32. Решившийся стать на путь доброй жизни должен поговеть. Наставление о достодолжном говении. Поведение говеющего в церкви

Glory to Thee, Lord! Here comes the post. And you gave me pleasure by informing me that you decide to fast quickly. And don't change your intention. They also fast on Passion Street, but don’t put it off until then. On Passion Day, those who are fasting are either those who have already fasted in previous weeks, eager to receive communion for the second time, or who are forced by some need, or who would like to quickly finish the labor of fasting, because there are only three days to work there. We will apply only the first case to you. Bless, Lord, that I may speak to you properly. Everything you wish for is what every fasting person should do. And to fast, and to go to church, and to be alone, and to read, and to think, and to take care of oneself - everything is needed. But all these things must be directed towards one goal - worthy communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. In order to receive communion worthily, one must cleanse the soul by repentance. In order to perform repentance as it should - with sincere contrition and a firm determination not to offend the Lord any more - all other feats of fasting are assigned for this: going to church, and prayer at home, and fasting, and everything else. The first step in producing repentance is to enter into oneself. Everyday affairs and worries and thoughts prevent us from entering into ourselves and taking care of ourselves, uncontrollable wandering around the world. Therefore, the one who fasts during the fast, as long as anyone can, stops his troubles and, instead of going about his business, stays at home. This suppression of troubles is a matter of utmost importance in fasting. Whoever doesn’t do it will probably talk poorly. So you need to do the same. No matter how small your troubles are, they are there and they entertain you. Start fasting, everything is put aside. Let’s say they dropped everything and sat in their room. What should we do here? And you can sit alone in vain. We need to take classes leading up to fasting. Which ones? Prayer, reading, meditation. This prayer is besides the church one. That goes without saying. Of course, you know how to pray in church. However, take this into account! Go to church willingly, as if going to God’s own home, without frowning or getting bored. Go to church not just to stand for the service, but then to pray from the heart - to pray with the warmth of your heart, with an outpouring of feelings of contrition, humility and reverent fear before the Lord, and with the offering of fervent petitions for your deepest spiritual needs. How to manage this, you need to figure out in advance and, when you come to church, strain yourself to do so. It is not empty to consider only that period of time in the service during which the heart became warm and cried out warmly to God. This is the main thing. You also need to listen to the service and follow it with your thoughts and feelings. Variety, aimed at one thing, without entertaining, will pleasantly keep attention in a nourishing and creative tension. To delve into what is sung and read, especially in the litany, for they are an abbreviated presentation of all our needs, for which it is shameless to turn to God with a request. But usually the mind wanders. This is due to a lack of prayerful feelings. However, do this with them: as soon as you notice that your thoughts have left the church, turn them back and never allow yourself to consciously dream or wander in your thoughts - now, during fasting, and at any other time. When your thoughts go away unnoticed by you, this is still a small sin, but when you deliberately begin to wander with your thoughts here and there while standing in church, this is already a sin. The Lord is among those in the church. He who does not think about the Lord here, but dreams, is like someone who, having come to the king to ask him for something, would begin to grimace and twirl in his presence, not paying attention to him. Don’t let your thoughts wander at all, and with all your tension, you may not be able to, but you can and should not allow yourself to deliberately dream. Regarding the wandering of thoughts, there are these two rules: firstly, as soon as you notice this wandering, turn your thoughts back and, secondly, do not consciously allow your thoughts to wander. The remedy against wandering thoughts is attention of the mind, attention to the fact that the Lord is before us and we are before Him. You must put your whole mind into this thought and not allow it to deviate from it. Attention is attached to the Lord through the fear of God and reverence. From them comes warmth of the heart, which draws attention to the One Lord. Try to stir your heart - and you will see for yourself how it fetters your thoughts. You have to force yourself. Without mental labor and effort you will not achieve anything spiritual. Bowing helps a lot to warm the heart. Place them more often, both waist and ground. May God grant you to feel the sweetness of being in church, so that you rush there, just as you rush to a warm room from the cold. In fasting, the main producer of the work for which fasting is being worthy of being in the church. Other things are aids and aids to him. But about them for another time. You might be interested in: