To the words spoken by the Lord: “You will be in a world of sorrow” (John 16:33), and about what a person must be perfect

Our Master and Lord Jesus Christ, wanting the human race to be saved and delivered from the dominion of the devil, so that we would be freed from all worldly bonds, escape Gehenna and reach the Heavenly Kingdom, and Himself and through His holy apostles and prophets forewarns of hardships and sorrow in this age, and teaches us not to seek rest for ourselves in the present, saying: “You will be in a world of sorrow” ( John 16:33). Likewise, the apostles say that “through much tribulation we must enter into the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). For this purpose, the sorrows and sufferings of all the saints, as well as His own sufferings of the economic incarnation, which He endured for us sinners, conveyed to us in writing, in order to teach us that it is impossible for anyone who wants to be saved to spend a real life in peace or to be in this world without temptations and sorrows, because no one can escape punishment, nor achieve the Kingdom and enjoy eternal blessings without temptations and sorrows. Note, beloved: no one can reap in the summer unless he sows in the winter; no one can glean the grapes and rejoice with the wine of the grapes unless he has first, after much labor, planted vines and expected their fruit in due season. But the same will happen to us in this world, if we do not renounce carnal passions, the carnal way of thinking and everything earthly, if we do not humble, mortify and enslave ourselves along with the world, and act according to the teachings of the Apostle, as he says: “in patience, in sorrows, in troubles, in distress (oppression) ... in labor and in struggle ... in their vigils... in hunger and thirst, in fasting, in winter and nakedness” (2 Cor. 6:4–5; 11:27). And I list all this now in part, for there is not enough time if anyone wanted to describe all the sufferings and sorrows of the apostle, sea wanderings, shipwrecks, difficult and dangerous journeys, attacks of robbers, slander of relatives, uprisings of false brothers, the fact that he was weak every day with the weak, “and all the days” he died (1 Cor. 15:31). He described all this, as if speaking about others, but at the same time depicting to us his own suffering and exhorting everyone to patiently achieve eternal life, making it clear that it is impossible for anyone who wants to be saved to walk any other way. The apostle spent almost all his time in sorrows and temptations. But we, the poor, cannot endure even a small sorrow and, spending our lives in peace and luxury, we hope to acquire eternal blessings. How is this possible? If those who wish to acquire earthly wealth endure every danger and misfortune, how much more do we, who want to acquire heavenly wealth and enjoy everlasting joys, be obliged to put every difficult task and every danger at nothing and to dare temptations. For if we do not willingly, with a heartfelt desire, endure every labor, we do not sow tears with tenderness and a contrite heart, then how, without weeping here, will we begin to reap there, or how will we find the “handles” of virtues in joy? The Prophet said not just about anyone that he would gladly take up “his hands,” but only about those who sow “with tears” (Ps. 125:5-6), that is, about those who in real life humble themselves, and with tenderness, with tears, with a contrite heart, beseech the Lord, and with gratitude endure all sorrow and distress. They will enjoy eternal life, and will rest in joy in the age of eternity. For not only has God prepared so many good things for everyone, but for those who keep His commandments and walk in His commandments. And He threatens Gehenna and other torments not in vain, but only to those who transgress His commandments, are enslaved by carnal passions and do every devilish work, have cast off the fear of God, and do not at all expect the future. Such will be given over to torment. Therefore, how can we avoid eternal fire, pitch darkness, the gnashing of teeth, the never-ending worm and all the other torments announced to us, spending our days in peace, in luxury, in laziness, in relaxation, in negligence, and deigning to inappropriate, vain, unclean and vile thoughts? How can we avoid eternal crying, spending all the time of our lives in constant laughter and indifference? The Lord, calling those who laugh unhappy and pleasing those who weep, said: “Woe to you who laugh now: for you will mourn and weep” (Luke 6:25). “Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). So, while there is still time, let us turn to God with all our hearts and with weeping, with tenderness and with a contrite heart we will beseech the Lord, as the prophet says: “Come, let us worship and fall down before Him, and let us mourn before the Lord who made us” (Ps. 95:6), so that He will deliver us from all these evils and make His Heavenly Kingdom worthy. Yes, beloved, let us fall to Him with tears, relentlessly asking for the salvation of our souls. Tears are useful here; they extinguish the sinful flame. While we are still here and turn to Him, He accepts us, and allows us to come to Him, and saves us, and honors us with His eternal blessings. And there he no longer accepts it; there is justice and reward for deeds. Only now are the waters of tears effective, and then fire will tempt human deeds. Here it is beneficial to humble yourself and cry, but there, for those who have left here, tears will be useless; We will sigh bitterly and gnash our teeth, and there will be no one who will have mercy on us. What will I do, careless, relaxed and lazy, who say this, and listen, and try to inspire others, while I myself follow all the carnal wisdom and are enslaved to evil thoughts? Alas, alas, soul, why are you careless about your salvation? Why did you give yourself up to vanity and bind yourself to earthly affairs, not thinking about the fact that you must appear at the Last Judgment. Bring to your mind the terrible coming of the Lord, which will make the Judgment Seat tremble, and the river of fire. For it is said: “A river of fire flows forth before Him: thousands of thousands serve Him, and ten thousand stand before Him” (Dan. 7:10). There we will be punished not only for deeds, but also “for the thoughts and thoughts of the heart” (Gen. 6:5); there all naked and declared; there it is impossible to find an intercessor or give gifts. Tell me, where will we hide our thoughts, words and deeds when the saints are crowned? They were sorrowful and persecuted in this century, endured all kinds of labor, fasting, vigils, cold, nakedness, immersion in waters, endured thousands of sorrows and needs, wandered in deserts, mountains, dens and earthly abysses, were deprived of everything temporary, suffered bitterness; they once denied themselves and, taking up their cross, followed the Lord, not thinking at all about earthly things; they, while living on earth, acquired residence in heaven; all day they were put to death for Christ; and they will enjoy eternal life, they will be worthy of the crown of incorruption. And I, and those like me who live in this age, will be condemned and sent to all these torments. So, why are we negligent? Why are we lazy and bind ourselves to vain and temporary affairs? What benefit will it bring us to possess anything in this age, and will it not further serve to our condemnation? What will human glory bring us? Isn’t it promised to burn like hay, as the prophet clearly cries: “All the glory of man is like the flower of grass” (Is. 40:6). Why do we follow deceptive thoughts and not free ourselves from worldly bonds and deceptive thoughts? And if only evil extended so far! Because this is already a crime, it serves as an obstacle to the fulfillment of God’s commandments and a sign of unbelief, as the Lord says: “What good does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul?” (Mark 8:36). And in another place he says: “How can you believe that you accept glory from one another, and do not seek glory that is from the One God?” (John 5:44). And also, prescribing to us non-covetousness and wanting to free us from material things, he said: “Do not worry about your soul, what you eat or what you drink, nor about your body, what you put on,” and presented us with proof, saying: “Does not the soul eat food, and the body clothing?” (Matthew 6:25). And again, pointing us to a clear example of birds and hay, he said: “Look at the birds of the air, how they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns, but your heavenly Father feeds them. Don’t you eat them better?” (Matthew 6:26). And again: “Look at the villagers, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin. I say to you, that Solomon was clothed with all his glory, as if he were one of these. Even if the hay is sown, today and in the morning it is swept into the oven, God clothes it like that, isn’t it much more than you, you of little faith!” (Matthew 6:28–30). Therefore, as I said, it is a sign of unbelief to bind oneself to these earthly things. And if only our guilt extended to this! Now we impose upon ourselves the most terrible disasters, we intensify our committing crimes, we invent thousands of bad deeds and various deceits, spending our lives in malice, in hatred, in hypocrisy, in deceit, in vanity, in pride; we slander, we hate, and we do many similar things, biting and eating our own members. And what’s even worse, having the listed vices in ourselves, we often become judges of others, and instead of mourning our sins, we are curious about the sins of others and, leaving whole logs without attention, being blind to see our own vices, we see the slightest bitch among the brethren, not presenting before our eyes either the fear of God or the threat that is declared to those who condemn. For the Lord said: “Judge not, lest ye be judged; for by the same judgment ye judge, it will be judged unto you: and ye mete according to the least measure, and it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:1-2). Let us sober up, beloved, and let us not make ourselves guilty of the judgment and the condemnation that is imposed by the Lord on those who judge untimely and on those who condemn unjustly. And since the Lord also commands: “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44), then we should cry, because we have so departed from the commandments of God, and we boast that we have succeeded in the most important things, while we are very far from the disposition to love our enemies, and we even turn away and hate those who love us. For when we slander those who have not done us any harm, and seek out something from them to damage their glory, then all this shows us as very hateful and hostile people. Think about what kind of atrocity it will be proof of - to slander not only someone who has not done you any harm, but even someone who has done you a favor? Therefore, what basis will we have for justification when we act completely contrary to the commandments of the Lord? The Lord legitimizes love everywhere, for he says: “Love one another as you have loved” (John 13:34). So, we are filled with hatred, and the deception of the world brings us to this, because the root of passions, that is, the love of money, has become stronger in us. And together with covetousness it is impossible to have love. And how can this be? Whoever sticks to money hates his brother, trying to take something away from him: either he seizes his field for himself, or tries to take away his neighbor’s house, or his oxen, or his cattle, or everything that he has, and sometimes he often tries to take away his very life. So, brethren, let us destroy in ourselves the love of money, the root of all evil, and plant in ourselves love, the mother of all virtues. For the apostle, counting the spiritual fruits, and wanting to show that the greatest gift is love, said: “The fruit of the spiritual is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control” (Gal. 5:22). And he also says: “Now remain faith, hope, and these three loves: greater than these are loves” (1 Cor. 13:13); for, as he said, “they will all be abolished” (1 Cor. 13:8) “... even the Gentiles ... even the prophecies,” even faith and hope; but love, according to his word, endures forever. On the other hand, what are the carnal wisdom generated by the love of money? The Apostle answers: “fornication, uncleanness, adultery, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, zeal, envy, wrath, incitement, strife,” (temptations), “heresies, envy, murder, drunkenness, cries of disorder and the like” (Gal. 5:19–21). And the apostle threatens those who do this with the deprivation of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, beloved, let us avoid these evil deeds inspired by the love of money, so as not to lose the Kingdom. Let us throw off the heavy burden of worldly labors and bow under the good yoke of the Lord, let us bear this light burden and approach the Lord with a pure heart - may He give us rest forever and ever. For He Himself said: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28–29). The care of this world will not bring you any benefit; on the contrary, it will serve more to condemnation and will prepare Gehenna for you. No one can be saved by loving gold. Because of this evil lust, Judas betrayed the Lord and hanged himself. From him, Gehazi became a leper, not listening to the prophet Elisha, and, wanting Naaman’s money, inherited Naaman’s leprosy, as a sign of his sins. From him the people of Judah turned to wickedness and idolized the molten calf. From him, Ananias and Sapphira suffered sudden death, having hidden “from the price of the village” (Acts 5:3). For his sake, lies are confirmed and truth is stated; For his sake, deceit is plotted; for his sake envy increases and malice increases; for his sake they plot wars, unjust murders and bloodshed against each other. And why describe all the bad things that arise from this bitter root, when because of it our Master and Lord Himself, Jesus Christ, was sold? So, let us not follow this lust, so as not to fall into the vices listed above. For it has been proven that the love of money is the inventor of all sin, “for which there is no one who desires it, leading astray from the faith, and causing oneself to suffer many illnesses,” as the apostle said (1 Tim. 6:10). For people bound by everyday concerns to do this, to strive for this for the sake of their wife or children, who are often enduring unbearable need, is still somewhat excusable, at least in front of people; but we, who are considered to have crucified ourselves, who have put upon ourselves the angelic image and are obliged to imitate the angelic life, who have accepted the commandment to despise all the vanity of the world, we, having despised the heavenly life even more than these people, that is, worldly people, whom we call worldly, are attached to material things and, leaving heaven, cleave to the earth and bind ourselves to worldly amusements. And what justification will we have on the Day of Judgment, having withdrawn from worldly concerns, leaving relatives, brothers, sisters, home, servants and other concerns, we who again, because of this evil root, forgetting our vows, return to the same thing and pursue this, as it was said, more than worldly people, and as a result of this we fall into the listed vicious passions, invent slander, worry about food and peace, and in many ways Let us hasten to enter the fiery furnace and acquire eternal fire for ourselves? The Lord said, “There is a narrow gate, and a strait path you bring into the belly” (Matthew 7:14); and we, leaving this path, set off into the breadth of destruction. And although He also said: “You will be sorrowful in the world,” yet we strive for peace. So, how can we justify ourselves before Him who legitimized this for us? What shall we say to Him on the Day of Judgment? Shall we show concern for our affairs? But He said in advance that it is of no use to a person, “even if he gains the whole world, he loses his soul!” or what will a man give for his soul? (Matthew 16:26). What benefit will temporary peace bring us? Will not the darkness, the never-ending worm, the gnashing of teeth prepare for us, will it place us along with the fornicators and all those who live indecently? From the inappropriateness of this luxury and from peace, it is necessary for us to fall into thoughts of intemperance. Just as fire cannot burn without wood or other combustible substance, so our weak, evil flesh, if not burdened with satiety, is not inflamed by lust, but is calm and submissive to the will of the Lord. That is why the saints hated any temporary rest and did not stop attention on anything worldly, but spent all the time of their lives in close quarters, in fasting, vigils, and were strict with themselves in everything else. For this they were honored with the Kingdom of Heaven and were laid to rest forever and ever. So, I beg you, we too will be imitators of them, zealous of their virtues, that is, love, love of God and love of neighbor, humility, meekness, self-control, patience, prayer, non-covetousness, gentleness, lack of anger, unforgettable malice, serenity, simplicity, lack of vanity, steadfastness of morals, peace of mind, unslothful exercise in prayer and in every good deed, readiness for every danger and temptation, condescension, compassion, so that for all these wonderful deeds we, too, can enjoy eternal blessings. Yes, beloved, yes, fathers and brothers, let us not be careless; Let us try to free ourselves from worldly bonds, so that the Savior will crown us together with the saints who have fought well and are now fighting. Let us renounce all carnal wisdom, because it makes us enemies of God, for it is said: “Because of the wisdom of the flesh, enmity against God is not punished by the law of God” (Rom. 8:7). Let us hate worldly affection. David, praying, said: “The sorrows of my heart have increased, deliver me from my needs” (Ps. 24:17); He said this when Saul, favored by him and, by the grace of God, delivered from foreigners, did not cease to persecute him and seek his death, not seeing anything bad from him, but obsessed only with terrible envy. What should he have said when Shimei cursed him, destroyed him and threw stones at him? Or when the one descended from him pursued him and hastened to kill him, when he dared to do the most wicked thing and, to the humiliation of his father, went on a rage against his wives? What painful sorrows these are! But David endured all this for the sake of eternal life, and said: “Being patient, he endured the Lord, and listened to me, and heard my prayer” (Ps. 39:1). Therefore, he was glorified above all people, called the Father of Christ according to the economy of the incarnation from the Holy Virgin and the incarnation of the Savior, and, having spent the entire time of his life in sorrow, he became the heir of the Heavenly Kingdom. Who is able to depict the life of blessed Elijah? For he lived on earth in such a way that even before his transmigration he was considered to live in heaven, cohabiting with the disembodied Angels. He had no acquisitions on earth at all, he covered himself with only a mantle, and was terrible for those dressed in a diadem and scarlet robe not because of his physical strength, but by the power of non-covetousness and abstinence, by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit, which he acquired through his wonderful life. He, who had nothing and possessed everything, renounced all peace in this age and divided the river with his command, ordered the sky not to give rain to the earth for three years and six months, avoided all the vain glory of this age, extinguished the sinful flame with the dew of abstinence, never had carnal thoughts, denounced the harm of false prophets, slain the priests of Baal three times who commanded fire to come down from heaven, who burned the infidels, who exposed the king in corruption, who had so much boldness and freedom in speech, who bound the clouds - he, such a great man, lived on earth not without sorrows and temptations, but after performing so many miracles, frightened by his wife, he became a fugitive and a wanderer, and was forced to complete a forty-day journey, fasting; but even after this he did not receive peace, and again another temptation befell him - the death of the widow's son. For when the blessed wife, expecting to receive a blessing from the prophet as a reward for the goodness of hospitable love, saw that her son had died, and she received what was most painful for her - the death of her son, in whom she hoped to have consolation in life; She lost her son after the coming of the prophet. Then what grief was there for the prophet! What a loss of strength! The woman demands her son from him, and the cloud binder himself is brought into a tight position by this woman demanding her son. Therefore, finding no peace from her, she hugs the boy three times, placing her lips on his lips, and after intense prayer to God he gives the boy to his mother, raising him from the dead, because fasting and non-covetousness were his collaborators. You see, brethren, the power of non-covetousness and abstinence, how they resolved the bonds of death, gave life to the youth, saved the prophet from temptations and dangers, and made him rise to the Lord on a chariot of fire, undamaged by fire. Since his life was watered by abstinence, purity and God's grace, then, because of these and other virtues, while still in the flesh, he lived with the disembodied Angels. So we too will try to acquire rich acquisition (acquisition) - abstinence and non-covetousness, and God will present us from corruptible life to imperishable and eternal life. The prophet Jeremiah was sanctified while still in his mother’s womb, because God said to him: Before I could create you in the womb, I knew you, and before I could bring you out of the womb that sanctified you (Jer. 1:5). God gave him the power to uproot and destroy, destroy and destroy, and also to build and plant (Jer. 1:10); and now it is revealed that even with all this, he did not spend his real life without sorrows; one might even say that no one else lived such a sad and sorrowful life, which is why he wrote such a book of lamentation. And if we need to learn in contrition of heart how to live pleasingly to God, then we are obliged to imitate his life and portray it in ourselves, because this blessed one acquired great humility and love for God and neighbor. Who will have the strength to rise to such a vastness of virtues and describe it in a worthy manner? His faith also conquered human nature, because he renounced all glory. And the humility of the Lord, which He showed for the sake of us sinners, for the sake of our poverty this is rich (2 Cor. 8:9), when He, the Lord and God of all, deigned to take on the form of a servant; sitting on the Cherubim and constantly praised by the entire Angelic and Archangelic army, he lived with people - this very humility was predicted to us by Jeremiah, expressing it not only in words, but also in deeds. When God entrusted him with the prophetic office, then he said: Lord, behold, we do not know how to say that I am a child (Jer. 1:6), considering himself unworthy of the prophetic office, because he did not shy away from work, but was devoted to humility. Therefore, God, in response to his words: “I do not know how to say, for I am a child,” accepting his humility and inciting him to greater zeal, said: “Do not say, because I am a child, for you will go to everyone to whom I will send you” (Jer. 1:7). And this blessed one, so obedient to God, did not spend a single hour on earth without temptations and dangers, but always grieved, seeing that his loved ones lived with such impunity, turned away from God who created them, and said to him: Do not prophesy in the name of the Lord (Jer. 11:21). And, enduring thousands of sorrows from them, Jeremiah did not remember the evil against them and did not stop praying and asking God for their salvation, so God said to him: Do not pray for these people and do not ask to be shown mercy to them (Jer. 7:16). They dragged such and such a blessed one, who prayed like that, to overthrow him headlong (upside down) and scatter his brains; and besides this, they rushed him headlong into a muddy ditch to destroy his life. And he endured all this, out of trust in God, giving no rest to his flesh and gaining nothing for himself on earth, for God commanded him to acquire a linen girdle (belt), but he was forced to hide it in a cleft near the Euphrates, and then take it from there already rotten, to signify the weakening of the strong in Israel. They also placed wooden burdens on him, and he was forced to endure every sorrow in the hope of eternal blessings. But in order not to write too much to us, who are not able to say anything worthy of them about the saints, I will pass over everything else in silence. For all the saints were tested by these struggles, spending all the time of their lives in temptations. The prophet Isaiah spent three years naked and barefoot. This great herald of the Savior’s economy, who was worthy to see the Lord over the Cherubim, who preached to us the remission of our sins for the sake of the immortal Flesh of the Lord Christ, says with all humility: “Oh, accursed one, for I am touched... having unclean lips, among men who have unclean lips, I live: and the King I saw the Lord of hosts before my eyes" (Is. 6:5). Therefore, God, seeing his humility, showed him the power of terrible mysteries: “And he was sent to me,” he says, “one of the Seraphim... named a burning coal, which was taken from the altar with pincers, and I touched my mouth and said: Behold, I will touch this with your mouth, and it will take away... from you... your sins” (Is. 6:7). So, let's see if this glorious man, who was honored to see the unexplored (incomprehensible), saw peace in this world, and didn’t he spend the entire time of his life in dangers and temptations? But he who walked naked and without shoes, and sawed through with a wooden saw - what kind of rest could he see in real life? He endured this in order to achieve a carefree and painless life, which he proclaimed the future life, from where “sickness and sorrow and sighing will flee” (Is. 35:10). And here, willingly enduring sorrows and disappointments, he achieved a painless and carefree life. What would another say about those who lived after him? Daniel, who spent time in fasting and prayer, for these virtues and for the terrible interpretation of the dream, was thrown into the lion's den, and suffered thousands of disasters for the sake of the bliss prepared in heaven, which is why he saw the future Judgment. “In vain,” he says, “until now the thrones have been set up, and the Ancient One is gray, and His clothes are as white as snow, and the hair of His head is like a clean wave, His throne is a flame of fire, His wheels are scorching with fire. A river of fire flows continually before Him: a thousand thousand serve Him... the judgment is seated, and the books are opened” (Dan.7:9-10). Then he says: “I saw in a dream at night, and behold, on the clouds of heaven, the Son of man came and even before the Ancient One came and was brought before Him: and to Him was given power and honor, and a kingdom, and all people, nations and nations will work for Him: His power is everlasting power, even though it will not pass away... My spirit is thrilled in my state, I Daniel, and the vision of my head troubled me” (Dan. 7:13-15). So this pure one did not stay on earth without temptations and sorrows. And we expect the Kingdom and the blessings prepared in it without labor and other troubles in life. Who will praise us for this way of thinking? If it were possible to receive the Kingdom without sorrows, without temptations, without patient efforts in other virtues, then why did God allow the saints to endure so many dangers, temptations and hardships, and did not allow everyone to live in self-will and luxury? If we reason like this, then some of the infidels, seeing that we are holding such thoughts, will say: “So our God was angry with the saints. For if it is possible to reign in heaven without sorrows and temptations, then why did He leave them in troubles, in hardships, in dangers and in manifold temptations?” What great fearlessness! What great negligence! What great tenderness! What bitterness! We should cry about the hardness of our hearts and the fact that we are so far from the hope and patience of the saints. But we, on the contrary, often still condemn those who live righteously for their great modesty, humility, non-covetousness and other virtues, and such courage in patience is often called deviation from order and weakness of spirit, and we accuse them of laziness. What will we do, who ourselves are vulnerable to so many evils and, in the words of Solomon, “we can show not a single sign of virtue, but in our malice” our life ends? (Wis.5:13). The saints, for the sake of God, and in order to enjoy eternal blessings, have endured so many temptations and dangers, but we, seeing the Lord’s blessings on ourselves every day, indulge in laziness. And this is with us because we do not expect the future Terrible and Unbearable Judgment, which will be one, as time will show; We do not desire to enjoy eternal blessings, but have clung to earthly and vain everyday activities, which are not at all useful to us, but, on the contrary, bring extreme harm. So, let us sober up, beloved, and embark on the feat while there is time. So the three youths flourished and did not stop singing songs to God, but even in the midst of the fire, as in a house of prayer, they continued to do the same, performing the feat of patience and, giving thanks, glorified God with songs, for whose sake they were cast into the fire. Do you see the gratitude of the saints? Do you see their love for God and adamantine (as strong as diamond) patience? What did the Lord do? The fact that these saints, thrown into fire, which destroys stones, iron and all substances, came out of it like a bridegroom from the bridal chamber; for “the stench of fire was not in them” (Dan. 3:44), but water watered the hair of their heads. All this, however, was acquired by abstinence and non-covetousness, for in abstinence (before the Babylonian oven) they turned out to be conquerors of natural food and extinguished the flame of sin, kindled by carnal desires, and having acquired non-covetousness, they acquired the Kingdom of Heaven; and here they are honored by the king with worship, and there they enjoy eternal life. Therefore, we, beloved, will be jealous of their virtues and will follow their path in order to enter into their rest. What do I intend to say about the saints who labored in the Old Testament, about whom the apostle spoke; “The whole world is not worthy of them!” (Heb.11:38). Not that they acquired great wealth, lived luxuriously and rested in this life, but that “they walked in sheepskins (and) in goatskins, deprived, mourning... wandering” (Heb. 11:37-38); “Whoever by faith has overcome the kingdom... has received” God’s “promises” (Heb. 11:33). You see, brethren, that none of the saints went through life here without sorrows and temptations. How can we, having not endured anything like this, but being in the peace and pleasures of this age, be worthy of part of them? It is not here that God promised to grant us peace and His Kingdom, for this age has appointed us to be a school, a place of trial and achievement, as the courageous Job says: “temptation... the life of man on earth” (Job 7:1). Therefore, let us not lose heart when grief and sorrow befall us, but on the contrary, let us rejoice that we are walking the path of the saints. For our Lord Jesus Christ, the Giver of our life, completed His entire economy in the flesh through suffering. He, the Lord of all, took upon Himself the form of a slave: “he is rich,” but he became poor, suffered hunger, thirst, labor, and fatigue on the way; The Creator of all things and the Lord did not have where to “bow his head” (Matthew 8:20). He Whom every creature of heaven, earth and hell, held under the power of the devil, trembles, He who gave us the power to trample upon the devil, He was pleased to continue fasting for forty days and forty nights, and then be tempted by the devil. Did the Impassive One need to fast? Should the rest of all workers have to be bothered? Why did the abundant Source thirst, turning water into wine, flowing rivers of living waters from the wombs of those who believe in Him? Of course, He wants to show us by this an example and a model of life, so that, by practicing the same, we will get rid of the malice of the devil and achieve the eternal Kingdom of Christ. That is why He suffered, reproached, slandered, spat upon, struck on the cheek, scourged, crowned with thorns, receiving a reed in His hand, clothed in purple, strangled, receiving all kinds of reproach and ridicule, crucified, drunk on oil and gall, pierced in the side with a spear, imputed with the wicked. The Lord endured all this for our sake, the Long-Suffering One endured all this for the sake of our salvation. So, what shall we give back to the Lord, who has shown so much love for us sinners? He does not demand reward from us, but only wants us to take care of our own salvation. So the apostles, following the instructions of the Savior, endured all sorts of sorrow and distress, persecuted, persecuted, oppressed, insulted, humiliated, subjected to spitting, constantly driven out from one place to another, in a word, not finding peace for themselves, but having death before their eyes and hourly expecting it, and, on top of this, exhausting their bodies with fasting, vigils, thirst, nakedness, labor, dangers and journeys, in order to prepare for himself and for us eternal life. For God clearly shows that there is no rest on earth for those who wish to be saved, because the reward is not given without labor, and each of us will receive his reward according to his labor. Following in their footsteps, the victorious martyrs, having gone through various temptations, melted in torment, like gold in a furnace, are adorned with a crown of incorruptibility; scourged, twisted, planed, cruelly ulcerated under blows, bound, thrown into prison. Princes and kings gave them over to be devoured by beasts, betrayed them to omnivorous and strong fire, threw them into river streams, drowned them in the sea, tied to wheels, crushed their venerable and tender members. Yet the saints overcame this not by bodily strength, because they had the same corruptible body that we have, but, strengthened by the hope of future blessings, they endured everything courageously, not in the least led into temptation by carnal thoughts, not succumbing to caresses, not deceived by temporary glory and vain wealth, but, undoubtedly placing all their trust in the Lord, trampled all the machinations of the devil and appeared as the Lord's martyrs, giving good confession before men. So we, beloved, although now is not the time for martyrdom, will become martyrs in conscience, resisting the devil’s plans with humility, patience, love for God and neighbor, pleasing one another for God’s sake, in fulfillment of the Savior’s commandment, which He spoke: “Greater than this love no one can have, but whoever lays down his life” (John 15:13). So, if we are commanded to lay down our lives for one another, how much more must we show each other obedience and submission in order to become imitators of the Lord. And He was the first to show obedience in deed and word: “having obeyed the Father even to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8), and He also laid down His soul according to His characteristic love for mankind, and at the same time for us, who were not His friends, but His enemies. He reconciled us, His enemies because of our sins and lusts, with His death to the Father, “having destroyed the handwriting against us” (Col. 2:14). But we, who are obliged to follow Him, and having received the command to keep His commandments, do not keep them. He Himself fulfilled it first, and then taught it; and we do not even show the slightest obedience to each other, but are all enslaved to the most contradictions and disobedience, and do not obey anyone, but the Lord Christ Himself. For when we contradict our fathers, who offer saving instructions for us and are ready to lay down their lives for us, then we are not resisting Christ Himself, who said: “Listen to you, He listens to Me... reject Me, the One who sent Me will be rejected” (Luke 10:16). Therefore, how will He honor those who have cast away the Creator of us with the Kingdom, and not even more so judge and punish us, because we thus pervert His commandments, we do not want to see how dangerous disobedience is, and we do not recognize the benefits of obedience and the fact that disobedience produces death, and obedience brings eternal life. So, beloved, let us make an effort to achieve this wonderful obedience and to be able to inherit eternal life, and not make ourselves guilty of death for disobedience and disobedience, but having the fear of the Lord, let us obey the instructions of the Apostle when he says: “submitting to one another in the passion of God” (Eph. 5:21), “being diligent to preserve the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” ( Eph.4:3), because peace is the foundation of every good hope; the world is death, death, lamentation to the devil, consumption by demons. Let us seek peace, let us rush after it; this is Christ, as the apostle says: Christ “is our peace, having made both one and the middle wall of the fence” (Eph. 2:14), “and came to bring good news to peace... to those far and near” (Eph. 2:17). Let us try, beloved, to hold on to this world, and let us resist the enemy, that is, the devil, and make war against him, taking upon ourselves the strong weapons of our abstinence, that is, first of all, right faith, hope of future blessings and unfeigned love. With these three spiritual weapons we will overthrow the three crafty tricks of the enemy, that is, oblivion, ignorance and laziness. For these are three of his crafty and subtle inventions; With these three forces he plunges the human race into destruction, especially those who listen to his crafty advice. These three intrigues of his are more harmful than all his inventions, because they creep into us very subtly and imperceptibly, and we do not think that we are doing something bad by indulging in these vices. Suppose that another encounters a lion or a bear, the most ferocious animals, and is killed by them, because they are huge and strong; and the other will attack a snake, or a spider, or a scorpion, and from the action of a poisonous beast will suffer the same death as the one who meets the greatest of the beasts. Likewise, one who is given over to drunkenness, gluttony, fornication and other passions is subject to spiritual death from these great and evil passions, and if someone is possessed by ignorance or overcome by laziness, by such apparently most unimportant shortcomings, falling into which we do not even know whether we are committing a sin, then those enslaved by these sins are subject to mental death, just as they are subject to bodily death. For oblivion, misleading our souls, does not allow us to keep God’s commandments in memory, and meanwhile sin, attacking us, takes us captive and removes us from God. Ignorance, stealing love for God in our minds, does not give us any hope for good things, and we, tied by it to earthly and vain things, do not believe the commandments of God and become enemies of God. “Whoever, as it is said, “desires to be a friend of the world, but becomes an enemy of God” (James 4:4). Let us throw off the weight of the world, bear our cross, and follow the Cross of the Lord; we will not deviate from this beautiful path, either to the right or to the left. For this way is Jesus Christ, who speaks; “I am the way and the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Let us therefore walk this narrow and straitened way to enjoy the eternal life that is Christ. Let's go, because all the righteous went to them. That is why the prophet says: “Many are the sorrows of the righteous” (Ps. 33:20). So, if the saints inherit the Kingdom of Heaven after many sorrows, then do we really hope to receive it, despite lawlessness, in peace and luxury, burdened with the burden of worldly activities? Is this possible? Whoever carries a burden (heaviness) along a very narrow and cramped path, it is impossible for him to pass, because the crampedness prevents him. Likewise, one who is burdened with worldly pursuits makes it difficult for himself to achieve the Kingdom of Heaven. And the Lord, explaining the difficulty of salvation to those who are covetous and showing us perfect generosity, said: “How inconvenient it is for those who have wealth to enter the Kingdom of God!” (Mark 10:23). For when the young man approached the Lord, asking about eternal life and saying: “Good Teacher! that I will do good, so that I may have an eternal life" (Matthew 19:16), the Lord said to him: "Keep the commandments: you shall not commit adultery: you shall not kill, you shall not steal, you shall not bear false witness... honor your father and mother" (Mark 10:19). Since the young man said: “I have saved all this from my youth, what have I not yet finished?” (Matthew 19:20), the Lord, wanting to show that he did not keep those commandments to which he pointed, said to him: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor; and have treasure in heaven: and come after Me” (Matthew 19:21). But he, oppressed by the weight of his possessions, bound by his lust and therefore wounded by sadness, did not want to be a follower of the Lord, did not want to acquire heavenly treasure, but “departed in sorrow”; and the evangelist, presenting the reason for this, says: “For I have much gain” (Matthew 19:22). You see, beloved, what successes avarice is an obstacle to. The great estate did not allow the young man to become a follower of the Lord, and even that in which he considered himself successful turned into nothing. Therefore, the Lord also said: “It is more convenient for me to pass through the ears of a needle, before a rich man can be brought into the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). So, why don’t we remove this obstacle from ourselves, take up our cross and follow the Savior, without looking back, like Lot’s wife, who, as an example of unbelief, became a pillar of salt to this day? And the Lord says: “No one lays his hand on his forehead and turns back in vain; he is ruled in the Kingdom of God” (Luke 9:62). Looking back means nothing more than returning to worldly pursuits. What we apparently destroyed, we rebuild through temporary rest, becoming criminals in everything, as the Apostle Paul says: “Even though I have destroyed, yet again I build, I imagine a criminal” (Gal. 2:18). Do we really think that by breaking God’s commandments we will be worthy of the Kingdom, and will not, on the contrary, be condemned to fiery hell? So, beloved, while it is still time for salvation, let us try to put aside all uncleanness and all malice, let us fight the good fight in order to achieve eternal life, to which we were called, for which we made a wonderful confession, taking upon ourselves the image of a shrine. Therefore, let us “walk worthy of the calling... with all humility... enduring one another with love” of our Lord Jesus Christ, and strive to “keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace” (Eph. 4:1-3). Let us not do anything out of rivalry or vanity, and let us not be enslaved to evil passions, that is, gluttony, which is the mother of intemperance. Let none of us imitate Esau, who, having loved the pus of the entrails, sold his birthright, counting his belly for God. For what was sanctified to God, he gave over to gluttony, becoming defiled by it and becoming alien to God. So, let us not be like Esau, who is called by the apostle a fornicator and a defiler, for he says: “There is no one who is a fornicator or a defiler like Esau” (Heb. 12:16). On the contrary, let us be jealous of Jacob’s simple and gentle life in order to inherit salvation with him, for it is said: “Jacob... was a man without guile, living in the house” (Gen. 25:27). Yes, beloved, let us not be careless about our souls, because the soul has no price. Let us willingly endure temptations, all sorrow and hardship; Let us tame the body, enslaving it with strict fasting, all-night vigils, reclining on bare ground, labor, and a generally harsh life, so that our soul is renewed day by day. For the Apostle Paul says: “Even if our outer man decays, yet our inner man is renewed all the days” (2 Cor. 4:16); and again: “For even now our light sorrow... will bring us eternal glory, even though we do not see things that are visible, but things that are unseen: what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal” (2 Cor. 4:17-18). Let us desire to acquire the eternal. Let us bring to our memory the saints; Let us weigh their virtues, and be jealous of them, and with the desire of our souls we will follow in their footsteps. Which of them spent their real life in peace, and not, on the contrary, filled the entire present time of their life with temptations, sorrows and suffering? That is why, as I said earlier, the Lord conveyed their lives to us in writing, not only so that we would marvel at them and praise them, but so that, following the example of their lives, we would also try to acquire a good life. Let us take as an example the firstfruits of the good - Abel, this gentle lamb, who brought gifts pleasing to God, who did not commit any unrighteousness, but through virtue and pleasing God aroused envy towards himself, who was killed by his brother’s hand, who did not have anything in himself that would be worthy of condemnation and could arouse this ungodly anger of his brother. But, as it is said, having aroused envy towards himself through virtue, he suffered death and, having become a prototype of the Lord Christ, rests forever. His parents, the primordial ones, created by the most pure hands of the Creator and God, having tasted the great joys of paradise, disobeyed the commandment of the One who created them, accepted the advice of the seducer and partook of the pleasures of seduction, were thrown out of paradise. You see how much harm peace and joy brought them! They led to the dream of equality with God. For the human race is most incapable of a peaceful life. Sorrow, poverty and various temptations make those who endure them glorious and blessed. Do you want to know in what temptations and sorrows Noah spent his real life? The Scripture says: “But ye have found grace before the Lord God” (Gen. 6:10), so that we may know how those who truly please God have been and are being subjected to temptations and various sorrows, so that they may appear more pure, like gold thrown into a furnace. Who will be able to sufficiently recount the sorrows and temptations of Noah? Among such a multitude of people, Noah alone fulfilled the will of God, but he saw everyone as deviating from God, admonished them, repeatedly exhorting them to convert, but they considered him an idle talker. And when he built the ark, how many reproaches and ridicule did he have? But he was not angry at this, but continued to admonish them. And to endure contempt and hatred from them for so many years, to see that everyone with such desire falls into sins - does this really seem small to you? Who will retell his misfortunes after the onset of the flood, this life of his for a whole year in such cramped conditions, with so many animals, reptiles and birds, this unbearable excitement, this riot of waves, the noise of thunder and water? Is this really considered unimportant? What happened after the flood ended? Who can count these sorrows - to see the complete desolation of the earth and the extermination of the human race? When did he lack reasons to worry or complain? And the foolishness of his son, Ham, when he ridiculed his father’s nakedness - what sorrow! This shameless act touched Noah so much that he condemned the descendants of Ham to slavery. But in order not to prolong the words, I will keep silent about this; If anyone wanted to retell all of Noah’s sorrows, he would not have enough time. But amid all these sorrows, he learned to thank God, without parting with the hope of future blessings. Therefore, the memory of him will be observed (preserved) for endless centuries. What can we say about Patriarch Abram? Many say that he lived in wealth and abundance, more than anyone else, and therefore whoever prays for anything asks for Abram’s blessing and abundance. But if anyone examines his wealth, he will find that he endured sorrows more than anyone else, and spent all the time of his life in temptations. And who can list his sorrows, disasters during travel, dangers in wars? A person who lives piously means to be worth nothing, to leave his land and all his relatives, not to know where he should stop, to move daily from place to place, to wander with danger to himself, and not to have an inheritance on earth for one inch, but to live in tents... And what do I want to say? Whoever expects an inheritance of future benefits must not acquire anything as his property in the present, but be firm in his trust in God, like Abram, who swore to the king with an oath, turning to us the word about non-covetousness, teaching us not to be partial to the world, but to place our hope in God. Therefore, when the king, after victory in the battle, out of gratitude wanted to reward his labors, Abram said: “I will lift up my hand to the Lord Most High, who created heaven and earth, if I will take from all yours from thread to shoe’s belt, so that you should not say that I have made Abram rich” (Gen. 14:22-23). You see that Abram did not desire anything in the present, but, strengthened by hope for the future, he bravely endured temptation. He who did not spare his only begotten, but was ready to slay him, according to God's command, could he wish for himself something temporary? This zealous worker of hospitable love, for this wonderful pillar of creation, treated God as a stranger, and, having become a friend of God, enjoys the blessings that always abid. And we will imitate his faith, courage, love for God, love of hospitable people, so that with him we can enjoy eternal blessings. What will another say about Isaac’s obedience, or who will appease it? When his father led him to sacrifice, he willingly went to death, and therefore became a prototype of the Lord Christ. And we will acquire his obedience, his readiness and, without doubt, we will show obedience to the fathers, so that we too may receive a reward for obedience from the Savior Christ. I don’t even dare to talk about the courageous Job: he endured a whole sea of ​​temptations, without hesitating doubt, courageously endured the whole storm, all the bad weather, all the troubles from the alien, and remained unshakable, like an indestructible rock, took upon himself all the arrows of the evil one and remained unharmed, protecting himself with the shield of faith, and, having courageously overcome and crushed the enemy, he was crowned. When the devil asked him for temptations, and when, after inflicting an unbearable blow on his body, he reaped his wealth, deprived him of all his property and everything else - his house, servants, children and every other property, he heard that God testified to the virtues of the righteous man, and said to him: “Have you listened (to your thoughts) to my servant Job? as there is nothing like this among those who are on earth: man is gentle, true, blameless, godly, shunning all evil... but you declared that you would destroy his property in vain” (Job 2:3). Then the all-evil devil, resorting to great shamelessness, added a word of justification: “skin for skin, and all that a man has will give for his soul” (Job 2:4). You see how the devil unwittingly told the truth that deprivation of the temporary is the salvation of the soul. Job, acquiring the present, acquired not for himself, but for the poor, saying: “But my door is open to everyone who comes” (Job 31:32). “I was the father of the weak... the eye was blind, and the foot was lame” (Job.29:16,15); and “from the shearing... of my lambs the capes of the poor have sinned” (Job 31:20). You see, beloved, he acquired wealth not for himself, but for those in need. Therefore, he was not upset at his loss, but he gives thanks even more, saying: “The Lord gave, the Lord was taken away: as the Lord willed, so it was; Blessed be the name of the Lord forever” (Job 1:21). You see how, in order to save his soul, he neglected everything on earth. For the devil also admitted that the deprivation of property is the salvation of the soul. And if, albeit involuntarily, the devil admitted this, burdening people with the burden of worldly acquisitions, then why do we bind ourselves to them, and not even abandon them in order to gain our souls and improve the Heavenly Kingdom? The Lord said: “And everyone who leaves home, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother... or a village, for My name’s sake, he will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:28); like God’s servant Job, having lost everything temporary and endured every temptation courageously and generously, he again received the present and inherited the kingdom. Let us also follow in the footsteps of those who labored well, let us neglect everything in this age, both pleasant and terrible, so as not to burden ourselves with the burdens of vain wisdom and not to fall under the weight of sins. Otherwise, the Lord, coming, will find us asleep, leading to death, and burdened with overeating, drunkenness and the sorrows of everyday life; and will exclude us from the Kingdom of Heaven, and we will mourn the days of our laziness, our negligence and relaxation: and then no benefit, even the smallest, will bring us this lamentation, these tears, sighs and thousands of offerings, if we begin to send them, saying: “Lord, Lord, open to us” (Matthew 25:11). Then there is no one to open the door; but on the contrary, with a prohibition, inspiring horror, the Lord will say: “We do not know you” (Matthew 25:12), “depart from Me, you workers of iniquity” (Luke 13:27). That is why all the saints walked the narrow path in order to get rid of such a sentence and achieve eternal life. It will be beneficial to retell the life of Moses, and useful to imitate his virtues. The dangers and temptations that he experienced are countless. At birth, his parents threw him into the river; The king's daughter took him and raised him instead of her son. When he left childish concepts and came to a perfect sense, he did not desire either temporary peace, or the vain glory of the Egyptians, or the corruptible wealth that leads to destruction, but, having completely renounced everything, “denying himself to be called a son of the daughters of Pharaoh,” and hating the kingdom and pomp, “desired rather to suffer with the people of God than to have a temporary the sweetness of sin” (Heb. 11:24–25). However, after he showed such valor, he is met with temptations and sorrows; and if anyone wishes to accurately examine the temptations that befell him, he will find that he suffered more sorrows than anyone else. For when he came to perfect sense and acquired the zeal of God, thinking that his fellow tribesmen would understand, one day he saw that one of them was being oppressed by an Egyptian; he killed the Egyptian and delivered the offended; but for this, those who had benefited from him intended to put him to death. And again, when the tribesmen started a quarrel among themselves, and he wanted to persuade them to peace, then one of them, filled with untruth, began to reproach the benefactor as a murderer, saying: “You wanted to kill me, in the same way that you killed the Egyptian yesterday?” ( Ex. 2:14 ). What is more regrettable and painful than this? That is why, living at the royal court and enjoying such peace and such freedom, he became a fugitive and a stranger (stranger), not wanting to have Egyptian wealth and the temporary sin of sweetness, he wanted to be poor in the desert, and decided that it was better to graze the flocks of the pagan Jethro; and having renounced, I will say this, from everything, hating temporary peace and desiring heavenly blessings, a forty-day fast, for which he was honored to see God, “and mouth to mouth,” God spoke to him (Num. 12:8), and from the hand of the Lord he accepted the law, spending his whole life in sorrows. For the Egyptian temptation was severe, but the Israelites were even worse for it: then, grumbling against God, who had been good to them and given manna, they remembered even more about the gluttony of the Egyptians; then they served idols and retreated from God. “And Jacob was satisfied and was satisfied, and his beloved was denied: fat, thick, wide: and forsake God who made him, and depart from God his Savior” (Deut. 32:15). You see, brethren, how they brought about satiety and luxurious life, how they made the Israelites apostates from God and led them to idolatry. Yet this caused Moses grief and grief. For when this ardent lover of God saw that those whom he loved more than his own soul were so ungodly and given over to frenzy, and after these terrible miracles, after traveling by sea, after such God’s intercession and all the good deeds, they turned to idolatry, and, due to peace and a luxurious life, they invent for themselves a fused (made of metal) god; Then the blessed one, upset by such their lawlessness and driven by Divine jealousy, was forced to crush the tables of the law, and ordered those whom he loved so much to arm themselves against each other and, having completed another forty-day fast, accepted the law again. Do you see the benefit of non-covetousness and temptations, how those who endure them become friends of God? What is richer, what is more glorious than this beautiful distinction of non-covetousness? Pharaoh was a king, had a golden chariot, a gold-wrought throne and a crown on his forehead, but he drowned in the Red Sea, and the non-covetous Moses had one rod and a field of grass - and became a guide to the people, brought water out of the stone for them, and brought down manna from the sky. So, we must also compete with their virtues, having taken upon ourselves the angelic image and renounced the world, in order to be worthy of their grace, and with them to enjoy eternal blessings; we must compete with their patience, their modesty, lack of concern for earthly things, humility, meekness, kindness, contrition, purity, and unfeigned love. When God was angry at the wickedness of the Jews and wanted to destroy them, then he said to Moses: “Leave Me, that I may consume... and make you into a great language... and many” (Deut. 9:14). But he who had acquired great love begged God and said: “And now, Lord, even if Thou hast forgiven them their sin, forgive it; lest Thou blot me out of Thy book, Thou hast written it down” (Ex. 32:32). See, beloved, the greatness of unsurpassed love. For the sake of the salvation of the Jews and in their defense, Moses prays to blot him out from God’s book. Such love should be imitated by those who wish to be saved and enjoy future blessings. Whoever has acquired such love is no longer subject to the passions of malice and wickedness, but, living purely and without stumbling, will receive the Kingdom of Heaven. Like Moses, all the prophets inherited eternal life after many sorrows and temptations. Joshua, who studied with Moses and imitated his virtues, was granted the same grace, and was tested by many sorrows and temptations, waging war after war; but more than wars, the people’s crimes caused him grief. And he endured all this out of hope for eternal blessings, out of faith in God and out of love. The judges and prophets who followed him practiced the same feats and endured the same sorrows. For this they were blessed by God and inherited eternal life; not having any gain on earth, but they were always “deprived, sorrowing... wandering in the deserts,” enduring all kinds of sorrow and distress. The apostle said about them: “The whole world is not worthy of them” (Heb. 11:37–38). And who is able to describe the sorrows and temptations of Samuel, those people’s controversy when, having rebelled against Samuel, or better yet against God Himself, the Israelites asked for a king? How much lamentation, how much sorrow does the righteous have when they humiliate him? Therefore, God says: “I will not despise you, but Me” (1 Samuel 8:7). And when the king anointed by him transgressed the commandment of God and saved the foreign king, while God commanded to kill him, how many tears the prophet had, how many sobs! What about King and Prophet David? Do you find that he has at least some hope on earth? For who has lived a more painful and sorrowful life on earth? Who can count David's dangers, sorrows and lamentations? Only those who have worked well in studying the Scriptures, and have read the book of Psalms with good understanding, only they know that the righteous man never lacked reasons for crying: sometimes he wet his bed with tears; sometimes he said: “My tears were my bread day and night” (Ps. 41:4); sometimes he forgot about eating food: “as if I forgot,” he says, “to take away my bread” (Ps. 101:5) “... and dissolved my drink with weeping” ( Ps. 101:10). But why should I tell those sorrows that are described in his psalms? The laziness that burdens us does not allow us to raise our eyes to the contemplation of what is most perfect, but it certainly drags us into hell and forces us to walk the widest path of destruction. Therefore, beloved, so that the enemy does not overthrow us through oblivion, ignorance and laziness, and send us down to hell, let us resist “the stronghold of faith” (1 Peter 5:9), and the shameless serpent will flee from us in shame. Nothing overcomes and overthrows him more than humility, obedience, humility and sincere love. These virtues, as said earlier, are arrows in the heart of the enemy. For he takes on the guise of all virtues, such as fasting, vigils, non-covetousness. If you talk about fasting, then he doesn’t eat at all. If it’s about vigil, then he remains completely vigilant. And if someone talks about non-covetousness, then he has nothing at all. Although these virtues are beautiful and very useful - I mean fasting, vigil and non-covetousness, however, the all-evil devil takes on their guise and invents ways to rob those who have these virtues through vanity, conceit, and arrogance. But he cannot invent anything against the humble, because he cannot take on the guise of this virtue. Humility is Christ's robe; and the enemy, being proud, flees from humility, seeing in the humble the humility of Christ Himself, Who, out of His characteristic love for mankind, humbled Himself and took on the form of a servant. But the murderer of old, the devil, is deprived of the Kingdom of Heaven for his pride, and with it he brings down those who extol themselves. In the same way, he cannot think of anything against the submissive and obedient, because he sees in them the Master, who, as the apostle says: “having obeyed the Father even to the point of death, death on the cross.” And he, being disobedient, disobeyed God and was removed from being with the Angels. He does not dare to approach those who are clothed with unfeigned love, because he sees in them the Lover of God, the author and giver of love, as it is said in the Gospel: “For God so loved the world, as He gave His only Son to eat, that whoever believes in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life” (John 3:16). Therefore, the enemy fears those who have put on these virtues and runs away from them, because he is filled with hatred, and he himself is the inventor of hatred. So, together with other virtues, let us acquire these weapons that he is not able to have, that is, humility, obedience, humility, and this root planted in God - unfeigned love. For humility, as it is said, is Christ’s robe. Therefore, whoever acquired it became like Him who humbled Himself and took the form of a servant. Obedience, as well as submission, brings the same glory to those who accepted them with all their hearts, because submission puts in order immoderate care; the obedient one, convinced that the limit to obedience is only death, does not prefer anything to him, but, as it is said, becomes in him an imitator of Christ, Who “was obedient” to the Father “even to death.” And love is an invincible weapon against the devil, because “God is loving, and he abides in love,” as it is said, “abides in God” (1 John 4:16). There is nothing more honorable than these virtues, because in them are all the “law and prophets.” So, beloved, let us strive to excel in these virtues, and let us overthrow all the power of the devil, despising vain glory, as well as dishonor, as the apostle teaches, saying: “Weapons of righteousness with the right hand and with the skin, glory and dishonor, evil and praise; like ladders, and true” (2 Cor. 6:7-8). Such were the apostles: they disdained all human glory, they swept (threw) everything in this age into their minds (dung), preferring nothing to the love of God, but, maintaining unanimity in everything beautiful and having peace and love for each other, through this they destroyed all the machinations of the devil, and crushed all the malice of the enemy; not fearing the wrath of kings and tormentors, with their consent and peace they brought into inaction and completely destroyed all the devil’s demonic possession; keeping peace among themselves, repelled the devil’s battles; having overthrown all idolatry, they turned all the devil’s reproaches (dishonor) into nothing; being ignorant, they put the philosophers to shame; They made the definitions of the councilors invalid and founded the Church, erected an altar, showed us the way to heaven, and sowed the universe with the word of salvation. In all this, the saints succeeded not by physical strength, not by the action of weapons, but by love for God and neighbor, mutual agreement and peace among themselves; for nothing is higher than love and peace. For these virtues they were awarded such glory: they were called friends and brothers of the Lord. For once the Lord said to them: “You are my friends by nature, and whatever you do, I command you” (John 15:14). And after the resurrection he says to the wives: “Tell my brethren, that they may go to Galilee, and see Me there” (Matthew 28:10). Therefore, “at the end of life,” the Lord promised them to sit “on the double throne,” and said that he would make them judges of the “tenth tribe of Israel” (Matthew 19:28). So, beloved, let us also follow their teachings, imitate their virtues, firmness in the right faith, sincere hope for peace in the next century, unflattering love for God and for everyone, their humility, patience, non-anger, serenity, prudence, unconceit, compassion, compassion, patience, meekness, silence, lack of money, abstinence, thoroughness, zeal for virtues, obedience, constancy, readiness for sorrow, danger and temptation; in addition to all these listed virtues - like-mindedness and union of unity, so that with the help of all these good deeds we can get rid of the devil’s tricks, deception and delusion, avoid Gehenna, the never-ending worm, crying, gnashing of teeth and pitch darkness, and be honored with eternal and immortal light in the peace and eternal joy of our Lord Jesus Christ, where sadness, illness and sighing, where there is no opposing devil, where neither the offender nor the offended is visible, where there is no death and disaster, but there is joy and eternal joy. We will desire this, we will be jealous of this, we will try to acquire this through our life in the world. Let us hasten, let us speed up the procession, while it is still day, before the endless night overtakes us, before the doors are closed: let us clarify (clarify) the lamps of our souls with whiteness of purity, so that, together with the sovereign Immortal Bridegroom, we may rejoice and enter His heavenly palace. Let us try to keep the holy garment entrusted to us blameless, so that the Master may recognize His gift, which we have kept pure and undefiled, and so that we may hear that blessed voice of the Master: “Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34); and again: “Good, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful over a few, but I will make you ruler over many: enter into the joy of the Lord” (Matthew 25:23), in Christ Jesus our Lord, to Him be glory and dominion now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. You might be interested in: