About the fruits of the Holy Spirit, about conscious abiding in the Holy Spirit, about what faith is (“the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” – see Heb. 11:1), what this conviction consists of, this knowledge (understanding) of union with God, conscious abiding in the Holy Spirit, is simply and clearly told in the conversation of St. Seraphim of Sarov with Motovilov about the meaning, the goal of human life. During this conversation, the disciple of St. Seraphim says to his teacher: “Still, I do not understand how I can be firmly assured that I am in the Spirit of God? How can I recognize His true manifestation in myself?”. Father Seraphim replied: “I have already told you that it is very simple, and I have explained to you in detail how people are in the Spirit of God and how to understand His manifestation in us… What do you need, father?”. “I need,” I said, “to understand this very well.” Then Father Seraphim took me very firmly by the shoulders and said to me: “We are both now, father, in the Spirit of God with you; why did you lower your eyes, why do you not look at me?”. I replied: “I cannot, father, look; because lightning is flashing from your eyes. Your face has become brighter than the sun, and my eyes ache from the pain.” Father Seraphim said: “Do not be afraid, your God-loving, you have now become as bright as I am. You are now in the fullness of the Spirit of God, otherwise you would not be able to see me like this.” And, bowing his head to me, he quietly said in my ear: “Thank the Lord God for His unspeakable mercy to you! You saw that I did not even cross myself, but only prayed mentally in my heart to the Lord God and said within myself: ‘Lord, grant him clearly (consciously) and with bodily eyes to see that descent of Your Holy Spirit, with which You honor Your servants when You please to appear to them in the light of Your ineffable glory,’ and here, father, the Lord instantly fulfilled the humble request of poor Seraphim… How can we not thank Him for this unspeakable gift to both of us?… Why, father, do you not look me in the eye? Look straight, do not be afraid: the Lord is with us!”. I looked after these words at his face, and an even greater reverent awe came over me. Imagine, in the midst of the sun, in its brightest radiance, the face of a person talking to you. You see the movements of his lips, changes in the expression of his eyes, hear his voice, feel that someone is holding you by the shoulders, but you do not see these hands, nor yourself, nor his figure, but only one light, dazzling, extending far for several fathoms around and illuminating with its bright shine the snowy cover that covered the clearing, and the snow grains that fell on me, and the great elder… “What do you feel now?” – asked the elder. I said: “Incredibly good.” “But how good?” – he asked, “what exactly?”. I replied: “I feel such peace and tranquility in my soul that I cannot express it in words.” “This, your God-loving, is the peace,” said Father Seraphim, “about which the Lord said to His disciples: ‘Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you, not as the world gives do I give to you…’ ‘Peace,’ according to the apostle’s word, ‘which surpasses all understanding’… What else do you feel?” – asked Father Seraphim. I said: “Unusual joy in my whole heart.” And Father continued: “When the Spirit of God descends on a person and overshadows them with the fullness of His descent, then the human soul is filled with unspeakable joy; because the Spirit of God brings joy to everything He touches… The down payment of this joy is given to us now, and if it is so sweet, good, and pleasant in our souls from them, what can we say about that joy which is prepared there, in heaven, for those who weep here, on earth… Now it is up to us, father, to, adding labor to labor, ascend from strength to strength and reach the measure of the fullness of Christ… Then our present joy, given to us in small measure and for a short time, will appear in all its fullness and no one will take it from us, filled with incomprehensible heavenly delights.
“I often saw the light,” says Saint Simeon the New Theologian, “sometimes it appeared inside me when my soul was at peace and quiet, and at other times it appeared to me externally, at a distance, or even completely hid itself. When it hid, it caused me great sorrow, because then I thought that perhaps it would never want to appear again. But when I began to shed tears and show all detachment from everything and complete obedience and humility, then it appeared again, like the sun dispersing thick clouds and gradually showing itself joyfully… So, finally, You… Who comes and goes, gradually dispelled the darkness that was within me, scattered the cloud that covered me, cleansed the pupil of my spiritual eyes, opened my soul’s hearing… Making me so, You cleared my heaven from all kinds of clouds…” (Word 90). “For those who have become children of light and sons of the future day and can always walk decently as if in daylight, the Day of the Lord will never come, because they are always with Him and in Him. For the Day of the Lord will not appear for those who are already illuminated by the Divine light; but it will suddenly open for those who remain in the darkness of passions, live worldly lives, and love the goods of this world; for them, it will appear suddenly, unexpectedly and seem terrible, like an unbearable and unendurable fire” (Word 57).