I received your letter, my son and I am answering to everything you wrote to me.
You ask me who receives sooner the grace the hesychast or the one who is obedient. Of course, the obedient disciple. He receives the grace sooner and he is always out of danger ; he is not afraid he would fall or he would be lost. He should only not fall into recklessness. When Christ comes inside him then the man will keep his peace even in a crowd and in every place.
The grace of God doesn`t depend on time but of the kind of living and of God`s mercy.
Experience by practice is gained in time but the grace – and that is why it is called grace meaning gift, charisma- depends on God and it is given according to the warmth of the faith, of the humbleness and goodwill.
Solomon received grace when he was twelve years old, Daniel at the same age, David when he was young and was taking care of the sheep of his father.
And all the rest got it in the same way, those from yore as well as those from recent times
Immediately after the man repents for true the Grace approaches him and increases in the same time with his zeal while experience requires a long asceticism.
Above all things the one who asks for Grace from God must endure the temptations and troubles no matter how they come over him. If in time of trial he proves himself complaining and hasn`t enough patience, he won`t receive enough Grace and won`t accomplish any virtue and won`t receive any charisma.
If somebody found out which is the gift of God – that this are the troubles and generally all those which are caused by temptations – one like this found indeed the path of God. He expects them to come because through them he is purified and by enduring them he is enlightened and sees God.
God can be seen only by means of knowledge. This knowledge is contemplation. Meaning that when you understand that God is near you and that you move through Him and that whatever you do He sees you and you take care not to sadden Him, as He sees everything inside and outside, then you sin no more.
Because you see Him and take care not to upset Him as He is on your side. Thus everyone who sins doesn`t see God, but he is blind.
Excerpt from Testimonies of the monachal experience- Pious Joseph the Hesychast, Evanghelismos Publishing.
