V. Заповеди и правила жизни, обязательные для христианина по тем положениям и отношениям, в каких приходится ему бывать в настоящей жизни

There is a range of responsibilities that lie on a Christian, not because he is a Christian, but because, moreover, he is still in one state or another, in one relationship or another. These are relative responsibilities. They are also called reciprocal because they concern a person who is in some kind of legal relationship with others, lie on him mutually with other persons and, requiring a certain kind of action from him, at the same time require mutual compliance from others. This includes the responsibilities of a Christian, considered in the family, in the Church, in society. It can be seen that they consist in accordance with the duties hitherto calculated and constitute, as it were, a field for exercise and implementation. 13. Family responsibilities A family is a society that, under one head and the harmonious administration of various affairs, arranges its external well-being for its internal one. Usually it consists of parents and children, sometimes with other relatives, and servants. In this regard, there are common responsibilities of the entire family and there are mutual responsibilities of different family members. 1) General responsibilities of the whole family The head of the family, whoever it may be, must take full and comprehensive care of the entire house, in all parts, and have vigilant care for it, recognizing himself as responsible both before God and before people for his good and bad; for in his face he represents everything: for him he receives shame and approval, hurts and has fun. This concern, piece by piece, should be directed 1a) to a prudent, lasting and complete economy, so that everyone can have feasible contentment in everything, a painless, comfortable life. In this, worldly wisdom is honest, blessed by God... In this regard, he is the manager and ruler of affairs. It determines when to start what, what to do to whom, with whom to enter into what transactions, etc. 2a) When paying attention to the progress of material affairs, spiritual affairs are also on it. The main thing here is faith and piety. Family is the church. He is the head of this church. Let him keep it clean. The method and hours of home prayer on it: determine them and support them. Ways to educate a family in the faith on it; the religious life of everyone on it: enlighten, strengthen, settle down. 3a) Arranging everything inside with one hand, he must act outside with the other, look inside with one eye, and outside with the other. The family is behind him. He appears in society, and society takes responsibility for the whole family directly from him. Therefore, all necessary communications and public affairs are on him. He - know, he - and bring into action what is needed. 4a) Finally, he has the responsibility to preserve family customs, general and his own, and in the latter case, especially to keep the spirit and morals of his ancestors in the family and pass on the memory of them from generation to generation. Each family has its own character; let him remain and hold on, in union, however, with the spirit of piety. From their heterogeneity, a harmonious and diverse body will be formed - a village, a city, a state. Under the head is the whole family - all his members. First of all, they must 1b) have a head, not remain without it, and not allow there to be two or more of them. This is required by simple prudence and their own good, which is otherwise impossible. 2b) Then, when there is a head, obey her in everything, do not make your own orders, do not arbitrarily begin anything and do not omit what was ordered. 3b) Live among each other in strong peace and harmony, in a heartfelt union: disunity of forces relaxes and stops success. 4b) From this world both mutual help and mutual assistance: you help this one, and that one helps you. 5b) Finally, when going outside, one should not carry dirty linen. Let the outsiders know only the outside. What happens inside should be a sacred secret for the whole house. We must defend the honor of our house in word and deed: do not disgrace it with bad deeds, do not say bad things; protect when you hear that; The God-blessed honor of a house is the well-behaved, pure and pious life of all its members, known to everyone and turning everyone to them with respect and trust. 2) Mutual responsibilities of different family members From marriage comes temporary happiness and even eternal salvation. Therefore, one should approach it not with frivolity, but with fear and caution. God blesses you with a good marriage. Therefore, be pious, devoted to God, in Whom you trust, pray that He Himself will send the other half, pleasing to Him and saving you. When seeking a marital union, do not assume bad goals, or passionate bliss, or self-interest, or vanity; but the one that God has determined, mutual assistance in temporary life for the sake of eternal life, for the glory of God and the good of others. When you find it, accept it as a gift from God, with gratitude to God, as much as with love, as much as with respect for this gift. When the choice is over, a combination must occur, a spiritual-physical merging, mysterious from God. A natural union of love is a wild, gloomy union. Here he is cleansed, sanctified, and sobered through the prayer of the Church by Divine grace. It is difficult to stand alone in a strong and saving union. The threads of nature are torn. Grace is irresistible. Arrogance is dangerous everywhere, especially here... Therefore, humbly, with fasting and prayer, approach the sacrament. The combined became one flesh, and even more so – one soul. Their common duties are based on this concept, namely: strong love, non-passionate, but pure and sober, evidenced internally by mutual affection and lively participation, as well as quick and moving sympathy, and externally, mutually, by assistance, according to which the eye and hand of one are in the same place as the other. From here flow uninterrupted peace and indestructible harmony, preventing displeasure and quickly eliminating those that happened accidentally; trust, according to which, undoubtedly, one can rely on the other in everything, be at peace with him in everything: whether it concerns secrets or assignments. The crown of all is marital fidelity, that is, maintaining the first condition of the union - both soul and body belong only to each other. The husband is not his own, but his wife’s, and the wife is not her own, but her husband’s. Loyalty establishes trust; infidelity, although only suspected, gives rise to suspicious jealousy, which drives away peace and harmony and destroys family happiness. Not to be jealous is a sacred duty, but at the same time it is also a feat, or a test of conjugal wisdom and love. For here the self always intervenes, which both demands exclusivity and fears for it. She is very funny here and arms herself against herself. As for the private responsibilities of each married person, they follow from the concept of the meaning of each of them. The husband is the head of his wife. Hence, the husband must have and demonstrate his dominion over his wife, not humiliate himself, not sell his dominance out of cowardice or passion, for this is a disgrace for husbands. Only this power should not be despotic, but loving. Have a wife as a friend and with strong love force her to be submissive to you. In all matters, I must consider her the first, most faithful and sincere adviser, the first confidant of secrets. He must look after her, take care of her mental and moral perfection, condescendingly and patiently cutting off the bad and planting the good, while enduring what is incorrigible in body or character complacently and piously. But you certainly can’t allow yourself to corrupt her with your negligence and license. A husband is a murderer if his humble, meek and pious wife becomes absent-minded, wayward, and unafraid of God... Observance, however, of morality does not prevent her from satisfying her desire to behave decently and have communication with outsiders, although not without her permission. The wife, for her part, must obey her husband in everything, incline her disposition in every possible way to his disposition and be completely devoted to him, so that neither deed nor thought even makes plans for anything without his will. Therefore, it is correct to carry out all his orders, advice, commands, and not to allow the thought of ever putting it on one’s own, and not to desire or show dominance in anything at all. In case of disagreement, be compliant and patiently endure everything that seems not to your liking; Otherwise you will not preserve your dear peace. However, this does not take away her responsibility to take care of her husband’s good behavior. With her wisdom and influence she can change his character if it is faulty; at least, she should not leave him neglected, but, as much as she has intelligence and strength, act on him and consume him as if from fire. For this purpose, decorate yourself primarily with virtues, but have other decorations as something extraneous, something secondary, which is easy to refuse, especially when the need to improve matters requires it. Finally, remember that it is her responsibility to take care of household chores, although only executively... Her duty is to do what is right; Seeing any discord, say and restore, or make up for. Spouses have to be parents. Children are one of the goals of marriage and together an abundant source of family joy. Therefore, spouses should look forward to children as a great gift from God and pray for this blessing. Childless spouses are indeed something offended, although sometimes this happens due to the special intentions of God. By praying, they must prepare themselves to be good parents of good children; for this purpose, maintain marital chastity, that is, sober aloofness from voluptuousness; to preserve health, for it is an inevitable inheritance of children: what joy is a sick child? Maintain piety, because no matter how souls originate, they are in living dependence on the parent’s heart, and the character of the parents is sometimes very sharply imprinted on the children. A beloved child, when God gives him, will need to be educated, and for this he will have prosperity; let them take care of it in advance, not only for the present, but also for the future. When God gives a child, rejoice and give thanks, just as a person was born into the world. God repeated the first blessing through you: accept the child as from the hand of God. But for this reason, hasten to consecrate it with the sacraments, for here you will dedicate it to the service of the true God, to Whom you yourself and all yours must belong. In the child there is a mixture of spiritual and physical forces, ready to take any direction: put on him the seal of the Divine Spirit as the basis and seed of eternal life. Satan with his evil is pressing in from everywhere: protect the child with a Divine fence, impenetrable to dark power. Then guard the child consecrated in the sacraments as a shrine: do not offend the Spirit of grace and the Guardian Angel surrounding the cradle with your unbelief, intemperance, and unpeacefulness. Education begins - the most important task of parents, arduous and fruitful, from which the benefit of the family, the Church and the fatherland. This is where you show true love. Parents, one might say, are not you: the child was born unknown to you. It’s your job to educate him. In this matter, you need to pay attention to everything: both what the child is and what he should be. It is necessary to educate his body, bringing it to the point where it is strong, and alive, and light. It is not enough to leave everything to nature; We ourselves must act according to the plan with a goal, using the experiences of others and the benefits of sound pedagogy. But even more must be taken care of the education of the spirit. He who is well-educated in spirit and without a strong body will be saved. He who is left to himself will suffer from a strong body. In this regard, mind, character and piety must be formed. If you can, develop your mind yourself, and if not, send it to school or have a teacher. In this case, common sense, which is learned even without science, is more necessary than scientificism. But it is everyone’s duty to teach the Symbol, commandments, prayer, or to let them know the Christian faith. Morality is not formed in any way other than by one’s own good example and by moving away from the bad examples of others. Prevent: an innocent heart, under the influence of grace, will become stronger and its good dispositions will turn into disposition. All the more necessary is one’s piety to strengthen the piety of a child... For it relates to the invisible. Here the works of piety at home are all accomplished by the grace of God. Let the child participate in morning and evening prayer; let it be as often as possible in the Church; as often as possible, take communion according to your faith; Let him always hear your pious conversations. In this case, there is no need to turn to it: it will listen and think on its own. Parents, on their part, need to do everything so that the child, when he regains consciousness, is most strongly aware that he is a Christian. But again, the main thing is, in fact, the spirit of piety that penetrates and touches the child’s soul. Faith, prayer, fear of God are higher than any acquisition. Implement them first. Anyone who has learned to read must be warned against dissolute reading. The thirst for reading is indiscriminate. You have to choose and give something to read. The developing child will show what he is good for. Therefore, it is necessary to lay the foundations for his future, strong, unshakable, fearless action in the accepted field, to prepare him for the title, so that he can act in it, and is akin to it in body and soul and can live in it, as in his element. If at the same time it becomes necessary to aggravate the care, aggravate it; If you need to add more subjects, add more. It is disapproving if everyone leaves things to flow. True, the Lord builds everything, but He also allows us to understand His will in our abilities, inclinations and character. It is a duty to heed this instruction and act on its basis. The child must be guided to learn decorum in speech, clothing, posture, and behavior in front of others. In young years, this is all the more appropriate because there is a tendency there, mainly external, that, once established, can remain so for the rest of one’s life. Decency is a seemingly insignificant thing, but it worries and confuses a lot for those who are not accustomed to it. We must prevent this from happening to the child. But again, we must put this matter in the shadows, like an appendage, not elevate it or even talk about it as it should be, but teach it simply, as we were taught to walk. Where praise for this is scattered, there decency stands out because of other, most important things and obscures them. And this is bad. Moreover, here we mean simple, modest, respectful decency, and not fashionable, fidgety, refined. Teaching the arts is a wonderful thing, namely: singing, drawing, music and others; the same applies to female and male skills. They bring pleasant rest to the spirit and good mood. But it is necessary not to forget the main thing: the creation of the spirit for eternity. This should determine the direction of artificiality, or its internal content. We must remember, however, that in education it is not so much the material that is important, but the strength, or the ability and ability to get it. What should be learned from education in this regard is industriousness - a desire for work and hatred of idleness; love of order - regularity, in order to do everything on time, to the place, without running ahead or falling behind; conscientious service - the disposition, without sparing oneself, without sparing one's strength, to do in good conscience everything that is required. This is the happiest mood, which protects both external happiness and internal piety for life. But still, we must not forget that such moods constitute only external kindness, while internal kindness consists of the spirit of Christian piety. Finally, a well-bred child must be given a proper home: give his daughter a decent marriage, get his son a place or insert him into the order of life for which he is prepared. The main thing in this matter is that they themselves can then live comfortably and work successfully. When choosing the other half, you can keep in mind the location, but you should not respect the whims that arise from the temptation of brilliance and visibility, but you must do what reasonably seems durable and useful. They do a bad thing when they leave children to the inclination of their hearts in this important matter. However, even after the children are settled, one must not forget them, but supervise, guide, guide, and admonish them. Both the right and the duty of parents do not lag behind them in death. Nowadays they look at it differently. But not everything that is being introduced is legal. The leader in raising children is love. She foresees everything and invents ways for everything. But this love must be true, sober, controlled by reason, and not partial and indulgent. The latter regrets, apologizes and condescends too much. There must be prudent leniency; but since it borders on indulgence, it must be strictly monitored. It is better to transfer a little to severity than to indulgence, because day by day it leaves more and more uneradicated evil and allows danger to grow, and once it is cut off forever, or at least for a long time. That is why sometimes there is a significant need to have someone else as a teacher. Where love deviates from the truth, there often, or almost always, through partiality it will fall into injustice towards children - it loves some and not others, or the father loves some and the mother loves others. This inequality deprives both the beloved and the unloved of respect for their parents and between the children themselves from such an early age instills a certain hostility, which under circumstances can turn into posthumous enmity. What kind of education is this? Finally, we should not forget the humbling and at the same time the most effective means of correction - corporal punishment. The soul is formed through the body. There is evil that cannot be expelled from the soul without wounding the body. Why are wounds useful for the great, and even more so for the little? “Love your son, his wounds will be frequent,” says the wise Sirach (Sir.30:1). But it goes without saying that such a remedy must be resorted to in case of need. Children accept so much from their parents! From them is temporary life; from them is the foundation, beginning, methods and eternal life. Hence, children should not only naturally, but also conscientiously, be drawn to their parents with special feelings and dispositions, recognize themselves as obligated to them and warm them up in themselves. The main feeling, which is mostly not taught, is love with respect and submission. It is only necessary to make these feelings reasonable and at the same time strong so that they do not evaporate over the course of a lifetime. The will of the parents is the will of God, their face is the face of God. He who does not honor them, does not submit to them, and has separated himself from them in heart has perverted his nature and fallen away from God. Therefore, in every possible way, keep the honest faces of your parents in your heart, do not cast a shadow on their face with any blasphemous thought or word and do not confuse your heart. Even if there are reasons for this, do not heed them. It is better to endure everything than to separate your heart from your parents, for God gave them His strength. Honoring your parents in your heart, you will be careful not to offend them with your words and actions. Whoever accidentally offended them has gone far; whoever did this consciously and with unkind movements of the heart went even further. Insulting parents is very dangerous. Near him is the tradition of Satan, through some secret connection. He who has eclipsed the honor of his parents in his heart has only separated himself from them, while he who has insulted them can separate himself from himself and his parents. But as soon as this happens, the cut off one comes under the visible dominion of another father, the father of lies and all evil. If this does not happen to every offender, then here is God’s condescension and protection. In any case, insult is dangerous, not only dishonest and unreasonable. That is why we must always rush to restore peace and love here, violated through insult, whatever it may be. While guarding against personal insults, one must refrain from insulting the parent's person and in front of others - with defamatory words, or slander and blasphemy. He who has already suffered disrespect stands on the edge of evil. He who honors his parents will take every possible care and with his behavior will delight them and, before others, will sanctify them, magnify them and in every possible way protect them from untruths and condemnations. Most of all, children should value their parent’s blessing, therefore they should try in every possible way to receive it, and for this, take care that the parent’s heart is open to them and not closed. The blessing of parents is like the almighty word of God. As it multiplies, so does this. On the contrary, unblessing and oath reduce and, as it were, dry up. Whoever doesn’t have it has no happiness in anything, everything is out of hand. Your own mind disappears, and others become alienated. Finally, the sweet and saving duty is the repose of the parents of the elderly. Here an extensively grateful love is nourished; This also attracts all the power of parental blessing, and all the bliss of God’s favor. Having no parents, you can bury someone else’s elder in their place, for in general an older face is a God-blessed face. Parents give birth to relatives and, placing them in relationships according to their rank, give birth to various new family responsibilities. Here the first immediate place is occupied by brothers and sisters, conceived in the same womb, fed on the same milk, raised under the same roof, the same care and love. Feelings of kinship are not taught, they exist on their own. Such is brotherly and sisterly love... It is impossible to find out what it is. It’s not like love for parents or friends and benefactors... You can only feel it, not express it, distinguishing it in one word: brotherly, sisterly. This is the head of responsibilities! From it a strong peace and harmony is born by itself - an inexhaustible source of mutual joy, joy for parents and the entire family. The greatest misfortune is when brothers and sisters are not in harmony. They begin to become special, everyone pulls for themselves, and therefore order, mutual cooperation and success cease. The power of the house weakens and finally collapses completely. There are older brothers; Their job is to protect and guide the younger ones, while the younger ones have the duty to respect the elders and obey them. It's natural. And between other relatives, kindred love is natural and at the same time obligatory; only it takes on different forms and shades, depending on the rank of relationship. So, between forefathers and grandchildren there should be - with those the desired zeal, and with these respect, close to reverence, gratitude and the desire to provide every consolation; between uncles and nephews - from them advice and example, and from them respect and attention. In relation to others, orphans and widows have a certain trusting disposition that is more than desirable, close to a requirement, while others, while respecting them, have compassion, compassion, consolation, especially the avoidance of insults. Other, random persons accepted into the family Often parents must share the difficult task of raising children in different parts with others. Hence new relationships in the family, new responsibilities between parents, those persons who are accepted, and children. It is up to the parents to make a prudent, attentive choice of all, so that with reliability and trust one can entrust their treasure to them: those who are accepted must be guarded and supervised, so that they are good in themselves and in their work; the first is the beginning of the last; if this is not there, there is no need for this. But at the same time, respect them ourselves, and be fair and attentive to them, and instill such respect in children. It is especially the responsibility of the parents to have a plan, a blueprint for upbringing, and to actively carry it out themselves or direct the performers according to it: it is impossible otherwise when the matter is divided among many... The harm from non-compliance with this is inevitable; but that it is not always visible is because it settles in the soul and is not seen externally. Then different people go to different parts of education. The task of milking is sometimes entrusted to nurses. It goes without saying that those mothers who feed themselves act better, more piously and truly parentally. Here the unity of juices, or animal elements, for the body and the unity of the spirit with living love determine the success and reliability of education. There is no doubt that that mother is not without sin who does not do this out of fashion, laziness and bliss. But there are extreme excusable needs, when instead of benefit there may be harm to oneself and the child. When entrusting milking to outsiders, those who look only at the bodily or animal part of the nurse are mistaken. She is needed, but she must have a good disposition and heart... It’s amazing how character flows with milk. But, in addition, he can directly move from one continuous communication. Nurses should remember this; therefore, when taking up your work, preserve piety and purity and carry it out with prayer and love, similar to that of a parent. The milked child is taken into the hands of the nanny. There is even more caution here, because there is more danger. The work of a nanny is longer, and the child is already beginning to understand. One can say that here a particularly strong foundation is laid for the future character, which, it is doubtful whether it will ever evaporate. This is, of course, good if the character is good; and how much evil if it’s bad! Here, in addition to kindness, you also need the ability to deal with little people. How many fortunes they have! So many wishes and whims! You need to see all this and know how to turn it into good, what to do in this or that case, to take advantage of both. The nanny's character is read in her eyes, in her behavior and manners, and is adopted. A nanny's treatment may result in a wayward, stubborn or pampered child, and sometimes with vices, for example, theft, mockery, grumpiness, etc. Likewise, a nanny should become a nanny with fear and apprehension, and parents should take her with the same caution, and having taken her, watch over her, guide her, convince her, and beg her. A teacher, one or more, is assigned to the child. Here it is primarily the soul that appears. They are starting to organize it. There is no need to remind that it must be supplied with real elements, that is, something spiritual, and not just language, and strong elements, imbued with truth, goodness, piety, and, moreover, complete ones, able to pass through all parts of it, and not just to one. This is necessary so that the soul does not dry out from poverty, does not become sick from damage and a freak from incompleteness. In addition to the elements, you also need to have the ability to instill them properly. The soul is not a dead vagina, but a living receiver. You can fill it, even with good things, but what is not assimilated is not it. From this you can see what a teacher should be like. He must have, in addition to internal wealth, also experience. This can be called a capable teacher. When starting the task of teaching, he must base his teaching dispositions on sincere, even paternal love for children. For although in some part only he undertakes to replace the parents, the spirit must be the same in the part as well as in the whole. This paternal love, on the one hand, has an all-inventive vigilance, burning with jealousy not to deprive anything, but to deliver everything; on the other hand, prudence, calming and guiding vigilance. His job is to predispose, to notice the beginnings, to observe the subtle gradualness. This is in the development of goodness. Only then will it be grafted in alive. As for the bad, it should be cut off without pity, but not without condescension and caution. Character, rank, years, habits mean a lot here. Always with him is a sedate importance, not exalted, but not humiliating, attractive, but not indulgent. The main thing in a mentor is piety, sincere, genuine, and with it - Orthodoxy... The non-Orthodox spirit is not the same, and he is completely saturated with this spirit, and all his knowledge is. He will have time to convey it, even if he taught only the language. Children must have love for all these viceroys of parents - otherwise nothing will take root; respect - otherwise what is instilled will be alien, in contempt, like a growth that will soon be shed, and disaster if it concerns religion; gratitude is the holy fruit of the feeling of benefit from upbringing; at all times, submission and patient tolerance of their strictures and efforts to prevent them. Often, outside help is needed, while others need service. A stranger is accepted into the house according to the conditions for active, labor participation in the affairs of the house; a new union of employees and service recipients is formed, and hence new responsibilities - masters and servants. Masters, first of all, must have a correct understanding of themselves and their servants. And they are servants of the same nature, children of the same heavenly Father, worthy of the same grace, having the same hope and the same inheritance in heaven. And the masters have a Lord above them, who will take from them an account of their death, and who alone both raises and lowers, and in this does not look at faces. Masters and servants are temporary, accidental, transitory states; what is eternal in both is that each is in Christ Jesus and as a result of which sometimes, according to the word of the Lord, “the last are first...” (Matthew 19:30). Coming from this concept, it is not typical for a Christian master to either despise his servants or be proud of them, much less to push them around as if they were a thing; but on the contrary, to in every possible way establish in his heart the main Christian dispositions towards them, that is, to have them as brothers in Christ, and accordingly one should not be deprived of respect, favor, justice, and attention. Such dispositions will not interfere with rights, and rights should not extinguish them. For those are external, and those are internal; those are in action, and these are in the heart. Nothing in the world can give a Christian the right to exclude himself from Christian affection for a Christian, no matter who he is. Hence, in the main task of the servant and the master - service and command, or orders - everything must be arranged so that neither the master, in commanding, is dominant, nor the servant, in executing, turns into a passive instrument. And for this it is better to introduce him into the order of affairs and make him, as it were, a master in his circle: let him act as if on his own behalf. The servant must be aware of his dependence and be ready for unquestioning and silent submission, but brotherhood must force the master to make him a free agent. Intelligent service is better than mechanical service. Adopted into the house: let him be like a member of your household. A servant serves and is ready to serve out of duty, but if you recognize him as a brother, then you should not accept his labors as a due duty, but as a brotherly service, for which you owe gratitude. And there is a duty to feel and express this gratitude in action. It is best to demonstrate this gratitude by mutual service to him, or by diligent care for the servant. Bring peace and contentment to his body, preserve his health and integrity. To injure, deplete, or neglect a servant is inhumane. But this is all temporary, just as the material service of a servant is temporary. There is an eternal task for the servant, which temporary service should not interfere with. This is zeal for the salvation of the soul... In this respect, the master can be the savior of the servant. Enlighten and explain what the matter is, instruct and set the mood, provide ways to perform acts of piety, especially on holidays, and, in general, actively monitor his behavior: do not upset the good, correct the bad. Such are the works of love! The truth requires not to demand from them anything to which they are not obliged, and to reward everything to which one is obliged. The more obvious this duty and the more easily fulfilled it is, the more criminal its violation. It tears apart the soul, ejects grumbling and complaint, which in the Word of God stands together with the groaning of orphans and widows. No less justice requires leniency, or patient tolerance of their weaknesses and shortcomings, tolerable, of course. He who is unjust in this regard - a despiser, a reproacher, a dissatisfied one - sins against God, who distributes gifts and knows how to distribute them. Temper is another matter; and what is not arbitrary, one must patiently remain silent, remembering God, who sees everything and experiences everything. Finally, the behavior should be alien to pride, lust for power, cruelty, but meek, quiet, friendly, as in general. The reprimands themselves must be softened with a voice of conviction and compassion, giving them in the name of truth, and not from one’s own will; in general, everything should be done so that the servant, as much as possible, is as close as possible in the master’s relationship with him to his family members and relatives; I didn’t reach the point of feeling alienation, because it hurt, and even in a Christian home. Both master and servant must first of all understand and firmly maintain the correct concept of themselves and their condition. The Lord gives one thing to one, and another another state. He also commands everyone who is faithful to remain in his calling. Hence, with complacency, humility and love, without any ill will or discontent, the servant must accept and endure his condition; Therefore, be careful in fulfilling those virtues that lie on him as a servant. The first is honoring masters. With all their condescension and love, you keep yourself in your rank, and as much as they approach, you retreat with respectful distance. What is by mercy can always be lost and lost as soon as you forget, for it is this oblivion that prompts most gentlemen not to show special favor. The second is perfect obedience and submission. Do not have power over yourself, let your hand, foot, and eye be where you are told to turn them. Let the gentlemen themselves introduce you to the order of service, do not be wise, but understand and be a faithful performer. Next is loyalty. Justify trust and elevate it; make sure you can be relied upon in everything. Finally - sincerity. Work not just before your eyes, but according to your conscience, as before God. Thus, fulfilling the will of the masters, you will serve God. These are the virtues of a servant as a servant. But he is accepted into the house, which is why he must fulfill household virtues in his own way: take care of the benefits of the house, guard and defend its honor, and not tolerate what happens in it. Finally, realizing that if favors are shown to him, they are given out of love and may not be shown, accept them with grateful and devoted love. If there are displeasures from the disposition of the masters, endure them patiently as much as possible, and even more so endure the inconveniences from shortcomings. Share your fate with those above you. But, in general, the state of masters and servants should not drive away from the thought the Christian advantage that we are all free only in Christ, that there is no freedom without a truly Christian grace-filled life, that he is already a slave who is in passion, and he is free who walks in the commandments of the Lord immaculately. 14. Church duties The Lord handed over the structure of His kingdom, that is, the Church, to the apostles, so that they would teach, baptize, teach to guard, the apostles to the bishops, the bishops to share their apostolic work with the priests. The work of all of them is to build the house of God through teaching, sacraments, sacred rites, leadership, or, what is the same, to shepherd the church. Hence there are always shepherds in the church, or without shepherds there is no church, for through them the kingdom of God is passed on from century to century. Those called by them, who have heeded the voice, make up the flock, fed in the pastures of the Divine Word, the Holy Sacraments and sacred rites. Thus, within the church there is a flock, and there are also shepherds. Every Christian must have a close relationship with his shepherd, and vice versa, the shepherd - with each flock. And hence their mutual responsibilities. The work of a shepherd is an apostolic work, and the spirit of a shepherd must be apostolic. This is zeal for the salvation of souls, a living zeal: not recognized only as a duty, but also rushing or consuming; active: not only felt internally, but using the means presented not only in word, but also in deed; reasonable: consciously, and not in the dark, going towards what is intended, or rationally seeing the relationship between means and ends; patient, or waiting patiently, like a farmer of the fruit, and not getting tired from the labors of waiting, or enduring inconveniences and disgusts; but the main thing is that she is pious, not about herself, but about the glory of God and the salvation of souls, making every effort. Proceeding with such a spirit, he must show his face adorned with all the virtues, as a representative of the spiritual Kingdom of Christ and as a model for the flock, especially those virtues that should always accompany true zeal and have almost constant practice in his labors. This is paternal care, attentive and painful, sedateness, purity, sobriety, prudence, complacency, courage, compassion, condescension, selflessness. In acting in a pastoral manner, he must be the conductor of all the treasures of the Church for the flock, be what the Church is, for the Kingdom is bequeathed to the shepherds. Consequently, their job is to teach - to insist on timely and untimely, and not only to teach, but also to guide in life according to the teaching; and for this, strictly observe, oversee all the paths of every flock and act on them accordingly: sanctify them with the sacraments and accustom them to serving God in spirit and truth through sacred rites, and protect them with prayer, both your own and that of the church, from all slander. In order to successfully and usefully accomplish all these things, he must know and become more and more aware of the sacraments of faith and Christian life and learn to lead souls into them, and this throughout his entire life and with all tirelessness; recognize in every possible way the properties of the entire flock in general, and each flock, and learn to apply your actions to them for creation; above all, to bind his flock to himself in every possible way so that they look at his face with respect and love. This heartfelt union is the condition for all success everywhere, especially in spiritual matters. According to such a spirit and such care, shepherds and their flocks should not be motionless in the matter of salvation, but, devoting themselves to the education of shepherds, like ready-made material, they themselves should strive in every possible way for this work, assist them in this and facilitate their labors. Hence, shepherds who are zealous for their salvation must be received as messengers of God, as God Himself approaching through them; Choose shepherds who demonstrate pastoral and general Christian virtues as a model for your life and try to imitate them. If the shepherds are responsible for distributing the treasures of the Church, let them address all spiritual needs directly to them, and not somewhere else; and let each one hasten to his one shepherd and at the same time, when he teaches, to listen, when he leads, to submit, and also to ask for sanctification by the sacraments and the protection of his church prayer. The shepherd needs to know his flock: let them open up to him sincerely, without fear or suspicion; you need to have weight: let them take care not to deprive their souls of respect for him, condescending and erasing from their thoughts all imperfections and shortcomings and trying in every possible way, in word and deed, to protect his honor from slander, blasphemy and condemnation. For the same reason that the shepherd spends almost all his time acquiring ways to act on them spiritually, they must, on their part, serve him materially, providing ways of life and food. Around the shepherd there are always secondary, helpful persons who make up the clergy. They occupy, as it were, a middle ground between the shepherd and his flock, and therefore they must have corresponding responsibilities. Their duty is to submit to the shepherd and obey in everything and not only not to oppose or interfere with his orders and activities, but to assist him in every possible way by faithfully fulfilling his instructions, and sometimes with warnings and even modest advice; carefully and reverently fulfill the positions assigned to them and during service demonstrate to everyone that they are doing the work of God, the highest and first among other works; live among themselves in peace and harmony, uniting in one goal, and for this purpose hastily, with every sacrifice, restore their union and reconcile in case of disagreements; to demonstrate in everything an example of good morals and piety, to be accessible to the people and ready to satisfy every need with participation, to be sociable with everyone and to bring everyone closer to oneself in order to influence everyone. 4) Responsibilities of monastics A special rank in the Church is made up of monastics. In the early days they did not separate from the people, although they led a special life among them. But then they separated and formed their own sacred union of piety, a union, under the leadership of the most perfect, striving for salvation in fraternal unity. Their main significance is to present in a small way the face of the Church of Christ in its most perfect state. Perfection in Christian life is the main task of every monastic. But since they all have entered into a special relationship with each other and with their leader, hence they have different responsibilities. Judging by this: a) The main work of monks is vigilant, unceasing prayer for the Church, the fatherland, the living and the dead. They are a sacrifice to God from society, which, handing them over to God, forms a fence out of them. In relation to this, in monasteries the priestly service should primarily flourish in a dignified, orderly, complete, and long-lasting manner. The Church appears here in all the beauty of its vestments. b) Having perfection in the Christian life as their first goal, they take vows. They must fulfill these vows all the more strictly because they strive to please God, which includes the fulfillment of vows. In essence of these vows, everyone should feel within himself that he has nothing of his own, should be poor, not acquire anything, and should attribute everything that is and has to everyone; must hasten to ascend to dispassion, zealous for the angelic life; in order to depress your body with fasting, vigil, labor and behave in such a way that not only the body does not feel passionate movements, but also the soul is free from thoughts, both passionate and vain; must not have his own will, but place his soul and body entirely at the disposal of the abbot and, despite any apparent inconsistencies, do only what he commands; Most importantly, when acting physically, one must also act spiritually, for the goal of the physical is in the spirit. c) Composing from themselves, under the leadership of one, a fraternal union and, as it were, one body, they constitute, as it were, a private Church, and therefore have on themselves the previously stated ecclesiastical responsibilities. Here the rector is a shepherd; brethren - flock. The work of the rector is vigilant care for the salvation and perfect life of the brethren; maintaining inviolability the ancient rite, both general and private, in one’s monastery, as well as the customs adopted from the fathers; His job is to take care of the welfare and splendor of the church and the entire monastery, to provide for the maintenance of the monastic brethren. The job of the brethren is to obey their superior and father in everything; to fulfill one’s service and obedience precisely and carefully, because this is how the whole is built and stands; to always remain among themselves in fraternal union, peace, love, humble mutual preference, in spiritual communication, in mutual assistance, admonition and strengthening; do not tempt or be tempted, do not offend or be offended. Since the monastics, having left the world physically, do not leave it in spirit, constantly sending up prayers for the welfare of societies, then the world should not forget them and not only not interfere with the formation of monasteries, but in every possible way desire it and promote it, first by the concession of the very persons and places, and then by the delivery of the most necessary; and always have monasteries in honor and pious attention, thank God for them and pray for the safety of those who strive, both external and internal, for they have a lot of work, and the temptations are strong and quick for them. 15. Responsibilities of civil society The Lord organizes states on earth and gives them a head in the king, so that, under the control of one, by the concerted action of all, they create their temporary prosperity for the most successful achievement of eternal salvation. A Christian, becoming a member of the Church, does not cease to be a member of society and should not. He must only, having accepted Christianity, sanctify his service to society with it. Hence, Christians also have social responsibilities, all, as in any state, subordinate only to Christianity and imbued with its spirit. Judging by this: a) The task of the sovereign, appointed by God and showing the face of God’s Providence for people, is to recognize this great significance and carry it out with fear, attention to one’s inner being, in constant reverence, in order to receive from God, through the heart, His providential orders; to love the people as one loves one’s own body or as one loves one’s family; for this purpose, compassionately take care of it in all its volume, in all its needs and from all sides, to maintain its weight and external safety and arrange it internally; invent ways to contentment, equalization of rights and order; to spread enlightenment to all classes of the people - and true enlightenment; maintain purity of morals and eradicate vices; preserve the national spirit, character, customs, regulations; the main thing is to instill the true faith and take care of the prosperity and flower of the Church out of a feeling of reverence or love for God, who exalted Him, out of love for the people, according to the very conditions of prosperity, which are the blessing of God, purity of heart and will, fidelity to the throne and oath; and for this, have great attention to the religious spirit and not only not allow it to be upset by any institutions, but, on the contrary, sanctify all institutions with this spirit, so that in this way life in society merges with religious life and both walk hand in hand, like Moses and Aaron. In general, everything should be arranged so that faith and the Church stand above everything, and the cross of Christ covers everything. b) Society is a body under the head, the sovereign. Each member must be related both to the person of the sovereign - the head, and to the whole society - the body. aa) Responsibilities to the person of the sovereign emperor: to accept him with reverence as appointed by God, as anointed and sanctified; show him silent submission in everything as one who expresses the will of God; cling to him with grateful love and be always ready to sacrifice even your life for his safety, peace and happiness; to honor him within oneself with feeling, before others - in a word, refraining from inappropriate, much less daring, judgments about him and his deeds, day and night sending up fervent prayers for him, for he, too, has no rest day and night, caring for us; His commands and the institution are to be honored, accepted, and fulfilled without reflection, with patience. bb) Responsibilities to the body of the state, with which everyone is united for life, whose prosperity and disadvantage are echoed in all members, with which everyone through birth enters into conditions, the essence is to love, cherish it and be devoted to it out of a sense of gratitude and piety; not only not to plot or do anything to harm or humiliate him, but, on the contrary, to contribute to his well-being with everything in his power, to take care of him, to have him in mind and either to rejoice at him or to be sad about the opposite; to prevent evil in every possible way and to reveal everything that is known, announcing to everyone the suspected and foreseeable danger; to know and preserve its laws, willingly obeying them and diligently bearing all duties, without deviating from existing regulations; guard the character of your people, honor them, rise to their level, protect them and unquestioningly preserve all good domestic customs, and try to eradicate bad ones, especially non-Christian ones; to hate and despise everything that is foreign, but to accept it only under the condition of extreme need and perfect agreement with one’s spirit; not to be unreasonably attached to one’s own, but never to be cold towards it, and to leave it only when it is indicated that it is alien to our spirit and is a defect that has crept in by itself, like an excrescence. cc) Society is a body. The work of life in the body is divided among many members and is supported by their harmonious, faithful, continuous interaction. And the work of social life is divided among many, and only the consonant and faithful action of its parts can common prosperity be created. Hence private responsibilities are public. The first place for the king is occupied by government officials and institutions. These are the hands, and feet, and eyes of the king. He goes everywhere with them, sees everything, does everything. For this reason, they cut off, as if encircling a net, the entire state, in the entire space - from the capital to the last village, and, moreover, in all its forms: military, educational, economic, judicial, supervisory. These are the channels of royal mercy and truth and, at the same time, the path of ascension to the king of the needs and demands from the people. This gives existence in society to superiors, in their various forms, and to subordinates. From here: 1) The main job of the authorities is to be the king’s faithful instrument, a mediator between him and the people; know the meaning and requirements of your unit and carefully fulfill the regulations laid down for it; to the subordinates, in their part, to reveal the whole truth, standing to them with the face of the law; also show all love and favor, so as not to deprive access to the king’s favors and laws; in all this, act sincerely, as before God, according to the oath and oath that was given. 2) The job of subordinates is to obey their superiors and carry out every command in good faith, without grumbling, laziness or delay; respect him, honor him and love him gratefully; pray for him and defend his honor from slander, especially not slander yourself. d) Different needs of the state are entrusted to different persons, or taken upon by different persons, who all together constitute a service part of society, essential in it. Hence, there are different public services and different positions that correspond to the needs: for external security - soldiers, for deanery - police, for mental education - teachers, in case of illness - doctors, for home comforts - craftsmen, artists, for maintenance - farmers, merchants, etc. All of them are state funds with which the sovereign, through the government, builds his state. Therefore, there is an essential need for each of them to act as they should and as a Christian to act in a Christian way. From here: 1) Since employees are not born, but accept service, then understand the one you want to accept; consider yourself and, if you find yourself capable and fit, accept it with God’s blessing and prayer. For another, service is indicated by birth, but everything is time when he enters into it, therefore he must do the same. In this case, it is best to listen to your inner voice and personal mood and accept what God determines with the gift of strength and character. 2) Be cordial with the accepted service, love it to death, and never run from one to another without extreme compulsory reasons, that is, not otherwise than either by the determination of your superiors, or by the awareness of a mistake in the initial choice of service. 3) Every service can be improved. Strive for this and offer it to the general discretion openly. As for your most private position, knowledge and skill in relation to it must constantly be raised to the utmost perfection. 4) Not everyone knows and can know everything. From here, learn forever: talk and consult with the best and most experienced in your field, accepting their advice with joy and gratitude. 5) With all this, remember that everything temporary is for the eternal, the physical is for the spiritual, society is for faith. Therefore, try in every possible way to instill the spirit of faith in the part that has fallen to your lot, to become akin to it and penetrate it. dd) Employees are provided to society or the state by its different classes; this is a common nursery for its needs, from which it takes those returned to it, raised by it, and assigns it to its various services according to their type and ability. Our classes are: nobility, clergy, townspeople - merchants and philistines and common people. These are the juices of society, which correspond to the juices of the body, giving it phlegmatic and sanguine, melancholic and choleric temperaments. Each class has its own spirit, its own degree, its own rights and, in some way, its own exclusive purpose. With all this, everyone, combined with his birth and blood, does not forget and should not forget this throughout his life. From here: 1) Love your class, through which God was pleased to bring you into this world and lay the first features of your characteristic education. 2) Maintain its character without distorting it with an admixture of alien things, for from diverse things, only harmoniously combined, a beautiful whole is built. 3) Endure its benefits and disadvantages, for they are everywhere. 4) Decorate it with your good life and perfection and thereby increase its value and weight. 5) Do not envy, for in others there are superiors and inferiors, there are happy and unhappy... 6) Remember and honor him, although service will lead you to rise above him or change him. You might be interested in: