St. Joseph of Optina: What to Remember When You Lose the Peace of Your Soul

 

A nun had written to him [to Staretz Joseph], setting forth to him her sorrows, her temptations from people, and her thoughts. Fr. Joseph replied to her:

When the sins, or more generally the actions, of your neighbor cause you to lose the peace of your soul, remember the following:

1. The thought that we must take care to correct others always brings us disturbance. It causes us to lose the peace of our soul and to become irritated. But in this way, we sin. Sin is not corrected by sin. It is corrected by meekness and by long-suffering.

2. Your zeal to eradicate evil from the souls of others by filling yourself with bitterness against them is itself evil; it is sin; it is not a virtue.

3. Remember that a large beam has entered your own eye. It is irrational and sinful to concern yourself with the splinter (the small chip) that has entered your brother’s eye.

4. Some imperfections are inevitable in all of us. And some are beneficial to us, because they lead us to deeper humility. In this way you should regard the imperfections of your brothers.

5. Make it your aim to imitate the patience of Christ. Then you will see your impatience being restrained, and your soul will be filled with peace and joy.

6. In everything we must behave with long-suffering. Be patient with everyone. Have meekness, peace, and patience. Turn your thought so as to look upon the faults of others with calmness and serenity.

7. Do not allow yourself to act with a carnal mindset. Do not forget that a man with a carnal mindset strictly condemns the faults of his neighbor, even though he himself also falls into them.

8. Nothing makes us so calm and peaceful toward our neighbor as silence, love, and prayer.

9. Conscience, said Fr. Joseph:

Conscience is an alarm clock. When it rings for you, wake up and run to do what it reminded you of. If you do this, you will always hear it; it will wake you at the proper time. But if for some days you close your ears to it and say within yourself, “Never mind!”, then you will cease to hear this alarm clock; it will cease to wake you.

(From: “Staretz Joseph,” publication of the Holy Metropolis of Nicopolis.)

 

Greek source: https://metemorfothis.blogspot.com/2026/03/blog-post_10.html