Entering the spiritual arena to do battle, publication of Nikodemos no. 2
Rejoice in our Lord Jesus Christ! We were very glad to get the new Nikodemos [No. 2] and your letter. The new issue is good and seems to have more “meat” than the first one—but we hope you realize that your readers will expect each issue to be better than the last one! Only in one place there could have been even more meat, because there are some things about Pilgrim [Ed: we had written a review of The Way of a Pilgrim] not generally known in English—for example, that the first part was printed in Russia with the recommendation of Starets Ambrose of Optina, and the second part (as I remember) was found in his cell after his repose. Therefore the patristic stamp on the work is quite explicit, as Optina is the patristic center of Holy Russia, directly continuing the tradition of Starets Paisius [Velichkovsky], and in fact the major ascetical works of the Fathers came out in the nineteenth century in Optina editions. Also, all Russian editions of The Pilgrim contain an important part that hasn’t been translated: the “Three Keys,” which consists of selections from the Fathers on the Jesus Prayer, to make sure the reader understands the book in proper patristic fashion. But maybe there’s material there for another article some day!
We will be happy to see you on Palm Sunday. We usually never know until the last moment for sure if Father Spiridon is coming, so we’ll just have to wait and see.
If we don’t have Liturgy, we’ll have Matins in the morning so it will be a long service in any case. Today it’s raining, but unless it keeps up for a while the road should be all right. If the weather becomes impossible we’ll try to let you know. Fr. Spiridon doesn’t speak much English, but for confession you can at least read the general confession of St. Dimitry of Rostov. We can read the pre-Communion prayers in English sometime between services. No, we don’t mind the tape-recorder, as long as you don’t use it to put us on the air! If you want to bring something—perhaps a loaf of home-baked bread, or perhaps some fish for the feast!
The third installment [in The Orthodox Word] of “Dialogue with non-Christian Religions” is coming up, although the conclusion became so long it will have to be continued one more issue. The conclusion is so frightful that we wonder if our readers can take it? But then, it’s about time that such things must be said.
Your trials with Nikodemos #2 are nothing compared to what’s in store for you! However modest you may think Nikodemos to be, with it you have stepped forth to do battle in the spiritual arena, and the enemy will not hesitate to take up the challenge. He will attack where you least suspect. Before long you will probably start to get some shocking letters—people telling you that you’re 100 percent wrong on something or other, that you’re defeating the cause of Orthodoxy, etc. But don’t be too quick to let your spirits go too far up or too far down! Pray, and soberly try to find out what’s what. With Vladika John’s prayers you won’t be overcome. And by God’s grace you’ll be doing your part in building up a genuine American Orthodoxy in the tradition which Vladika and others have handed down to us.
Pray for us, and we expect to see you on Palm Sunday.