Заключительные мысли

Tertullian. The Lord's Prayer, in how many brief words, concerns the prophetic, evangelical, apostolic sayings, the words of the Lord himself, His parables and commandments? At the same time, how many responsibilities does she represent us as performers? - That we honor God - in the word: “Our Father”, - that by deeds we testify to the faith in “hallowed be thy name”, that we bring obedience to Him: “thy will be done”, that we seek life in him in: “our bread... give”, that we confess sins in asking for the forgiveness of debts, that we are guarded from temptations in seeking protection and protection from above - God alone could teach us how it is desirable for Him that we pray. Why is this reverent prayer established by Him, being moved by His spirit (in our hearts), and proceeding, as it were, from His lips, as when it was taught for the first time, by virtue of this privilege, it ascends to heaven and offers to the good pleasure of the Father what the Son taught. However, since the Lord, the Seer of human needs, after teaching such a rule of prayer, especially commanded: “seek and you will find” (Luke 11:9), and there are many things about which everyone, according to their circumstances, prescribing this law with a certain prayer as a foundation, has the need to pray: then it is permissible to add others to the petitions of this prayer in accordance with the current needs of life, under the condition, however, of remembering and fulfilling the commandments, so that no matter how far we are from the commandments, Our petitions were not so far from the ears of God. Fulfillment of the commandments arranges the path for our prayer to heaven, and the most important of them is not to approach the altar of the Lord without first making peace with the brothers with whom it happened to be at odds and get into trouble (Matthew 5:23). And how, in fact, can one begin to approach the God of peace without peace with one’s brother—to forgive one’s debts while retaining one’s brotherly ones? And how will the Father be pleased if he is angry with his brother? St. Cyprian of Carthage. It is not surprising, beloved brothers, that such is the prayer taught to us by God, Who in His teaching expressed all our prayer in a short but saving word. This was predicted long ago by the prophet Isaiah; Speaking about the greatness and love of God, he, filled with the Holy Spirit, said: “The word... perfecting and cutting with righteousness, as a short word the Lord will do throughout the whole universe” (Is. 10:23). So, when our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, came to everyone, and, gathering learned and unlearned, set out saving commandments for every sex and age, then He concluded His commandments in concise speech, so as not to complicate the memory of students in the study of heavenly things and so that they could quickly learn what is necessary for simple faith. The Lord taught us to pray not only in words, but also in deeds: He Himself often sent prayers and petitions to God, showing by His own example what we should do. The Scripture says: “But He went into desert places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). And again: “He went up to the mountain to pray and spent the whole night in prayer to God” (Luke 6:12). If He was a sinless one who prayed, then shouldn’t it be all the more true for sinners to pray? If He, being awake all night, sent forth unceasing prayers, then shouldn’t we also be awake at night in frequent prayer? The Lord prayed and asked not for Himself, for why should an innocent person ask for himself? He prayed for our sins, as He Himself explains, saying to Peter: “Behold, Satan asked that he might sift you like wheat, but I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail” (Luke 22:31-32). He then prayed to the Father and for everyone, saying: “I do not pray for them only, but also for those who believe in Me through their word, that they may all be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:20-21). Great is the goodness and love of the Lord in the arrangement of our salvation! Not content with redeeming us with His Blood, He also asked for us! And when asking, look what a desire He had: for us to remain in that very unity in which the Father and the Son are one. From here one can understand how those who destroy unity and peace sin, destroy what the Lord asked for, who wanted His people to be saved, living in peace, since He knew that enmity does not enter into the Kingdom of God. When we stand in prayer, we must watch and apply ourselves to prayer with all our hearts. Let every carnal and worldly thought be removed from us, and let the spirit think only about what it asks for. And the priest, having introduced the prayer, prepares the minds of the brothers for this, calling out: “Let us direct our hearts to Heaven”; and the people in their answer: “they are directed towards the Lord” - receive a reminder that they should not think about anything but the Lord. Let the heart be closed from the enemy; It will be open to God alone and may it not allow the enemy of God to enter into itself during prayer! But he often invades and penetrates and by clever deception distracts our prayers from God, forcing us to have one thing in our hearts and express another with our voice, while we must pray to the Lord with sincere attention and plead not with the sound of our voice, but with our heart and feeling. What kind of negligence is this - while offering prayer to the Lord, alienate yourself and get carried away by absurd and nasty thoughts, as if you have something more important to think about than the fact that you are talking with God? And how do you demand that God hear you when you don’t hear yourself? How do you want God to remember you during your prayer when you don’t remember about yourself? This means not being wary of the enemy at all. This means, when praying to God, to insult the greatness of God by carelessness in prayer. This means being awake with the eyes and sleeping with the heart, while a Christian must be awake with the heart even when he sleeps with the eyes. In Scripture, in the book of the Song of Songs, it says this on behalf of the Church: “I sleep, but my heart is awake” (Song. 5:2). That is why the apostle exhorts us with such care and prudence, saying: “Be constant in prayer, watching in it” (Col. 4:2). By this he teaches and shows that only those who receive what they ask from God whom God sees vigilant in prayer. Moreover, let those who pray do not come to God with fruitless and empty prayers. A petition that is expressed in prayer that is not accompanied by action is invalid. If every tree that does not bear fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire, then, of course, a word that does not bear fruit cannot be pleasing to God, since it is devoid of all work. That is why the Holy Scripture says for our instruction: “A good deed is prayer with fasting and almsgiving” (Tov. 12:8). The Lord, who on the day of judgment has to reward deeds and alms, and now listens favorably to the one who comes with the work. So Cornelius the centurion prayed - and was worthy to be heard. He gave a lot of alms to the people and always prayed to God. He is about On the ninth hour, during prayer, an angel appeared and, testifying to his work, said: “Cornelius! .. your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God” (Acts 10: 3-4). Prayers soon ascend to God, which make our deeds valuable before Him... The Lord inspires and commands something like this through Isaiah: “Loose,” he says, “the shackles of unrighteousness, untie the bonds of the yoke, and set the oppressed free, and break every yoke; divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the wandering poor into the house; when you see the naked, clothe him, and do not hide from your half-blood. Then your light will open like the dawn, and your healing will soon increase, and your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the Lord will follow you. Then you will cry, and the Lord will hear, and He will say: “Here I am!” (Is. 58:6-9). God, since they themselves obey the commands of God. The blessed Apostle Paul, having received help from the brothers in his need, called the good deed they performed a sacrifice to God, he says, “having received from Epaphroditus what was sent by you, like fragrant incense, a sacrifice pleasing, pleasing to God” (Phil. 4:18). St. Cassian. So, you see what kind of prayer is offered to us from the Judge Himself, whom we must implore with it. There is no request or even remembrance of wealth, honors, power and strength, bodily health or temporary life. The Creator of eternity does not want us to ask Him for anything vain, unimportant and temporary. So, he will inflict the greatest insult on His majesty and goodness who, having despised these eternally good petitions, wants to beg Him for something fleeting and perishable; Such a person, by the unimportance of his requests, will more likely incur the indignation of his Judge than attract His favor. Although the proposed prayer, being spoken or decreed by the Lord Himself, apparently contains in itself the fullness of perfection; however, she leads those closest to her to that most exalted state we have previously said, to that fiery and very few known and tested, or, more precisely, ineffable prayer, which, surpassing any human concept, cannot be expressed either by the sounds of the voice, or by movements of the lips or by any combination of words, but which the mind, illuminated by the sparkle of Heavenly light, pronounces not with weak human speech, but from excess of feelings arbitrarily pours out of itself, as if from some abundant source, and inexplicably sends it back to the Lord. During this short time, our mind is filled with such sensations that, even turning into itself, it can neither express nor contemplate them. Blazh. Augustine. We must also take into account the difference between these seven petitions. - Since now our temporary life is passing and eternal life is expected, and since the eternal is the first in dignity, although they pass to it after the completion of temporary affairs in advance; that which is asked in the first three petitions, although it begins in this life, in this century, but comes to completion in the future life, where these three will remain in power and perfection. There the name of God will be sanctified unceasingly and His kingdom will have no end, and His will will appear in everything fully effective and fulfilled. So, these three will come to full perfection and appear in an inseparable union in the life that is promised to us. – The other four petitions belong, it seems to me, to this temporary life. The first of them is: “Give us this day our daily bread.” But by the very fact that this bread is called here daily - everyday - it is shown that it belongs to the present time, which is signified by the word: "day", whether by it we mean spiritual bread - mental (the word of God) or mysterious (the body and blood of the Lord) or material: not because (so I say) that spiritual food is not eternal, but because that spiritual food, which is called everyday - daily, is taught to the soul in The Scriptures, or articulate speech, or under some temporary signs: which will not happen when everyone is taught by God (Is. 54:13; John 6:45), and the ineffable light of truth can be drawn directly with a pure mind. And our sins are only forgiven here, just as we forgive our debts here: there will be no place for the forgiveness of sins. Only this temporary life is filled with temptations; then, when what is written is fulfilled: “You hide them under the cover of Your face” (Ps. 30:21), they will no longer exist. Finally, the evil that you want to get rid of and the very deliverance from it also belongs to this same life. It seems to me that the seven-digit number of petitions is related to the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit and the beatitudes corresponding to them. The fear of God is what makes “the poor in spirit blessed..., for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 5:3); Therefore we ask, “hallowed be thy name” among men, by the power of the pure “fear of God, which endureth for ever and ever” (Ps. 18:10). Piety is what makes “the meek blessed... for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:3); why do we pray, “that the kingdom may come” of God, either here – in ourselves, let us tame ourselves and cease resisting Him, or at the second glorious coming of the Lord, in which we will rejoice and praise ourselves, when He says: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). For “in the Lord,” says the prophet, “my soul will glory; the meek will hear and rejoice” (Ps. 33:3). Knowledge is that with the help of which “those who mourn are blessed... for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4); why we pray, “God’s will be done on earth as it is in heaven”: for when the body, like the earth, agrees in everything with the spirit, like heaven, then we will no longer cry; because nothing in this age is unworthy of so much crying as the fact that these two parts of ours - body and spirit - fight against one another, and force us to say: “in my members I see another law, warring against the law of my mind,” and to express our lamentation about this in such a mournful voice: “poor man that I am! who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom.7:23–24). Strength (the strength of courage) is something with which “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6); why we pray that we may be given “for this day... our daily bread,” so that, being strengthened and supported by it, we can achieve its fullest saturation. Counsel is what “blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7); why, while forgiving the debts of our debtors, we pray that our debts will also be forgiven. Reason is that with the help of which “the pure in heart are blessed... for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8); why we pray that we may not be led into temptation, so as not to have a divided heart, and only seeking the good, to which we would relate everything that we do, without chasing after the earthly and temporary. Wisdom is what “blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9); why we pray, “that we may be delivered from the evil one”: for this deliverance will make us free, that is, sons of God, so that in the spirit of adoption we may cry out: “Abba Father!” (Rom.8:15; Gal.4:6). We should not lose sight of the fact that of all the petitions with which the Lord commanded us to turn to God in prayer, He especially decided to focus our attention on the one that asks for forgiveness of sins. He wants to make us merciful, indicating in this the only way to receive mercy ourselves and get rid of our main need (the burden of sins). Why do we not raise a single petition to God, as if we had entered into conditions and an agreement with him, as in this: for we say: “forgive us... just as we forgive.” If we turn out to be deceitful in this agreement, then there will be no fruit from all the prayer. For the Lord says: “If you forgive people their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). No matter what other words we say, which the person praying either selects in advance to express his prayer movement, or then adds to exalt this feeling, we cannot say anything that would not be contained in the Lord’s Prayer, if we pray correctly and as it should. Who says, for example: “as before them (the peoples) You showed Your holiness in us, so before us reveal Your greatness in them” (Sir. 36:4), what else says, if not “Hallowed be Your name”? – Who says: “God of hosts! restore us; may Your face shine, and we will be saved!” (Ps. 79:8), what else does he say but: “Thy kingdom come”? – Who says: “Stand my feet in Thy word and do not let any iniquity take possession of me” (Ps. 119:133), what else says, if not: “Thy will be done; and on earth as it is in Heaven"? Who says: “Give me neither poverty nor riches, feed me with our daily bread” (Prov. 30:8), what else says, if not: “Give us our daily bread this day”? - Who says: “Lord remember David and all his meekness” (Ps. 131:1), or: “Lord my God! if I have done anything, if there is injustice in my hands, if I have repaid with evil the one who was with me in the world...” (Ps. 7:4-5), what else does it say if not: “forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”? – Who says: “Let not the desires of the womb and voluptuousness take possession of me, and do not give me over to a shameless soul” (Sir. 23:5), what else says, if not: “And do not lead us into temptation”? Who says: “Deliver me from my enemies, O my God!” protect me from those who rise up against me” (Ps. 58:2), what else does it say if not: “deliver us from evil”? – And if you look through all the words of the holy prayers, I think you will not find anything in them that is not contained in the Lord’s Prayer? Why is it free for you to express the same thing in prayer in these or other words? but you should not have the freedom to say anything else. - Who, for example, says in prayer: Lord, increase my wealth, or give me as much of it as you gave to so and so; or increase my honors and make me strong and glorious in this age, or something else of this kind, and he says this, desiring such things as good, directly for himself, and not meaning that with their help he could bring good to people according to God; he, I think, will not find anything in the Lord’s Prayer that could justify such sighs of his. Why should we at least be ashamed to ask for what we are not ashamed to desire? If this too is considered shameful, but one does not have the strength to overcome such a desire, then what is more appropriate in such a case than to pray for deliverance from this evil lust to the One to whom we say: “Deliver us from the evil one”? Thus, you have a true indication of what you should pray for, not from me, but from Him who has deigned to teach us all this. – One must seek a blessed life by asking the Lord God for it. What it is to be blessed has been thought out by many and decided in many ways; but what need do we have to go to these many and for these many? God’s Scripture briefly, but most definitely, says: “Blessed is the people whose Lord is God” (Ps. 143:15). In order for us to be among these people and be honored to live with them forever, “the goal of exhortation is love from a pure heart and a good conscience and unfeigned faith” (1 Tim. 1:5). Conscientious trust rests on these three. So, faith, hope and love lead the one who prays to God, who, believing, hoping and desiring, learns from the Lord’s Prayer what he asks of the Lord. Fasting and abstinence from other carnal pleasures, especially almsgiving, greatly helps prayer. There is something else about which perhaps a question will arise in your mind, namely: why did the apostle say: “for we do not know what to pray for as we ought” (Rom. 8:26)? For it is impossible to think that he and those to whom he wrote this did not know the Lord’s Prayer. Why did he say so, and it must be assumed that he did not say it unreasonably or falsely? Why not, but because temporary sorrows and anxieties are very soul-saving for us, sometimes because they heal proud arrogance, sometimes because they test patience and give it exercise, and for the tested and trained by experience the most glorious and rich reward is prepared, sometimes because they punish and cleanse sins; we, not knowing exactly what benefit they bring, pray for deliverance from all sorrow. The apostle does not present himself as a stranger to this ignorance, as can be seen from the fact that when he was not exalted for the multitude of revelations, a thorn was given to him in the flesh, an angel of Satan, to oppress him; he prayed to the Lord three times to remove him from him, not knowing, of course, what he was praying for, as he should. In response to why prayer was not heard when such a man prayed, and why hearing was not useful, we hear: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:7-9). So in these sorrows, which can bring both benefit and harm, we do not know what we will pray for as we should: and yet, since they are sensitive and difficult, then, out of universal human weakness, we pray that they will be taken from us. But at the same time, we must at least show such obedience to the Lord our God, so that if he does not take them from us, we do not think that our prayer is despised, but rather put on complacent patience with evils in anticipation of greater benefits for this: for in this way the power of God is made perfect in weakness. However, to some who were impatient, the Lord God conceded what they asked for in anger, just as, on the contrary, He refused favor to the Apostle. So we read in the book of Numbers (Num. 11) what the Israelites asked for and how they received, but when their lust was satisfied, a severe punishment of impatience followed. He also gave a king to those who asked according to their own hearts, and not according to their own hearts, as it is written (1 Sam. 8:5-7). He even gave what the devil asked for the glorification of his proven servant (Job 1:12–2:6). He also heard the unclean spirits when, at their request, He sent a whole legion of them among the pigs (Luke 8:32). This is written so that no one considers himself to be something great when he is heard: because, perhaps, in his impatience he asked for something that would have been much more useful not to ask; and if he is not heard, so that he does not lose heart and does not despair of God’s mercy towards himself: for, perhaps, he asked for what, having received it, he would have been subjected to bitter suffering, or he would have been completely ruined and become unhappy. These are the cases in which “for we do not know what to pray for as we should.” Therefore, if something happens that is contrary to our petitions, we must patiently endure it and give thanks for everything, in the conviction that it is undoubtedly more salutary for us that God’s will be done in everything, and not ours. For our Intercessor gave us this kind of example when he said: “My Father! if possible, let this cup pass from Me,” and then subordinating his human will to the Father’s will, he added: “Nevertheless, not as I want, but as You want” (Matthew 26:39). Hence: “by the obedience of one the many will be made righteous” (Rom. 5:19). Whoever asks for that one thing from the Lord and seeks that one thing (Ps. 26:4), that everything may be according to His will, he asks for a sure and safe good, and he has nothing to fear; what he asks for will not harm when it is received. Without this will there is no benefit from what anyone would receive through diligent prayer. In surrendering oneself to the will of God there is one true and blessed life. He who has it will receive whatever he seeks: for he will no longer seek anything that is not pleasing to the will of God. Whoever is such, the Lord will multiply His mercy upon him, and he “will have rest in the shadow of His wings; they will be satisfied with the fatness of His house, and will be filled with sweetness from the stream; for with Him is the fountain of life, and in His light we will see light” (Ps. 35:8-10). You might be interested in: