Author: Archbishop John (Shakhovskoy)
Good Shepherding
These are, first of all, “ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for those who will inherit salvation” (Heb. 1:14).
The Lord makes “his angels spirits, and his servants a flame of fire” (Psalm 103).
The entire Revelation is full of manifestations of the communication of heaven with earth. As Jacob saw, angels “ascend and descend”… the vision of angels, servants of God, shepherds, teachers, leaders, messengers, warriors is constantly revealed. In dreams and in reality, under various circumstances, angelic help is revealed and testifies that “twelve legions of angels” are constantly ready to rush to earth and stand up for the defense of the Name of Christ, the Only Begotten and Beloved (alas, not by all people) Son of God and Son of Man.
Each person is surrounded by disembodied forces and invisible guardian angels are sent to each person, speaking in the depths of a pure conscience (the voice of heaven is lost in a defiled conscience) about the salvation of a person, showing him the way step by step, among difficult – external and internal – circumstances on earth. Guardian angels are not only spirits who did not live on earth, but also the souls of righteous people who died for earth, a small part of whom are canonized by the Church for the invocation, confession and confirmation of the connection between heaven and earth (and not for the sake of delivering earthly glory to the holy celestials, who do not seek such glory and suffer from it more than they rejoice in it … their only glory is joy – the glorification of the Lord Jesus Christ in people, in the Holy Trinity; they serve this glorification, they have devoted themselves to it to the end). The Akathist “To the Holy Angel, the tireless guardian of human life” in all its lines reveals the essence of angelic service. From this akathist every earthly pastor can learn the spirit of his pastoral service. In everything except incorporeality and imperviousness to sin, earthly teachers, pastors, who truly teach people the eternal “one thing needful”, the only thing necessary for eternity, are similar to the heavenly spiritual leaders and teachers. Such are, first of all, pastors who have received apostolic grace through the laying on of hands. Bishops, presbyters and deacons, the latter being appointed in the Church of God not exclusively for the purpose of church prayer, but also to assist the priest in preaching the gospel and witnessing to the truth. Clergy are also not only ripid-bearers, readers and singers, but to the same extent witnesses of the faith, apologists of the Church both in their own lives and in the ability to defend the true faith before people, in the ability to attract the indifferent and unbelieving. For this, as well as for prayer, they receive the grace of ordination.
Every Christian is also a teacher, for, according to the word of the apostle, he must always be ready “to give an answer for the hope that is in him with meekness and reverence” (1 Pet. 3:15). Acts of faith, even if the one doing them is silent, always teach.
But parents are especially teachers and bear responsibility for this in relation to their children, rulers in relation to the accused, superiors in relation to their subordinates. In a broad sense, artists, writers, composers, and university professors are teachers. As they become famous, their moral and spiritual responsibility before God increases, for the actions or words of a famous person edify or tempt many.
In the Orthodox culture of life, pastoral care should be at the top of the pyramid of teachers – disseminators of the light of Christ in the world, transmitters of Divine wisdom to the world.
But in order to become real salt for the world, all its strata, the priesthood should not be a caste, an estate: every social stratum should provide pastors for the Church. This is an external condition, obtained by the Russian Church through the fire of great trials. The internal condition, much more essential, is that the priest must be spiritually higher than his flock. It happens (and not infrequently) that the pastor not only does not raise his flock to heaven, but lowers them even more to the earth. A pastor should not be “worldly”. Excess in food, drink, sleep, leading to idle chatter, playing cards and various other games, visiting entertainments, engaging in political issues of the day, joining any party or secular circle – all this is impossible in the life of a pastor. A pastor must be bright and impartial to all people, judging them only with a spiritual, evangelical eye. The involvement of a pastor in any worldly earthly associations, even the most noble for a worldly person, but where human passions boil, makes the pastor from spiritual – “soulful”, earthly, forces him to judge people incorrectly, biasedly, weakens the acuity of vision of the spirit and even completely blinds.
The power of the Gospel non-secularity (“in the world, but not of the world”) must be inherent in every pastor and his clerical assistants. Only non-secularity, the pastor’s lack of connection with any earthly values, both material and ideological, can make the pastor free in Christ. “If the Son shall make you free (from all the illusory and temporary values of the earth), then you shall be free indeed” (John 8:36). The pastor, as one called to free souls for the Kingdom of God, must first of all be free himself from the power of the world, the flesh and the devil.
Freedom from the world. Standing outside of all earthly party organizations, above all secular disputes. Not only formally, but also cordially. Impartiality towards people: noble and humble, rich and poor, young and old, beautiful and ugly. A vision of the immortal soul in all cases of communication with people. It should be easy for a person of all convictions to come to a pastor. A pastor should know that the incorporeal enemy will take advantage of any earthly, not only sinful, but also worldly ties in order to wound him, weaken his work, turn people of opposite or dissimilar convictions away from his prayer, from his confession. These people will, of course, be guilty themselves, that they were unable to look at the pastor beyond his human convictions, but the pastor will not feel any better from the awareness of not only his guilt, for he is appointed not for the strong in spirit, but for the weak, and must do everything to help every soul come to purification, to the Church… Much that is possible for a layman is sinful for a pastor.
The goal of a pastor is to be a true “spiritual father”, to lead all people to the One Heavenly Father; and he, of course, must do everything to place himself in conditions of equal closeness to everyone and to place everyone equally close to himself.
Liberation from the flesh. If the spiritual concept of “flesh”, “carnality” does not mean the physical body, but the preponderance of carnal life over spiritual, the enslavement of man to the elements of his body and the “quenching of the spirit”, then, of course, liberation from the flesh is necessary, as well as from the “world”. A priest should not be an obvious ascetic, a very strict abstainer. Such a state will frighten many and turn them away from spiritual life. The incorporeal enemy frightens people with “spiritual life”, mixing in their minds “spiritual life” with “mortification of one’s body” and similar terrible concepts, unbearable for a simple layman. And – a person turns away from any spiritual life, frightened by the specter of “asceticism”. Therefore, a priest should not seem (and even less of course – show himself!) a strict ascetic. Feeling this, some priests fall into another sin: under the guise of humility and self-abasement before people, “not standing out” from others, they weaken and kill themselves with intemperance and even internally (and even externally) boast of such “humility”. This humility is, of course, illusory, and not humility at all. It is deceit. Having put aside deceit, one must modestly use the blessings of the earth, necessary for life.
The true spiritual life of a pastor and his prayerfulness themselves will show him the measure of abstinence. Any excess is immediately reflected in the inner state of a spiritual person who strives to always be prayerful, light, easily moved towards good, free from dark, double and oppressive thoughts, which invariably relieve the soul from abstinence in drinking, eating and sleeping. A singer stops eating 6 hours before his performance in order to be “light” and so that his voice sounds light. A wrestler strictly observes his regime and, strengthening the body, makes sure not to weigh it down. Here is true, vital, medical asceticism – a condition of health and the most complete vitality. How can a pastor – and any Christian in general – not use this asceticism, when he is more than an earthly fighter, a constant fighter with himself, with his sinfulness and with the invisible, incorporeal enemy, well characterized by the Apostle Peter and taking advantage of the slightest mistake or inattention of a person – especially a priest. Spiritual experience is the best teacher of the struggle with the body for the sake of blessed and holy freedom from passions.
Liberation from the devil. “This kind comes forth by nothing but prayer and fasting” (Matt. 17:21).
Fasting is abstinence for one living in the world. The essence of fasting is not determined by the external normative laws of the Church. The Church only outlines the fast and determines when it is especially necessary to remember it (Wednesday and Friday, 4 annual fasts, etc.). Each person must determine for himself the extent of the fast, so that the body receives its own and the spirit grows, being in balance in the world. This world (“Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives, give I to you” – John 14:27) is a place inaccessible to the evil one. The evil spirit, the liar and the spiritual robber, strives first of all to throw a person out of balance, “disturb” him, “upset”. When he manages to disturb the crystal waters of the soul, to raise silt from the bottom of the soul through some temptation or obsession – most often – through another person, then in this “muddy water” of the soul the enemy begins to make his catch, to push a person weakened by passion (anger, lust, envy, greed) – to a crime, i.e. disobedience to the Law of Christ. And if a person does not break this web with prayer and repentance, after a while it will become a string, then a rope, and finally a chain that binds the whole person, and the person is nailed, like a convict, to a wheelbarrow that carries evil around the world. He becomes an instrument of the evil one. Slavery and sonship of God is replaced first by slavery, and then by sonship of the evil one. The rule of spiritual struggle: conquer every passion with the power of Christ immediately, as soon as it has arisen. We cannot heal it, drive it out completely at once, but we can constantly drive it “to the bottom”, so that there the passion dies under the action of the waters of grace, and our soul would always be peaceful, crystal clear, loving, benevolent, alert, spiritually sober. If a “breakthrough” is expected or occurs on any side of the soul, all the attention of the heart must be turned there immediately and by effort (“The Kingdom of God is taken by effort,” said the Savior, indicating precisely this Kingdom of God, which on earth is acquired or lost within a person), i.e. by prayerful struggle, it is necessary to restore the peace of the heart, the soul.
This is spiritual sobriety. For a spiritually sober person, the enemy is not terrible. “Behold, I give you power to tread on the serpent and on the scorpion, and over all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19). The enemy is terrible and dangerous only for the sleepy, lazy, and weakened in soul. No righteousness can save such a person. One can perform many feats in war, but if they all end in treason, they will mean nothing. “He who endures to the end will be saved.” If a person, and especially a priest, devotes as much care to the protection of his soul as the enemy uses to destroy it, then, of course, he can be calm. In the depths of his peaceful and free heart, even in the midst of great trials, he will always hear an encouraging voice: “It is I – do not be afraid” (Matt. 14:27). The shepherd is a spiritual architect – a builder of souls, a creator of these souls of the House of God – a fellowship of peace and love… “for we are God’s fellow workers” (1 Cor. 3:9). The greatest blessed deed is to be a participant in the construction of the Kingdom of God. Spiritual enlightenment gives – especially to the priest – the opportunity to be not a slave, “not knowing what his Lord is doing,” but a son in his father’s house, delving into his Father’s business.
The psychology of a shepherd is the psychology of the owner of a field and garden. Each ear of corn is a human soul. Each flower is a person.
A good shepherd knows his farm, understands the processes of organic life, and knows how to help this life. He goes around each plant and takes care of it. The work of a shepherd is to cultivate and prepare the soil, to sow seeds, to water the plants, to pull out weeds, to graft good cuttings onto wild trees, to water the vines with a preservative, to protect the fruit from thieves and birds, to watch over the ripening, to pick the fruit in time…
The knowledge of a shepherd is the knowledge of a doctor, who is ready to diagnose a disease and knows how to apply various methods of treatment, to prescribe the necessary medicines and even to compose them. The correct diagnosis of a disease, the correct analysis of the body and its various mental secretions is the first task of a shepherd.
A shepherd has a spiritual pharmacy: plasters, lotions, cleansing and softening oils, drying and healing powders, disinfectant liquids, strengthening agents; a surgical knife (to be used only in the most extreme cases).
A good shepherd is a warrior and a leader of warriors… A helmsman and a captain… A father, mother, brother, son, friend, servant. A carpenter, a gem cutter, a gold digger. A writer writing the Book of Life…
True shepherds, like pure mirrors of the Sun of Truth, reflect the radiance of heaven to humanity and warm the world.
These shepherds can also be likened to sheepdogs guarding the flock of the One Shepherd.
Anyone who has been able to observe the behavior of a smart and kind sheepdog, zealously running around the flock and meek for the sheep, poking with its mouth any sheep that has strayed even a little, driving it to the common flock, and as soon as danger appears, transforming from a peaceful sheepdog into a formidable one… anyone who has seen this will understand the true behavior of the shepherd of Christ’s flock.
Good shepherding is the power of the One Good Shepherd, poured out into the world, having found sons for itself. Sons “after their own hearts.” “And I will give you shepherds after My own heart,” says the Lord, “who will feed you with knowledge and understanding” (Jer. 3:15).
How brightly these shepherds shone to the world, leaving evidence of their shepherdship in deeds and words – to the world, and also to the shepherds in the world:
“I exhort the shepherds among you, as a fellow shepherd and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and partakers with you of the glory that is to be revealed: Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, exercising oversight, not by compulsion but willingly, in a manner pleasing to God; not for dishonest gain but eagerly; not as lords over God’s heritage but being examples to the flock; and when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive an unfading crown of glory” (1 Peter 5:1–4).
“Be thou an example to the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in spirit, in faith, in purity. Until I come, devote thyself to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is within thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with the laying on of the hand of the presbytery. Take heed to these things, and continue in them, that thy progress may appear unto all. Taking heed to thyself and to the doctrine, continue in them: for in doing this thou shalt save both thyself and them that hear thee” (1 Tim. 4:12–16).
“I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands; for God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and self-control” (2 Tim. 1:6-7).
What can I add to this? – everything is said so simply and vividly by the chief apostles… But – the disclosure of the apostolic revelation about pastoral work is the work of a lifetime, and therefore of many words aimed at the good, in order to say the former and eternal in a new way, to apply it to the new conditions of life and suffering of the Church.
Source in Russian: Philosophy of the Orthodox Pastoral Service: (Path and Action) /Clergyman. – Berlin: Published by the Parish of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir in Berlin, 1935. – 166 p.
Note about the author: Archbishop John (in the world, Prince Dmitry Alexeevich Shakhovskoy; August 23 [September 5], 1902, Moscow – May 30, 1989, Santa Barbara, California, USA) – Bishop of the Orthodox Church in America, Archbishop of San Francisco and Western America. Preacher, writer, poet. Author of numerous religious works, some of which have been published in translation in English, German, Serbian, Italian and Japanese.
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First published in this link of The European Times.
