Saint John Chrysostom on Christian love

Contents Preface Divine love for man God's commandment about the need to love God and people in the matter of salvation Properties and manifestations of love in human life (including towards enemies). Growing in Love The Love of Christians and the Hate of the World Throughout the history of the Christian Church, the holy fathers constantly studied and comprehended experimentally the main commandment of the Lord Jesus Christ: ... love one another; just as I have loved you, so you also love one another (John 13:34). This commandment became the cornerstone of the entire teaching of our Savior, and also became an integral part of the commandment about the necessity of love for your Creator: ... thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength - this is the first commandment! (Mark 12:30) Thus, the holy fathers of Orthodoxy always tried to kindle in themselves precisely the feeling of love for God, His creation, and especially for man, as the crown of God’s creation. One of the holy fathers of the early stage of Christianity, who spoke and wrote a lot about Christian love, is St. John Chrysostom. St. John Chrysostom truly showed himself to be a storehouse of Christian wisdom, which was expressed in a huge number of his words, teachings, sermons and various theological works that have survived to this day. St. John Chrysostom, being the bishop of Constantinople, constantly instructed his flock on all Christian issues. Regarding the topic of the Christian understanding of love, St. John Chrysostom left us many of his thoughts and teachings on this issue. Discussing Christian love, St. John Chrysostom covers all possible aspects of the manifestation of this feeling and gives us explanations of how to behave in a given situation. So, for example, reflecting on the Lord’s love for us, St. John writes: “Notice the Lord’s love for mankind, how He does not despise anyone, but whether a slave or a slave, He shows His providence over everyone, looking not at the difference in titles, but at the disposition of the soul.” St. John Chrysostom, like all Orthodox fathers, always reminded his flock of the Lord’s immeasurable love for His creation. He also wrote about the necessity of our love for God, as a natural feeling experienced by creation towards its Creator: “He who does not love Me does not keep My words; The word that you hear is not Mine, but the Father who sent Me (John 14:24). This means that whoever does not listen to these words not only does not love Me, but also the Father. If the proof of love is obedience to the commandments, and the commandments are from the Father, then, obviously, whoever obeys them no longer loves not only the Son, but also the Father.” Elsewhere: “A grateful slave should thank his Lord not only when he enjoys a carefree life, but show the same complacency in unpleasant circumstances.” But, speaking of Christian love, St. John Chrysostom always reminded that every believer must acquire this feeling in his heart and soul: “... if you pass by your brother without compassion and mercy, then perhaps when you yourself fall, another will pass by you in the same way. If you do not want to be left without attention when you fall, then do not neglect the fallen, but show them all love, and consider the opportunity to save your brother as the greatest good. There can be no such thing as virtue in anything as in this matter.” Thus, it must be recognized that St. John Chrysostom was one of the pillars of Orthodox asceticism and left for all his descendants an inexhaustible supply of Christian wisdom, incl. and in revealing the doctrine of Christian love. This book is a collection of sayings of St. John Chrysostom about Christian love and its various manifestations. This work will undoubtedly be interesting and useful, as it reveals the thoughts of one of the greatest Christian ascetics on the issue of the Christian understanding of love. Divine love for man ...blessed David, who lived in the city, ruled the kingdom and was burdened with countless worries, was embraced by the love of Christ stronger than those who lived in the deserts. (6, p. 135) ...if you lift up your eyes to grief, then the Savior will even now overcome the flames, those who cast you into the fire will burn, and in the middle of the cave He will send you a cloud and dew and a roaring spirit (Dan. 3:50), so that the fire will not touch your thoughts or conscience; just don't burn yourself. (2, pp. 78–79) Having bestowed countless blessings on man, He [God – S.M.] made this small and weak creature ruler over so many creations, making him on earth the same as He Himself in heaven. For the words: Let us make man in Our image and likeness (Gen. 1:26) mean nothing more than that man has been given power over earthly things. Having created him and placed him in such honor, God assigned him, as a king, the royal, most beautiful place on earth to stay - paradise. In addition, wanting to show him in another way how much higher he is than other creatures, God brings all the animals to him and commands him to give them all names... (7, p. 143) One day the centurion came to Jesus and said: Lord! my servant lies at home in relaxation and suffers cruelly. What about Christ? I will come, He said, and heal him (Matthew 8:6–7). The centurion did not dare to lead the Doctor into his house; but the Provider and Lover of Humanity himself promised to go to him in order to provide an opportunity and a reason to show us his virtue; for Christ, knowing what the centurion intended to say, promised to come so that you would know the piety of this man. (31, p. 356) When this whole world was created and everything necessary for our enjoyment and use was arranged, then God created man, for whom he created the world. (12, p. 213) Notice... the greatness of Him [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M. ] care for us. Addressing those receiving crowns, He says: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world; and to those condemned to punishment He did not say: Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for you, but: prepared for the devil (see Matt. 25:34, 41). I have prepared the Kingdom for people, He says, but I have prepared Gehenna not for people, but for the devil and his angels; if you led such a life that you became worthy of punishment and torment, then you must blame yourself for this. (29, p. 342) ...Christ is not a deceiver, but a Savior, Benefactor, Provider and Director of our life. (38, p. 405) If... people are so kind and supportive to their servants, then there is much more infinite Goodness, that is, God. (4, p. 119) ...He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] did a lot... to teach people humility, listen about this further. He poured water into the washbasin, and not only that, he also wrapped himself in a towel, descending to extreme humiliation; then he began to wash the feet of the disciples, and together with the disciples he washed the feet of the traitor. (30, p. 349) ...when God comforts and touches our heart, then now all satanic sorrow will flee. This is why the falls of the righteous are described to us, so that both the virtuous and sinners will receive the greatest benefit from them... When a person consoles us in sorrow, we, apparently, are comforted for a while, but then we fall back into the same sadness. And when God teaches by example others who have sinned and repented and are saved, then He makes His goodness clear to us, so that we do not doubt our salvation, receiving true and reliable consolation. (41, p. 662) Nothing pleases God as much as alms. That is why priests, kings, and prophets were anointed with oil: they accepted oil as a symbol of God’s love for mankind. Moreover (by such an anointing) it was given to them to understand that there should be more mercy in the leader; this showed that the Spirit also descends on a person for the sake of mercy, since God has mercy on people and acts lovingly: You have mercy on everyone, it is said, because you can do everything (Wis. 11:24). When you see the Lord slain and offered, the priest standing before this Sacrifice and praying, and everyone sprinkled with this precious blood, do you think that you are still among people and standing on earth, but aren’t you immediately transported to heaven and, having rejected all the carnal thoughts of the soul, don’t you contemplate the heavenly with a bright soul and a pure mind? Oh, miracle, oh, God’s love for mankind! He who sits on grief with the Father at this hour is embraced by the arms of all and allows Himself to be touched and perceived by everyone. (17, p. 269) ...I... find the first and greatest proof of the great Divine care; for in the event of a sudden confluence of... calamities, not to fall into despair with sorrow and not to lose the natural state of one's mind - this was not a matter of human help, but of the almighty right hand, that Reason that is without number, that Wisdom that is unsearchable, the Father of bounties and the God of all comfort. For He has wounded, says (the prophet), and He will heal us, He has struck us and will bind up our wounds (Hos. 6:1-2). (13, p. 246) ...He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] raised the dead, healed the blind and cast out demons... He promised the Kingdom and unspeakable blessings... (33, P. 364) If... we, seeing people caring for our servants or herds, accept such care as a sign of their love for us, although all this is purchased for money, then He who acquired this flock for himself not with money or anything else, but with his own death, and instead of the price, who gave His blood for it, with what gift will He reward those who shepherd it? Therefore, when the student answered: Lord! You know that I love You (John 21:17), and called the Most Beloved as a witness of my love, then the Savior did not stop there, but indicated the very sign of love. For He wanted to show then not how much Peter loved Him - this was already known to us from many things - but how much He Himself loved His Church, and He deigned to teach both Peter and all of us, so that we too should take great care of it. (16, p. 263) ...look how He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] is disposed towards mercy: when there were no ascetics yet, the crowns were already prepared, the rewards were already prepared in advance. Inherit, He says, the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world (Matthew 25:34). (29, p. 342) ...pray to the One who heals the broken-hearted, who gives long-suffering to the faint-hearted, who raises up the poor from the earth, so that He [God - S.M.] kindles in us that fire that usually destroys all human weakness, destroys all drowsiness, carelessness and coarseness of the flesh, directs the flight of the soul to heaven, and from that vault (heavenly), as if from what sublime peak, shows all the vanity and deceitfulness of real life. (6, p. 134) ...if He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] came to serve and teach humility, then do not be embarrassed or amazed when you see Him doing and saying things characteristic of servants. And He performed many of His prayers with the same intention. They came to Him and said: Lord! teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples (Luke 11:1). What, tell me, should He have done? Shouldn't we teach them to pray? But He came for this purpose, to teach them all wisdom. Should I have taught it? In this case, He should have prayed. (30, p. 350) Peter denied three times after participating in the sacraments, but made amends for everything with tears. Paul was a persecutor, a blasphemer and an offender, he persecuted not only the Crucified [Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.], but also all His followers; but he repented and became an apostle. God requires from us only a small reason, and grants us remission of many sins. (39, p. 652) ...looking at Jerusalem, which had fallen to the extreme degree of destruction and no longer had the opportunity to rise from illness, He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] began to cry (see Luke 19:41); and at Bethsaida He no longer offered any admonitions or signs, but only expressed regret, repeatedly repeating woe to these cities, as we do with the dying (see Luke 10:13). (11, p. 196) ...the Lord who has come will grant forgiveness of sins to everyone, and this... was predicted by the prophet in the words: I will forgive their iniquities and I will remember their sins no more (Jer. 31:34). What could be clearer than this? With such predictions, he announced the calling of the pagans, the superiority of the New Testament over the Old, the ease of conversion and the grace-filled gifts received by believers through baptism. (33, p. 372) ...God, as soon as he created man, immediately gave him into the hands of the post, entrusted his salvation to him, as a tender mother and the best mentor. (42, p. 666) ...so that the Jews would not attribute a single event to idols, but would believe that punishments and blessings were always sent to them from God - some for their sins, and these, out of God’s love for mankind, the prophets predicted in advance about the future. (38, p. 406) The devil is evil for himself, not for us; We, if we want, can acquire a lot of good things through him, of course, against his will and desire; This is where the special miracle and superiority of God’s love for mankind is revealed. (7, p. 146) Paul... wanting to instill in us something useful, he gives us examples of virtue from above: for example, repeatedly giving advice about love and wanting to win over his disciples to mutual love, he cites Christ as an example and says: husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the Church (Eph. 5:25). Also, when talking about mercy, he does the same thing: you know, he says, the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, although He was rich, for your sakes He became poor, so that you through His poverty might become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). The meaning of his words is as follows: just as your Master became poor, having clothed himself with flesh, so you too become poor in money; and just as the impoverishment of glory did not harm Him at all, so the impoverishment of money cannot harm you, but will bring you great wealth. Also about humility of mind, talking with the Philippians, He cites Christ as an example, and having said: in humility of mind, consider each other better than yourself, he adds: for let this mind be in you, which was in Christ Jesus. He, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant (Phil. 2:3, 5-7). (30, p. 353) ...let us not despair, but having good hopes for the Lord and thinking about the abyss of His love for mankind, having driven out all evil from our conscience, with great zeal and hope let us take up virtue and show the deepest repentance, so that, having laid down all our sins here, we can boldly stand before the judgment seat of Christ and receive the Kingdom of Heaven, which may we all be worthy of by grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ... (39, p. 653) ...not my words, but the Lord Himself, who has to give... good things: seek, He says, the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 6:33). What can compare with this honor? Take care, He says, about spiritual things, and leave everything that is yours to Me. Just as if a child-loving father took care of the house, managing the servants and everything else, and advised his son to engage only in wisdom; This is exactly what God does. (4, p. 119) Imagine the Lord’s love for mankind: you don’t believe me, He says, now accept punishment; and when I justify this by my actions, then I will stop my anger; when you find out that you have been justly punished, then I will release you from punishment. (23, p. 309) God cares so much about our reconciliation that He allows His sacrifice to remain imperfect and His service to be interrupted, if only we would stop hostility and anger towards each other... (5, p. 126) ... about how mercifully and meekly He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] will treat everyone, look how clearly ... the prophet speaks. Subjected to insult, spitting, slander, dishonor, scourging and, finally, death on the cross, Christ did not take revenge on those who did this, but generously and meekly endured everything: reproaches, intrigues, rage and insane rage of the people and other attacks; The prophet expressed all this with the words: he will not break a bruised reed, and he will not quench smoking flax; He will execute judgment according to the truth, he will not weaken or faint until he establishes judgment on the earth, and the islands will trust in His law (Is. 42:3-4). (33, p. 366) ...you have the Lord of all - God, who has kept you before, and now will take care of you even more and with special care; and He has already shown us considerable proof of His great providence for you, as I said above, by the fact that He kept you healthy and unharmed in the midst of such a flame of worries and sorrow, and did not allow you to suffer anything unwanted. If He did not allow shipwreck to happen during such a storm, He will even more so preserve your soul during the silence... (13, p. 248) And that Judas would have been saved if he had remained alive can be seen from the example of the crucifixers. If (the Lord) saved those who carried Him to the cross, and on the cross itself begged the Father and asked them for forgiveness of sin, then it is clear that He would have accepted the traitor with all good will, if this one had brought proper repentance; but he was not able to use this medicine... (39, p. 652) God, having given the commandment, showed greater care (for people) than if He had not given it... (7, p. 147) So that you would recognize... and marvel at the philanthropy of God, who was content with three days of repentance for such great iniquities, and you yourself would not fall into despair, even if you sinned countless times. Just as someone who is sluggish in soul and careless, although he will have a lot of time for repentance, due to laziness will not do anything important and will not be reconciled with God, so someone who is kind and flaming with zeal, and who repents with great zeal, can in a short moment atone for the sins of many years. Didn't Peter deny three times? Is it not with an oath for the third time? Was it because he was afraid of the words of some insignificant servant? So what? How many years did he need to repent? Not at all; but on the same night he fell and rose up, received both a wound and medicine, and fell ill and recovered. How and in what way? Because he cried and sobbed, or, better, because he cried not just, but with great fervor, and from the heart; That’s why the evangelist didn’t say that he only wept, but that he wept bitterly (Matthew 26:75). And what is the power of his tears, no word can describe this, he says; only the consequences clearly show. That fall (of Peter) was criminal, because no sin can be compared with the renunciation (of Christ), - however, even after such a great sin, (Christ) again raised him to his former dignity and entrusted him with the management of the Universal Church, and - most importantly - presented him as having more love for the Lord than all the apostles, because he said: Peter, Simon the Jonah! Do you love Me more than they? (John 21:15). And nothing can equal such love as a virtue. (42, pp. 666–667) ...we will receive... here [earthly - S.M.] and all the blessings there [heavenly - S.M.] which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (28, p. 341) ...beloved, let us always resort to God, who both wants and can deliver us from misfortune. When we need to beg people, we need to talk to the gatekeepers in advance, and beg the hangers-on and flatterers, and go a long way. But God has nothing like that; It can be facilitated without an intermediary; He bows down to prayer without money, without expenses; It is enough just to cry out with your heart and bring tears, and as soon as you enter, you will immediately attract Him to you. Moreover, when begging a person, we are often afraid that some enemy, or friend (of our enemies), or adversary (ours) will not hear about our case, or someone else will not tell what we are talking about and distort the truth; but with God there is nothing to fear. When you want, He says, to beg Me, come to Me alone, without any witness, that is, call with your heart, without moving your lips. Enter, he says, into your room and, having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you openly (Matthew 6:6). Look, what a high honor: when you beg Me, He says, let no one see it; and when I honor you, I bring the universe to witness this blessing. (41, p. 664) Look what a conscientious servant he is [Prophet Daniel – S.M.]! Having shown that the Jews had not yet suffered as much as they deserved through their sins, and with their sufferings they had not atone for their iniquities, he finally resorts to God’s compassion and love for mankind, saying: And now, Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand and showed Your glory as this day! We have sinned and acted wickedly (Dan.9:15). Just as You saved them not for their good deeds, but because You saw (their) sorrow and distress, and heard their cry, so You freed us from real disasters through Your love for mankind alone; We have no other right to salvation. (38, p. 408) ...God shows long-suffering... If human laws spare the innocent, then isn’t it much more likely, as one should think, that God will preserve the root, preparing for its fruits the benefit of repentance. Finally, pay attention to the benefits of repentance for the sinners themselves; The reason for Divine mercy in relation to them is the same. If punishment prevented correction, then the world would finally perish and be destroyed. If God had hastened with punishment, the Church would not have acquired Paul, would not have acquired such a holy and great man. But God tolerated his blasphemy to show his conversion. God's long-suffering made a persecutor a preacher, God's long-suffering turned a wolf into a shepherd, God's long-suffering turned a tax collector into an evangelist, through God's long-suffering we were all pardoned, we were all changed, we were all converted. When you see how someone who was once a drunkard has become a faster; when you see that a detractor has become a theologian; when you see how someone who once defiled his lips with shameful songs now cleanses his soul with divine songs, glorify the long-suffering of God, praise repentance and, looking at such a change, say: this is the change of the right hand of the Most High (Ps. 76:11). God is good to all people, but He primarily shows His long-suffering to those who sin. (44, p. 676) ...David nowhere mentions his good deeds, but leaves his salvation to God’s love for mankind. (6, p. 137) The Lord, having come... to earth and arranging the salvation of people, both those who lived in past times and those who would live in the future, arranged this salvation in various ways. And watch how He acts. He works miracles and predicts some of future distant events, assuring the listeners of that time with contemporary events of the truth of future events, and for future generations making reliable the miracles He performed at that time through the fulfillment of His predictions, and with such strong evidence instilling faith in His Kingdom. (33, p. 373) ...the shepherd himself [the image of Christ - S.M.] went and, having found the sheep, brought it and rejoiced over it more than over all those who returned safely. Look also how he returned it: he did not drive it with a whip, but, putting it on his shoulders, brought it and united it with the herd again. So, knowing that (God) not only does not turn away from those who convert, but also accepts them no worse than the virtuous; which not only does not subject to punishment, but He Himself goes to look for the lost and, having found them, rejoices (over them) more than over those who were safe. Let us neither despair about sins nor overly hope for good deeds, but living virtuously, let us be afraid, lest we fall from excessive hope, and when we sin, we will begin to repent. (39, p. 653) ...according to Scripture, God even has wings; for the prophet says: hide me in the shadow of Your wings (Ps. 16:8); but from this we will not conclude that this spiritual and immortal Being has wings. If this cannot be said about people, then even more so about an imperishable, invisible and incomprehensible Being. What should we mean by the name wings? Help, protection, protection, assistance, the invincible power of this help. (29, p. 341) If God gave us one path of repentance, we would make excuses like this: we cannot follow this path, we cannot be saved. But in order to take this pretext away from you, He gave you not just one path, and not two, and not three, but many and different ones, so that through this multitude he would make it easy for you to ascend to heaven. (40, p. 658) Truly, even if ... fire did not threaten us and eternal punishment did not await us, then one separation from the meek and humane Christ, who gave Himself to death for us and endured everything in order to deliver from ... torment and reconcile us with His Father, who were His enemies through sins - this alone, even if we were not deprived of the ineffable and eternal blessings set before us, is greater than any punishment in the state and to awaken souls and dispose them to constant vigilance. (5, p. 133) ...the cross blotted out sin, became the cleansing of the whole world, the reconciliation of long-term enmity; opened the gates of heaven, made people hated (by God) friends, elevated our nature to heaven and seated us at the right hand of the Throne, and provided us with other countless benefits. So, because of all this we should not cry and lament, but rejoice and rejoice. That is why Paul says: but I do not want to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal.6:14). And again: but God proves His love for us by the fact that Christ died for us while we were still sinners (Rom. 5:8). And John says this: for God so loved the world (John 3:16). How, tell me? Keeping silent about everything else, he pointed to the cross. For having said: for God so loved the world, he added: that he gave his only begotten Son to be crucified, so that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16). So... the cross is an object of love and praise... (36, p. 394) Why did God not spare His Only Begotten Son, but betrayed Him (see Rom.8:32; John 3:16)? In order to reconcile to Himself people who were at enmity with Him, and to make them a special people (Titus 2:14). Why did (the Son of God) shed His blood? In order to purchase those sheep that He entrusted to Peter and his successors. Not without reason did Christ say: Who is the faithful and prudent servant whom his master has appointed over his servants? (Matthew 24:45). ...the words have the appearance of bewilderment, but He who spoke them had no bewilderment; how, when asking Peter whether He was loved by them, He asked not because He needed to know the love of the disciple, but in order to show the excessiveness of His love; so here are the words: who is the faithful and prudent servant? He said this not because he did not know a faithful and wise slave, but wanting to show how rare such slaves are and how important this management is. Look what the reward is: he will set him over all his possessions (Matthew 24:47). (16, p. 263) ...Christ cried out to those who lived in many sins: come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). (42, p. 667) The Lord loves mankind, says [the Apostle Paul - S.M.], when (Judas) wanted to betray Him, He wept for him and admonished him many times: will he not much more accept him repentant? When he was incorrigible, and then he attracted and called him to Himself: will not He much more attract to Himself the one who has corrected himself and recognized his sin? This is why He came to the crucifixion. (39, p. 652) ...faith itself occurred... by His [God - S.M.] mercy. Not because I was worthy, I was worthy of faith, he says [Apostle Paul - S.M.], but only because I was shown mercy; and mercy is by grace, and not by merit: so that if God were not supremely merciful, then I could never have become not only an apostle, but also a faithful one. Do you see the gratitude and contrite heart of the slave, who does not ascribe to himself any advantage over others, but even about what he had in common with his disciples, about faith, he says that it is not his, but a gift of the mercy and grace of God... (12, pp. 226–227) God is strict everywhere towards the righteous, but kind towards sinners, and, being quick to show mercy, He restores the fallen sinner and says to him: don’t they get up when they fall, and when they turn aside from the road, don’t they return? (Jer.8:4). And one more thing: why did the foolish daughter of Judah turn away and hold fast to deception (cf. Jer. 8:5)? And again: turn to Me, and I will turn to you (Zechariah 1:3). And in another place, He, out of His great love for mankind, confirms with an oath that salvation is given by repentance: I live, says the Lord God: I do not want the death of the sinner, but that the sinner should turn from his way and live (Ezek. 33:11). But God says to the righteous: if a man does all righteousness and all truth, and turns aside and sins, I will not remember his righteousness, but will die in his sin (Ezek. 18:24). What severity towards the righteous! What generosity towards a sinner! Thus God uses various and varied means, not Himself changing, but dividing the bounties of His goodness according to our benefit. (44, p. 676) He who was killed (Jesus Christ) honored you so much that he made you His brother and joint heir... (34, p. 385) ...God distinguished man... and by the fact that he, alone of all creation, gave him the gift of speech, honored him with knowledge of Himself, allowed him to enjoy conversation with Himself as much as it was possible for him, promised to give him immortality, filled him with great wisdom and gave him spiritual grace, so that he uttered some prophecies. God gifted man with all this when no good deed had yet been done on his part. (7, p. 143) Cry... about your sin, only cry not simply and not for show, but bitterly, as Peter (cryed); Bring streams of tears from the very depths of your soul so that the Lord, having mercy, forgives you for your sin. The Lord loves mankind; He Himself said: I do not want the sinner to die, but that the sinner should turn from his way and live (Ezek. 33:11). He wants a little work from you, but He Himself gives great things; He expects a reason from you to give you the treasure of salvation. Offer your tears, and He will give you forgiveness; bring repentance, and He will grant you remission of sins. Imagine at least a small pretext to have a plausible justification, because (in the matter of salvation) one thing depends on Him, and the other on us. If we imagine what depends on us, then He will also grant what depends on Him. But now He has already given what depended on Him - He established the sun, the moon and the varied course of the stars, poured out the air, spread out the earth, fenced off the sea, gave mountains, valleys, hills, springs, lakes, rivers, countless genera of plants, gardens and everything else. Bring a little, too, so that in this way He will grant you the highest blessings. So, let us not be careless about ourselves and not give up our salvation, having such an abyss of love for mankind of the Lord of all, Who even repents of our sins. The Kingdom of Heaven and paradise and blessings are offered, the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not entered into what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9) (40, p. 661) He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.], as immaculate and innocent, did not suffer for His sins, but was betrayed for the sins of the universe; look at both, as the prophet pointed out: He committed no sin, and no lie was found in His mouth (Is. 53:9). With these words he explained why Christ was betrayed. There is another reason: for the crimes of My people I suffered execution (Is. 53:8). Wanting to show not only the cause, but also the fruits of His death on the cross, look at how the prophet foretells this: we all, he says, have gone astray, like sheep, each turned to his own way; the chastisement of our peace (was) upon Him, and by His stripes we were healed (Isa. 53:5-6). (33, p. 367) ...an entire city of Ninevites was saved. Although the sentence plunged them into despair, since (the prophet) did not say that if they repented, they would be saved, but simply: Another forty days and Nineveh will be destroyed! (Greek - three days) (John 3:4), - however, despite the fact that God threatened, and the prophet cried, and the sentence did not allow any delay or limitation, they did not lose heart and did not lose good hope. For this reason, God did not make restrictions (in this sentence) and did not say: if they repent, they will be saved, so that we, when we hear God’s sentence pronounced without limitation, would also not despair and not lose heart, looking at this example (of the Ninevites). But God’s love for mankind is evident not only from the fact that, although He did not place restrictions on the sentence, He nevertheless made peace with those who repented, but even from the fact that He pronounced an unconditional sentence. He did this to increase fear (in the Ninevites) and to strike at their great carelessness. And the very time of repentance shows His indescribable love for mankind: what could three days mean to atone for such great vices? Don’t you see how God’s care is revealed from here too? She primarily contributed to the salvation of this city. (39, pp. 650–651) Our humane Lord... especially honored our race in that he subordinated what is less important and of little use to us, the loss of which is indifferent, to natural necessity, and made us ourselves the stewards of truly good things. (1, p. 69) If He [the Lord God – S.M.] sees the fallen, He extends the hand of mercy; if he sees someone standing, he puts fear into (him), and He does so with justice and justice, because He strengthens the righteous with fear, and restores the sinner with mercy. (44, p. 677) Couldn’t God, even before asking, give us blessings, give us a carefree life and free from all sorrow? But He does both out of love for us. In fact, why does He allow us to experience sorrows, and does not quickly deliver us from them? For what? In order for us to turn to Him with a prayer for protection, to resort to Him and constantly call upon Him for help. For this reason there are illnesses of the body, for this reason there is scarcity of fruits, for this reason there is hunger, so that because of these disasters we would always cleave to Him, and thus, through temporary sorrows, become heirs of eternal life. Therefore, for them we must thank God, Who heals and saves our souls in many ways. (41, p. 665) Do you see the wisdom of the Physician [Lord Jesus Christ – S.M.]? Do you see His care? He not only delivered from the present illness, but also warned against the future; and very timely. When he [the relaxed one – S.M.] was on his bed, Christ did not tell him anything like that, did not remind him of his sins, since the soul of the sick can be irritable and painful; and when He drove out the disease, when He restored health, when He proved His power and care in practice, then He offers timely advice and admonition, proving to be worthy of faith by its very deeds. (32, p. 362) ...it is impossible to know or explain all the goodness of the Lord to us... (7, p. 147) (The Savior) plucks out not only the disease, but also the root of the disease. The root of fornication is shameless lust, therefore He punishes not only fornication, but also for lust, the mother of fornication. Doctors do the same: they arm themselves not only against diseases, but also against their very causes; and if they see that the eyes are sick, they stop the flow of thin mucus from above, from the churches. This is what Christ does. (43, p. 671) Look: not having any need for us, but being self-satisfied, He [the Lord God - S.M.] brought us from non-existence into existence, breathed (into us) a soul, which (he did not give) to any of the animals on earth; he planted a paradise, spread out the sky, put the sky under it, put the earth under it, lit the brilliant lights; he decorated the earth with lakes, springs, rivers, flowers and plants, and placed a choir of various stars in the sky; made the night no less useful for us than the day, from the peace and strengthening that sleep brings. (6, pp.137–138) Why, you say, did He [the Lord God - S.M.] allow [the sacrifices - S.M.]? Condescending to your weakness. Like a doctor, seeing that a person sick with fever, capricious and impatient, wants to drink cold water and threatens, if he is not given it, to throw a noose around himself, or to throw himself from a rapid, in order to prevent a greater evil, he allows less, just to ward off the patient from a violent death; God did just that. When He saw that (the Jews) were furious, bored, wanted sacrifices, were ready, if they were not allowed to do so, to turn to idols, or even not only ready to turn, but had already turned, He allowed them sacrifices. And that this was the reason can be seen from the time itself (permission). God allowed them sacrifices after they celebrated a holiday in honor of evil demons, as if telling them: you are mad and want to make sacrifices; so bring them, at least to Me. However, even allowing this, He did not give such permission forever, but in a wise way again took it away. Just as a doctor (nothing prevents me from using the same example again), yielding to the whim of a patient, brings a vessel from his house and orders him to drink from it alone, and then, when the patient agrees to this, secretly orders those who serve the drink to break this vessel in order to, imperceptibly and without showing any sign, deviate the patient from his whim: this is what God did. Having allowed the Jews to offer sacrifices, He did not allow this to be done in any other place except Jerusalem; then, when they had been making sacrifices for some time, he destroyed this city, so that - like the doctor by breaking the vessel, and God by destroying the city - to distract them, and involuntarily, from this matter. If He had said directly: stop; they would not easily agree to give up their passion for sacrifice; but now, by the very necessity of their location, He imperceptibly led them away from this passion. (37, p. 401) ...look at the generosity! Therefore I tell you: her many sins are forgiven, because she loved much (Luke 7:47). So, this sinful wife received the forgiveness of so many sins, and Mary, the sister of Moses, for a small murmur, was condemned to leprosy (Num. 12:1). God says to sinners: though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow (Isa. 1:18); by repentance He changes darkness into light and with a word of goodness resolves countless sins; to the one who walks in righteousness he says: whoever says to his brother, “You are a fool,” will be subject to fiery hell (Matthew 5:22). For one word he determined such a punishment, but with many sins he reveals great leniency. (44, p. 677) Christ never condemned to punishment those who do not have gifts, but always those who do not lead a righteous life. An excellent life and impeccable deeds are especially desirable for Him; and the division of gifts does not depend on the will of the recipient, but on the will of the giver. Therefore, Christ nowhere praises those who perform miracles, and rejects the disciples who admired this from such joy: do not rejoice, He says, that the spirits obey you (Luke 10:20); and everywhere the merciful, the humble, the meek, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, who do all this and the like, are pleased with Him. (12, p. 222) ...be a disciple of Paul, be jealous of the words that this blessed and valiant soul spoke aloud: For I am sure, he said, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38-39). Neither Angels, nor Powers, nor the present, nor the future, nor any other creature could separate him from the love of God... (34, p. 386) ...God continued to benefit him [man – S.M.] no less than before, showing that even if we sinned a thousand times and departed from Him, He will never cease to arrange our salvation and that if we turn, we will be saved; if we persist in evil, then at least it will be clear that God is doing everything in His power. (7, p. 143) ... let us constantly resort to Him [the Lord God - S.M.] and in every sorrow seek His consolation, in every misfortune - His deliverance, His mercy, in every temptation - His help. Whatever the calamity, no matter how great the misfortune, He can stop and remove everything. However, His goodness will give us not only this, but also all security, and strength, and good glory, and bodily health, and spiritual wisdom, and good hopes, and the fact that we will not rush into sin. (41, p. 665) Christ banished luxury and introduced fasting; drove out covetousness, established non-covetousness; drove out intemperance, established chastity; cast out anger, introduced meekness; drove out envy, established friendliness; He led away from the long and wide path and brought him onto the narrow, sorrowful and difficult path, and brought those who were accustomed to the long. He did not take any other people outside the universe without these skills, but those who were corrupted in this world and became more worthless than dirt, He commanded them to follow the narrow and sorrowful, hard and harsh path, and convinced them. And how many did you convince? Not one, not ten, not twenty, not a hundred, but almost everyone living under the sun. (33, p. 374) ...Christ did not say: all remain in virginity, because if He had commanded everyone to be virgins and made this commandment a law, then the one who fulfilled (it) would not have received the great honor that he receives now, and the one who transgressed would have suffered the most severe punishment. Do you see how the Lawgiver spares us, how he cares about our salvation? Couldn’t He have given this commandment and said: let those who keep virginity be glorified, and those who don’t be punished? But (through this) He would burden our nature, but He spares it. He placed virginity outside the field, above the place of struggle, so that those who observe would discover the greatness of their soul, and those who do not observe would take advantage of the Lord’s condescension. He also did not give a commandment about poverty, he did not just say: sell your property, but: if you want to be perfect, go, sell your property and give it to the poor (Matthew 19:21). Let (it) be in your will; be the master of (your) intention; I do not force, I do not burden; no, I crown the one who performs, and I do not punish the one who does not perform. What is done according to command and duty does not deserve great reward; and what is done by will and one’s own jealousy brings brilliant crowns. (43, p. 672) I am afraid that, having received the flock of Christ healthy and strong and then inadvertently causing harm to it, I might anger God against myself, Who loved it so much that He gave Himself for its redemption and salvation. (16, p. 265) Our sins are considered as debts, and while God forgives the entire debt to repentant sinners, on the contrary, He also demands interest from the righteous. A man approached Him who owed many talents, and since he, repenting and with an intense request, begged for the deed and said: Be patient with me, and I will pay you everything (Matthew 18:26), the Lover of Mankind did not wait for payment, but imputed recognition instead of paying the debt. He forgave the debtor of ten thousand talents absolutely, while from the righteous, He says, He will demand even more interest: why didn’t they give my silver for circulation, so that when I came, I would receive it with profit (Luke 19:23). I say this not because God is supposedly hostile to the righteous - for God there is nothing more desirable than a righteous person - but because, as I said earlier, He comforts the sinner in order to restore, and He frightens the righteous in order to confirm (in righteousness); and the first forgives numerous sins as enemies and arrogant, while in the latter he strictly notes the unimportant, wanting there to be no lack of their perfection. (44, p. 677) ... expulsion from paradise, and removal from the tree of life, and condemnation to death seems to be the work of one who punishes and takes revenge, but in fact, it is no less than the work of the Provident [God - S. M.] (about man). (7, p. 143) ...the prophet predicted that the death of the Lord would redeem people from their sins: He bore the sin of many (Is. 53:12)... (33, p. 367) He [Lord God - S.M.], Who helped you endure... unbearable misfortune and calmed you down... He will continue to protect you from troubles... (13, P. 251) As in a hospital you can see many people with a gouged out eye, and with an injured leg, and with a disease in another member, sitting together and waiting for a doctor; so in this place [at the healing spring - S.M.] one could see many people gathered. In those vestibules there was a man who had been ill for thirty-eight years. Jesus, seeing him lying down and learning that he had been lying there for a long time, said to him: Do you want to be healthy? The sick man answered Him: Yes, Lord; but I do not have a person who would lower me into the pool when the water is troubled; when I come, another has already gone down before me (John 5:5-7). Why did Jesus, having passed everyone else, come up to him? In order to show both His strength and love for mankind: strength, because the disease had already become incurable and the patient’s relaxation was hopeless; love for mankind, because the Provider and Lover of Mankind, especially before others, looked upon the one who was especially worthy of mercy and beneficence. (32, p. 359) God often allows you to fall into illness, not because He will abandon you, but in order to glorify you more. (34, p. 386) Just as compassionate mothers, wanting to put restless children to sleep, take them into their arms and, throwing a veil over their eyes, put them to sleep: so God, spreading darkness throughout the universe, like some kind of cover, calms people from their labors. (6, p. 138) The doctor [Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] came not to judge you, but to heal, not to despise you as a sick person, but to completely free you from your illness... (18, p. 281) Do you see God’s love for mankind and care? If, he says, your wife is a pagan, do not drive her away; and if she is an adulteress, then I do not forbid you to do it. If she, he says, insults Me, don’t drive me away, and if she dishonors you, no one bothers you to drive me away. Such and such a God has honored us... (35, p. 389) ...God has mercy on sinners as the poor, but He demands from the righteous as from the rich; the former condescends for the sake of poverty, and from the latter, due to the richness of their piety, he strictly demands an account. As He deals with the righteous and sinners, so He deals with the rich and the poor. Just as He restores the sinner with mercy, and frightens the righteous with severity, so He also shows His care in the affairs of the world. If He sees powerful kings, princes, and everyone (in a word) abounding in wealth shining with their virtues, then He speaks to them, arousing fear, and usefully adds fear to power. So, come to your senses, kings; learn, judges of the earth! Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling (Ps. 2:10-11), for He is the King of kings and Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15). Where the leadership of power is, there He applies the fear of His Kingdom, where the humility of simplicity is, there He brings the medicine of His mercy, because He is the great God - the King of kings and the Lord of lords, and He, descending from His dignity, is, according to the image of the Holy Scriptures, both the Father of the orphans and the Judge of widows, being at the same time the King of kings, the Prince of princes and the Lord dominant. Do you see how great His generous mercy is? Do you see how useful (that) fear is with piety and power (which He inspires)? Where He saw that it would be sufficient to console the authorities, He put fear to good use; and where he saw orphanhood oppressed by humiliation and widowhood impoverished in exhaustion, there he gave mercy as a consolation. I am the Father of the orphans (see Ps.47:6). (44, p. 677) Although the gospel preaching could have been accomplished without persecution, without sorrows, without labors and exploits, Christ did not want this, providing for the preachers. That's why he said to them: in the world you will have tribulation (John 14:33). And He commanded those who wished to enter the Kingdom of Heaven to follow a narrow path, since otherwise it is impossible to achieve it (see Matthew 7:13). So, sorrows, temptations and all the troubles that happen to us, no less than joys, prove God’s care for us. (7, p. 144) ...let us not grumble like ungrateful slaves, let us not blame the Lord, but thank Him for everything and consider only one misfortune, namely, sin against Him. And if we are thus disposed towards God, then neither illness, nor poverty, nor dishonor, nor scarcity of fruits, nor any other apparent disaster will befall us, but always enjoying pure and innocent joy, we will receive future blessings, according to the goodness and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (41, p. 665) Christ could have driven him [the enemy, the devil - S.M.] far away, but he allowed him to roar around (the herd) in order to force you to be cheerful and caring and constantly resort to your mother (the Church), so that those in the herd, hearing his voice, would be more united among themselves and resort to each other. This is what compassionate mothers do: when their children cry, they threaten to throw them to the wolves, not with the intention of actually throwing them, but so that the children will stop crying. So Christ did everything so that we could live in peace and harmony with each other. (36, p. 391) ...God, having created the world, introduced man into it so that he would reign over everything... Although man, after such a gift, turned out to be ungrateful to his Benefactor, God did not deprive him of honor, but only expelled him from paradise and thereby punished him in order to prevent the further increase of ingratitude and keep him from striving for the worse. (6, p. 138) God acts in two ways: He shows His mercy and punishes His power. He calls Himself the Father of the orphans, wanting to comfort the unfortunate and at the same time frighten strong people so that they do not offend orphans and widows. Since death stole from them: from one - a father, from another - a husband, the law of Divine love restores those who were struck by the law of nature, and the same grace in the person of the King of saints gives a judge to the widow, and a father to the orphan. So, if you, the wicked, oppress widows, then you irritate the One who cares about them; if you offend the orphans, you offend the sons of God. I, he says, am the Father of the orphans and the Judge of widows (see Ps.47:6). Who is so bold in his wickedness as to offend the sons of God and insult the widows whom God cares for? Do you see how wisely He prepares the medicine of piety; (Do you see how He), without changing Himself, but adapting to human needs, inspires fear in some and shows mercy to others? So, let us use the saving medicine of repentance, or, better, we will receive from God the repentance that heals us, because we do not bring it to Him, but He gave it to us. Do you see His severity in the law? Do you see His mercy in grace? When I talk about severity in the law, I do not condemn the court, but glorify the mercy of the gospel grace, because the law inexorably punished those who sinned, and grace with great patience postpones execution in order to bring (the sinner) to correction. (44, pp. 677–678) You see... how He [the Lord God - S.M.] Himself rewards... honors both crowns and torment, accepts... how powerful He is... (29, P. 342) ...The only begotten Son of God did not deny to humble His glory, to become man, to take the form of a servant, to endure spitting and strangulation, and to die a shameful death according to the flesh (see Ph. 2:7; Matt. 26:67)... (17, p. 275) After... disobedience, after so many sins, when the power of sin took possession of the entire universe, when the human race had to endure the most severe punishment, completely perish and its very name be blotted out, then God showed us the greatest benefit, He gave His Only Begotten to death for the enemies who retreated, turned away and hated Him, and through Him reconciled us to Himself, and promised to give us The Kingdom of Heaven, eternal life and countless blessings, which the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, and which have not entered the heart of man (cf. 1 Cor. 2:9). What can compare with this thoughtfulness, philanthropy, and kindness? (7, p. 148) When... the Lord came... not only the first one who entered the water font of baptism began to receive healing, but also the first, and the second, and the third, and the fourth, and the tenth, and the twentieth; even if you call them thousands, even if they are twice or three times more, even an infinite number, even if you immerse the entire universe in a pool of water, grace does not decrease in the least, but remains the same, purifying them all. This is the difference between the power of a servant (Angel) and the power of the Lord. This One healed one, and This One healed the entire universe; that one - one per year, and this one - every day, if thousands entered the font, he makes everyone healthy; he healed through the descent and disturbance of the water, but this one did not, but it is enough to pronounce His name over the water in order to impart to it all the healing power; he healed bodily injuries, and this one heals mental ailments, (32, p. 359) Truly, no carnal lover, even an extremely incensed one, burns as much for his beloved as God desires the salvation of our souls. (1, p. 69) ...the rewards awaiting us are incomprehensible; for eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). And His gift is inexpressible: thanks be to God, says the apostle, for His inexpressible gift (2 Cor. 9:15). (22, p. 306) ...if God, in His mercy, forgives your sin, keep it before your eyes for the safety of your soul, because the memory of past sins protects against future ones, and whoever laments the past is careful not to repeat them. (44, p. 678) The very threat of Gehenna, no less than the promise of the Kingdom of Heaven, shows God’s love for mankind. If He had not threatened Gehenna, it would not have been possible to achieve heavenly blessings soon. The promise of good things alone is not enough to motivate one to virtue, if those who lack zeal for it are not encouraged by the fear of punishment. Therefore, God expelled the first-created man from paradise at the beginning, since the honor bestowed on him would have made him worse if he had remained firm and unshakable after breaking the commandment. (7, p. 144) Look how much Christ endured for... the flock [of believers - S.M.]: He became a man, taking on the form of a slave, was subjected to spitting and strangulation, and finally did not refuse death, and death itself most shameful: He shed His blood on the cross. (27, p. 331) If someone begins to count... (goods), he will find an indescribable multitude of them, and will not count even a small part; because how can a person measure the infinite wisdom of God? Just imagine different genera of fruitful and barren plants, growing in deserts, in inhabited places, on mountains, on plains; look at the variety in seeds, herbs, flowers, land animals, amphibians, sea creatures; remember that everything visible was created for us: heaven, earth, sea and everything in them. (6, p. 138) Who would not be surprised at His [the Lord Jesus Christ’s – S.M.] love for mankind? Who will not be amazed at His mercy? Christians destroy what belongs to Christ more than enemies and enemies, and He, the Good One, still has mercy and calls for repentance. Glory to Thee, Lord, glory to Thee! What an abyss of humanity you have! What a wealth of long-suffering! (17, p. 275) ...The Son [Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] has the power to both reward and punish; All judgment belongs to Him, He crowns and glorifies the best of all... (29, p. 343) God does not require a long period of time for repentance: he said your sin - and you are justified, you repented - and you were pardoned; It is not time that justifies, but the zeal of the penitent that destroys sin. (44, p. 678) ...maybe Cain considered it an insult to himself that Abel pleased God? However, in my opinion, here too you can see God’s love for mankind: when Cain offended God Himself, the Creator admonishes him with words and consoles him in sorrow; but when he committed a crime against his brother, then God manifests His anger and imposes punishment. Meanwhile, the first deserved the same, if not more cruel, punishment. (7, p. 144) ... moved by the Spirit of God, contemplating much more than that, and what was from the beginning (of the world), and what happens every day, and what happens to each individual, and what happens to everyone together, and what happens openly, and what is secretly even more obvious, as well as the works of the economy of the Only Begotten Son of God and future blessings, surveying everything in general and finding and contemplating in everything the ineffable love of God, the apostle [Paul - S. M.]... comprehended how much and how great he owed (to God) and did not repay Him even the slightest part. (6, p. 138) What are you saying? Is the seducer weak? Therefore, he deserves mercy, not defeat. Does he have wounds? Therefore, we will not poison them, but treat them. Does he suspect maliciously and recklessly? Therefore, we will eliminate suspicion, and not increase it; for by doing contrary to this, you sin against Christ Himself. Or don’t you hear how often in the Old Testament Moses says that God is jealous (Ex. 22:5), and He Himself says: I was jealous for Jerusalem (Zech. 1:14); and in the New Testament Paul cries: Am I jealous for you with the jealousy of God (2 Cor. 11:2)? This alone, without anything else, would be enough to touch a soul that is not too sick and desperate; it’s so scary, or rather, it’s more comforting than scary. For jealousy would not exist if it were not preceded by ardent and fiery love, so that it serves as a sign of God’s strong and fiery love and disposition. Jealousy in God is not a passion, but, wanting to express His inexpressible love, He often uses this name. (11, p. 200) Whoever looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart (Matthew 5:28). Christ also knew this, that many would blame the law for difficulty: therefore, He did not offer it simply and separately, but immediately recalled the ancient law, in order to show through comparison both the ease (of the law) and His love for mankind. (43, p. 673) ...God, despite the fact that Cain’s sins required severe punishment, deals with the sinner much more mercifully than he deserved, and tries to calm his irritated soul. (7, p. 144) ...may we be worthy to always enjoy... the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ... (22, p. 307) See how God is slow to punish and quick to save. And think, first of all, how long the merciful (God) delayed reproof. David sinned; the wife carried her with child, and no conviction of sin followed; the healer of sin is sent after the child already conceived from sin is born. Why didn’t God immediately bring about the correction of the sinner? Because He knew that, carried away by sin, the soul of sinners becomes blind, that the ears of those immersed in the depths of sin are deaf; That’s why He hesitates to help the soul in which passion burns, and after so much time He gives reproof, and in an instant both repentance and forgiveness are accomplished. And the Lord took away your sin from you. (44, p. 678) If Christ had come for one person, His gift would not only not have diminished, but would have been even greater. Why is this so? Because He would show such care for one person as one looking for one (lost) sheep... (6, p. 139) Scripture... calls God sleeping when it says: Arise, you sleep, Lord! (Ps. 43:24), he calls it not in order to instill in us the idea that God is sleeping - that would be extremely crazy - but in order to explain to us His long-suffering and mercy through the image of sleep. (29, p. 341) ...God endures the insults inflicted on Him for a long time in order to stop the mouths of... people, and at the same time show that He punished Cain’s father out of His goodness, and, moreover, to bring subsequent people to repentance with such His mercy. (7, p. 144) ...since the Divine is impassive, and whether he punishes or strikes, he does it not with anger, but out of providence and great love for mankind, then one must have strong boldness and trust in the power of repentance. (1, p. 61) ...we will enjoy constant health and receive future benefits, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (26, p. 329) ...we can say that the goodness of God is visible... not only from the fact that punishment is easier than sin, but from the fact that there is considerable benefit in punishment. (7, p. 145) Oh, the economy of God, bringing about salvation by threat! Do you see how quick God is to save you? He does exactly the same thing with... people, delaying to destruction and hastening to salvation. We, people - I’ll use this comparison - take a long time to build buildings, and we take a lot of time to build a simple house; Thus, it takes a lot of time to build, but not much to destroy. But with God it’s the other way around. When He arranges, He builds quickly, and when He destroys, He destroys slowly. God is quick to build, slow to destroy, because both are fitting for God; in the first His power is revealed, in the second His goodness; due to the abundance of power He is swift, due to great goodness He is slow. (44, pp. 678–679) Such is God's love for mankind! He never rejects sincere repentance; but even if someone reached the most extreme depravity, and then decided to return from there again to the path of virtue, He accepts such a person and brings him closer to Him, and does everything to bring him to his previous state. And even more philanthropic is this: if someone shows not complete repentance, then He does not reject even short and small ones; He even assigns a great reward for him. (1, p. 63) What of... things, they will ask, are there in heaven? Of... things - nothing, but there is something much more venerable. Not wheat, barley and other products, but everywhere there in great abundance all kinds of fruits of the Spirit - love, joy, joy, peace, goodness and meekness; in heaven you can see not flocks of sheep and herds of oxen, but the souls of the perfect righteous, spiritual virtues and moral perfections, not clothes and dresses, but crowns more precious than all gold, rewards, rewards and countless blessings prepared for the virtuous. (27, p. 330) ...the meek David, discussing His love for mankind, says: as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is the mercy [of the Lord - S.M.] towards those who fear Him; As far as the east is from the west, so He has removed our iniquities from us; As a father has mercy on his sons, so the Lord has mercy on those who fear Him (Ps. 103:11-13), and even more than a father, but we do not know another better example of the highest love. (7, p. 148) On the day when he took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt (Jer.31:32). But why does God speak... about the image of the exodus (of the Jews from Egypt)? When he took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt. To show His fatherly love, He did not bring them out as slaves, but took them as a father does a child, and so freed them; He did not command him to go behind Him like a slave, but took him by the right hand, like a noble and free son, and led him out like that. (43, p. 673) The sons of Zebedee, taking advantage of Christ's great love and closeness to Him, thought to receive preference over others; therefore, so that they, imagining this, do not become careless, He rejects them from such thoughts and says: it does not depend on Me (Matthew 20:23; Mark 10:40), but it depends on you to achieve this if you want, if you show greater zeal, greater labor, special zeal; I assign crowns for deeds, honors for labors, rewards for efforts; The best intercession before Me is proof through works. (29, p. 345) When we think about the multitude of our previous sins, then we will recognize the excessiveness of God’s mercy... (6, p. 139) ...by the punishments or disasters that God sends to us in this life, a considerable part of future torment is eliminated. Evidence for this can be given from the Divine Scriptures. Christ, talking with his disciples and telling about Lazarus, says that Abraham, when the rich man asked him to sprinkle a little with the tip of his finger on his burning tongue, said to him: child! remember that you have already received your good in your life, and Lazarus received your evil; now he is comforted here, but you suffer (Luke 16:25). And Paul (when I speak about Paul, I also mean the commandments of Christ, because this blessed soul was moved by Him), when he writes to the Corinthians about the fornicator, commands him to be handed over to Satan for the destruction of the flesh, so that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Cor. 5:5). And also, talking with them about those who unworthily partake of the Mysteries, he says: that is why many of you are weak and sick, and many die. For if we judged ourselves, we would not be judged. Having been judged, we are punished by the Lord, so as not to be condemned with the world (1 Cor. 11:30-32). Do you see the ineffable love for mankind and the boundless wealth of goodness? Do you see how God does and undertakes everything so that we, having sinned, suffer a punishment that is lighter than what we deserve, or even get rid of it completely? (7, p. 145) He who calls Him [God – S.M.] sleeping indicates His great long-suffering... (29, P. 341) For you, great people, to be contrite it is enough to remember the blessings of God... (6, p. 140) ... an example [of God's love for man - S.M.] was presented by Isaiah, pointing to a mother who is much more attached to her children than a father. He says this: will a woman forget her suckling child, so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb? but even if she forgot, then I will not forget you (Is. 49:15), showing by this that God’s mercy is higher than natural affection. (7, p. 148) If the unfortunate receive some consolation by expressing their misfortunes to people and sadly describing the disasters that befall them, as if they find some relief in their words, then all the more you will receive relief and great consolation if you reveal to your Lord the suffering of your soul. A person is often burdened by those who complain and cry in front of him, moves away and turns away from the unfortunate; But God does not act this way, but accepts and attracts you to Himself, and even if you express your misfortunes to Him for a long time, He then loves you even more and listens to your prayers. Expressing this very thing, Christ said: come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). So, He calls - let us not turn away our hearing; He attracts - let us not run away from Him; even though we have many sins, then we will resort to Him even more, because He calls such people. I came, He says, to call not the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13)... He calls those who are burdened with the weight of sins burdened and toiling. He is called the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort (2 Cor. 1:3), because His unceasing activity is to comfort and call those who mourn and mourn, even if they have many sins. (26, p. 329) ... Christ, talking with the Jews, said: if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11), expressing with these words nothing more than the fact that as much as good differs from evil, so God’s care differs from parental care. (7, p. 148) You [Lord God – S.M.] can move mountains, throw them into the sea, but you don’t want to (at once) destroy one rebellious city and appoint seven days for its destruction. Why? Not because, he says, power is powerless, but (because) mercy is long-suffering. I grant seven days, like the three days of Nineveh; it may happen that the city will accept the preaching of repentance and be saved. But who will preach repentance to them? The enemies surrounded the city, the leader surrounded the walls; great is the fear (in the city), great is the confusion! What path of repentance did You open for them? Have you sent a prophet? Have you sent an evangelist? Did they have anyone who could instill in them something useful? Yes, he says, they had such a teacher of repentance - that wondrous Rahab, whom I saved through repentance. She was from the same family; but since she did not have the same thoughts as them, then, not having joined in their unbelief, she did not join in their sin. (44, p. 679) ...Whose wisdom and goodness are boundless, His love for mankind is the same. If we do not notice His [God’s – S.M.] love for mankind in every event, then this is also a sign of his infinity. God daily arranges for our salvation many things that are known to Him alone. He benefits our race according to His goodness, not needing either glorification from us or any other retribution, and therefore leaves very much hidden from us; and if sometimes he reveals, then he does this for us, so that we, imbued with a feeling of gratitude, will be worthy of even greater help from Him. Let us thank Him not only for what we know, but also for what we do not know; because He benefits us, not only when we desire it, but also when we do not desire it. Knowing this, Paul encouraged us to give thanks always and for everything (Eph.5:20). And that God cares not only for everyone in general, but also for each individual, this can be heard from Himself when He says this: It is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:14), meaning those who believe in Him. He wants all those who do not believe in Him to be saved by being corrected and believing in Him, just as Paul says: He wants all people to be saved and to attain the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4); and He Himself said to the Jews: He came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:13); and one more thing: I want mercy, not sacrifice (Matt. 9:13; Hos. 6:6). Even when people, even with such care for them, do not want to correct themselves and learn the truth, even then He does not leave them; but since they voluntarily deprive themselves of heavenly life, He provides them with at least everything necessary for real life, commands the sun to shine on the evil and the good, sends rain on the righteous and the unjust, and provides everything else for the continuation of real life (Matthew 5:45). If He provides for His enemies in this way, will He ever leave those who believe in Him and please Him according to their strength without care? No no; He cares about them more than anyone else: even the hairs of your head, He says, are all numbered (Luke 12:7). (7, p. 148) I testify and assure that if each of us sinners, having left behind previous sins, makes a sincere vow to God not to repeat them, then God will not require anything else for justification. He is philanthropic and merciful, and just as a woman in the throes of birth wants to be relieved of her burden, so He wants to pour out His mercy... (27, p. 333) ...God tests you in a certain way, not out of disgust or hatred, but out of special love. (8, p. 154) Having spoken about labors, speaking about exploits, speaking about the greater severity of legislation, He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] recalled rewards. Not Palestine, he says, I give you, not a land flowing with milk and honey, - no, I offer you heaven itself. (43, p. 674) God promised us the Kingdom of Heaven, eternal life, immortality and countless blessings, but what is happening and happening to us now - namely death, corruption, punishment, torment and various and continuous sorrows - does not correspond to this. Why does God do this and allow such events to happen that contradict the promises? By this He accomplishes two greatest things: firstly, He presents to us an undoubted proof of His power, that is, that He can bring into reality promises that are apparently the most incredible; secondly, it teaches our soul to trust Him in everything, even if events seem to contradict predictions. (7, p. 149) ...let us not take a superficial approach... to this saying: it does not depend on Me, but on whom My Father has prepared (Matthew 20:23). These words do not deprive the Son of power and do not reduce His independence, but show His wisdom, great care and providence for our race. And that He has the power... to reward, listen to how He Himself speaks about this: when the Son of Man comes in His glory... and places the sheep on His right hand... Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink... (Matthew 25:31, 33–35, 41–43). Do you see how perfect His judgment is, how He... rewards... adorns with crowns... brings into the Kingdom? (29, pp. 341–342) God is so far from wanting to punish us that often, even when we do something worthy of punishment and need strong admonition, He admonishes us only with threats and frightening words... He desires much more than ourselves that we should not endure any evil, and none of us spares ourselves as God spares us all. (9, p. 180) ... an increase in work serves to increase rewards and is a strong bulwark against voluntary or involuntary attacks: it curbs pride, drives away carelessness, makes us more prudent and pious. In general, if anyone wants to list everything, he will find a lot of benefit from temptations, and none of those for whom God cares a lot is without sorrow, although it does not seem that way to us. (7, p. 150) So great is the good - humility; It’s so useful not to be offended by the slander of others and not to be irritated by the insults of your neighbors! You can also receive a great and important benefit from them, just as it was with the publican. Having endured reproach, he was cleansed of his sins and, saying: be merciful to me a sinner... went to his house justified more than the other (Luke 18:13-14); words turned out to be higher than deeds, deeds were defeated by sayings. The Pharisee made a show of righteousness, fasting, and tithes; and the publican uttered simple words and was freed from his sins, because God not only heard the words, but saw the spiritual disposition with which they were spoken, found him humiliated and contrite, and had mercy, according to His love for mankind. (26, p. 328) We must be convinced of one thing only, that God sends everything for our benefit, and not to investigate the method itself, and not to grumble, and not to be discouraged when we do not know it. (7, p. 151) ...we need countless lips and angelic power so that we can create worthy gratitude to God for His care for us... (12, p. 208) ...the evangelical authoritative saying of the Savior, abundantly granting remission of sins. Healing the paralytic, the Savior... said: child! Your many sins are forgiven you (Mark 2:5), and the remission of sins is the source of salvation and the reward of repentance. Repentance is a medicine that destroys sin; it is a heavenly gift, a wonderful power, by grace conquering the power of laws, why it does not reject the fornicator, nor drives away the adulterer, nor the drunkard, nor the idolater, does not disdain, nor does it sweep away the slanderer, nor does it persecute the blasphemer, nor the proud, but changes everyone, because repentance is the crucible of sin. But it is necessary to know in advance the intention of God (when He tolerates those who sin), proceeding to such a consideration not according to our conjectures, but by showing how the truth is testified by the Divine Scriptures themselves. When God is patient with sinners, He has a dual salvific goal: on the one hand, He seeks salvation for them through repentance, and on the other hand, He prepares a good deed for their descendants, who will succeed in virtue. God, I repeat again, is long-suffering, so that the sinner himself repents, and does not close the path to salvation for his descendants, because, although the sinner himself remains unrepentant, God often spares the root in order to preserve the fruits, and often, as I said before, he corrects the root itself; and when the latter is finally damaged, God delays the punishment, waiting for others to be saved through repentance. (44, pp. 675–676) Through these disasters, God strengthens those who submit to Him as courageous fighters, and predisposes the weaker, careless and incapable of bearing anything heavy in their readiness for good deeds. (7, p. 151) ...open your conscience before God, show Him your wounds and ask Him for healing, show Him who does not reproach, but heals; He sees everything, even if you remain silent. (26, p. 328) ...God does not arrange our good in the same way, but, as he is inexhaustible in means, he lays out for us many paths to salvation. Since many do not want to accept the doctrine of the future life and resurrection, He still shows here in a small form the image of the (future) judgment, when He punishes the wicked and rewards the good. This will be fully accomplished at that judgment, but in part it is being accomplished now and here, so that those who, due to such a remoteness of the judgment, have given themselves over to sin, will be enlightened, at least, by the events of the present time. (7, pp. 151–152) ...God, out of His inexpressible love for mankind, does not reject Himself and accepts not only the humble, but also those who sincerely confess their sins - He is merciful and good even to such people. (26, p. 328) God does not suddenly punish everyone who deserves punishment, so that through the misfortunes of some, all others will become better. (7, p. 152) Do not look at the fact that the time is short, but keep in mind that the Lord loves mankind: the Ninevites turned away His wrath from themselves in three days, and the shortness of time did not hinder them in the least, but their spiritual zeal did everything, with the help of the Lord’s love for mankind (see Jonah 3). And the harlot, who came to Christ, in a short moment of time washed away all the shame: and when the Jews were indignant that Christ allowed her to Himself and allowed her such boldness, He stopped their mouths, and let her go, forgiving her all her sins and accepting her zeal (see Luke 7). (27, pp. 332–333) ...for God, when He deigns to admonish us, all the evil ones are not needed, but He takes some of them, about whom He knows that they are incorrigible, and shows His power and wrath over them, and through this accomplishes many useful things. By this, He instructs the evil to abandon their wickedness if they want, and makes the good more attentive, and shows His long-suffering, and confirms for everyone... the doctrine of the resurrection. (7, pp. 152–153) ... similar to what happens with chicks happened. When the mother feeds them, she takes them out of the nest; if he notices that they are still weak, falling and have a need to stay inside the nest, then he leaves them there for a few more days, not so that they remain there forever, but so that later, when their wings are well strengthened and when strength arrives, they can fly safely. So from time immemorial our Lord drew us to heaven and showed us the path leading there, not without knowing, but fully knowing that we were incapable of such soaring, but wanting to show us that our fall does not happen according to His will, but because of our weakness. Having shown this, He then left us for a long time to be brought up in this world... as if in a nest. When, over a long period of time, the wings of virtue grew in us, He came and began to quietly and little by little lead us out of this dwelling, teaching us to soar to what is above. (12, p. 214) How people, taking olive branches, shake them in front of kings, reminding them with these branches of mercy and philanthropy; Likewise, the Angels, presenting the very body of the Lord instead of olive branches, beg the Lord for the human race, and as if they were saying: we pray for those whom You Yourself once honored with such Your love that You gave Your own soul for them; we pour out prayers for those for whom You Yourself shed blood; we ask for those for whom You sacrificed Your body. (24, p. 317) ...if God's permission was a matter of His anger, He would not have subjected the one He loves more to this for so long... (7, p. 154) ...God, in His goodness, tends to give time to sinners (for repentance), and not completely leave those who remain in sins without punishment. (12, p. 217) You know that... Job, after being crowned with all sorts of crowns of patience and courage, received doubly everything that he had lost. And you will receive everything, not double or triple, but a hundred times more, if you endure misfortune courageously and inherit eternal life... by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (25, p. 323) God, of course, would not have deprived... His grace and would not have allowed His servants to be shamed if he had not seen great glory and greater benefit from this... Thus, what apparently serves as a sign of abandonment... by God is a sign of His great love and favor... (7, P. 154) ...He who seeks to be loved by us and does everything for this, who did not spare even the Only Begotten for our love and considers it desirable that we should ever be reconciled with Him, how will he not accept and love those who repent? Listen to what He says through the prophet: speak your iniquities first, that you may be justified (Is. 43:26). He requires this from us so that our love for Him will be strong. (1, p. 72) Why did Christ often visit Jerusalem and treat the Jews on holidays? Because then a lot of people gathered and He chose this place and this time to help the weak; for it was not so much that the sick wanted to get rid of their illnesses, as this Doctor applied diligence to healing them from their infirmity. When the meeting was full and the spectacle was completely ready, then He came out openly before everyone and took care of the salvation of their souls. (32, p. 359) It will be good for the one who, with... zeal and falling before God, softens His anger, not because our Lord was cruel and inflexible - on the contrary, He is very meek and loving of mankind - but the excessiveness of our sins does not allow even the good, meek and merciful to forgive us quickly. (12, p. 220) ...let us be worthy... through the prayers of him [the shepherd - S.M.] and all his co-servants, to receive the Kingdom of Heaven, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (42, p. 669) Truly, it is also a matter of God’s love for mankind that our exploits do not extend over a long time, but having labored for a short and shortest time, like the blink of an eye (this is precisely the present life in comparison with the future), we will be crowned for endless centuries. (1, p. 66) God's commandment about the need to love God and people in the matter of salvation ...the strong must be strong not only for themselves, but also for others. If you, considering yourself strong, despise the weakness of another, then you will be subject to double punishment, both for the fact that you did not protect him, and for the fact that you had great strength to protect him; for each of us is responsible for the salvation of our neighbor. Therefore, we are commanded: do not seek your own, but each other’s benefit (1 Cor. 10:24), because we are bought with a price (1 Cor. 6:20); and He who redeemed us [Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] commanded us this for our common benefit. This benefit comes not when we save only our own members, but when we also bring others to greater security. (10, p. 185) ...a considerable reward awaits us for respecting our parents; we are commanded to honor them as rulers (Sir.3:7), to please them in word and deed, unless this is to the detriment of piety. (3, p. 96) Even if there were only ten sick people, or five, or two, or only one, then it would not be appropriate to ignore him; Even though he is alone, and an insignificant and despicable man, he is nevertheless a brother for whom Christ died. Christ cares a lot about little ones. But whoever, He says, causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea (Matthew 18:6). And again: since you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me (Matthew 25:45). And one more thing: it is not the will of your Father in heaven that one of these little ones should perish (Matthew 18:14). How foolish would it be if we neglect the little ones when Christ cares so much about them? (36, pp. 390–391) If we are commanded not to judge, so as not to be condemned to the same extent ourselves (Matthew 7:1-2), and to be not strict, but lenient and meek judges of the sins of others, then by condemning such a thing that does not constitute a sin, and by condemning others, you will thereby deprive yourself of all forgiveness, by your actions towards your neighbor making the judge more strict towards you. (14, p. 253) Let us break our hearts and humiliate our souls, and let us pray both for ourselves and for those who have offended us. If you want to persuade the Judge to help your soul and attract Him to your side, never complain to Him about the one who saddened you. This is the character of the Judge: He listens and gives what is asked especially to those who pray for their enemies, do not remember evil and do not rebel against their enemies. And to the extent that they do this, to the extent that God will take revenge on their enemies, if they do not turn to repentance. (41, p. 665) ...is it really reprehensible to support those who are in poverty and great helplessness? If you did not lead and plunge them into the abyss of destruction, then this would be desirable; ...if you do this out of obedience to the Commanded [Lord God - S.M.] to help the poor, then you have many brothers for this; show this good activity there, where there will be nothing tempting... (10, p. 188) ...virginity is fire, and almsgiving is oil. Therefore, just as a fire goes out when there is no oil added to it, so does virginity go out when there is no alms. Give us oil (said the foolish [virgins – S.M.]) from your vessels. And the wise answered them: we cannot give it to you. This is said not out of malice, but out of fear: so that there will be no lack for both us and you (Matthew 25:9), - how could we, when we all try to enter, so as not to all remain (outside the bridal chamber). Better go and buy from those who sell. Who are the sellers of this oil? Poor people sitting in front of the church for alms. How much does it (sell) for? For as much as you want: I don’t set prices so that you don’t plead poverty. Buy as much as you have, for as much. Do you have an ovol [small coin – S.M.]? Buy heaven, not because heaven is cheap, but because the Lord loves mankind. Don't you have an ovol? Bring me a cup of cold water. And whoever gives one of these little ones to drink only a cup of cold water (for My sake) ... will not lose his reward (Matthew 10:42). The subject of buying and selling is the sky, and we don’t care! Give bread and take heaven; give little and take great; give mortal, and take immortal; give the perishable and take the incorruptible. If there were a fair and food supplies were sold cheaply and in large quantities, and a lot could be purchased for a small price: would you not sell off your property and, leaving everything aside, would you not take part in that trade? And so, where the perishable is, there you show so much jealousy; and where the matter of the immortal is concerned, are you so careless and careless? Give to the poor, and - let you yourself be silent - thousands of lips will speak in your defense, because alms will rise up and protect (you): alms is the ransom of the soul. (40, pp. 658–659) ... (The Lord) commands us, having left a gift before the altar, to reconcile with our brother in advance, so that we know that if at this time we should not postpone reconciliation, especially at other times... The Lord wants... that we give our neighbor a kiss from the soul and a greeting from the heart... He demands from us sincere and strong friendship, and not the kind that often has the appearance and ghost (of friendship) for us, and has completely lost its strength, which is the very proof the lawlessness that prevails among us. (5, p. 126) ...listen to how He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] judges: for I was hungry, He says, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was naked, and you clothed Me (Matthew 25:35–36); and he reproaches those who stand on their backs for contrary to this. And again, when another slave was brought, (God) punishes him for his rancor: evil slave! I forgave you all that debt: shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your comrade, just as I had mercy on you? (Matthew 18:32–33). (36, p. 394) If you put... your property there [in heaven - S.M.], you will receive great profit from it; for everything that we plant in heaven bears greater and better fruit, such as the plants of heaven tend to bear. If you do this, then look at what benefits you will receive: firstly, eternal life and the benefits promised to those who love God; Eye did not see it, ear did not hear, and it did not enter the heart of man (1 Cor. 2:9); then - permanent residence with your beautiful... and you will get rid of local worries, fears, dangers, intrigues, enmity and hatred. (13, p. 251) ...the words of Christ, which He spoke to the disciples, defining perfect love: Greater love has no one, He said, than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends (John 15:13). (16, p. 266) No one can harm God either by reproach or by glorifying him to bring greater glory, but He always remains in His glory, neither exalted by praises nor diminished by blasphemy; and those of the people who glorify Him according to his dignity - however, no one can glorify Him according to his dignity, but only according to his strength - receive benefit from this glorification; those who blaspheme and humiliate Him harm their own salvation. (24, С. 313) When your brother simply has something against you, Christ does not allow you to make a sacrifice until you make peace with your brother... (36, p. 395) God wants us to be salt, light and leaven so that others can benefit from us. (10, С. 189) What... is Christ saying? You have heard what was said to the ancients: do not kill... But I tell you that everyone who is angry with his brother in vain is subject to judgment: whoever says to his brother: “cancer,” is subject to the Sanhedrin; and whoever says, “You fool,” is subject to fiery hell (Matthew 5:21–22). This (said) Christ, and we, worse than those who do not believe in Him, trampled this law, every day showering our brothers with many slander. (5, p. 125) There will be a considerable reward for us for... sighs and tears, just as there will be a considerable condemnation from God for those who look without regret at the misfortunes of their own members. The first can be learned from the most patient man Ezekiel, and the second from blessed Micah. Thus, the first says that when the Jews reached extreme wickedness and deviated towards idolatry, God commanded that a sign be made on the foreheads of the mourning people, groaning over all the abominations being committed among them (Ezek. 9:4); for it is not only necessary to sigh, but also to be sick; and although they did not say or do anything to correct the sins they were committing, when they only showed their due on their part, they were honored with such honor from the man-loving God that they were awarded both security and great glory. And Micah 1, among other sins, such as gluttony, drunkenness, addiction to anointing with aromas, also brought up this sin - lack of compassion, saying this: do not worry about Joseph’s misfortune! ( Amos 6:6 ). And the prophet condemned the inhabitants of the city of Enan for the same thing (see Micah 1:11). If, then, when God is angry, he who does not have compassion for those being punished is condemned, then what kind of forgiveness will he who does not have compassion for those who fall into wickedness? And do not be surprised that we should feel sorry for those who are punished when God punishes them; for even the punishing God Himself does not want to do this: do I want the death of the wicked? He says (Ezek.18:23). So, if the punisher does not want to punish, then much more we need to have compassion for the punished; perhaps in this way we will convert them; maybe we can save them yet. Even if they died, we will still use the medicine we have, we will cry and sigh without gathering a host... but each one alone and on his own without them. (11, p. 197) ...could anything be more important than that benefit, how to be doing what serves as proof of love for Christ, according to Christ Himself? Addressing the chief of the apostles, He says: Simon the Jonah! do you love me? - and when he confessed his love, He adds: if you love Me, feed My lambs (John 21:15-16). The teacher asks the student whether He is loved by them, not in order to find out this Himself (for how can He who searches the hearts of all not know?), but to teach us how He cares about the salvation of this flock. If this is obvious, then it will also be clear that a great and inexplicable reward is prepared for the one who takes upon himself the work that is dearly valued by Christ. (16, p. 263) Scorpions, and snakes, and dragons are called to praise the One who created them [God - S. M.]... (21, pp. 300–301) ... just as there are vessels filled with water in front of the church doors so that you can wash your hands, so the poor sit outside the church so that you can wash the hands of your soul. Have you washed your sensual hands with water? Wash the hands of the soul with alms. Don't plead poverty. The widow, even in extreme poverty, brought Elijah into her house, and poverty was not (for her) an obstacle, but with great joy she accepted him; That’s why she received worthy fruits and reaped a harvest of alms. But perhaps the listener will say: give me Elijah. Why are you looking for Elijah? I give the Lord Elijah to you, and you do not feed Him: how would you accept Elijah if you found him? Christ, the Lord of all, said: whoever did it for one of the least of these My brothers, did it for Me (Matthew 25:40). If the king invited someone to supper and, when the servants appeared, said to them: thank him much for me; he fed me and accepted me into his house when I was in poverty, he showed me many benefits in times of need - wouldn’t everyone have used and spent all his money for the one to whom the king expressed gratitude? Wouldn't everyone try to get close and make friends with him? (40, p. 659) What is difficult, what difficult does Christ require of us? Do not be angry, He says, with your brother in vain, and this is much easier than suffering unnecessary anger from another... (5, p. 126) ...listen to what the risen Christ says to Peter. When the Lord asked him: Simon the Jonah! Do you love Me, and he answered: Yes, Lord! You know that I love You (John 21:16), then Christ did not say: leave your property, exhaust yourself with fasting and severe deeds, raise the dead, cast out demons, did not mention anything like that, nor other signs and exploits, but, keeping silent about all this, says: if you love Me, feed My sheep (John 21:17). He said this in order to show us the greatest sign of not only love for Him, but also His love for the sheep, and He recognized this love (for the sheep) as the most important proof of love for Himself, as if saying: whoever loves My sheep loves Me. (27, p. 331) This is the most perfect way of teaching, when both deeds and words lead those taught to that blessed life that Christ prescribed; for works alone are not enough for learning. These are not my words, but the Savior Himself: and whoever, He says, does and teaches, will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven (Matthew 5:19). If to create meant to teach, then the second word would have been added in vain; It would be enough to just say: who will do it? and now by dividing both, He shows that the one depends on deeds, and the other on words, and each of these two parts needs one another in order for the building to be complete. (18, p. 286) ...He [Apostle Paul – S.M.] commands everyone to be kind. The sun, he says, do not go down on your anger (Eph.4:26). See to it that no one repays evil for evil; but always seek good for each other and for everyone (1 Thess. 5:15): and also: Do ​​not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21)... Listen also to what he commands about love, the head of the virtues: placing it higher and speaking about its actions, he explained that from the laity he demands the same love that Christ (demanded) from his disciples. As the Savior said that the highest degree of love is to lay down your life for your friends (see John 15:13); So Paul expressed the same thing, saying: love does not seek its own (1 Cor. 13:5), and he commanded to strive for such and such love... (4, p. 112) ... when... He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] exhorts to pray for enemies, then, without saying anything about harm to those who offended and without mentioning burning coals, but, leaving all this to be said to cowardly and base people, he encourages them to do this with higher (goods). What kind? May you, he says, be sons of your Father in Heaven (Matthew 5:45). Look how great the reward is, because His listeners were Peter, James, John and a host of other apostles; therefore He motivated them with spiritual rewards. (12, p. 231) ...imagine that Christ on that day [Judgment Day - S.M.] cries out before the Angels and all the Powers and says: this man on earth brought Me into his house; he showed Me many benefits; he accepted Me, a stranger. Then imagine the boldness (of this man) among the Angels, the joy among the ranks of heaven. To whom does Christ testify, how can one not have boldness before the Angels? So, brethren, almsgiving is a great thing. Let us love her; she has no equal; she can both atone for sins and deliver from judgment. You are silent, but she stands and protects; or, better yet, while you are silent, thousands of lips thank you for you. There are so many benefits from alms, but we are careless and do not care? Give me some bread if possible. Don't you have any bread? Give me an ovol [small coin – S. M.]. No ovol? Give me a cup of cold water. Not even this? Cry with the unfortunate, and you will receive a reward - a reward not for a forced, but for a free deed. (40, p. 659) Peter, says Christ, Simon the Jonah! Do you love Me more than they? Feed My lambs. He could have said to him: if you love Me, strive in fasting, sleep on bare ground, stay awake unceasingly, protect the oppressed, be for orphans instead of a father and for their mother instead of a husband; but now, leaving all this behind, what does He say? Feed My lambs. (16, p. 263) His [Christ’s – S.M.] Word so forbids the offended to be angry with those who offended us, that we must not only not grieve over what has already been taken, but also voluntarily give up what is left, and show a willingness to endure evil more than how much passion the enemies have to do evil to us. (5, p. 127) How to earn a pardon? How to escape? I’ll say this: let us always carry prayer and its fruits in our hearts, that is, humility and meekness. Learn from Me, says the Lord, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:29); and again David: sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; You will not despise a broken and humble heart, O God (Ps. 50:19). God accepts and loves nothing more than a meek, humble and grateful soul. See also, brother, when something unexpectedly befalls you and saddens you, do not resort to people and do not rely on human help, but, leaving everyone (people), run your thoughts to the doctor of souls. The only one who can heal the heart is He who alone created our hearts and knows all our deeds; He can enter our conscience, touch our heart and comfort our soul. If He does not comfort our hearts, then human consolations will be useless and in vain; just as vice versa, when God calms and consoles, then even if people bother us a thousand times, they will not be able to harm us in the least, because when He strengthens the heart, then no one can shake it. (41, p. 664) Did the person insult you? Really, tell me, because of this you will begin to offend God? Not to reconcile with the offender means not so much to take revenge on him, but to offend God, who commanded reconciliation. So, look not at a slave like you and not at the severity of his insults, but, imagining in your mind God and His fear, keep in mind that the more you force your soul and force it, after countless insults, to reconcile with the offender, the greater honor you will receive from God, Who commanded this; and just as you receive Him here with great honor, so He will receive you there with great glory and for such obedience will reward you with a thousand-fold rewards, which may we all be worthy of by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (27, p. 334) ...we, who have to appear not before some earthly court of justice, but before the heavenly Throne, in order to give an account of our words, deeds and thoughts, must renounce everything, both from joy and from sorrow for real blessings, and care only about that terrible day. If anyone, says (the Lord), comes to Me and does not hate his father and mother, and wife and children, and brothers and sisters, and, moreover, his own life, he cannot. to be My disciple; and whoever does not bear his cross and follow Me cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:26–27) (12, p. 240) ... The Judge [Lord God - S.M.] with equal severity demands from us (care for) the salvation of both ours and our neighbors... The Only Begotten (Son) of God, wanting to impress upon us how obligatory this duty is and that great disasters await those who do not wish to fulfill it, said: and whoever offends one of these little ones... it would be better for him if they hung a millstone around his neck and drowned him in the depths of the sea ( Matthew 18:6). And the one who brought the talent is punished not because he neglected anything of his own, but because he did not care about the salvation of his neighbors. (4, p. 99) The aspirant himself brings benefit to himself alone, and the benefit from pastoral activity extends to the whole people. He who distributes money to the needy, or in any other way helps the oppressed, brings some benefit to his neighbors, but as much less than the priest as the body is below the soul. Therefore, the Lord rightly said that caring for His flock is a sign of love for Himself. (16, p. 265) ...He [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] commanded that all His glorification should be in your soul... (11, P. 203) Married women viciously show inhumanity by referring to children; If you tell them: give me alms, I have children, they say, I can’t. God gave you children, you received the fruit of your womb so that you could be humane and not inhuman; Do not turn the reason for philanthropy into an excuse for inhumanity. Do you want to leave a good legacy for your children? Leave alms so that everyone will praise you and your memory will remain glorious. (40, p. 660) ...the advantages bestowed by God should not be used to insult God, but to please Him more. (18, p. 281) Christ commanded us to consider as friends, and close friends, those who... harm us in money, in physical health, and in everything else. Not only, He says, add to the predator and the covetous, but also love him with the strongest and most sincere love. This is precisely what He wanted to express when He said: pray for those who oppress you (Matthew 5:44; cf. Luke 6:28). We usually do this only for those whom we love very much... He gives proof and a good reason for this: For if you love those who love you, what will be your reward? Don't publicans do the same thing? And if you greet only your brothers, what special thing are you doing? Don't the pagans do the same? (Matthew 5:46–47). (5, p. 127) ...as Christ says: whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me (Matthew 10:37). When we accept something pleasing to God, then anyone who interferes with it is an enemy and adversary, no matter who he is, father or mother. (12, p. 242) ...I do not believe that it is possible to be saved by someone who does nothing to save his neighbor. The unfortunate slave was not helped at all by the fact that he did not reduce his talent, but he was destroyed by the fact that he did not multiply and bring twice as much (Matthew 25:24-30). (20, p. 295) Christ commanded those who love Him to feed His sheep... (16, p. 265) What... is the consolation? In prayer that those suffering... from illness will one day recover. If we are commanded to pray to God for the sick, for those in the mines and in grave slavery and those possessed (by demons), then isn’t it much more necessary (we need to pray) for such people [heretics - S.M.]? (24, p. 316) If she who has the king of the earth as her bridegroom considers herself happiest of all, then you (having as your Groom) are not the king of the earth and not a slave like yourself, but the King of Heaven, who is above all principality and authority and power and every name that can be named (Eph. 1:21), who sits above the Cherubim, who shakes the earth, who stretches out the sky, terrible for the Cherubim, unapproachable for Serafimov, and not only the Bridegroom, but also those who love you, and those who love you more than any man, how can you not leave everything here, even if you even had to give up your very soul? (11, p. 206) God arranged it this way... admonishing... the prophet [Jonah - S.M.] to be humane and meek and, as if calling to him and saying: imitate the shipbuilders, foolish ones. They do not neglect even one soul, they are not merciless towards your body alone; and you betrayed, as much as depended on you, the whole city [Nineveh - S.M.], in which there are so many thousands of inhabitants. They, having discovered the culprit of the disasters that befell them, are in no hurry to pronounce a verdict of guilt, but you, having no reason to blame the Ninevites, drowned them and destroyed them. Moreover, you did not listen when I commanded you to go preaching to call them (the Ninevites) to salvation; and these (shipmen), and without any order, use all means to spare you, who turned out to be guilty, from punishment. In fact, even after the accusation from the sea, after the evidence through the lot, when Jonah himself accused himself and admitted to fleeing, even then they did not rush to the death of the prophet, but hesitated, held back and used all means so that, even after such an accusation, they would not betray him to the fury of the sea. (42, p. 668) So, if I have proven... that the Son [Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.] has a dignity not of service, but of sovereignty, then we will worship Him as the Lord and equal in honor with the Father; and He Himself commanded this, saying: so that all may honor the Son as they honor the Father (John 5:23). (31, p. 357) Christ commanded to pray for those who offend... we are commanded to bless those who curse (Matthew 5:44)... (5, p. 127) We must praise and be amazed at those who succeed in good, and not at those who (only) avoid evil; for the latter, that honor is enough if they do not tolerate anything bad. Therefore, our Lord threatened with hell the one who, without reason and in vain, would be angry with his brother and call him a freak (see Matt. 5:22), but did not promise the Kingdom of Heaven to those who are not angry in vain and refrain from slander, but demanded something else, greater and more important, saying: love your enemies (Matthew 5:44). And, wanting to show how unimportant, insignificant and unworthy of any honor it is to abstain from hatred of brothers, He, having commanded something much more, that is, to love them and be in friendship with them, said that this is not enough for us to receive any honor; for how is this possible when in this respect we are in no way superior to the pagans? Therefore, we must have something else more important attached to this if we want to claim a reward. If, says (Christ), I do not condemn you to hell, who abstains from slander and anger at your brother, then for this alone you do not consider yourself worthy of crowns; because I do not only require such a measure of goodwill; but, even if you add to the non-backbiting that you love him, you still turn around and place yourself in the ranks of tax collectors; if you want to be perfect and worthy of heaven, then do not stop there only, but rise higher and acquire for yourself a thought that surpasses nature itself, that is, love for enemies. (12, p. 207) ...I, having finally left the exhortation, testify and proclaim: If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be cursed (1 Cor. 16:22). (35, p. 390) Learn this [alms, love - S.M.] from the Scripture itself, which says: Cornelius! ...your prayers and your alms have come as a memorial before God (Acts 10:3, 4). And the words before God mean this: although you have many sins, since alms are your protector, do not be afraid; none of the higher powers stops her; she demands her due, having her own manuscript in her hands. This is the voice of the Lord Himself, that whoever did it for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, he did it for Me (Matthew 25:40). Thus, no matter how many other sins you have, your charity outweighs everything. (40, p. 658) Whoever destroys sheep, which are either plundered by wolves, or plundered by robbers, or destroyed by infection or some other unfortunate event, may receive some mercy from the lord of the flock; if an account is required from him, then the damage will only be in money; but to whom people are entrusted, this is the rational flock of Christ, he, firstly, by the death of such sheep causes damage not to property, but to his soul; and then a much more important and difficult feat awaits him. (16, p. 264) ...if anyone wants to please Him [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.], let him take care of... the sheep [believers - S.M.], let him seek the common good, let him take care of his brothers; there is no achievement more precious than this before God; Therefore, in another place He says: Simon! Simon! Behold, Satan asked to sow you like wheat, but I prayed for you, so that your faith would not fail (Luke 22:31-32). What reward will you give Me for such care and providence? And what reward does He Himself require? Again the same thing: you too, he says, having once turned, strengthen your brothers (Luke 22:32). So Paul says: be imitators of me, as I am of Christ (1 Cor. 11:1). How was he an imitator of Christ? Just as I please everyone in everything, seeking not my own benefit, but the benefit of many, so that they may be saved (1 Cor. 10:33); and in another place he says: for Christ did not please himself (Rom. 15:3). And there is no other such testimony and sign of faith and love for Christ as caring for the brothers and caring for their salvation. (27, p. 331) ...Christ wants us not only to forgive, but also to accept our enemies as our first friends... He ... commanded us to pray for them. If, although you do no harm (to the enemy), you nevertheless turn away from him, look at him with displeasure and keep the wound in your soul inhealable, then you have not yet fulfilled the commandment that Christ gave you. (5, p. 128) Listen...to God Himself, Who says that He is appeased by the reverent prayers of many. (24, p. 317) ...we are betrothed to the Bridegroom [Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.], Who desires from us such love that we would give up for Him, if necessary, not only insignificant and insignificant earthly blessings, but also our very soul. So, if we must go there, let us abandon these insignificant worries; and, moving from a poor house to a royal palace, we would not take care of earthenware vessels, firewood, junk and other poor household things. Let us now stop worrying about earthly things; time is already calling us to heaven, as blessed Paul said in the Epistle to the Romans: for now salvation is closer to us than when we believed. The night has passed and the day has come (Rom. 13:11-12). (12, p. 240) ... (holy men) who lived on earth a life equal to angelic wisdom, although they did not do any of this - they did not make sacrifices, did not celebrate a holiday, did not observe ... fasting, but they pleased God so much that they became higher than nature itself, and by what happened to them, they turned the whole universe to the knowledge of God... For (in the Gospel) it is said: greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends ( John 15:13); and they laid down their souls for God. However, they are worthy of surprise not only for this reason, but also because they did not do it for any reward. That is why they said that our God, Whom we serve, is able to save us. If this does not happen, then let it be known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods (Dan. 3:17-18). It is enough for us, they say, that we die for God. (37, p. 400) ...Christ on... the day (of Judgment) will give rewards not to those who only performed miracles, but to those who fulfilled His commandments. Come, He will say, you blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, not because you performed miracles, but because I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matthew 25:35–36). (5, p. 131) Properties and manifestations of love in human life (including towards enemies). Growing in Love If carnal love so enslaves the soul that it distracts it from everything and subordinates it to the influence of one beloved, then what will not love for Christ and the fear of being separated from Him do? (6, p. 136) ...there is no mother so cruel and unloving of children who, without any incentive and without any coercion, would begin to blaspheme and disgrace in front of everyone the one she carried, gave birth to and raised. (20, p. 293) If punishment comes from love, and abandonment without punishment comes from hatred (cf. Heb. 12:7–8), then it is impossible for one and the same person to both love and hate the same person, punish and simultaneously ignore him. (7, p. 150) ...I... loved you [the people of Constantinople - S.M.] so much, as if I had lived among you for a long time and from an early age; so I united with you in bonds of love, as if for an innumerable time I had enjoyed the most pleasant communication with you. This did not happen because I was particularly inclined towards friendship and love, but because you are the most desirable of all. Who will not be amazed and surprised by your fiery zeal, unfeigned love, respect for teachers, agreement with each other, which are quite enough to attract even a stony soul to you? Therefore, I love you no less than the Church (Antioch) in which I was born, raised and studied; this Church is the sister of that one, and you have proven your kinship with her by your deeds. If that one is older in time, then this one is more ardent in faith; there is a larger gathering and a more solemn spectacle, but here there is more patience and more evidence of courage. (31, pp. 354–355) ...love is the connection and root of many virtues... (4, p. 113) ... everything... the blessed [Moses - S. M.] endured courageously, and if he had not had compassion for them [the Jews - S. M.] ] love, then his grief would be bearable and he would have to complain only about his own situation; but since he loved them more than his parents, in his very concern for them he had another reason for grief - about their corruption and wickedness. It did not upset him so much that he was insulted as that they were insulters. (9, p. 170) ...love for others is the greatest proof of love for Christ. (27, p. 331) I love [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.], and I will never stop loving, but I am afraid so as not to offend my Beloved. (16, p. 265) Wouldn’t it be strange not to show even the same care for the Church that women show for their neighbors? When they see some poor and helpless girl, they all provide her with their services, replacing relatives, and there is a lot of noise among those gathered for the marriage of such a girl. Some sometimes bring her money, others (do honor) with their presence, and the latter is not unimportant; because their zeal serves as a cover for its poverty; and thus they cover up her poverty with their helpfulness. Do the same in relation to... the Church. We will all flock from everywhere and cover up her poverty, or, better yet, we will stop her poverty by our constant stay here. (31, p. 358) If we obeyed God because we knew the reasons for events, then our reward would not be great and our obedience would not be an expression of faith; when we, not knowing them, lovingly submit to all His commands, out of true obedience and sincere faith, then we deliver the greatest benefit to our souls. (7, p. 151) I say this... to you - healthy, so that, no matter how many times you see such [lost, fallen away - S.M.], all of them with great care and affection are taken and gathered, and brought to the mother [Church - S.M.]. Even if they resist, evade, or do something else, we will not lag behind until we convince them; for nothing can compare with peace and harmony. Therefore, our father (the bishop), having entered (the church), does not ascend to this pulpit before asking for peace for all of you; and having risen, he begins to teach you not first, how to teach peace to everyone. And the priests, when they want to bless, will first of all ask for peace for you, and then they will begin to bless; also the deacon, inviting to pray, along with other petitions commands in prayer to ask the Angel of Peace; and all the prayers he offers are filled with peace, and finally, releasing you from this meeting, he wishes the same for you, saying: go in peace. In general, without peace nothing can be said or done. He is our nourisher and father who cherishes us with great care. I mean peace not that which consists in empty greetings and the fellowship of meals, but peace in God, which comes from spiritual unity. (36, p. 395) ...the power of love is such that it embraces, combines and unites not only those who are with us or close to us and whom we see, but also those who are distant from us; neither the length of time, nor the distance of distance, and nothing else like that can interrupt and end spiritual friendship. (13, p. 248) ...contributes greatly to love for the born; but to know exactly what is good for him, it is not enough to just give birth and love. If this were so, then no one should see better than the father what is good for his son, since no one else can love the son more than the father. (3, p. 88) Vasily [the Great – S.M.] said: so, you think that the power of love is enough to correct your neighbors? ...For the most part, I said, it can very well contribute to this goal... (16, p. 267) ...only those who place their joy in the Lord know how great this joy is and how much it surpasses all comparison. (12, p. 238) ...the eyes are intently and unswervingly directed towards contemplating the love of God, and the ear is calmly devoted to one occupation - listening to the Word of God and attention to that harmonious and spiritual harmony, the power of which, once captivating the soul, takes possession of it so much that (a person), carried away by this melody, reluctantly accepts food, drink, and sleep. (6, p. 134) After... exploits, after countless crowns, he [Apostle Paul - S.M.] wanted to descend into Gehenna and be given over to eternal torment so that the Jews, who often threw stones at him and were ready to kill him, would be saved and turn to Christ (see Rom. 9:3). Who loved Christ so much, if you can call it love, and not something else higher than love? (18, p. 285) ...you can pacify every storm, and establish silence and great peace in the soul; what may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (31, p. 358) Just as clay takes on whatever form the hands of those who shape it give it, so a person should act in accordance with what God commands, and accept with gratitude what He sends, without contradicting in the least and without trying to find out (the reason for this)... (7, p. 151) ...fiery love - this cause of all good things - becomes the cause of countless evils for those who use it incorrectly. (20, p. 294) ...Moses...seeing that those so beloved by him [the Jewish people - S.M.] were constantly doing worse and worse, what grief was he in, what tears did he shed? If another, having one son, could not live, having learned that his son indulged in vices, even if he himself was the most vicious of all, then Moses, who considered so many thousands of people his children, or, better said, loved them more than children - for no father would want, like him, to perish with his son, without having committed any sin himself - who had so many children, moreover, he hated evil and loved good, as much as you think he suffered, seeing that they all, as if agreeing, rushed into the abyss of vice? (9, p. 170) ...seek heaven and everything that leads to life there, and then nothing here can harm you, not even the ruler of darkness himself (Eph. 6:12), as long as we do not harm ourselves. Even if someone took away our property, even if someone cut up (our) body, all this is nothing for us when our soul remains healthy. (13, p. 251) ...when friendship binds us, nothing can easily create a rupture (between us) and even be accepted with confidence... (5, p. 126) I want to ask you: do you know what the power of love is? Christ, without mentioning all the miracles that were performed by the apostles, said: by this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35); and Paul says that love is the fulfillment of the law (Rom. 13:10) and that without it even gifts do not bring any benefit (see 1 Cor. 13:1-2). This excellent treasure, a distinctive quality of the disciples of Christ, exceeding talents, I saw firmly planted in the soul... and bearing abundant fruit. (16, p. 266) ...for you... I decided to accept this lot [the work of preaching - S.M.], for you and your love, which there is nothing stronger and more powerful, which convinced me, not very experienced in eloquence, to speak and forced me to enter the field of teaching, although I had never spoken in such a field before, but was always among the listeners and enjoyed calm silence. (21, p. 299) ...he [Apostle Paul - S.M.] exhorts us to imitate Christ, and not only His disciples; So, when he convinces us to love, to not hold grudges and meekness, he cites the example of Christ. (4, p. 113) ...he himself [Apostle Paul - S.M.] was caught up to the third heaven (see 2 Cor. 12:2); but his affection and love for Christ extended beyond not only three, but all heavens. He was small in body and not at all taller than us; but by his disposition he rose excessively above all the people existing on earth. And he would not have sinned who would have imagined the state of this saint in this way: as if some flame, having embraced the surface of the entire earth and rising upward, passed through the vault of heaven on all sides and, running through the air lying above it, whether it was air or something else, filled with fire the middle between the two heavens, and here it did not stop its flow, but, suddenly rushing, rose to the third heaven and made everything into one fire, the breadth of which is equal to space the whole earth, and the height is the distance of the third heaven from us. However, even in this way, it seems, I did not depict the slightest part of his love... This is how one should love Christ, this is how one should renounce the present. (6, p. 135) No one loved Christ more than Paul, no one showed more zeal than he, no one was awarded greater grace; but even with such advantages, he still fears and trembles both for his power and for those under his control. (17, p. 270) ...we, seeing that someone has become irritable due to a long illness, rather remove from the house those who untimely irritate him, do not even examine whether they do it fairly or unfairly, and do not accept any justification from them, but pitying the patient, we completely forgive him because of his weakness, even if he was unjustly irritated. If we provide such care for both slaves and children, even often punishing the son who is guilty of this, then how much more will God, who is good and merciful and forgiving, do this. (11, p. 200) ...love is the head, root, source and mother of all blessings, and... without it, everything else does not bring us any benefit; it is a sign of the disciples of the Lord, a distinctive property of the servants of God, a sign of the apostles. By this everyone will know, says (Jesus Christ), that you are My disciples (John 13:35). What, tell me, does that mean? Is it about the resurrection of the dead, or the cleansing of lepers, or the casting out of demons? No, He says; and, keeping silent about all this, adds: by this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another. Such deeds are gifts of the highest grace alone, and love is a virtue that also depends on human zeal. (22, p. 303) ...memory... must remain in our souls, so that we, constantly remembering the good deed, unceasingly thank God who bestowed it. (41, p. 663) ... there is no person so cruel and insensitive who, seeing his enemy in misfortune, could still harbor hatred for him... we even pity our enemies and treat them as friends when we see them undergoing any misfortune... (7, p. 142) You will not be heard as quickly when you pray to the Master [God - S.M.] at home as when you pray with your brothers. Here [in the church - S.M.] there is something more, like this: unanimity and agreement, the union of love and prayer of the priests. (24, p. 317) If someone, attacking you alone, began to beat you or throw you to the ground without any reason or guilt on your part, and you endured everything with meekness and left, then your act would not be shameful, but wise and highly praiseworthy. So... it is commendable to endure the insult caused by people... (8, P. 156) ...those suffering from carnal love, while they are close to their loved ones, feel the cruelest torment of passion, and when they move as far as possible from their loved ones, they tame its fury... (17, p. 272) ...when the most perfect state has arrived, we will not return to the former - we will not observe days, times and years, but in everything we will unswervingly follow the Church, preferring love and peace to everything. (36, p. 395) ...there was never such a stony man who did not suffer at all at the sight of his brothers and relatives beating each other, subjecting up to three thousand people to this deplorable beating (see Ex. 32:28). And we, when we catch our children doing something bad, of course, we punish and flog them, but we do not do this without regret, but on the contrary, we grieve no less than those who are being punished. (9, p. 170) The priest must treat his flock as a father would treat his young children; just as we do not turn away from these when they insult, or hit, or cry, and even when they laugh and caress us, we do not really care about it, so priests should neither be puffed up by the praises of the people, nor be upset by the censures if they are unfounded. (19, p. 288) ...the father cares a lot about... the children, and such love for them can overshadow his sadness... (8, P. 157) ...pay attention to the piety of his [Apostle Paul’s – S.M.] soul and the love rooted in it. Remembering God, he allowed himself to begin expounding the doctrine not before he paid tribute to Him, concluding his speech with a doxology. If the memory of the righteous remains blessed (Prov. 10:7), then how much more will the remembrance of God be with praise. Paul does the same at the beginning of his Epistles; often, starting the Epistle and remembering God, he does not begin to teach before giving Him due praise. Listen to what he says in Galatians: Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father; to him be glory forever and ever. Amen (Gal.1:3-5). And in another place: To the King of ages, incorruptible, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen (1 Tim. 1:17)... Listen to how he is in relation to the Only Begotten [Lord Jesus Christ – S. M.] does the same; Having said: I myself would like to be separated from Christ for my brothers, who are related to me according to the flesh, he added: to whom belong the adoption and the glory, and the covenants, and the law, and the worship, and the promises, and from them is Christ according to the flesh, who is God over all, blessed forever, Amen (Rom. 9: 3-5). He first gave praise to both the Father and the Only Begotten, and then began to continue his speech; because I heard the words of Christ: that all should honor the Son as they honor the Father (John 5:23). (24, p. 314) If someone does him [a Christian - S.M.] a lot of evil, hits him or binds him, then his body is naturally affected, but his soul, according to wisdom, remains unharmed; she is not carried away by anger, not caught by hatred, not overcome by enmity. And this is not so important; Much more amazing than this is this: he loves those who have done him so much evil as benefactors and patrons, and prays that they will have every good thing. (3, p. 94) A valiant person is usually distinguished not so much by gifts sent from above as by the merits of his own labors. That is why Christ says that His disciples are recognized not by signs, but by love. When there is love, then the one who has acquired it does not lack any part of wisdom, but has complete, all-perfect and complete virtue; just as without it he is deprived of all benefits. Therefore, Paul praises and extols her, or, rather, no matter how much he speaks, he is never able to fully express her dignity. (22, pp. 303–304) ...those who love... are so completely devoted to their beloved with love that, apart from them and being with them, they do not find anything pleasant in the other pleasures of real life, no matter how many there are... (5, p. 129) Such was Elisha: since he distanced himself from everything worldly, loved the Kingdom of Heaven and despised everything real, that is, kingdom and power, and glory, and universal respect; then I saw something that no one had ever seen - a whole mountain, covered with a formation of fiery horses and the same chariots and warriors (2 Kings 6:17). (6, p. 135) ...blessed Paul, imitating his Teacher [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.], throughout his life did not cease to mourn those who fell and remained in this fall and did not want to rise, and so bitterly that even with some very strong expressions he spoke about this in the Epistle to the Romans: great sorrow for me and unceasing torment of my heart: I myself would like to be excommunicated from Christ for the sake of my brothers, relatives to me according to the flesh, that is, the Israelites (Rom. 9:2–4). Do you see how striking these words are, how they represent heart disease? He mourned the limping and needy among the faithful as if he himself were in the same calamities. Who is exhausted, he said, with whom would I not be exhausted? Who is tempted, for whom would I not be inflamed? (2 Cor. 11:29). He did not say: I grieve, but: I ignite, wanting to express with the word ignition the intolerance and extremeness of grief. Let us also imitate both our Master and a slave like us. (11, pp. 196–197) ... let us accustom our hands to alms in order to bring something small on our part; Let us begin to weep over sin, groan over iniquity, so that it can be seen that we, too, contribute at least something small, while what is to be given to us is great and exceeds our strength. This is paradise and the Kingdom of Heaven, which may we all be worthy of through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (40, p. 661) ...those who perished in the flood were great sinners, but Noah was a man and had compassion for those who had the same nature as him. So Ezekiel, although he was righteous and knew that the Israelites were the most wicked of all, however, when he saw them defeated and falling, he also compassionated and cried... (8, p. 158) ...not only before God, but also before people, it is reprehensible and dangerous to have many enemies. What do I say: many? Having one and only enemy is just as dangerous as it is safe and saving to have everyone as friends. It is not so much the increase of property, not so much weapons and walls, trenches and other countless means that can protect us, but sincere friendship. This is a wall, this is a fortress, this is wealth, this is consolation, this will help us to spend our present life in peace of mind, and will provide us with a future life. So, thinking about all this and imagining the great benefits from this, let us do everything and take all measures so that we can reconcile with real enemies, and not acquire new enemies, but make real friends more reliable. The beginning and end of all virtue is love; enjoying it sincerely and constantly, may we be worthy to receive the Kingdom of Heaven, by the grace and love for mankind of our Lord Jesus Christ... (30, p. 354) One person suddenly developed a severe fever, and the fever increased; The patient rejected all means that could extinguish the fire, but desired and strenuously insisted, begging everyone who came to him to bring him a lot of wine and let him quench his painful thirst. But whoever agreed to give him this pleasure would not only increase the fever, but would also drive the unfortunate man into insanity. Then, when art was powerless and no longer had the means, but was completely rejected, the cunning used showed such power, as you will immediately hear from me. The doctor takes a clay vessel, as soon as it is taken out of the oven, immerses it in wine and then, taking it out empty, fills it with water; He orders the room in which the sick man was lying to be made dark with many curtains, so that the light would not expose the tricks, and gives the sick man a drink from a vessel, as if filled with wine. He, before he took the vessel in his hands, suddenly seduced by the smell of wine, did not want to take apart what was given to him; but, assured by his sense of smell, deceived by the darkness and prompted by a strong desire, he drank what was given to him with great desire; and, having had his fill, immediately received relief from the fever and escaped the threatening danger. Do you see the benefit of cunning? (15, p. 262) ...then you will learn the benefits of wisdom when (your children) begin to heal people suffering from incurable diseases, when they are glorified as common benefactors, patrons and saviors, when they live with people on earth as Angels and turn everyone’s gaze on themselves... (4, p. 117) Don’t tell me: “What do I have in common with him [who fell away - S.M.]? He is a stranger and stranger to me.” As long as he is faithful, shares the same Mysteries with you and goes to the same church, until then he is closer to you and brothers, and acquaintances, and relatives, and everyone in general. Consequently, how not only those who steal are subject to the same punishment, but also those who could have prevented them and did not; so not only the wicked themselves are punished equally, but also those who could have turned them away from wickedness, but did not want to through negligence or carelessness. And the one who buried the talent returned it to the master intact; but since he did not multiply it, he was punished. And you, even if you yourself remain pure and immaculate, but do not increase your talent and do not turn your dying brother to salvation, then you will suffer the same fate as (the slave). Do I ask much of you, beloved? Let each of you turn one of your brothers to salvation, let him take care of this, let him work so that you come to our next meeting with great boldness, bearing gifts to God, the most precious gifts, returning (to Him) the souls of the lost. (37, p. 402) ...Moses suffered many times...seeing that those who sinned had to suffer punishment, he lamented and grieved more than those who were being punished. (8, p. 158) The one who prays for the whole city - what do I say: for the city? - for the entire universe, and propitiates God for the sins of everyone, not only the living, but also the dead, what kind of person should he be? I consider even the boldness of Moses and Elijah insufficient for such prayer. He approaches God as if the whole world was entrusted to him and he himself was the father of all, asking and begging for an end to wars everywhere and the pacification of rebellions, for peace and prosperity, for a speedy deliverance from all the private and public disasters that weigh on everyone. Therefore, he himself should be as superior in everything to everyone for whom he prays as the primate should be superior to those under his protection. (20, pp. 291–292) The love of Christ so animated him [Apostle Paul - S.M.] that if he had to endure eternal punishment for Christ, he would never have refused this either, because he served Christ differently than we (serve) mercenaries, fearing Gehenna and desiring the Kingdom. Having been embraced by some other, incomparably better and most blissful love, he endured and did everything for nothing other than to satisfy the love that he had for Christ and which so took possession of his mind that he would willingly part with what was most dear to him - that is, being with Christ - for which he neglected both Gehenna and the Kingdom of Heaven, deciding for Christ to meet and with great readiness to accept, as one of the most desired blessings, even this inexpressible excommunication (from Christ for the Israelites, see Rom. 9:3). (5, p. 130) Physical beauty often arouses intemperance in those who look at it, and spiritual beauty disposes God himself to love it, as the prophet says, turning his speech to the Church: hear, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father’s house. And the King will desire your beauty (Ps. 45:11–12). So, beloved, in order for us to become dear to God, let us develop this beauty, daily washing away all impurity by reading the Scriptures, prayers, alms, like-mindedness with each other, so that the King, having loved our spiritual goodness, will honor us with the Kingdom of Heaven, which may we all be worthy of, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (32, p. 363) When... it is necessary to save the deceased, then this is not a time of judgment and strict examination, but only of philanthropy and forgiveness. Not a single doctor, instead of giving medicine to a patient, subjects him to penalties and punishment for his disordered life. (39, p. 652) ...pray that I may not be one of those bound and cast into darkness (utter darkness), but one of those who will receive at least a little indulgence, through the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (21, p. 302) When you need to correct a brother, even if you have to give up your soul, do not refuse; be jealous of your Master [the Lord God – S.M]... (37, P. 401) He who, in relation to others... is quiet and meek, who does not give anyone cause for displeasure, will show great respect to his father all the more... (3, pp. 95–96) If I give my body, says the Apostle [Paul - S.M.], to be burned, and do not have love, it will do me no good (1 Cor. 13:3). And again, in another place, explaining that love is greater than all and is the head of all good things, he said: love never ceases, although prophecies will cease, and tongues will be silent, and knowledge will be abolished, these three remain: faith, hope, love; but the greatest of these is love (1 Cor. 13:8,13). (22, p. 304) ...beloved... let us try in every possible way not to have enmity with anyone, and if any hostility occurs, we will be reconciled on the same day; because if it continues on the second and third days, then soon the third will become the fourth, the fourth - the fifth, and this one will again give us even more days of hostility; and the longer we delay reconciliation, the more ashamed we will be. But are you ashamed to come and kiss an offender? No, this is praise, this is a crown, this is glory, this is benefit and a treasure filled with countless benefits; and the enemy himself will approve of you, and everyone present will praise you; and even if people condemn you, God will certainly crown you. If you wait for the enemy to come first and ask for forgiveness, then you will not receive such a benefit: he will anticipate the reward and gain all the blessing for himself; and when you yourself come, you will not remain inferior to him, but you will conquer anger, overcome passion, discover great wisdom by obeying God, and make your subsequent life more pleasant, getting rid of troubles and anxiety. (30, p. 354) ...desiring to show that it is not a great thing to despise the punishments here for Christ, [the Apostle Paul - S.M.] neither angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:38, 39). The meaning of his words is this: not only people will not be able to distract me from this love, but also Angels, and even if all the heavenly Forces gather together, they will not be able to do this. What am I saying? Even if it were necessary for Christ to lose the Kingdom or fall into Gehenna, I am not afraid of that. This, and not anything else, is what the words mean: height, and depth, and life, and death, and he said this not because the Angels would begin to strive to separate him from Christ; but he verbally assumes something that can never be, in order to depict and explain to everyone his great love. (5, p. 131) ...she [the harlot - S.M.] approached with a warm disposition, with a fiery soul and with ardent faith, and touched the holy and sacred feet of Him [the Lord Jesus Christ - S.M.], letting down her hair, shedding streams of tears from her eyes and pouring myrrh. With what she deceived people, she created the medicine of repentance from it; the more she aroused the eyes of the lustful, the more she shed tears; She wiped the feet of Christ with the hair with which she led many to sin; with the ointment with which she entrapped many, she anointed His feet. So, by what you have angered God, you should appease Him. Have you angered Him by stealing money? With them, propitiate Him, returning to the offended what was stolen and adding more to it, and say like Zacchaeus: I will repay you fourfold for everything that I stole (Luke 19:8). Have you angered God with your tongue and slander, with which you have offended many? With your tongue and propitiate him, sending up pure prayers, blessing those who reproach, praising those who slander, thanking those who cause offense. This does not require many days and years, but only goodwill is needed, and everything will be fulfilled in one day. Give up evil, love virtue, stop a vicious life and promise not to do this again, and this will be enough for your justification. (27, p. 333) Do the righteous only grieve when they see sinners dying, and when they see them sinning, do they not lament? No, in the latter case they are much more upset than in the former. And this can be well learned from the prophets. One of them cried bitterly: Woe is me! There are no more merciful people on earth, no truthful people among people (Mic.7:2). And the other said to God: Why do you let me see villainy and look at disasters? (Hab.1:3). And greatly grieving for the oppressed, he cried like this: You leave people like fish in the sea, like creeping things that have no ruler (Hab. 1:14). (8, p. 159) ...you should, sitting at home, grieve for them [the lost, fallen away - S.M.] and cry because they resist the commandment of God, rejoice with the devil. (37, p. 401) ...for this reason, I greet this day [the day of the Nativity of Christ - S.M.] with love and declare this love to everyone, so that I can make you participants in such love; Therefore, I ask and convince you all to gather together then with all zeal and zeal, to leave everyone their home so that we can see the amazing and wondrous sight - our Lord, lying in a manger and wrapped in swaddling clothes. (27, p. 332) Even if... we have to bear insults, receive blows, endure something else - we will do everything just to bring them back [the lost, the fallen - S. M.]. After all, we endure stubbornness, insults and abuse from the sick, we are not upset by insults, but we want only one thing: that the one who acts so recklessly be healthy. And the doctor’s patient often tears his clothes, but the doctor does not stop treating him because of this. If those who care for bodies show so much zeal, then how inappropriate is it to indulge in carelessness when so many souls are perishing, and not dare to endure any trouble when our members are rotting? (37, p. 402) ...David... [said - S.M.]: praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest, and a little after, saying again: praise the Lord from the earth (Ps. 149: 1, 7) and calling on both creatures, above and below, sensory and mental, visible and invisible, located above the sky and under the sky, and from both of them making up one choir, and so commanded to praise King of all... (21, p. 300) ... having commanded that the sinner be handed over to Satan, Paul, after (the sinner) had changed and become better, said: For such a one this punishment from many is enough... And therefore I ask you to show him love (2 Cor. 2:6, 8). Since he presented him to everyone as a common enemy and adversary, separated him from the herd and cut him off from his body, look how much effort he now uses to bring him closer and unite him again. I didn’t just say: love him, but - I ask you to show him love (Greek and Slavic - affirm love for him), - that is, show firm and unchanging love, hot, ardent and fiery; show favor equivalent to previous enmity. What happened, tell me? Didn't you hand him over to Satan? Yes, he says; only not so that he remains in the hands of Satan, but so that he can quickly get rid of his power. Look how much Paul, as I said, was afraid of despair, as a powerful weapon of the devil. Having said: I ask you to show him love, he also adds a reason: so that he would not be consumed by excessive sadness (2 Cor. 2:8, 7). The sheep, he says, is in the mouth of the wolf: let us hasten and snatch it up before (the wolf) swallows and destroys our member. The ship is overwhelmed by waves: we will try to save it before it sinks. (39, p. 651) ...Moses... did not cease to have compassion for the Israelites, as can be seen from what he did later. When, after their attempt to kill the spies and throw stones at him, he escaped from their hands, he again turned to prayer for them and begged God to be merciful to those who wanted to kill him (see Numbers 14:10–20); so his love was stronger than even natural affection! (9, p. 171) ...not only in war and against enemies, but also in times of peace and in relation to the most kind, it is useful to use cunning. That this is really useful not only to those who use cunning, but also to those in relation to whom it is used, for this, go to one of the doctors and ask how they heal the sick, and you will hear from them that they are not always satisfied with their art alone, but sometimes they use cunning and with its help restore the health of the sick. When the stubbornness of the sick and the cruelty of the disease itself invalidate the advice of doctors; then, of necessity, doctors resort to cunning so that, as on stage, the truth can be hidden. (15, p. 262) ...Abraham, at the command of God, sent away the maidservant with his son... marvel at the great humility by which he, although tormented by compassion, did not resist God... (8, p. 162) What I exhorted before, I exhort to fulfill the same now: let us cease enmity among ourselves, and let no one remain an enemy of his neighbor for more than one day, but before nightfall let him subdue his anger, so that, being left alone and carefully remembering what has been done and said in enmity, do not make the cessation of it more difficult and reconciliation more inconvenient. The dislocated bones of our body, having been immediately set, take their place without much difficulty; if they remain out of their place for a long time, then they are difficult to straighten and take their previous position, and those that are set require a long time in order to firmly establish themselves, strengthen themselves and not move; just like we, if we immediately begin to make peace with our enemies, we can do it comfortably and without much difficulty enter into the former friendship... (30, p. 354) ... [the widow - S. M.] the husband, although he will love as his wife, but not as the one he took as a girl; and that love for such wives (of girls) is much stronger and more ardent than for those (of widows), this is known to everyone; he will not embrace and love the widow with all his heart, as he will the one who has already known another husband. (14, p. 256) This is the property of lovers: they cannot remain silent about their love, but reveal their flame to all their neighbors, calming their soul with continuous conversation about the superiority of love. (5, p. 131) ...nothing weakens (society) so much as quarrels and strife, and on the contrary, nothing strengthens and strengthens so much as love and harmony. (36, p. 390) Almsgiving does not depend on the amount of property, but on the degree of spiritual disposition. Thus, the widow gave two mites and surpassed those satiated with wealth; and another widow, who had only a handful of flour and a little oil, took to her (the prophet), who had a heavenly soul; For none of them was poverty an obstacle. So, do not make useless and vain pretexts; God does not require an abundance of offerings, but a wealth of spiritual disposition, which is expressed not by the measure of what is given, but by the diligence of those who give. Are you poor and the poorest of all people? But you are no poorer than that widow who greatly surpassed the rich. Do you need the most basic food? But you are no poorer than the Sidonian widow, who, having reached the extreme stage of hunger, already expecting death with the children around her, for all that she did not spare her property and through the greatest poverty acquired inexpressible wealth, made her hand a threshing floor and a jug a grinder and arranged it in such a way that from little came much (1 Kings 17). (29, p. 342) ...we pay attention not to torment alone, but, even before that, to the disposition of the soul and to the reason for which torment occurs, and therefore we love martyrs not because they suffer, but because they suffer for Christ... (37, p. 398) ...Abraham also suffered because of his legitimate son. Let no one say that he did not grieve and suffer like a father, and let no one deprive him of the highest praise, wanting to show his wisdom beyond measure. We are embarrassed and grieved, and often cry, when we see that people are being led across the square to death, convicted of shameful deeds and who have lived such a life for a long time, and, moreover, strangers and never seen by us; How could he not feel human sorrow who was ordered to slay his son, his legitimate, only one, born beyond his dreams after such a long time and in the deepest old age (from which love is more inflamed), this son, still young, to slay with his own hands and offer as a burnt offering? (8, p. 162) ...from the people of that time [Old Testament - S.M.] nothing more was required than to love those who love, but now this great and wondrous work is so imperfect that, in fulfilling it, we are in no way superior to publicans. (12, p. 244) An ardent lover of Christ, Paul, who was so wounded by this love that he even groaned about the slowness and duration of his wandering here: for we who are in this body, he says, groan (2 Cor. 5:4); however, he was ready and willing to remain here for Christ: and to remain in the flesh, he says, is more necessary for you (Phil. 1:24), that is, in order for faith in Christ to spread. Therefore, he endured hunger, and thirst, and nakedness, and bonds, and (the dangers of) death, and sea voyages, and shipwrecks, and all other troubles that he himself had counted; and not only was he not burdened by them, but he also rejoiced, and the reason for this was the love of Christ. That is why he said: but we overcome all these things through the power of Him who loved us (Rom. 8:37). And don’t be surprised by this: if human love has often prompted one to decide to die, then what won’t the love of Christ do? Which one will not ease the difficulties? So everything was easy for him, because he looked only at the Beloved (Christ) and for Him he considered enduring everything above any pleasure and enjoyment, which is indeed so. (5, p. 130) It sometimes happens that the one wearing the diadem suffers from a fever and lies on the bed in inflammation, and doctors, spearmen, servants, and military leaders stand around him, but neither the skill of doctors, nor the presence of friends, nor the helpfulness of slaves, nor a variety of medicines, nor precious decorations, nor an abundance of wealth, nor anything else human can alleviate the illness that befalls him. If someone who has boldness before God comes in and just touches his body and offers up a pure prayer for him, then all the illness disappears, and thus, what wealth, many servants, experienced art and the greatness of royal power could not do, the prayer of one poor and beggar could often accomplish. However, I am not talking about prayer that is empty and scattered, but offered with zeal, from a grieving soul and a contrite heart. (26, p. 327) ...you have a great (path) of repentance in almsgiving, which can free (you) from the bonds of sin; but there is another way of repentance for you, also very convenient, through which you can be freed from sins. Pray every hour, do not become exhausted in prayer and do not lazily implore God’s love for mankind, and God will not turn away from someone who constantly prays, but will forgive you your sins and fulfill your requests. If you are heard when you pray, continue to pray to bring (to God) thanks; if you are not heard, remain in prayer so that you may be heard. And do not say: “I prayed a lot and was not heard,” because this too often happens for your own good. God knows that you are lazy and careless and that if you get what you need, you will move away and not pray anymore; and now, by necessity itself, it forces you to talk with God more often and practice prayer. (40, p. 660) ...then... your glory and benefit will increase when you suppress envy within yourself, when you destroy hatred, when you show great brotherly love; if you use your knowledge alone, then people will turn away from you and hate you as an envious person and a brother-hater, and God will condemn you to extreme punishment as a malicious person; Moreover, grace itself will soon leave you and move away. (30, p. 349) ...we are especially attached to those who have lived with us for a long time and have presented us with many proofs of their friendship and virtue. (8, p. 163) I had many friends, sincere and faithful, who knew and strictly observed the laws of friendship; but out of many, one surpassed all the others in love for me and managed to get ahead of them in this as much as they were people indifferent to me. (15, p. 258) ... why are you afraid of humiliating yourself? Then you will be higher, then great, then glorious, then famous, when you put yourself lower than everyone else, when you do not strive for primacy, when you are exposed to humiliation, suffering and danger, when you try to serve many, care for and take care of them, and for this you will be ready to do and endure everything. So, beloved, thinking about this, let us be especially diligent in practicing humility, and when we are insulted and humiliated and experience all the extreme calamities, and dishonor and contempt, let us endure everything with joy. Nothing contributes more to the achievement of height, glory and honor and brings greatness than the virtue of humility, which, if we practice carefully, may we be worthy of the promised blessings, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (29, p. 346) I know his [shepherd for his flock - S.M.] love boiling, flaming, hot and irresistible, which he rooted in the very depths of his soul and preserves with great zeal. (22, p. 303) ...fear for the living, which constantly shakes the soul, is no lighter than sadness for the dead and even, if one can say something surprising, even heavier. Time softens sorrow for the dead, but worries about the living inevitably always remain, or end only with death. (12, p. 234) ...the falls of the faithful caused him [the Apostle Paul - S.M.] no less sorrow than the (sins) of those who had not yet believed: it was unbearably hard to see how they (the believers), after participating in... the Sacraments, deviated into wickedness. Therefore, he wept very bitterly and more piteously than any wife and said: My children, for whom I am again in the throes of birth, until Christ is portrayed in you! (Gal.4:19). (39, p. 650) If we, who were born so long after these events [slavery of the Jews in Egypt - S.M.] and who do not have such a reason to sympathize with the Jews, are overwhelmed by pity at the thought of the then beating of their children, then what did this blessed [Moses - S.M.], attached with great love to the whole people, who saw with his own eyes their disasters, and those who caused these disasters, forced to call his parents, not endure? I think that he grieved for these poor children then more than the parents themselves, as can be seen from what he did later. So, unable to either convince or force his imaginary father to cancel the brutal and murderous command, he himself finally decided to share the disasters with them. (9, p. 168) ...tell me, how can I give alms when I am poor? Then you can especially give alms when you are poor. The rich man, intoxicated by the abundance of wealth, flaming with the most severe fever and possessed by an insatiable passion, wants to increase his property; and the poor, not infected with this disease and free from this disease, will more easily make alms from what he has. (29, p. 342) ...alms, the queen of virtues, very quickly elevating people to the vaults of heaven, the best protector. A great thing is almsgiving; Therefore, Solomon exclaimed: Great is a man, and precious is a merciful man (Proverbs 20:6). The flight of alms is great: it cuts through the air, passes the moon, rises above the rays of the sun, reaches to the very heavens. But she doesn’t stop there either; on the contrary, the sky also passes, flows around the hosts of Angels, and the faces of the Archangels, and all the higher powers, and appears to the Royal Throne itself. (40, p. 658) He who is honored above his dignity should not use the greatness of this honor as an excuse for his mistakes, but should turn God’s great care for him into an incentive to greater success in goodness. (18, p. 280) This is why we differ from dumb animals, that we have the gift of speech, we express ourselves in words, and we love speech. A person who does not love words is much more stupid than beasts: he does not know why he is honored (with the gift of speech) and where he received such an honor. The prophet said well: But man will not remain in honor; he will become like animals that perish (Ps. 49:13). Are you a person gifted with words, but you don’t like words? Tell me, what excuse will you have? Therefore, of all, you are the most indispensable to me because, as if on wings, you flock to (listen to) words about virtue and place everything below divine sayings. (40, p. 657) There are... some who are weak from old age, others who have lost their arms, others who have poor eyes, others who have been subjected to other various and varied sufferings and the most severe of sufferings - poverty; for poverty and complete poverty intensifies their bodily illnesses; and on the other hand, poverty itself becomes more difficult and unbearable from them. Go out to catch these (poor) and gather them; or, better yet, you don’t need to bother collecting them; they stand ready before everyone who wants to extend a helping hand. If you have money, spend it; if you are strong, here give help with your bodily strength; and here you will see many needs that require physical help, and a waste of money and trouble; for it is necessary to provide them with housing, and to prepare medicine, and to buy bed and clothes, and to buy suitable food and everything else, even if there were only ten such sick people... Here are those in need of protection, here are the lonely, and here are those cast to the ground; This is alms, this is philanthropy, this serves for the glory of God and brings benefit to those who look on, those who suffer, and those who do good. (10, p. 188) ... let us ... pray and ask the loving God, who wants all people to be saved and to achieve the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4); may he deliver them [heretics, anti-Christians – S.M.] from error and the devil’s snare and lead them to the light of knowledge, to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, with the Life-giving and All-Holy Spirit... (23, p. 313) ...what is surprising is that, living in the village and enjoying freedom, I remembered your love [members of the community - S.M.], when Paul, surrounded by chains, living in prison and seeing countless dangers that threatened him - and in prison, as if in the middle of a meadow, remembered the brothers and wrote to them like this: Just as I should think about you all, because I have you in chains in my heart mine, in defending and establishing the gospel (Phil.1:7)? Outside is a chain of enemies, but inside is a chain of love for students; but the outer (chain) is forged of iron, and the inner is made of love; He often removed that one, but never tore this one apart. (39, p. 649) Diligence... and jealousy... need to be shown much more, because patients are by nature irritable and careless; and if you do not apply great care and concern in everything, then even a small omission is enough to cause great harm to the patient. (17, p. 277) I know many of whom, after the loss of their loved ones, leaving the city and its amenities, settled in villages, while others built themselves houses near the graves of the deceased and ended their lives there. (5, p. 132) ...in the parable of the ten virgins one can see... When the bridegroom was about to come, the foolish said to the wise: give us your oil; and the latter answer them: so that there will be no shortage both for us and for you (Matthew 25:8-9). Scripture does not speak here about oil and fire, but about virginity and love of mankind, meaning virginity under the guise of fire, and alms under the guise of oil, and showing that virginity has a great need for love of mankind, without which it is impossible to be saved. Who are those who sell this oil? Who else but the poor? They don't receive as much as they give. Consider alms not as an expense, but as an income, not as a loss, but as an acquisition; because through it you receive more than you give. You give bread and receive eternal life; you give clothes, and you receive the robe of immortality; you give shelter under your roof, and you receive the Kingdom of Heaven; You give blessings that perish, but you receive blessings that endure forever. (29, p. 342) It would truly be fairer to help the weaker than the strong, the elderly rather than the young, those who do not have the necessary food rather than those who have sufficient wealth, those who are hated by many because of unbearable suffering rather than those loved by many, who have the ability to drive away the grief caused and bring good glory rather than to those who cause grief. Show that you are doing this for God and take care of these people. (10, p. 188) ...the greatest proof of friendship is when (others) both love and hate the same ones we love. (42, p. 666) ...I ask you this: save your brothers, deliver them from error, return them to the truth. For there is no benefit from listening to teachings when words are not proven by deeds. And what was said was said not for you, but for those weak, so that they, having learned this from you and leaving a bad habit, discover pure and true Christianity in themselves and avoid harmful gatherings... - these dens of robbers, these dwellings of demons. So, do not neglect their salvation, but, having scouted and found the sick, bring them again to Christ, so that we, both in the present and in the future life, receive a reward beyond our merits, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ... (38, p. 414) ...there is nothing stronger than modesty and meekness. Therefore, Paul also commanded to carefully adhere to this, saying: the servant of the Lord should not quarrel, but be friendly to everyone (2 Tim. 2:24); did not say: to the brothers only, but: to everyone. And one more thing: let your meekness be known to all men, - he did not say: to the brothers, but to all men (Phil. 4:5). For what will it profit, says (the Lord), if you love those who love you? (Matthew 5:46). (22, p. 307) ...I rejoiced not because I was praised, but because my Master was glorified; for... applause and praise proved the love of your soul [Christians - S.M.] for God. Just as loving servants, hearing that someone praises their master, are inflamed with love for the praiser, because they love the master; so did you... with loud applause you showed great love for the Lord. (34, p. 379) ...we should, to say nothing more, mourn the negligence of our salvation; with such love and readiness everyone should direct the eyes of their souls there and constantly remember and imagine it. (5, p. 133) ...students are then especially inspired by zeal for good when they have examples of teachers. Just as someone who philosophizes only in words, without deeds, does not bring great benefit to the listener, so on the contrary, the one who can offer advice that he himself has carried out in advance captivates the listener most of all. Moreover, he imagines himself free from both envy and pride; for he wants such excellent virtue to be common among his disciples, without striving to have anything more than them... (12, p. 222) Just as lovers of beautiful bodies, wherever they go, carry their favorite image with them, so we, having loved the beauty of your [community members - S.M.] soul, always carry with us a beautiful image of your spirit. And just as painters, mixing various colors, make images of bodies, so we, having mixed your zeal for meetings, zeal for listening, favor towards the preacher and all other good deeds, as if various colors of virtue, drew the image of your soul and, placing it before the eyes of the mind, from contemplating it received considerable consolation in separation from you. And we did this all the time - when we sat at home and got up, and when we walked and rested, and when we came in and out, we always imagined your love. And we enjoyed this contemplation not only during the day, but also at night; with us then it was the same thing that Solomon said: I sleep, but my heart is awake (Song.5:2); the need for sleep closed our eyes, but the power of your love awakened the eyes of my soul from sleep; and it often seemed to me as if I were talking to you in a dream. And in fact, the soul usually imagines at night what it thinks about during the day; the same thing happened to us then: and not seeing you with carnal eyes, I saw you with the eyes of love and, although I was not with you in body, I was with you in soul, and my ears were constantly filled with your cry. Therefore, although bodily illness encouraged me to stay there (in the village) longer and take advantage of the healing air for physical health, the power of your love did not allow this, on the contrary, it cried out and did not stop bothering until it forced me to get up even earlier than the proper time and put your community on a par with health, and with pleasure, and with everything that is good. And we, having bowed to her convictions, would rather return with the remnants of the illness than, trying for a complete healing from bodily weakness, to sadden your love any longer. While living there, I heard your reproaches - frequent letters brought them to us; and I listened no less to those who reproached me than to those who praised me, because those reproaches were the expression of a soul that knew how to love. That's why I got up and came hastily; that's why I could never get you out of my mind! (39, p. 649) Does anyone have an enemy and have suffered great grievances? Let him stop the hostility, let him pacify the inflamed and irritated soul, so that there is no excitement and confusion left inside. Through communion you will accept into yourself the King [Lord – S.M.]; and when the Tsar enters the soul, then there should be great silence, great calm, deep peace of thoughts. (27, p. 334) When a lover, having received many insults from his loved ones, does not extinguish the love in himself, then, even if he tries to discover these insults, it is for nothing else than in order to, by showing all the power of his love, incline them to greater and stronger love. (1, p. 72) The love of Christians and the hatred of the world Now is a difficult time: there are many ill-wishers, sincere love has disappeared, its place has been taken by destructive hatred, we walk among nets and march along the battlements of city walls (Sir.9:18); There are many people who are ready to rejoice in the misfortunes that befall us; they surround us from everywhere; and there are no one or very few condolences. (15, p. 261) Light... a fire within yourself; and if you see your brother dying, let him scold you, let him insult you, let him beat you, let him threaten to become your enemy, let him do anything else: endure everything complacently, if only you can acquire his salvation. Let him become your enemy, but God will be your friend and reward you with great benefits on that day (of Judgment). God grant that through the prayers of the saints, the lost will turn to salvation, and you will have success in this hunt, and those very blasphemers (Jews), leaving wickedness, will know Christ crucified for them, so that with one heart and one mouth we may all glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... (37, p. 402) ... if they begin to blame us unjustly, let us refute the accusations with conviction and imitate the saints who showed such zeal for the glory of God that they despised their own glory for God's. (10, p. 189) When one of our friends, slandered for offenses of insolence and pride, was exposed to extreme danger, and then, even though no one called on you [Basily the Great - S.M.] and the accused himself did not ask, you plunged yourself into danger. That's how it was; but in order to convict you with your words, I will also remember what you said. When some condemned your zeal, others praised and extolled it, you said to the critics: “What should I do? - I don’t know how to love otherwise than by sacrificing my soul when I need to save one of my friends who is in danger...” (16, p. 266) Like brave warriors, who erected countless trophies and covered with many wounds, the heads of churches came from all sides, bearing the wounds of Christ and testifying to the many torments that they endured for their confession of faith. Some of them could talk about the mines and the suffering they endured there; others about the deprivation of all property, others about hunger, and others about frequent scourgings. Some could point to the torn ribs; others for a beaten back, others for torn out eyes or some other part of the body that they lost for Christ. (36, p. 392) Wolves surround the sheep on all sides, but the herd is not destroyed; storm, bad weather and waves incessantly pursue this sacred ship, but the swimmers do not drown; the fury of the heretical flame envelops on all sides, and those in the midst of the burning furnace enjoy spiritual dew. (31, p. 355) ...one cannot despise... these people [the unjust - S.M.], but one must respond to the accusations of all of them with great meekness and readiness - it is better to forgive them unreasonable reproaches than to be annoyed and angry. (20, p. 294) ...let us turn entirely to prayer; and the more they [heretics, anti-Christians - S.M.] show wickedness, the more we will ask and pray for them, so that they will someday leave their madness. For this is good and pleasing to God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:3-4). (26, p. 327) If it happens that slander or ridicule or some other kind of insult and hostility attacks me from somewhere (and this should often happen), then who will I resort to? To whom shall I convey my despondency? Who will want to help me, repel the insulters and force them not to insult me ​​anymore, and console me and strengthen me to endure the indecencies of others? (15, p. 261) ...it is amazing... that these people [the apostles - S.M.], simple, poor, few in number, humble, unlearned, humiliated, speaking an alien language and despised, chosen to correct the entire universe and received the command to turn it to the most difficult things, did this not during the time of peace, but during countless attacks launched against them from everywhere. In every nation and city - what do I say: in the people and city? – in every house they faced a struggle. The doctrine they preached often separated son from father, daughter-in-law from mother-in-law, brother from brother, slave from master, subordinate from boss, husband from wife, wife from husband, father from children; because not everyone suddenly accepted it; this exposed them to daily hostility, continuous struggle, thousands of deaths, and disposed people to treat them as common enemies and enemies. Everyone persecuted them: kings, rulers, commoners, freemen, slaves, peoples and cities; and not only them, but also those who accepted their teaching, but were not yet strong in the faith. There was a general war both against students and against teachers, since this teaching seemed contrary to royal regulations, habit, and paternal customs. (33, p. 374) ...if... in the souls of these people [heretics, anti-Christians - S.M.] there is an inflamed wound, then we... as if giving some gentle sponge some pleasant and healthy water, we will try to calm their inflammation and destroy all arrogance; and even if they insulted, even if they pushed away, even if they spat, or whatever they did, you, beloved, do not stop healing. Those who treat a mad person must endure a lot of this; and, despite all this, one should not retreat, but therefore it is especially necessary to lament for them and cry, because this is the nature of their illness. (23, pp. 312–313) ...if the enemies of truth cannot get enough of blasphemies against the Benefactor [the Lord God - S.M.], how much more should we be insatiable in glorifying the God of all things. (34, p. 379) ...Christians are forbidden, especially before everyone else, to correct those who fall into sins by force. External (pagan) judges, putting criminals on trial according to the laws, show great power over them and hold them against their will from their skills; and here the sinner must be corrected not by violence, but by conviction. And the laws do not give us such power to restrain sinners; and even if it were given, we could not use this power, since God rewards those who abstain from vices of their own free will, and not under compulsion. Therefore, a lot of art is required in order for the afflicted to be convinced to voluntarily undergo healing from the priests, and even to thank them for the healing. (16, p. 264) ...while some of those who believed were imprisoned, others were sent into exile, others were deprived of their property, others were killed and dissected, burned, drowned and subjected to all kinds of torment, mocked and driven out from everywhere, as if common enemies, new confessors appeared in greater numbers, who, looking at the suffering of others, not only did not cool down to the faith, but they strove even more willingly and better for this wonderful catch, and were caught not by coercion, not by violence, but by running themselves and expressing gratitude to those who brought them to Christ; looking at the streams of blood of believers, they became more ardent towards faith and more courageous; and while not only the disciples, but also the teachers, some were imprisoned, others were expelled, others were scourged, and endured countless other torments, the number of believers multiplied and their zeal increased. (33, p. 375) ...in the beginning and in the first times (of the Church) there were many such, and even now there are those who are hated for their piety and expelled from their fathers’ homes; however, they do not pay attention to this, finding themselves sufficient consolation in the fact that they endure this for Christ. (38, p. 405) You are a servant of the God of peace; He, who cast out demons and performed many good deeds, when they called Him demonic, did not send down lightning, did not strike the slanderers, did not burn the tongue of such a shameless and ungrateful person, although he could have done all this, but only rejected the reproach, saying: “I have no demon; but I honor My Father (John 8:49). And when the servant of the high priest struck Him, what did He say? If I said something bad, show what is bad; What if it’s good that you beat Me? (John 18:23). If the Lord of Angels answers and justifies himself before the slave, then there is no need to say more. Keep only these words in your mind, repeat them often and say: if I said something bad, show what is bad; What if it’s good that you beat Me? Imagine who says this, to whom he says it and why, and these words will become for you a kind of divine and unceasing chorus, which will be able to calm down all irritation; imagine the dignity of the Offended, the insignificance of the offender, the excessiveness of the insult. The slave not only reviled, but also hit, and not just hit, but on the cheek; there is nothing more blasphemous than such a blow; however, the Lord endured everything so that you could learn humility in the best possible way. (22, p. 307) ...all together we ask our brothers [lost, fallen away - S.M.] to return to us, love the world, abandon unreasonable stubbornness and, leaving unimportant things unattended, be imbued with sublime and important thoughts, and free ourselves from observing the days, so that we can all unanimously, with one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ... (36, p. 396) The martyrs, being exposed to suffering, not only did not become faint-hearted, not only did not grieve, but rejoiced, triumphed, and rejoiced. And Paul says about this that they accepted the plunder of your property with joy (Heb. 10:33); and Luke tells about the teachers in the book of Acts that they joyfully returned from the Sanhedrin, having been deemed worthy to accept dishonor for the name of Christ (Acts 5:41). And Paul also says about himself: Now I rejoice in my sufferings for you and fill up in my flesh what is lacking in the tribulations of Christ for His Body (Col. 1:24). And what is surprising if he rejoiced in the midst of suffering, when, preparing to endure death, he not only rejoiced, but also called on his disciples to participate in his joy, which is characteristic of an extremely rejoicing soul. (33, p. 375) ...The apostles, having accepted the beatings, left the Sanhedrin rejoicing (Acts 5:41), although these are not the natural consequences of beatings; for they usually produce not pleasure and joy, but sorrow and suffering. This is not the natural effect of beatings, but faith in Christ is such that it overcomes even the nature of things. If beatings for Christ brought pleasure, then what is surprising if tears for Him produce the same? Therefore, He calls the very path that He called narrow and sorrowful, then a good yoke and a light burden (see Matt. 7:13,9,30). This feat is so difficult by its nature, but due to the jealousy and good hopes of those who perform it, it becomes very easy. Therefore, one can see that those who choose it walk along the narrow and sorrowful path with greater cheerfulness than along the broad and spacious one, not because they do not encounter sorrows, but because they are above these sorrows and do not suffer from them anything that others usually endure. (12, p. 237) When compiling this book, the Complete Works of John Chrysostom in 4 books was used. – St. John Chrysostom. Complete collection of works in 12 volumes. T. 1–3. Mn.: Harvest, 2005 – 1488 p. The following passages from Holy Scripture, belonging to two prophets, St. John cites under the name of one prophet Micah.