquiring virtues, the crown of which (virtues) – humility and mercy, which are the necessary condition for the descent of the Fire of the Holy Spirit (baptism in the Holy Spirit) into the heart (the core of the essence-personality) of the announced). Announcement – it is the science of repentance: to know the goal of movement-repentance (the Orthodox faith in Jesus Christ, God the Father, the Holy Spirit, the Church, etc.) and to repent correctly, appropriately (to fight with passions, plant virtues, to acquire humility, which does many alms, or in other words – prayerful humble mercy, which is the cause of the ignition of the Fire of the Holy Spirit in the heart). Blessed Isaac the Syrian says: “The Divine Love cannot ignite in the soul… if it does not overcome passions” (see Word 55). Such is the spiritual law of acquiring the Holy Spirit (baptism in the Holy Spirit). And do not forget: you can talk about the same reality in different words… so never rush to shout “heresy!” without recognizing the “spirit”. Sometimes the letter is different, but the spirit, the content is the same, and sometimes the letter is the same, but the spirit is different, in some mouths true, and in others the same text is filled with heretical, antichrist spirit (see details in part III). Therefore, be vigilant, pray, so as not to fall into temptation; and discern the spirits, not only the letters. (For example, the text of the Bible is the same for Christians, “Orthodox,” Catholics, Protestants, pagans, atheists, various heretics, antichrists… Christians fill the text of the Bible with the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, while “Orthodox,” Catholics, Protestants… – with their confessional fleshly thoughts, prejudices, “traditions of the elders,” various heresies, blasphemies, etc. One and the same text of Scripture, but thousands of readings, interpretations! And the Truth is one, only – Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit; the Truth is known only by Christians by the Holy Spirit)! Do not forget: God-Love allows everything!