Letter 8 (Translated from Arabic) (On the Holy Spirit)
My beloved in the Lord…
I write to you as dear children. Even earthly fathers love their children more when they find them resembling them. And so it is with me: to the extent that you increase in imitating me, I pray to God to grant you what He had already granted our blessed fathers. I also pray that I may come to you and hand over to you other mysteries as well, which I cannot write to you on paper. So live in joy and peace with the Father of mercies, that you may receive the gift which your fathers received.
Now your mother Sarah, who is the Spirit, rejoices over you. She who carried you and gave birth to a divine spirit within you desires to perfect you, just as I asked her on your behalf. And this great fiery Spirit whom I have received—receive Him also. And if you desire to receive Him and for Him to dwell in you, then first offer the labours of the body and the humility of heart. Lift up your thoughts to heaven day and night, and seek with all your heart this holy fiery Spirit, and then He shall be given to you. For thus did Elijah the Tishbite and Elisha and all the other prophets receive Him. Do not entertain in your hearts, nor be double-minded, saying, “Who can receive this?” Do not let such thoughts enter your minds, but seek with uprightness of heart, and you shall receive Him. And I, your father, labour alongside you and pray for you to receive Him, for I know that you have denied yourselves in order to be able to receive Him. For whoever tills his own being with this kind of labour in every generation shall receive the same Spirit, who dwells in the upright in heart. And I testify to you: you seek God with an upright heart, so persevere in seeking with diligence from all your hearts, and it shall be given to you.
And when you receive this Spirit, He will reveal to you the mysteries of heaven, and many other things will He disclose to you which I cannot express on paper. He will free you from all fear and will flood you with heavenly joy day and night. Thus you shall become as people who have passed into the Kingdom while still in the body, and you will not then pray for yourselves only, but also for others. For when Moses received the Spirit, he prayed for the people, saying to God: “If You will destroy this people, then blot out my name from Your book” (Exodus 32:31).
And so you see that his concern was directed toward praying for others, having reached this stature in the Spirit. But few among the many have reached this stature—that is, the stature of praying for others. I cannot write to you in detail about all these matters, but you are wise and know everything. And when I come to you, I shall tell you about the Spirit of joy and how you ought to receive Him. I shall tell you of all His richness and the greatness of His delight, which I cannot express on paper.
Remain well in the Spirit of life, and may you continue growing and increasing in strength day by day.