Justin Appel

Dear Friends in Christ,

In a few days, we will observe a commemoration of All the Faithfully Departed here at Saint Philip’s. This is a beautiful service, full of remembrance, supplication, and love expressed for those people we know who have passed away.

The Offertory for this service is Arvo Pärt’s Silouan’s Song, a work that syllabically outlines a brief selected Russian text by the Staretz (elder) Silouan, a sainted Russian monk from Mt. Athos, whose sayings were recorded by his disciple, the Archimandrite (abbot) Sophrony.

Silouan and Sophrony developed a miraculous relationship, one might say, for the teacher was ‘almost unlettered’ and the student was highly educated. Sophrony collected Silouan’s notes, written down on odd scraps of paper, and published them in book form.

There are several important themes in Silouan’s sayings, but one central idea which Sophrony communicated and developed was this: ‘Keep your mind in hell, and do not despair.’ Such a thought is based on an active contemplation of God’s absolute holiness and of our utter unworthiness, of our bondage to sinfulness that leads us to the gate of despair. Here, at the threshold of realization, one is stripped of temporal concerns, the ego is reduced, tears flow, sin is arrested. All that is left is ‘the peril of falling into everlasting despair.’ At this point, Sophrony memorably advised, ‘Stand on the edge of the abyss of despair and when you feel that it is beyond your strength, break off and have a cup of tea.’ Here, he said, is the state of mind in which the Holy Spirit relates to us.

This is a deep truth, and one which I only understand in a hazy sort of way; but I think it sheds light on Silouan’s words, which are translated faithfully into musical terms:

‘Скучает душа моя о Господе, и слезно ищу Его.’
‘My soul yearns after the Lord and I seek him in tears.’

Note also that the climax of the musical arc, seen clearly in the sonic outline, falls at the words

‘and my soul rejoices that Thou art my God and Lord’

See the full text of Silouan’s Song, translated to English by Rosemary Edmonds, and listen to a recording at the bottom of the page here.

Also, look at this beautiful icon if Silouan, Sophrony, and Christ here. (Click on the image to expand the full view of the icon.)

Yours in Christ,
Justin Appel