Chapter 39

Thus, then, Barlaam and

Josaphat, being together with one another and striving in the good contest, outside all care and all the turmoil of life, possessing a mind untroubled and unmixed with any confusion, after their many labours for true religion—on one of the days, calling to him the spiritual son whom he had begotten through the Gospel, Barlaam took up a discourse and spiritual conversation, saying, "Long ago, dearest Josaphat, you ought to have dwelt in this desert; and this Christ promised me, as I prayed for you, that I should see before the end of my life. I have seen, then, as I desired: I have seen you torn away from the world and the things in the world, joined to Christ with an undoubting mind, and come to the measure of perfection of his fullness. Now, then, since the time of my departure is at the doors, and the desire that has been my companion from youth, to be with Christ forever, is now being fulfilled, you must cover my body with earth and give back dust to dust, but remain henceforth in this place, holding to the spiritual way of life and keeping memory of my lowliness. For I fear lest at some time the gloomy multitude of demons should set itself in the way of my soul because of the multitude of my faults. Do you, then, child, not make light of the toil of asceticism, nor be afraid of the length of time and the plots of the demons; but, strengthened by the grace of Christ, boldly laugh at their weakness; and toward the harshness of the toils and the stretch of time

be so disposed as to expect your departure hence each day, and as though the same day were for you both the beginning of asceticism and its end. Thus, ever forgetting the things behind, and reaching out toward the things before, watching, pursue the prize of the upward calling of God in Christ Jesus, as the divine Apostle exhorts, saying, 'Let us not lose heart; but even if our outer man is being destroyed, yet the inner is renewed day by day; for the momentary lightness of our affliction works for us, beyond all measure, an eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things seen but at the things unseen; for the things seen are temporary, but the things unseen are eternal.' Reckoning these things, beloved, play the man and be strong, and like a good soldier strive to please the one who enlisted you. And if the evil one brings you thoughts of fainthearted neglect and hastens to slacken the tension of your resolve, do not fear his plots, calling to mind the Master's command, who says, 'In the world you shall have affliction; but take courage: I have overcome the world.' Therefore rejoice in the Lord always, that he chose you and set you apart from the world, and placed you as in his presence. And he himself, who called you with a holy calling, is ever near. Be anxious for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests

be made known to God. For he himself has said, 'I will never leave you, nor will I ever forsake you.' So then, in the harshness of your manner of life and the neglect of asceticism, acquiring such thoughts, be glad, remembering the Lord our God; for it says, 'I remembered God, and was glad.' But when again the adversary devises another mode of war against you, putting forward high-minded thoughts and showing you the glory of the kingdom of the world which you left, and the rest of the things in the world, set forth the saving word, as a shield, which says: 'When you have done all the things commanded you, say, We are unprofitable servants, for what we owed to do we have done.' But indeed who of us can pay the debt we owe to the Master, for the things in which, being rich, he became poor for our sake, that we by his poverty might become rich, and the impassible one suffered, that he might free us from the passions? For what grace is it for a servant to suffer like the Master? But we fall far short of his sufferings.

Consider these things, casting down reasonings and every high thing that lifts itself up against the knowledge of God, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your heart and your thoughts in Christ Jesus." When these things had been said by the blessed Barlaam, the flow of Josaphat's tears had no measure, but, gushing as from a copious fountain, drenched the whole of him and the ground on which he sat. Lamenting the parting, he begged most fervently to become a fellow-traveller with him on his final journey, and to remain in life no longer after his departure, saying, "Why do you seek your own only, father, and not also your neighbour's? How do you fulfil in this the perfect love, according to him who said, 'You shall love your neighbour as yourself,' if you yourself depart to rest and life, but leave me to affliction and hardship, and, before I have been well trained in the contests of asceticism and learned the manifold approaches of the enemy, put me forward to single combat with their battle-line? What else can come of it, but that I be cast down by their evil contrivances, and die—alas—the truly spiritual and eternal death, which naturally befalls inexperienced and cowardly monks? But beseech the Lord,

I implore you, to take me too as a fellow-traveller out of life. Yes, by the very hope you have of receiving the reward of your toil, beseech him that I may sojourn in life no single day after your departure, and wander in the sea of this desert." When Josaphat said these things with tears, the old man, gently and evenly checking him, said, "We ought not, child, to resist the unattainable judgments of God. For I, having prayed much about this, and forced the unforced Master that we should not be separated from one another, was taught by his goodness that it is not profitable for you now to lay aside the burden of the flesh; but you must remain in asceticism, until you weave a more splendid crown for yourself. For you have not yet striven enough for the recompense prepared for you; but you must toil a little, that you may enter rejoicing into the joy of your Lord. For I am now near a hundred years, having already passed seventy-five years in this desert; but as for you, even if the time will not be stretched out so far, yet it must come near, as the Lord commands, that you may be shown a fellow-contestant, and in no way fall short of those who bore the burden of the day and the heat. Receive, then, my beloved, gladly the things resolved by God. For who among men is able to scatter the things that he himself has counselled? And endure, kept by his grace.

Be ever sober toward the contrary thoughts, and keep the purity of the mind, like some precious treasure, unviolated, raising yourself day by day to higher labour and contemplation, that there may be fulfilled in you what the Saviour promised to his friends, saying, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him, and make our dwelling with him.'" Having said these things, and far more, worthy of his sanctified soul and theological tongue, the old man comforted the grieving soul of Josaphat. Then he sends him off to certain brothers who had their dwelling at a great distance, to bring the things fitting for the holy sacrifice. And so Josaphat, girding himself, fulfilled the service most quickly; for he feared lest in his absence Barlaam should pay the debt of nature, and, committing his spirit to the Lord, bring upon him the grievous loss of obtaining none of his words, none of his parting greetings, none of his prayers, none of his blessings. And when he had passed most manfully over that long road and brought the things for the holy sacrifice, the most divine Barlaam offered to God the bloodless sacrifice. And having himself communicated,

and having given to Josaphat also a share of the undefiled mysteries of Christ, he exulted in the Spirit. And having partaken of the customary food, he nourished the soul of Josaphat again with words profitable to the soul, saying, "No longer, dearest son, shall one hearth and table bring us together into one in this life; for I now go the last road of my fathers. You must, then, show your affection toward me by keeping the commandments of God, and by endurance in this place to the end, living as you have learned and been taught, and remembering always my humble and slothful soul. Rejoice, then, with joy, and be glad with the gladness in Christ, that for the earthly and corruptible things you have exchanged the eternal and incorruptible,

and that the reward of your works draws near, and the rewarder is already at hand, who will come to see the vineyard that you have cultivated, and will richly grant you the reward of your husbandry. For faithful is the word and worthy of all acceptance, as the divine Paul cries: 'For if we died with him, we shall also live with him; if we endure, we shall also reign with him'—the eternal and unending kingdom, illumined by the unapproachable light, and counted worthy of the radiance of the truly blessed and life-giving Trinity." Such things Barlaam conversed of with Josaphat until evening and through the whole night, while Josaphat lamented with unrestrained tears and could not bear the parting. And just as day was breaking, having brought his conversation with him to an end, he lifted his hands and eyes to heaven, and sending up thanksgiving to God, said: "Lord, my God, who are everywhere present and fill all things, I give you thanks, that you looked upon my lowliness and counted me worthy to complete the course of my sojourn here in the orthodox confession of you and in the road of your commandments. And now, Master who love the good and are all-compassionate, receive me into your eternal dwellings, and remember not whatever I have sinned against you, in knowledge and in ignorance. And guard also this your faithful servant, over whom you counted me, your unprofitable servant, worthy to preside;

deliver him from all vanity and the spite of the adversary, and make him higher than the manifold snares which the evil one has spread for the stumbling of all who wish to be saved. Make vanish, all-powerful one, all the power of the deceiver from before the face of your servant, and give him authority to tread upon the ruin-breeding head of the enemy of our souls. Send down from on high the grace of your Holy Spirit, and strengthen him against the invisible battle-lines, that he may be counted worthy to receive from you the crown of victory, and that in him your name may be glorified—the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit—for to you belong glory and praise unto the ages. Amen." Having prayed thus, and having embraced Josaphat as a father, and given him a greeting with a holy kiss, and sealed himself with the sign of the cross, and drawn up his feet, and become very joyful, as though certain friends had arrived, he departed to the blessed journey, passing on to the reward of old age in that other world, being an old man and full of the days of the spirit"