{
    "id": 456183,
    "slug": "pray-and-work-on-yourself-konstantin-serebrov",
    "nstc": null,
    "title": "Pray and Work (On Yourself)",
    "subtitle": "Part I",
    "collection_title": null,
    "collection_part_number": null,
    "annotation": null,
    "description": "I\u2019ve written this work about ascetic practices on request of my Master to give the interested people yet another view on the essence of the spiritual Path. Namely, how man can come closer to God and let Him \u2018bring man up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay\u2019, and put a new song in man\u2019s mouth. (Ps. 40:2,3). Man can come closer to God through work on himself, that is working on purifying his heart and soul, his inner world, making through this work still more room available for Him.  On the path which my Master has been following the focus lies in one\u2019s work on oneself, so that you could call this path the \u2018path of the worker\u2019. Work on oneself consists mostly of spiritual practices which wake up man\u2019s soul in this illusory world towards spiritual reality and keep it awake. This path doesn\u2019t demand vows and renunciation of the world, after Jesus\u2019 word: \u2018But I say unto you, Swear not at all\u2019 (Mt.5:34). It doesn\u2019t \u2018bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne\u2019 on the follower. It isn\u2019t demanded from man to be an exemplary citizen, family man or woman, spouse, son or daughter, but it is asked to \u2018take heed of yourself,\u2019 as St. Sergius of Radonezh says, that is study yourself and know what is in you, what comes in and what comes out of you.  \u2018Pray and work,\u2019 says St. Benedict of Nursia. \u2018Work\u2019 must be understood not only as work with one\u2019s hands but as work on oneself, which helps to rid one\u2019s mind and soul from the consequences of committed deadly sins and to restrain one from committing them again, as the psalm commands: \u2018depart from evil\u2019(Ps.34:14).  I\u2019ve written this book with the help of the Philocalia, a collection of treatises by Christian holy fathers, which has been translated from Greek into Slavonic by Saint Paisi Velichkovski and the group of monks from his monastery. I have translated / adapted their spiritual instructions into modern language, hoping to make them more accessible to the reader.  Konstantin Serebrov, Moscow, June 2006",
    "imprint": null,
    "language_code": "eng",
    "original_language_code": null,
    "page_count": 152,
    "duration_seconds": null,
    "publication_date_first": "2023-02-28",
    "publication_date_latest": "2023-02-28",
    "cover_url": null,
    "editions": [
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            "isbn": "9789077820681",
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    "created_at": "2025-09-19T13:54:27+00:00",
    "updated_at": "2025-11-01T00:39:10+00:00",
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