Пятница

(1 Cor. 7:35–8:7; Matt. 15, 29–31) Without attention and in everyday order, you can’t do anything properly; in the spiritual order it is first. It notices the bad and submits it to internal judgment; it also constitutes the guard of the inner chamber, in which they discuss what should be done and how, and then protects the executors of the decision. It is not surprising because spiritual life in its entirety is called sober life, and in the writings of the fathers most of all you will find speeches about sobriety or attention: they are one and the same. How expensive it is to get the hang of attention! The initial work of those who begin to take care of the soul is usually directed towards this. And their business begins to look a little like business only as soon as attention begins to gather within itself; Usually it is all outside, not inside. From this very moment, the inner life begins and, together with attention, matures and grows stronger. What does it mean? This means standing with your mind in your heart before the Lord and consciously discussing and undertaking everything before His face. This matter is obviously complicated. It is sung together with prayer, and as much as it is strengthened by it, it strengthens it. You might be interested in: