The doctrine of morality according to the works of St. Theodore the Studite

Report of a professorial fellow at the Department of Moral Theology, St. Serafima Sokolova The ascetic creations of the devotees of piety of the Ancient Church leave the greatest treasury of Christian moral teaching. This exceptional significance of their creations for Christian ethics is explained by many reasons. First of all, ascetics were men of extraordinary spiritual strength who, even during their earthly life, reached heights of moral perfection. Retiring from the world for prayerful deeds, they educated themselves in the spirit of the Christian faith and reached an angelic state, living exclusively by love for God and their neighbors. Constant internal moral struggle and the feat of spiritual sobriety gave ascetics the ability to deeply understand the various ailments of the human soul, and compassionate love for their neighbors encouraged them to become spiritual doctors and moral leaders of their contemporaries. One of these greatest ascetics and Christian moral teachers was the Monk Theodore the Studite. The Monk Theodore spent his entire life away from the world, but he was not that self-absorbed ascetic who would completely break ties with society and would not want to know its spiritual issues. Possessing a bright and deep mind, an indestructible will, imbued with sincere piety and love for the Orthodox Church and his people, Rev. Theodore devoted all the wonderful qualities of his soul to serving his neighbors. From the very first steps of his church and social activities, he attracted the attention of his contemporaries and for many years he was perhaps the most influential person in the Byzantine Church and throughout the empire. At the same time, being a brilliant preacher with rare oratorical talent and an outstanding church writer, St. My father also worked a lot in the literary field, leaving behind numerous theological and literary works. Creations of Rev. Theodore the Studite contain a rich source of theological knowledge and are filled with the deepest wisdom in matters of the Christian faith. But they are of particular value in a moralistic sense. By getting acquainted with these wonderful monuments, every Christian will be able to find answers to a wide variety of questions of Christian morality that are useful for his soul. In particular, they show the extraordinary spiritual experience of St. Father and his deep understanding of the human soul in its positive and negative phenomena, as well as the means for healing the latter. In the works of Rev. Theodore the Studite, based on the patristic teachings, abundantly offered highly edifying lessons on the moral improvement of a Christian. Finally, many places in his works reflect the ardent aspirations of the saint. Father to help every person achieve the Kingdom of Heaven. All this indisputably indicates that the moral and ascetic creations of St. Theodore has not lost its leadership significance in the salvation of Christians to this day. However, another feature of his written works should be noted. The moral teaching of the Holy Father is somewhat difficult to perceive, because his thoughts are scattered in different places in his works (for example, in Catechetical teachings, words, etc.) and do not have a logical system. Due to the lack of a consistent plan and logical order in thoughts, it is difficult to form an accurate and complete concept of this or that subject of morality, which is considered by St. Father. In this regard, the task of the scholarship was to carefully study the creations of Rev. Theodore the Studite, collect and bring into logical connection his thoughts related to certain issues of Christian morality, and appropriately present his moral teaching according to the following plan: The introduction gives a brief outline of the life and review of the works of St. Father. The first chapter examines questions about the creation of the world and man; about his fall and salvation as the main goal of life. The second chapter talks about the difficulties in the saving feat of moral perfection of man. The third chapter reveals the doctrine of grace-filled means of salvation. The fourth chapter sets out the doctrine of Christian virtues. In conclusion, the concept of moral improvement of a Christian is given as a lifelong feat on the path to eternal life. A brief sketch of the life and review of the works of St. Theodore the Studite The Monk Theodore by his origin belonged to the Byzantine aristocratic society. He was born in Constantinople in 759 from noble and pious parents Photinus and Theoktista 1, who came from a noble family and were distinguished by their virtuous life. Father Rev. Theodora-Photinus held the honorary position of treasurer of the imperial revenues under Constantine Copronymus (740–775). Being very efficient in his post, Fotin enjoyed the full confidence of the iconoclast emperor, although he did not share the latter’s religious beliefs. The image of Theoktista, the mother of St. Theodora, this woman was of impeccable moral purity, distinguished by exemplary piety, mercy, love and generally a godly life 2. Rev. Theodore owed all the high qualities of his soul. He always spoke of her with special love and, after her death, composed a word of praise for her, 3 in which he described her image in all its gracious heights. “Her first virtue,” says the monk in his homily, “was to completely love God and honor Him with all my soul” 4 . Theoktista clearly realized that it is impossible to love God without loving one’s neighbors, and therefore not a single holiday passed without her inviting someone to her table 5 . Under the hospitable shelter of her home, all the suffering and disadvantaged found shelter, in whose service Theoktista received great spiritual satisfaction. Always modest and pious, prayerful and God-loving, paying little attention to outfits and amusements, Theoktista was entirely devoted to concerns about the proper management of her household and the religious and moral education of her children. The Monk Theodore calls her an “all-virtuous” wife, who raised her children and husband with instructions and edification, and with her good behavior and modesty spread the fragrance of virtues everywhere. Remembering the days of his youth, St. The father says: “When the children fell asleep, she herself did not go to bed before approaching them and making the sign of the cross over them; in the same way, after waking up, when she raised us from sleep, she encouraged us to pray, so that not only she, but also the children would learn to serve God. 6" At the same time, Theoktista constantly burned with a thirst for reading and knowledge of the Holy Scriptures; Being unlearned since childhood, she herself taught herself to read and write and even some sciences 7 . As a rule, she zealously attended divine services, and also prayed day and night at home, reading psalms. Being chaste, she subsequently convinced her husband to abstain from the marriage bed. Theoktista treated servants and slaves with love and never looked at them as strangers to her family. While attentively caring for their material needs, she at the same time monitored their moral behavior 8 . Thus, Theoktista took an active part in the Christian education of all members of her family. Belonging to such a pious family, the Monk Theodore was raised from a young age in the spirit of Orthodoxy and ascetic morality. At the same time, thanks to the high position of his parents at the imperial court, he had the opportunity to receive a secular education that was brilliant for that time. At the age of seven, the youth Theodore began to learn basic literacy under the guidance of one teacher. Then, having matured somewhat, the gifted young man, with his characteristic zeal, consistently studied Greek grammar, rhetoric, and literature 9. In these sciences, he showed excellent success, having perfectly mastered the ability to speak and write in a clear and elegant classical language. From rhetoric and literature, he moved on to the study of philosophical sciences - ethics, dogmatics and logic, which gave his thoughts clarity and accuracy, and his judgments - firmness and validity 10. When studying Hellenic wisdom, the young man perceived only what was beneficial, and swept away everything unnecessary. The completion of his education was the hardworking study of the Holy Scriptures and the works of the Holy Fathers 11. The young man Theodore so carefully and hardworkingly delved into the Divinely inspired writings and comprehended their meaning that he could understand not only what is open to all people in them, but also what is hidden and lies in the depths 12. Along with mental education, young Theodore also received religious and moral education, and in this regard, the influence of his pious mother was of great importance for him. Thanks to her high spiritual qualities, the best Christian virtues grew in him. The distinctive features of his moral character were modesty, seriousness and constant concern for his moral improvement. Directing his thoughts to the heights, Rev. Theodore attached secondary importance to speeches and everything else; he turned all his thoughts to acquiring virtues, developing in himself chastity and courage, prudence and truthfulness, meekness and abstinence 13 . He visited the church of God without fail in order to be present at every service, exhausted his flesh with fasting, wakefulness and labor, built up the strength of his soul with all-night vigil, diligently read and studied the lives of ascetics of piety 14. In order to overcome sleep, he ate the lightest food, avoiding, as a heavy and annoying burden, everything that burdened the stomach 15. “So beautifully and wisely,” says the biographer, “from childhood he tuned himself, or better, was tuned by divine grace, which extends a helping hand to those who choose the good, promotes and gives strength to achieve the best 16.” The same grace of God providentially prepared the God-loving young man for even greater exploits, which later opened up before him in the Sakkudion monastery. After graduating from higher education, a wide path into the world for state and public activities opened up for a young talented person. But God destined him to be a monk and, moreover, the famous abbot of one of the capital’s monasteries. In 781, Photin distributed his property to the poor, granted freedom to his slaves, renounced his position and entered a monastery with his family 17. Together with everyone else, his eldest son Theodore willingly parted with the world. He turned 22 when he decided to devote himself to serving God as a monk. Undoubtedly, this fact occurred under the influence of various reasons, based on which we should note the internal ascetic self-determination of the future great ascetic, who from childhood was flaming with love for the monastic life. This love was kindled in him by his ascetic mother Theoktista, as well as by his uncle, abbot Plato, who had an irresistible influence on all members of the Photinus family. Initially, Theoktista asceticised with her daughter in a separate cell, but after her daughter’s death she retired from the women’s monasteries, where, having taken monastic vows, until the end of her life “she remained deprived of both material objects and the attachments of the world and joyfully departed from this life... 18” For their ascetic deeds, the male half of the family chose the family estate of Fotin - Voskition, in the vicinity of which was the so-called Sakkudion area 19. Voskition provided all the amenities for an ascetic life. The estate occupied a vast plain, surrounded by a small hill, which was bordered on three sides by dense forest. A stream with clear and pleasant, icy water flowed through the plain. The area was completely isolated from worldly noise and, thus, represented a quiet and secluded corner, as if by nature itself intended for ascetic deeds 20. A monastery was founded here, named Sakkudion after the nearby place Sakkudion. Abbot Platon took over the management of the monastery, to whose leadership the novice Theodore 21 completely entrusted himself. Having settled in a secluded cell far from the bustle of the world and empty entertainment, Theodore spiritually fell in love with monastic life. When he accepted from the Monk Plato “the whole armor of the holy image,” then the young monk, with all the zeal of an ideally tuned soul, devoted himself to ascetic deeds 22. He based them on obedience, humility, and confession to his spiritual elder Plato of “every deed and movement of thoughts” 23 and based on the guidance of these principles he built his new life. At the same time, he exhausted his flesh with fasting and labor, not neglecting to do even the hardest work: chopping wood, digging the ground, carrying water, cleaning horse stalls, etc. At the same time, he willingly helped other brothers in work, religiously attended divine services and often secretly secluded himself for prayer in his cell 24. The zeal of the young monk was so strong and unusual that Abbot Platon considered it necessary to make him his closest assistant in managing the monastery. He was entrusted with carrying out such assignments that required special attention and practical acumen. So, for example, when the question arose about the construction of a new church in the name of the Apostle John the Theologian, this task was entrusted to the monk Theodore, who completed the task entrusted to him brilliantly 25. With all his numerous monastic obediences, he simultaneously enriched himself with new theological knowledge through careful study and analysis of the books of Holy Scripture and the works of the Holy Fathers 26. The wondrous way of life of Elder Plato, which the monk Theodore constantly had before him, disposed the soul of the young monk to engage with special love in reading and studying the works of St. Basil the Great, which he subsequently guided in his ascetic life 27 . Gradually improving in virtue, the Monk Theodore began to stand out among other ascetics of Sakkudion and soon became an object of surprise for everyone and a role model accessible only to very few 28 . Even Abbot Platon himself often came to him in order to receive spiritual consolation and pleasure in conversations with him 29 . Guided in his ascetic life by the rules of St. Basil the Great, Rev. Theodore, naturally, spoke disapprovingly of those of his brethren who betrayed the principles of cinnovia - obedience and non-covetousness. According to Rev. Theodore, those persons who, being imbued with worldly interests, did not want to completely renounce the love of the world and its temptations, should not have bound themselves with monastic vows and entered into monastic solitude 30 . Meanwhile, some Sakkudion monks, having forgotten the vows they had taken, led a life like all worldly people, acquiring their own household: slaves, cattle and many other things that were useless and superfluous to them 31 . This did not correspond to the rules of cinematic life, and Rev. Theodore, jealous of the height of the spiritual life of the brethren, decided to uproot the rooted evil. With his characteristic energy and enterprise, he went to Abbot Plato, to whom he pointed out the invading vice among the monks and advised him to immediately eliminate the “innovation,” citing the fact that those who indecently dedicated themselves to God “seek the benefits that are characteristic of those in the world.” 32 Hegumen Platon, recognizing the “salvific value of the offer” of the young monk, ordered the monks who were keeping the servants to set the latter free, and to distribute the animals and other property to the poor 33 . Naturally, this event initially caused a sharp reaction from the inhabitants of Sakkudion and from the Rev. Theodora was bombarded with criticism from all sides. But subsequently the dissatisfied monks reconciled, recognizing “his demand as divine, not human” 34 . From that time on, the life of the monks received a correct communal structure, and the Sakkudion monastery became a center of high contemplative deeds. 35 In 789, the monk Fedor, yielding to the urgent requests of his beloved teacher Plato, was ordained by the Patriarch of Constantinople Tarasius as a hierodeacon, and then soon as a hieromonk. 36 From the moment he was ordained, Rev. Theodore began to treat his life even more strictly and attentively. He intensified his ascetic deeds. Having renounced, as far as possible, everything material, he sought to live exclusively in the interests of the spirit. He constantly warmed the received grace of the priesthood in himself through prayer and pious exercises, purifying and making himself a worthy vessel of the Divine gift of ordination. Observing moderation in the quantity and quality of food and eating it only at a common meal, the monk thus took care that his body did not become weak for monastic deeds, but served and obeyed the spirit. 37 The high holiness of the life of Hieromonk Theodore attracted the attention and respect of all the brethren of Sakkudion. In 794, abbot Plato, depressed over the years, felt the weakness of his health and, according to the unanimous desire of the brethren, elected hieromonk Theodore as abbot of the monastery. 38 The monk took charge of the monastery in the 35th year of his life, not without strong objections, obeying the requests of the brethren and the admonitions of the venerable Abba Plato. 39 Having become the head of Sakkudion, the new abbot Theodore energetically began to improve the monastery entrusted to him. With special zeal and love, he took up teaching and guiding the monastic brotherhood in the matter of religious and moral improvement. According to the communal rules, all the inhabitants of the monastery were obliged to reveal their thoughts to the abbot, confess their innermost feelings and aspirations, and point out obstacles to the path of their spiritual growth. 40 “For his part, the wisest, accepting everyone’s confession, with careful discussion, offered each appropriate healing, either extinguishing the flames of passions, then eliminating bad thoughts, then acting with a meek or strong word.” 41 At the same time, he instilled in the monks the duty of fighting the common enemy of their salvation, admonished them to be vigilant and attentive to themselves, to reject even thoughts of evil and to improve themselves in constant doing good. 42 To this end, he offered his instructions to the monks in the form of catechetical teachings, which he delivered three times a week. At the same time, Rev. Theodore edified the brethren with his personal life, filled with many virtues and being a very convincing role model. 43 Thus, the monk raised the brotherhood entrusted to him to the height of spiritual perfection and gradually prepared them for the trials that the monks subsequently had to endure for the steadfastness of their faith and the purity of Orthodoxy. A year after the acceptance of Rev. Theodore became the abbess of Sakkudion, and God's providence was pleased to extend his activities far beyond the boundaries of the monastery entrusted to him. In 795 St. The father already appears as a church and public figure, as a courageous champion of truth and piety in the so-called Michian disputes. 44 The reason for these disputes was the illegal marriage of the emperor. Constantine VI with Theodota, a relative of Abbot Theodore. 45 This illegal marriage was performed by the steward of the Church of Constantinople, Josephus, despite the opposition of Patriarch Tarasius, who categorically refused to recognize “this unholy combination, rejected by the sacred rules.” 46 In addition, the emperor’s act opened the way to the moral decay of society both in the capital and in other cities of Byzantium. So, for example, many regional rulers, city leaders and other private individuals, following the example of the emperor and finding in him justification for their actions, openly began to commit wickedness: leaving their legitimate hens, entering into adulterous relationships and, in general, indulging in unbridled lusts. 47 This temptation among the people, of course, could not but cause strong protest on the part of such a zealot of piety as the Rev. Theodore. Having learned about the anti-canonical marriage of Constantine VI, St. The father excommunicates the emperor who committed lawlessness, sharply denounces and condemns his act, instructing all monks to consider Basileus deposed. The voice of the young Abbot of Sakkudion, who enjoyed high moral authority in society, reached Constantinople and made a strong impression here. The emperor was angry with the bold accuser, but, knowing how much respect the Reverend enjoyed among the monastic brethren, he considered it best to win him over to his side with meekness and affection. The rich “gifts and a lot of gold” sent to Sakkudion by Theodota in order to stop the unrest did not have any effect on the saint. Theodore and his ardent supporter Plato. 48 Then Constantine VI, during his trip to the warm waters of Prussa, located not far from Sakkudion, visited the monastery along the way for a meeting and negotiations with Abbot Theodore. However, this attempt was not crowned with success, because Rev. Theodore not only avoided meeting with the emperor, but even forbade all monks to greet him according to custom. 49 The annoyed emperor, burning with anger towards the rebellious abbot, ordered him to be scourged along with other monks, whom Basileus knew to be more daring and firm in spirit. 50 After cruel scourging, in 796, St. Theodore “is exiled... with the other ten of the most famous members of the brotherhood to Thessaloniki with a strict order: ... to carefully guard them and imprison them not all together, but each separately and away from each other in different rooms, so that it is impossible for any of them to come to another.” 51 According to ancient biographers, Rev. Theodore endured the disasters that befell him with spiritual joy, since he always wanted this for the sake of Christ. But the merciful Lord soon stopped the suffering of the exiles. In 797 52 Constantine VI, having been forcibly blinded and deposed from the throne, ended his life in great agony. The ruler of Byzantium was the pious Irina, who returned from exile all the monks exiled by her son. 53 The Monk Theodore, as an unshakable confessor of the Gospel commandments and defender of church canons, was solemnly greeted by the Empress herself in Constantinople with a large gathering of clergy and people. 54 But it was not glory and honors that his soul thirsted for. After staying a little in Constantinople, the monk returned to Sakkudion and began improving his native monastery. Sakkudion again began to flourish and acquire the glory of an outstanding monastery in Byzantium, due to the high contemplative life of its inhabitants. 55 Soon the peaceful life of St. the monastery was destroyed by the invasion of Arabs and other nomads. Saving the brotherhood from these cruel enemies, Rev. Theodore, together with the monks, left his beloved monastery and settled in Constantinople, where Patriarch Tarasius and Empress Irina offered him the Studite Monastery for asceticism. Having given my consent, Rev. Theodore became abbot of this famous metropolitan monastery in 798. 56 The Studium monastery in Constantinople was founded in the 5th century by the Roman consul Studius. 57 In the subsequent centuries of its existence, this monastery greatly expanded and was of great importance in the church and social life of Byzantium. But since the time of Constantine VI, the Studite monastery fell into complete desolation. His brotherhood consisted of 10–12 people, whereas previously it numbered hundreds of ascetics. 58 Having settled in the Studio monastery, Rev. Theodore made it a wonderful school of ascetic life and not only returned it to its former glory, but also brought it to its most flourishing state. “It was here,” says F. Uspensky, “in this monastery, together with the efforts to organize monastic life, that the church and social authority of St. Theodore increased even more, with which hardly any other can be compared.” 59 Thanks to the wise leadership of St. Father, the Studite monastery became higher than all the monasteries of Byzantium in terms of the abundance of brotherhood, its moral perfection and communal regulations. 60 The Monk Theodore was entirely occupied with the organization and improvement of his monastery until 806, when the old Mikhian movement arose again, drawing him into the struggle with the imperial power for the canons and freedom of the church. This movement was caused by the following circumstance. Emperor Nicephorus, having overthrown Irina from the throne, decided to bring the housekeeper Joseph, who had been excommunicated by Patriarch Tarasius, into the church with the church. The successor of Patriarch Tarasius, Patriarch Nicephorus, guided by the principle of economy, agreed to accept Joseph into church communion. 61 However, Rev. Theodore, together with the Studite monks, declared a decisive protest against the lawless deed, motivating it not only with the previous argumentation of his views on the issue of michia, but also with the consideration that the restoration of Joseph to his former rank was undertaken at the initiative of the civil authorities, incompetent in this matter. And so in 809 the Reverend, for the steadfastness of his convictions, was expelled from the monastery and exiled to an island lying near the capital. 62 While in captivity, the Holy Father did not stop writing letters to his disciples and admirers. He consoled some in their persecution for the truth, reproached others for weakness and fear of confessing the truth, and denounced others for their wrong-mindedness. 63 With the accession to the throne of Michael the 1st, Rev. Theodore in 811 received freedom and the right to return to the Studite monastery. In 813, after the overthrow of Michael I, imperial power was seized by the evil iconoclast Leo the Armenian. 64 To obtain consent to destroy the icons, he convened a council in Constantinople in 814. The Rev. spoke at this cathedral. Theodore, with all clarity and conviction, revealed to the king the teaching of the Orthodox Church on the veneration of icons, and in conclusion, boldly denounced him for heresy and an unfair, biased attitude towards the Orthodox. The monk turned to the emperor with a prudent appeal not to violate the peace and unity of the church, not to interfere in its life, but to mind his own worldly affairs. 65 Having failed to obtain the consent of the council to abolish the holy icons, Leo the Armenian dismissed the participants of the council to their places of residence, threatening the icon venerators with reprisals. And indeed, as soon as the patriarch and his supporters returned home, the emperor, through the capital's eparch, gave an order that none of them should dare to conduct conversations on issues of faith and icon veneration, because otherwise the culprit would face severe punishment. 66 To better guarantee the execution of the order, icon worshipers were required to give an appropriate signature. The Monk Theodore indignantly rejected this demand. For him, the most precious thing was the truth, for which he was ready to endure everything: scourging, exile, and even death, therefore St. The father categorically stated that he would prefer to lose his language than give up the defense of the Orthodox faith. 67 To inspire the oppressed friends of Orthodoxy, he wrote letters of encouragement to them. 68 For the same purpose, in the week of Vai, rev. Theodore, with singing and icons, made a solemn religious procession around his monastery. Having learned about this, the emperor became very angry with the abbot of Studi and threatened him with death. In 815 the third expulsion of St. Theodore into exile and imprisonment in a fortress located near Lake Apollo. 69 It was a swampy and desolate place. The confessor's suffering reached its extreme here. They beat him with sticks, tortured him with hunger and thirst, and kept him in terrible uncleanness. 70 Enduring all this with great patience, St. Father, as before, wrote letters to the Orthodox and thereby protected many from deviating into the iconoclastic heresy. One of these letters fell into the hands of the emperor, after which Rev. Theodore was subjected to very cruel torture, and then transferred to another more isolated fortress of Vonita. 71 In 820 Leo the Armenian was killed. The new emperor Michael Travl returned the venerable. Theodora from long exile. On his way to Constantinople, heated meetings were arranged for the valiant confessor in many cities. 72 Having stayed in the Studii monastery for some time, Rev. Theodore leaves him and settles on the island of St. Tryphon near Cape Akrita. 73 Here, far from the center of metropolitan life, among the devoted disciples of St. The father continues his great work of caring for the brethren. But, over time, the strength of the courageous and tireless fighter for faith and truth gradually began to weaken. The three-time stay in captivity and the associated hardships, the constant strain of internal strength, exhausted the saint’s body, and a severe stomach illness 74, which had become worse recently, brought him to complete exhaustion. On November 8, 826, in his dying will, Rev. Theodore commanded the monks to maintain unshakable faith and immaculate life. 75 November 11, having received Holy Communion. Tain, the Venerable One, during the singing of the 17th Kathisma by the brethren, gave up his pure soul to God. 76 This is how the great mentor of piety and defender of Orthodoxy, the Monk Theodore the Studite, ended his long-suffering life. His remains were buried on Prinkipo Island. 77 The Lord glorified his saint by the incorruption of his relics, which, after the final restoration of icon reading under Emperor Theodore and Patriarch Methodius in 845, were solemnly transferred for honor to the Studite monastery. 78 Theological and literary works of St. Theodore the Studite The Monk Theodore the Studite was not only an outstanding church and public figure of his time, but also a major representative of theological science of the Byzantine era. His works were translated from Greek into Russian by the St. Petersburg Theological Academy and published in 1907–1908. in two volumes. According to their content, they are divided into several groups. The first group includes works of a dogmatic and polemical nature. These primarily include λόγοι ἀντιρρητικοί, which is an essay in the form of three adversarial words directed against the iconoclasts. In this essay, written in prose, Rev. Theodore the Studite “like another David of the foreigner Goliath, decisively overthrew a heresy alien to the truth and saved the church from the greatest shame.” 79 This work has been preserved in its entirety and is included in the 1st volume of his works. 80 Then to the same group belongs “Refutation and deposition of the wicked poetic works of John, Ignatius, Sergius and Stephen.” 81 In this work, the author verse by verse refutes iconoclastic poems, revealing the Orthodox teaching on icon veneration from the same sides as in the adversarial speeches. To the dogmatic and polemical works of Rev. Theodore refers to the so-called “Some questions to the iconoclasts.” 82 In 15 questions of St. The Father explains to the iconoclasts that their teaching about the indescribability of the God-Man contradicts the Orthodox teaching about the properties of the two natures in Christ. In the next essay, “Seven Chapters Against the Iconoclasts,” 83, refuting the heretics, the monk reveals the teaching that in icon veneration there is neither deification of icons nor idolatry, and explains why the worship of the honorable cross is compatible with the worship of saints and icons. Finally, the “Letter to Plato” 84 belongs to the dogmatic-polemical group, in which Rev. Theodore the Studite speaks of the connection between icon veneration and the economy of human salvation and substantiates the dogma on patristic teaching. The second and largest group of theological and literary works of Rev. Theodore consists of works of moral and ascetic content. These include the “Small Announcement” and the “Great Announcement”. The “Small Catechumen” is a collection of 134 teachings 85 that were offered by St. The father of the brethren without any preliminary preparation, in the form of improvisations. In these conversations, with excellent reasoning and divine words, they skillfully outlined what is appropriate for every day, namely, spiritual courage and contempt for disasters, constancy in ascetic deeds and mortification of the limbs, firmness of mind to resist the demons that attack in the daily struggle 86. The “Great Catechumen” consists of three parts, the first of which includes 87 catechetical teachings 87 , the second – 124 88 and the third – 46 teachings 89 . Unlike the “Small Announcement,” the “Great Announcement” was compiled after preliminary preparation, according to a pre-thought-out plan. Here St. Father also touches on the essence of monastic life, but his thoughts penetrate deeper into the subject of discussion. It should be noted that the speech in the announcements is distinguished by laconicism and simplicity, sparkles in places with poetic inspiration, and is warmed by ardent love for the brotherhood and its feat. In addition to the catechumens, the second group of works includes “Four Chapters of the Venerable Father Theodore the Studite” 90, in which St. The Father reveals and defines the essence of ascetic life and gives appropriate instructions on how to live it worthy. Finally, the group of moral and ascetic nature also includes the “Testament” 91, in which Rev. Theodore sets out his religion, expresses his views on monasticism, talks about the abbot, his successor in managing the Studite monastery, and in conclusion gives useful advice to the entire brotherhood regarding ascetic life. The “Testament” is important for familiarizing yourself with the structure of the internal life of the Studio monastery. The third group of works by Rev. Theodore consists of monuments of liturgical-canonical content. This primarily includes the “Penances” 92, which set out the liturgical orders and disciplinary rules of fraternal life in the Studite monastery. In particular, the Holy Father determines what penances, excommunications and how many genuflections monks who violate the duties of obedience are subject to, and a wide variety of deviations from the monastic cenobitic rules are provided for. In addition to the “Penance”, the group of liturgical-canonical content includes the “Rule with God of the internal structure of the Studite Monastery” 93. This Charter contains very valuable instructions regarding the performance of church services on Holy Easter and other holidays up to Pentecost, on the Nativity of Christ, Epiphany, Presentation, Annunciation, Exaltation, as well as on Sundays and weekdays. In addition, the Charter contains regulations on the quantity and quality of food and drink in the monastery throughout the year, on orderliness at meals, on clothing and shoes for monks, etc. In direct connection with the Charter, St. Theodora and some of his other creations. Thus, the essay “Rules on Confession” 94 speaks of the necessity and saving power of confession for a Christian, gives characteristics of certain sins and accordingly indicates the rules of spiritual punishment for them. In the section “Rules regarding some questions and answers to them” 95 a solution to four questions of liturgical-canonical content is proposed, namely: 1. How do we allow oil and wine on Maundy Thursday? 2. You can kneel on St. Day. Easter until St. Pentecost? 3. How do you know that a sin of the flesh that you are confessing has been forgiven? 4. What should someone who has sinned through idle words or condemnation, through reproach or idle talk, jokes, or generally the sin of the tongue, do to calm themselves? To the purely liturgical works of Rev. Theodore the Studite includes the canons: Meat Saturday 96, Meat Week 97, and Week of the Cross 98. Peru St. The Father also belongs to: tripests and tetrapes at matins on some days 1–6 weeks of Great Lent 99, 25 stichera on “I cried to the Lord” 100 and 15 sedals 101. Finally, Rev. Theodore the Studite is the author of the essay “Explanation of the Liturgy of the Presanctified Gifts” 102. To the fourth group of essays by Rev. Theodore the Studite refers to his “Words” for various holidays. One of the ancient biographers notes that the monk compiled a book of praise in which he talks about the great feasts of the Lord, the Mother of God and other revered saints, “decorating them with decent words” 103. However, from the whole book of homilitary content, only 12 words have been preserved: 1) on the veneration of the honorable and life-giving cross (during the third week of Lent), 2) on the Feast of Lights, 3) on St. Easter, 4) for the Dormition of the Mother of God, 5) for the Day of the Council of Heavenly Orders, 6) for the Nativity of the Forerunner, 7) for the Beheading of the Forerunner, 8) the praise of St. John the Theologian, 9) praise of the apostle. Bartholomew, 10) funeral eulogy for abbot Platon, 11) praise for the anchorite Arseny, 12) eulogy in honor of his mother 104. Words from Rev. Theodore reflect the depth of his theological thought, imbued with the extraordinary power of religious feeling and expressive persuasiveness. Finally, the fifth group of works by the Monk Theodore the Studite includes his “Letters.” Biographers of the Holy Father claim that in the 9th and 10th centuries the Studite monastery housed a complete collection of his letters in five books 105 . But at present, 563 letters have been published, divided into three parts, of which the first contains 59 letters 106, the second - 220 letters 107 and the third - 284 letters 108. In terms of their content, these letters represent a very valuable historical monument, clearly characterizing the ascetic, pastoral and social activities of St. Theodore the Studite. The Holy Father also left behind a very useful book, written in iambic verses, in which he artistically described the creation of the world and the fall of the first people, depicted the envy of Cain and the subsequent murder of Abel, glorified the righteousness of Enoch, Noah and other forefathers, and also counted and refuted all heresies 109. Unfortunately, this work has apparently been lost. Thus, even a brief overview of the works of St. Theodore the Studite indicates that he was one of the most remarkable representatives of Byzantine theological and ecclesiastical writing. His numerous works, written by him on a wide variety of issues - theological, liturgical, canonical and other subjects, are distinguished by high merits of content and presentation, are of instructive interest in various respects and are outstanding monuments of patristic, Greek literature of the Byzantine era. Having briefly become acquainted with the life and literary works of St. Theodore the Studite, we will now proceed to a direct presentation of our topic, using for this purpose the material presented in the moral-ascetic and other written works of the Holy Father. Chapter 1. The creation of the world and man in connection with his high purpose His fall and salvation as the main goal of human life to restore his original state Each person, regardless of his mental and spiritual development, observing the nature around him and trying to penetrate the mystery of life, asks himself questions: how did the visible world come into being? what is a person? Why does it exist? what is the ultimate purpose of his existence? 110 Consistently answering these questions, St. Theodore the Studite says: “God is the Creator and creator of everything”... 111 “He made non-existent things existent and, moreover, with just one word he created light, erected the sky like a tent (Is. 40:22), spread out the earth on the waters, gathered, as it is said, the waters of the sea “like fur” (Ps. 32:7), poured out air for breathing to every living creature, established in the firmament... the sun and the moon with many stars, grew from the earth all kinds of fruitful trees, all kinds of herbs and beautiful flowers, He deigned to produce from the earth all kinds of animals, and from the pestilence all kinds of fish and birds, and finally, with his own hands, he created... the forefather Adam” 112. The first man, “as something great” 113, was also created from the earth 114 in the “image and likeness of God” 115 and for his habitat was initially settled by the creator “in the paradise of sweetness” 116. Having received from God the “breath of life” 117 and being, man was “made lord and ruler of all things” 118. But this was not only its true purpose. Being by nature in second place after the angels, and therefore “only a little lower than them” (Ps. 8:6) 119, man, according to the thought of the Rev. Theodore, was created for the purpose of serving God like the angels and glorifying Him by observing and fulfilling His holy commandments 120. At the same time, God introduced man into the world so that he, serving his creator with good deeds, would gradually improve and thereby become the heir to the kingdom of heaven 121. And indeed, the first man, Adam, before breaking the commandment, was a “fragrance” to God. “He,” says Rev. Theodore, being adorned with immortality and incorruptibility and indulging in heavenly contemplations... like some fragrant and flowery meadow, was worthily installed in paradise, where he breathed virtues” 122. Being with God gave Adam indescribable joy and eternal heavenly pleasure. However, this blissful state did not last long for him; the man neglected the holy commandment given to him and was deprived of all benefits. Due to the cunning of the serpent 123 and “the reckless disobedience and voluptuousness of the progenitor” 124, “God,” says St. Father, condemned human nature to corruption and sorrow" 125. Man lost the pristine angelic purity of life and for insulting the “good Lord” 126 was imprisoned in the “darkest dwelling of exile” 127 and devoted to a “long-suffering and changeable life” 128. Despite such a deep fall of man, God, in His love for mankind, did not allow His creation to perish irrevocably, for “God so loved the world, as He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16) 129. “And so,” notes the Rev. Theodore, - the All-Good One came to us with a virgin birth, enslaved himself to the natural laws of nature, ascended to the cross, nailing the handwriting on it for us (Col. 2:14), descended into the nether regions of the earth, resolved the diseases of death and, having resurrected human nature with Himself, ascended in glory and, finally, revealed Himself for us to God and the Father” 130 . “So,” exclaims St. Father, do you see to what height of glory human nature has been raised?! Is it not from earth to heaven? Is it not from corruption to incorruption? How much does one labor to become acceptable to the earthly and corruptible ruler? But we, although alienated in heart and enemies in mind in evil deeds (Col. 1:21), are, however, not only reconciled to God and the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ, but exalted to sonship. And now our nature is in heaven, worshiped from every visible and invisible creature” 131. “What will we finally say to this? Shall we move on to sin again? Shall we seek slavery? Shall we choose dishonor, corruption and condemnation?” - asks the reverend. Theodore Studit and answers “Let it not be”: “If we die through sin, how can we live again in it? Or do you not understand, just as we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ has risen from the dead in the glory of the Father, so we too will begin to walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:2–4) 132. Meanwhile, a person will be able to “walk in newness of life” only if he assimilates the salvation brought by Christ through personal participation in it, for no one “is married unless he fights lawfully” (2 Tim. 2:5) 133. Therefore, in the life of every Christian there is no other task other than achieving the salvation of his soul 134. What is the essence of salvation? According to the teachings of Rev. Theodore the Studite, salvation, as the goal of a Christian’s life, is a great deed, worthy of much surprise and impossible without great feats 135. It is a very difficult matter, since it represents a person’s gradual ascent along the steps of moral improvement, requiring from him a lot of effort, diligence and labor 136. To achieve the salvation of the soul, according to St. The father is “convenient at any time and every day is favorable,” if, of course, a person wishes this 137. A true Christian looks at the salvation of the soul as the subject of his entire life activity: “He is busy with this day and night, constantly thinks about this, breathes this, strives for this, this is his whole life” 138, for under this condition he can ascend to where he was cast down and become equal to the angels 139, restoring his primordial nature. Thus, salvation, as a lifelong feat, is carried out through constant tension of all the spiritual forces and abilities of a person, since, according to the words of the Savior, “The kingdom of heaven is in need and the needy delights it” (Matthew 11:12) 140. The need for such internal purposefulness and self-compulsion in the matter of salvation is determined by the fact that on the path of his moral improvement, a Christian inevitably encounters many obstacles or “obstacles” that make this path truly impassable 141 with which he must constantly fight. These obstacles are of an internal and external nature and are mainly expressed in the form of: a) a special opposing force in the fallen nature of man, b) a variety of temptations from the devil and c) various types of human sinfulness. Chapter 2. About “obstacles” and difficulties in the saving feat of moral improvement 1. The power of fallen man's sinfulness From the time when the first people, being deceived by the devil, “fell from the heights of angelic life and were cast out of paradise,” notes St. Theodore the Studite, human depravity continues like a chain to this day” 142. As a result of the transgression of the moral law and man's removal from God, a sinful principle penetrated into his nature, causing a radical change in the entire composition of man. What was it expressed in? According to the teachings of St. Father, “our soul consists of three parts: thinking, feeling and desirable. Mental so that we rightly believe in the Holy Trinity, sensitive so that we are angry with the seducing serpent, not allowing him to come to us, desirable so that we desire and love the God who created us. The devil, having changed and perverted the powers of the soul, ... with the power of feeling seduced the forefather... Adam to eat the forbidden fruit, with the power of desire he aroused Cain to kill Abel, and with the power of thought he deviated humanity into idolatry 143.” Thus, as a result of sin, the human mind was “darkened” 144, the heart was petrified 145, and pity was drowned out in the will 146. “All this,” says Rev. Theodore, - entered into subsequent generations in the successive killings of people by each other..., has reached and is revealed in current circumstances" 147. “Now a person lives a double life: he feels one way in his soul, but another in his body” 148. Such a discord in a person’s moral nature is especially clearly observed with constant mutual opposition between the spiritual and physical sides of his being, between his higher and lower aspirations, when “the flesh lusts after the spirit, and the spirit against the flesh” (Gal. 5:17) 149. Therefore, although all people have equally received from God the reins of power over themselves, nevertheless, they constantly have “a war between the soul and the body, opposing each other” 150. A person’s internal warfare leads to the fact that the carnal side gradually strengthens, and the spiritual side weakens 151. Ultimately, the whole nature of man, carried away by the sinful principle nesting in it, “tends to the bottom” 152, becoming “readily inclined to fall” 153. The final fall of a person into sin is completed at the moment when he is subjected to various temptations from the common enemy of all people - the devil. 2. The variety of temptations from the devil The devil is constantly awake in order to lure a person away from the true path 154. According to Rev. Theodore Studite “the first devil - Satan, who fell from heavenly heights, received from God and the Lord of all the freedom to tempt an unfortunate person. From Adam to the present time he has touched every generation and passed through every soul." 155 “So don’t we know,” says St. Father, how many people has he already destroyed since the creation of the world? Didn't he bring the first man to expulsion from paradise by seducing him through pleasure? Did he not arm Cain for fratricide? Didn’t he tear Judas away from the face of the apostle, making him a traitor to the one who is the life of all? Didn’t he put to death many others, countless in number?” 156. The devil continues to act now, lying in wait, deceiving and almost consuming the universe. Therefore, it is very difficult to avoid it, since it tries to seduce a person from the proper path and entice him to the opposite through many “cunning and deceptions,” spreading “many nets” across the earth to catch people 157. To this end, “he says Rev. Theodore, is formed from one image to another” 158, taking on various shades and forms 159, turning “from darkness into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14) 160. Being the artist of evil 161 and the instigator of sin 162, the fierce serpent and dragon - the devil, neither day nor night, does not stop his attacks, insidious ambushes, seeking to destroy a person 163 and seeking means to steal his salvation 164. Slowly creeping and creeping into a person’s heart, the devil “sows there the seeds of evil” 165. In order to push a person onto the path of destruction as easily as possible, the devil, according to the saint, first of all strives to bring about in the soul “oblivion of God and, as it were, renunciation of Him,” for otherwise “he cannot incline the mind to the attraction of the flesh, to the unbridledness of sin..., lewdness... and to all kinds of other shameful deeds” 166. Having taken possession of the soul, the devil leads it along with him, tearing it away from God, and “represents darkness as light, and bitter as sweet” 167. The Monk Theodore the Student, who experienced the various machinations of the devil, says: “I think that he ensnares a person in two ways, as we have learned from experience: either by immoderate heartfelt sorrow, or by reckless desire, darkening and perverting him.” 168 At the same time, the devil “speaks and inspires in a person what leads to lawlessness” 169. Being himself darkness and the receptacle of evil, he makes the evil seem good, the dark - light, the shameful - beautiful, the deadly - life-giving, thus never ceasing to deceive the world. 170 So, for example, “he instills in one the sweetness of sin to look into the faces, so that through a small pleasure and lasting just a moment of pleasant excitement, he can deprive a person of the enjoyment of eternal good... In another, he instills another, equally murderous passion - envy of the preference given to his brother..., then, the third is carried away by the swinish stuffing of the stomach, in order to defeat him with the passions of the belly, in this way remove him from God. Further, in whom he plunges into despondency, in whom he inspires hatred of vows or comrades... and in general, from everywhere he raises a terrible and inexplicable whirlwind against a Christian in order to destroy and lead him astray from the right path. 171 “For,” notes St. Father, if he had not inspired such thoughts, he could not have caught us.” 172 As a result of his insidious temptations, the evil-wily serpent achieves his goal. “One person is inclined to fornication, another to gluttony, another to despondency, another to envy, another to vanity, etc.” 173 So, a person is subject to sin, on the one hand, due to his nature, prone to fall, and on the other hand, due to the temptations of the devil. Every sin easily entangles a person in its networks. 174 According to the expression of the Holy Father, sin is the mother of death 175, the sting of death 176, since with sin, as if with a sword, the devil tries to kill every soul. 177 Sin “throws” a person far away from God 178 because God “do not commit sin, lest deceit be found in His mouth” (1 Pet. 2:22) 179, “but whoever commits sin is the slave of sin” (John 8:34). 180 The sinful state, in the power of which a person is often found, has its own types, by which the degree of fall of a particular person is determined. 3. Types of sinful states The Monk Theodore the Studite, who knew well the illness of the human soul, points out some types of sinful state of people: a) addiction (thought), b) lust, c) passion, d) vice, e) evil. The very process of the gradual development of sin in the soul of every person is St. The father depicts it this way: “The devil,” he says, first of all tries to make us accept the pretext, then he inspires something bad in the heart, and then, having deceived in this way and poisoned the soul, he takes it out of its natural state and makes it insane, foolish and blind, striving for what it should not do. 181 Consequently, according to St. Father, sin originates from an excuse or a thought. According to the teachings of Rev. Theodora, “a person is prompted by evil thoughts to commit sin” 182. “Evil thoughts,” he notes, “bite like a serpent, pouring poison into the soul” 183. Although the thought represents the embryonic stage of sinfulness, there is still no sin itself in the full sense of the word. A sinful image and thought sometimes arise against a person’s will, under the influence of the devil, as noted above. In this case, a person can accept or reject the pretext and thereby prevent himself from being “carried to the limits of sin” 184. For the most part, the source of the pretext is unclean imagination, and sometimes memory, resurrecting sinful images that Rev. Theodore calls “prejudice and youthful memories of the past” 185. These memories “rob the human soul” 186. In both cases, a person is given complete freedom of action: either to overcome temptations or to succumb to them. 187 If a person is nevertheless overcome by the acceptance of “inappropriate thoughts” 188, then his heart is inflamed with the lusts of flesh and blood. 189 Lust, as a special sinful state of a person, is inextricably linked with his imagination. When lust awakens, then the imagination creates a desire that “causes a person to say something that is forbidden, and then inspires the audacity to touch a member, either his own or someone else’s” 190. Thus, according to Rev. Theodora, “sin passes from thoughts into words, and from words into practical activity.” 191 As a result, lust causes death to a person, for “lust, when conceived, gives birth to sin, and sinful acts gives birth to death” (James 1:15). 192 According to the teachings of St. Theodore the Studite, there are three main types of sinful lust: 1) carnal lust 193, 2) lust of hair 194 and 3) worldly pride 195. “From these sins,” says St. Father, countless evils have happened in the world. Hence the flood, which completely destroyed all life on earth. Hence Sodom and Gomorrah, reduced to ashes by fire and brimstone to reveal the wicked.” 196 People experience the especially destructive consequences of lust. “Carnal lust, notes the Monk Theodore, feigningly promises inexpressible sweetness, and when it is satisfied, it turns out ... stronger than a two-edged sword piercing a captive soul. This was experienced by our ancestor Adam, deceived by the serpent, for when he touched forbidden food, he found death instead of life.” 197 Lust, having taken possession of a person, changes and distorts his natural state. A person becomes stupid, bestial, shameful, servile, hopeless, weakened, condemned to eternal death. 198 Lust, being a “bewitcher”, but being in fact not what it seems, “infects, leading into a frenzy and changing a person, just as happens to the possessed, who do not understand what is happening to them until they come to their senses.” 199 Drawing an analogy between lust and a skin disease - scabies, Rev. Theodore says: “Just as a person with scabies, when itching, apparently receives pleasure, but in reality he receives not pleasure, but suffering, so one captured by lust receives not pleasure, but sorrow, not peace, but frustration, not a good mood, but despondency.” 200 So, being “a very serious, deadly disease of the soul” 201, infusing the poison of destruction 202, lust imparts to a person not sweetness and well-being, but slavery, corruption, demonic possession and everything that takes a person out of his normal state. 203 If evil lust turns into a habit 204, that is, a constant habit of sinful actions, then over time it turns into passion. “The emergence of passions,” says Rev. Theodore the Studite, this is a property of our nature, but our job is to drive them away from their very first incursions” 205. According to St. Father, passions are born from excessive consumption of food and drink 206, for as a result of the satiety of the stomach, the flesh rebels and rages 207, like a stallion 208. At the same time, each person is exposed to one or another passion from his internal affairs 209. Therefore, overcoming passions is far from an easy task; on the contrary, it is much more difficult and requires experienced efforts than any other work and occupation 210. For a person, “passions are the same demons as, on the contrary, virtues are angels” 211. Passions rush at a person not only at night, but also during the day in order to consume his soul 212. “If the soul,” notes the Rev. Theodore, - having given herself over to passions, she will be captured in sins, then - horror, for in this case the demons win and carry her unfortunate one with them to the underworld, into darkness and tartarus of torment" 213. Therefore, “nothing is so disgusting for the soul as to be possessed and enslaved by passions” 214. In order not to fall under the power of the “beasts of passion,” a person must restrain himself from the internal “wandering” of feelings, 215 since otherwise the most dangerous of moral ailments arises - vice and, as its complete conclusion, evil. A person plunges into a vicious state due to the weakness of his nature, because “man’s thoughts are diligent in evil from his youth (Gen. 8:21) 216. Although vice, in the words of Rev. Theodora is “bitter, disastrous and poisonous” for the human soul, nevertheless he is captivated by him 217. A person’s prolonged stay in a vicious state leads to “coarsening of the soul and hardness of heart” 218. This state is characterized by the fact that it represents, as it were, “daily moral death” 219, that is, complete moral death, when a person is on such a verge of his sinfulness that “seeing, he does not see, and hearing, he does not hear” 220. Brought to such a state, a person subsequently completely falls under the power of evil. According to Rev. Theodore the Studite, the cause of evil is, on the one hand, indifference 221, and on the other, the devil, who is “the father of lies and the author of evil” 222. “Evil,” says St. Father, - from the very first day it entered the world" 223. Having corrupted the main strength of the human soul - reason, evil can do anything. When it takes hold of a person, it little by little drives him to madness 224. “That’s why,” notes the Reverend, “shameless Judas rushes in... and sells his priceless Teacher for a few pieces of silver, but being ashamed of being close to Him at supper, not being amazed at the washing of his feet, not even thinking about the hint of his betrayal addressed to him, having forgotten that he so loved to carry the reliquary entrusted to him, he breaks away from the face of the disciples and unites with leader of the demons and, taking with him his entire retinue (John 18:3), at night, at the place of execution, he captures and betrays the Lords of Glory with an insidious kiss” 225. Thus, the fruits of evil are lawlessness 226 and dishonor 227, which are committed by a deeply fallen person. It is a curious fact that, by committing evil deeds, a person even finds satisfaction in himself, since evil itself “stimulates imitation” 228, is easily perceived and achieved by a person 229. That is why, in a fit of bitterness, Rev. Theodore exclaims; "Alas! Alas! How badly people are jealous of goodness, and how difficult it is to find it in them. How, on the contrary, they love evil, and how easily it comes to them!” 230. But for all the attractiveness of evil, man, remaining the image and likeness of God, although with somewhat faded features, still feels that evil brings him grief and, as it were, “crushes” him 231. Naturally, he has a desire to free himself from the power of evil and begin a new, sinless life. True, with his natural powers, a person is not able to resist demonic attacks 232 and rise from the depths of his sinful state. In this case, God's love for mankind, which desires the salvation of all people 233, comes to the aid of the sinner. “God’s providence notices St. Father, “does not allow those who seek their salvation to become completely lost” 234, and therefore “everything is arranged by saving Providence” 235, moreover, “in many ways and means” 236. Such means that contribute to the salvation of man are: 1) Grace, as the supernatural power of God, 2) sacraments, 3) prayer, 4) fasting, 5) reading the word of God and the works of the Holy Fathers. Chapter 3. Graceful means of salvation Through disobedience to the Creator, man has darkened the image and likeness of God in himself and has frustrated his spiritual powers 237. Sin, having penetrated into human nature, made it morally sick. And so, a person, being subject to his inner weakness, as well as various temptations from the devil from without, very often leans towards sin and falls into it, becoming a slave to his own lust, passions, vice and, finally, evil. Who can help him get rid of his sinful state and direct his life along the path of good? “That one,” says the reverend. Theodore the Studite - Who can create a new heaven and a new earth. He is only able to attract a person to good after he, having strayed from the straight path with self-willed aspirations, carried away by sweetness and seduced by Satan, makes his situation worse and worse. Such a person has already become vain with his evil plan and ruined his soul, unless some spark of life touches him and calls him out of spiritual deadness” 238. Such a “spark” that renews 239 and perfects a person 240, giving him a new spiritual life, is Divine grace, as an expression of the Creator’s special mercy to His fallen creation - man. This mercy of God was manifested in relation to fallen man in the circumstance that, although the latter, through the Fall, lost this creative power that he received directly from the Creator, nevertheless, God again adorned him with His grace, “the washing of rebirth and renewal of the Holy Spirit, which was poured out on us richly by Jesus Christ our Savior” (Titus 3:5-6) 241. According to the teachings of Rev. Theodore the Studite, the power of the Holy Spirit is a great blessing for every person who is ready to receive it. It applies to all people without exception: “small and great, wise and simple, old and young” 242, and, in some cases, grace, according to St. Father, “descends even on those unworthy, but for her sake they approach her” 243. Since the incarnation of the Son of God, grace has been communicated to man in abundance, regardless of his personal merits, “so that,” explains the Rev. Theodore, no one boasted that he had anything of his own.” 244 However, grace is received by those who desire and seek it 245, and “not to receive it,” notes St. Father means losing your life” 246. Unfortunately, a person “only partly takes and partakes of it” 247. Nevertheless, having received it, a person already has “one invincible weapon and... an insurmountable banner, this is the help of the Lord, girding the weak with strength” (1 Samuel 2:4) 248, because “for the almighty grace of God nothing is impossible” 249. Being the omnipotent power of God, grace, according to St. Father, acts constantly in the soul of a person, producing good changes in him, which he very often does not realize 250. Thus, it makes up for the shortcomings and weaknesses of human nature, awakens its good forces and, in general, contributes to the spiritual uplift of a soul burdened with sins. In particular, “streams of the Holy Spirit, which flow in rivers from the divine lips,” says Rev. Theodore, extinguish the multi-passionate flame of sins in the human heart 251. Then grace reveals to a person what is holy, righteous and pious, after which he perfectly understands the full depth of his sinful state and he has a desire to direct his life along the true path leading to the Kingdom of Heaven 252. In this regard, “excellent guidance” provides a person with grace, which leads him further and further from strength to strength into salvation 253. With its help, a person decisively begins, continues and completes the feat of his salvation and in this matter reveals great jealousy 254. Thanks to the influence of grace, order and decorum are observed in a person’s activities 255 and, in general, the way of his life is determined, in the words of St. Theodora, “by weight, measure and according to the rule: in food, and in drinking, and in getting up, and in sitting, and in going out, and in entering, and in conversation, and in silence, in reading, singing, prayer, silence, clothing and shoes” 256. In a word, concludes St. Father, “all his members... agree and unite with each other through the communication of the Holy Spirit” 257. Such a person maintains orderliness in everything until the end of his life, doing the will of God and becoming a son of light and an heir to the Kingdom of Heaven 258. He shines with the gifts of the Holy Spirit and is truly “more beautiful in kindness than the sons of men” (Ps. 44:3) 259, because “whoever has the Holy Spirit in him, says the Rev. Theodore the Study, one notices joy, peace, long-suffering, his speeches are “sweeter than honey and honeycomb” (Ps. 18:2), for they flow, as the Lord told us, “from the abundance of the heart” (Matthew 12:34) and for those who listen to them they are enlightenment and consolation” 260. If a person’s heart is deprived of the grace-filled gifts of the Holy Spirit, then it is in a completely different, opposite state, for “what else is different,” notes St. Father, can such a heart exude anything other than anger, rage, slander, reproach, inconstancy, hostility, hatred, pride, disobedience, disobedience, disobedience? From such a soul enlightenment, sanctification and righteousness have truly escaped, humility, contrition and patience have disappeared, crying, tears and sobbing have dried up; the ability of heavenly contemplation, the memory of death flew away..., the thoughts of the world-wide appearance before the terrible judgment seat of Christ and the terrible answer for every movement of one’s imagination, mind and body, starting from the day of birth 261, were forgotten. Therefore, Christians who have the grace of the Holy Spirit within them do not lose anything, but, on the contrary, gain, confirm and strengthen their spiritual qualities 262 . True, in their lives they experience many temptations and sorrows, because “where divine gifts are abundant,” says Rev. Theodore, - fierce attacks of opponents are directed there" 263. However, “when God protects, then who can cause harm?” 264 asks St. Father, and answers: “Where God is the patron, there all evil disappears.” “The angel of the Lord will encamp around those who fear Him and will deliver them” (Ps. 33:8) 265. That is why the Lord gives His grace to a person who is not able to achieve salvation on his own, so that the power of God may be known in him 266. In this regard, every Christian can boldly say: “If the Lord had not helped me, my soul would have gone to hell” (Ps. 93:17). “But in all these we overcome for the sake of those we love” (Rom. 8:37) 267. Thus, although a Christian on the path of his saving feat has “opponents” who interfere and “strip his foot,” but, on the other hand, he has an Intercessor and Leader, the Lord Himself and Master of all 268, Who with His grace “intercedes” for man 269. A Christian primarily receives this all-powerful, gracious help in the fight against the enemies of his salvation in the holy sacraments of the Orthodox Church and especially in such sacred rites as: a) baptism, b) repentance and c) Communion. The sacrament of baptism occupies a special place among the sacraments of the Church of Christ. In this sacrament, man, according to the teachings of St. Theodore the Studite, receives the special grace of God, which adopts him into Christ, for it is said: “... the little ones received Him, and gave them the realm to become children of God: who were not born of blood, nor of carnal lust, nor of manly lust, but of God.” (John 1:12–13.) 270 In the “font of sonhood” on those baptized “healing dew ... of the Holy Spirit flows down”, in which “the newly consecrated children of God are reborn, leaving birth of flesh and blood, and coming into a perfect man, so that by the worship of the Trinity, demonic forces conquer” 271. The reborn, or so-called “new” man, is radically different from the “old” man in the beginning of his new existence, and equally in the properties of his renewed nature. If before baptism sin was an innate characteristic of a person, then after receiving the sacrament the baptized person, freed from sin, becomes righteous and holy. Such a grace-filled renewal of a person, according to St. Theodore, is explained by the fact that everyone who is baptized puts off “the old man who is corrupting” (Eph. 1:22), which weighs on him as a result of the deception of the cunning serpent 272. Then, “renouncing the first and bitter taste and disobedience that made him an exile,” the person “leave behind the reasons for his wretched existence... in baptism with water and the Spirit” 273. Finally, having renounced sin and made the promise of a good conscience to God “with the testimony of His holy angels,” man, already freed from the “bonds of sin,” puts on the “new man created according to God” (Eph. 4:24) in holiness and righteousness 274. After receiving the sacrament, a Christian, according to St. Father, emerges from the water of baptism “perfect in spirit,... completely renewed and clean from former abominations” 275 capable of beginning a new grace-filled life (1 John 5:18). However, that bright robe of the soul in which a Christian is clothed in the sacrament of baptism does not always remain clean. It becomes polluted by sins, which a person, unfortunately, commits, sometimes without even realizing his fall 276. Therefore, “God is good,” notes Rev. Theodore, knowing the complaisance of human nature and the fact that he who seems to walk upright, a little carelessly, falls unconscious, kindly granted repentance, which restores a person from a fall and returns him to health” 277. The sacrament of repentance is the first and last cure for a person from the illness of his soul 278. Spiritual weakness arises in human nature due to the fact that he “receives a wound in the heart from hearing or sight, being carried away by demonic thoughts or inflamed by evil lust - anger, rage, hatred, envy, contradiction, disobedience or some other disastrous passion” 279. “If the soul is unstable,” notes St. Father, is defiled by evil thoughts, which, admittedly, happens very often (for whoever boasts that he has an immaculate heart), then it is necessary to cleanse her as quickly as possible and bring her into her former mood, so that, having taken root in evil, she will not bring death” 280. Complete cleansing of the soul from the burden of sin is accomplished by the grace of the sacrament of repentance, when a Christian confesses his sins before God and his spiritual father. According to the teachings of Rev. Theodore the Studite, “confession is a sorrowful recollection of shameful words and feelings, and resolution is condemnation of them, leading those who come (to confession) to the good path: “You said your iniquities first, that you might be justified” (Is. 43:26), and also “Reh, let us confess my iniquity to the Lord, and you have forsaken the wickedness of my heart” ( Ps.31:5), because confession can even extinguish eternal fire” 281. Confession is “a true, spiritual birth,... continuous prosperity, ascension and deification of the one who has acquired this gift,” says the Holy Father 282. However, such a grace-filled revival of the soul of the penitent is carried out on the condition that during confession he reveals all his thoughts to the confessor. “After all, thoughts,” notes the Rev. Theodore, “when they hide, they give birth to passions, and when they confess, they become pleasing to God” 283, and therefore “open,” says St. Father, tell your doctor the wound and don’t be ashamed, approach with faith... and with gentle simplicity, and as if from the mouth of God, accept all his advice” 284, for “there is no other medicine that would work so quickly and successfully for salvation, except the revelation of thoughts” 285. At the same time, the properties of true repentance should be: “sadness, crying, lamentation, a contrite heart” 286, because tears of repentance, but in the expression of the Reverend Father, “this water is especially good. It cleanses the soul, sometimes defiled by thoughts, extinguishes the fire that inadvertently ignites from carnal love, tames restless dispositions from the attacks of the enemy, truly bends God to mercy and returns to its former innocent state” 287. After a Christian has heartily repented in confession and, with the help of God’s grace, has completely “extinguished and incinerated” the sinful feeling 288, his soul “rejoices and becomes more and more courageous and, being in the light of the path to God, rises higher and higher, deified and soaring in the sky,” for “the evil serpent is defeated and torn out of the heart” 289. Thus, through the sacrament of repentance, the human soul rises to God and becomes more capable of moral unity with Him. This closest grace-filled unity occurs at the moment when a Christian, being cleansed from sins, partakes of the Most Pure Body and Blood of the Lord in the sacrament of Communion. Explaining the essence of the sacrament of Communion, Rev. Theodore the Studite says: “To receive communion means to have fellowship. Communion and communication are the same thing. The first gets its name from the expression having something together (μετέχεσθαι), and the second from the fact that those who have something together act together (κοινοποιεῖσθαι). The Holy Apostle says: “The cup of blessing, which we bless, is it not fellowship (κοινωνία) of the Blood of Christ? Bread, we break it, isn’t there fellowship of the Body of Christ? As there is one bread, one body we are many: for we all partake of one bread” (μετέχομεν) (1 Cor. 10:16,17) 290. So, “Communion,” continues St. Father, there is communion, and no one who is sensible will say that communion is not communion... The Divine bread, which the Orthodox partake of, makes all those who partake of one body..." 291 As a result of such a mutual union between God and man in the sacrament of Communion, it is, according to the teaching of St. Theodora, is the “bread of life” for each participant, for the Lord Himself says: “I am the bread of life that came down from heaven: whoever eats of this bread will live forever, and the bread that I will give, My flesh is, even I will give for the life of the world... He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me and I in him” ( John 6:51,56) 292. Thus, Holy Communion is an “ineffable and boundless gift” of the Savior, Who not only died for people, says the Reverend, but also “offered Himself to us as food,” thereby showing His “powerful love” for the entire human race 293 . Being the “tree of life,” the life-giving Body and Blood of Christ, at the same time serve the Christian as “a parting word to eternal life,” 294 if, of course, he eats Them worthily, for, according to the words of the Apostle, “He who eats and drinks unworthily, eats and drinks judgment for himself, without considering the Body of the Lord.” (1 Cor. 11:29) 295. In this regard, Rev. Theodore the Studite, speaking about the exceptional importance and saving power of the Holy Mysteries for a Christian, notes: “Even when ordinary food and drink are offered, there is no one who would refuse to take part in the daily meal, and if he does not take part, he is very burdened by it. When it is not ordinary bread that is offered, but the bread of life, and not an ordinary cup, but the cup of immortality, then we consider this matter indifferent, and not in every way necessary. And what kind of unreasonableness and recklessness does this attitude serve as proof of?! But... knowing the power of God's gift and as far as possible, let us cleanse ourselves and partake of the Holy Mysteries... and with the greatest readiness... take part in the gift. This will be of great benefit to us." 296 And indeed, every Christian who has worthily approached the Holy Chalice and tasted the life-giving Mysteries feels in himself some special spiritual joy and renewal, because the grace of the Holy Spirit “revives” 297 and “enlightens” 298 all the spiritual and physical powers of his nature. In particular, after Communion, “the mind abstains from passionate movement due to the great superiority of this gift. And what could be more important and greater than Divine Communion for the joy and enlightenment of the soul?” - says the reverend. Theodore 299. Therefore, a Christian must receive communion “not rarely and not just every day, but with a clear conscience” 300 for “whoever with a clear conscience participates in the sacrament of the Eucharist receives eternal life” 301. On the path to eternal life, in addition to the saving sacraments of baptism, repentance and Communion, there are other grace-filled means that enlighten the soul, namely: prayer, fasting, reading the Word of God and the works of the Holy Fathers. Among the many types of communication of the human soul with God and its salvation, a special place belongs to prayer. “For much can the prayer of the righteous be hastened...” (Ik.3:16), and therefore, says the reverend. Theodore the Studite, “we need to pray for each other and remember each other” 302. The need for prayer in the salvation of man St. The father explains many reasons. According to his teaching, prayer, first of all, is the best means for “attracting” and acquiring the grace of God, which is necessary for every Christian in his moral improvement 303. On the part of a person, “intensive work of prayer is needed in order to preserve such grace” 304. Thanks to the grace-filled effect of prayer on the soul, every Christian has the opportunity to fight and overcome all passions and sinful thoughts. For example, “when passion comes,” notes St. Father, (for she comes, and it is not surprising, either through the negligence of a mind that does not have good contemplation, or through the envy of the enemy), struck by her, quickly get up, pray, sigh, shed tears, and she will soon leave, but you will rest in the Lord” 305. As for sinful thoughts, then, according to the Reverend, “it is difficult and difficult not to be captured by inappropriate thoughts” 306. But even if a person’s mind is captured by them, they can be eliminated through prayer 307. “Prayer,” says St. The Father inspires him and makes him an interlocutor with God” 308. With its help, the Christian also defeats the offensive hostile force and repels the repeated attacks of the dragon 309. Despite the fact that this “dragon is very cunning and experienced,” he still cannot resist the grace-filled power of prayer. According to Rev. Theodora, the power of prayer lies in the fact that while performing it, a Christian calls on the Savior, the Mother of God, the guardian angel and other saints, asking them for protection and help in the feat of saving his soul 310. At the same time, “although everyone can pray in different words, and not exactly the same ones, for the one praying... does not always say the same thing, but the power of prayer remains the same for everyone,” notes St. Father 311. However, in order for prayer to be pleasing to God and benefit the soul of a Christian, a reverent attitude towards it is necessary on the part of the latter. During its performance, “lethargy or negligence” is in no way acceptable, but on the contrary, decorum must be maintained by those praying 312. “If,” says the Rev. Theodore, - in other matters, good order is the most beautiful thing, then even more so in a conversation with God. “Is it not in the absence of order that absurd ideas and captivity of the mind occur?” - he asks. “...With good order, one can more quickly achieve attention and guard the mind” 313. At the same time, for prayer to appear acceptable before God, the person praying must “avoid the causes of sin, not... be shameless or do anything secret, because this still cannot be hidden from the great eye of God” 314. Only with purity of life does prayer “adopt” a Christian to the Holy Spirit 315 turning him to the “path of righteousness” (Ps. 22:3) 316. Nevertheless, even a sinner, with all his unworthiness, resorting to prayer, subsequently turns to the path of truth. “Let it be,” says the reverend. Theodore, everyone will remember... how he got into trouble, was exhausted, fell into cowardice, gave up and lost patience, and then, encouraged by prayer, he was able again, strengthened and received the spirit of life, took up the feat again and was established in the fortress of God" 317. Therefore, every Christian, even with bad lips, can pray and ask the Lord for help in order to be cleansed of sins and preserve himself “without damage, pure and without stumbling” 318 throughout his entire earthly life. In this regard, along with prayer, fasting is of great importance for him. According to the saying of Rev. Theodore the Studite, “fasting is a renewal of the soul, for the holy Apostle says: “Even though our outer man decays, yet the inner man is renewed all the days” (2 Cor. 4:16) 319. Renewal of the soul occurs as a result of the fact that “fasting... tames passions and subordinates the flesh to the spirit” 320. Freed from the power of the flesh, the human soul... “is adorned according to the model of pristine beauty” 321. In this way, according to St. Father, “lovingly draws to himself the One who said: I and the Father, let us come and make our abode with him” (John 14:23) 322. Thus, thanks to fasting, the soul becomes the dwelling place of God himself and finds the desired peace 323. However, for a Christian to truly achieve such a blissful state, he must look at fasting not only as a special time associated with the restriction of a certain type of food 324. True fasting, according to the Rev. Theodora, presupposes generally abstinence from all evil, “as the divine fathers said,” for example: “carelessness, frivolity, despondency, envy, discord, ill-will, complacency, self-will” 325. Therefore, a truly fasting person does not allow “vicious thoughts to enter the heart and then turn into obscene wishes.” He tries to have in his heart “one object of desire - our Lord Jesus Christ, the good and wonderful Bridegroom, to whom, having completely surrendered, the soul then hates flesh and blood and all corruptible images...” 326 Along with spiritual fasting, physical fasting must also be combined, which consists of limiting the “quantity and quality of food,” and “as much as bodily strength allows, for the Apostle says: “Every kind of will in the heart, not out of sorrow, nor out of need: God loves the giver of a good will” (2 Cor. 9:7) 327. Under this condition, a Christian, despite the temptations of the devil, who seeks to “destroy the benefits of fasting” 328, as if on wings, flies to heaven and becomes God’s interlocutor” 329. But not only fasting is a gracious means of saving a person. A Christian derives great benefit for his soul by reading the Word of God and the works of the Holy Fathers. 5. Reading the Word of God and the works of the Holy Fathers The Monk Theodore the Studite says that “a good reminder always renews the soul” 330. Such a “good reminder” for a Christian about the purpose of earthly life is the Word of God and the works of the Holy Fathers. By reading the Word of God, a Christian thereby, according to the thought of the Holy Father, nourishes and saves his soul. At the same time, a gracious renewal occurs in his soul due to the fact that the Lord Himself, “with His divine scriptures,” turns man away from all evil and elevates him to “all kinds of God-like deeds” 331. “If,” notes the Reverend, “we were careless, then we abandon our negligence; if we were zealous, we become even more zealous. In both cases, excellent results are obtained” 332. Therefore, every Christian should listen to and assimilate the “God-spoken sayings of the Gospel, apostolic, prophetic, as well as the inspired fathers,” which represent “a luxurious meal for spiritual pleasure” 333. Taking advantage of this “spiritual meal,” a Christian, in the words of St. Theodora, “changed by a good change” 334. In this regard, the soul is greatly benefited by reading the gospel stories about the Savior’s suffering on the cross. “Who,” says St. The Father listens to them rationally, is no longer angry, is no longer irritated, is not fierce, is not arrogant, does not exalt himself over his brother, does not envy, is not a lover of glory, but humbles himself, is contrite, considers himself earth and dust, desires to participate in the sufferings of Christ, hastens to become like Him in death in order to become a participant in the glory in His resurrection” 335. On the other hand, under the influence of the Word of God, a Christian who reads it “is purified, enlightened, becomes clear and rejoices..., for example, hearing that Christ says to the disciples: “I will not leave you orphans: I will come to you.” It is still a little, and the world will not see Me: you will see Me, for I live and you will live” (John 14:18–19) 336, and also: “I am the true vine... you are born” (John 15:1–5), or “You are my friends by nature; if you do, I will command you. To whom do I speak, you are servants, for a servant does not know what his Lord is doing; but you have been told by others, for all the things that I have heard from my Father I have spoken to you” (John 15:14-15). As for reading and studying the works of the Holy Fathers, Rev. Theodore says on this occasion: “It is impossible to say what benefit we receive and in what joy we participate in those days when we read the lives of our holy Fathers. For tell me, what is more pleasant than contemplating their immortal deeds, miracles and rewards for victory over demons? It seems to me,” continues St. Father, that even stones feel this benefit, not to mention a reasonable person” 337. Thanks to my acquaintance with the works of St. Fathers, the human mind is enlightened, putting aside the “clouding wisdom of the flesh”... the soul is touched, soaring to divine love 338. By studying the Holy Fathers, “one adapts the word to himself, as if some seasoning, and the other borrows divine words, as if gold, both here and there enjoy the sayings” 339. Thus, under the influence of the gracious influence of the Word of God and the soul-beneficial reading of the works of the Holy Fathers, a constant attraction to good and aversion from evil is revived in the soul of a Christian. Such a conscious free desire of a Christian for good 340 is a Christian virtue. Chapter 4. Christian virtues and their types According to the teachings of the previous Theodora the Studite, “virtue is from God and divine,” and those who chose it are children of God 341. Being of divine origin, virtue represents such a moral state of a Christian, the characteristic feature of which is a constant, complete disposition and desire for good and salvation. Touching upon the essence of this state, St. The Father notes: “Virtue by nature is something always moving, it never stops when moving forward, but always translates those who participate in it to the better, about which the Apostle says: “I have not already achieved, or have already been accomplished: I pursue, even if I comprehend, I would have comprehended them from Christ Jesus... forgetting what is behind, but stretching out to what is in front, I pursue with zeal, to the honor of the highest.” the calling of God in Christ Jesus." (Phil. 3:12–14) 342 . “Thus,” he concludes, “there is no stop in the pursuit of good, for immobility in good becomes the beginning of evil” 343. Thanks to virtue, the Holy Fathers ascended to God 344, for by its nature virtue “always leads to the top” 345, therefore it “in itself has royal dignity and the highest property” 346. This property of virtue is revealed in the fact that “although it,” says St. Theodore, - done in secret and by an unknown person, has the ability to emit a special sound, reveal himself and announce himself according to the word of the Lord: “a city cannot hide, standing on the top of a mountain” (Matthew 5:14) 347. A Christian clothed in virtue, according to St. Father, richer than all people 348, for his soul has the property of being fragrant with this heavenly gift so that “no meadow covered with many flowers can be as fragrant as a soul fragrant with virtues” 349. Such a Christian attracts the attention of all the people around him and even strangers, because he is “loved by everyone, loved by everyone, in honor and glory by everyone, and not only among his brothers, but also outside, among those who only hear about him,” notes St. Father 350. That is why “at the sight of a virtuous person, everyone gives glory to God” 351. Having “one beginning,” that is, one nature, virtue, according to the teachings of St. Theodore Studite, “branched into many separate successes” or types 352. Of these, the first three main virtues in relation to God are: faith, hope and love. Virtues of a Christian in relation to God For the salvation of man, according to Rev. Theodore, “there is no other means except faith alone” 353, for “without faith it is impossible to please God: faith is fitting for one who comes to God, as He is, and He is a rewarder of those who seek Him” (Heb. 11:6) 354, and therefore “nothing on earth, including one’s own flesh, can be placed above our immaculate Christian faith” 355. Such a primary importance of faith in the matter of soul salvation is evident from the fact that the Lord Himself saves only the believer, as evidenced by the Evangelist: “Do you believe that I can do these things?” - He says. Speak to Him: “Honestly, Lord!” And He - go, and as you have believed, so be it unto you. (Matthew 9:28). Thus, notes St. Father, they received what they asked for 356. What is the true faith of a Christian? “True faith,” says Rev. Theodore, is this: according to the teaching about God, to believe in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in whose name baptism is performed, in God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, in one God, and not in three... no; for there is one deity, not divided into three hypostases, but everything in each person is inseparably contemplated” 357. Such faith has the power to do great things 358. Relying on it, a person does everything he wants, and faith even saves him from death 359. Thanks to this virtue, a person strengthens his spiritual and physical strength, receiving everything necessary for the salvation of his soul 360. In particular, faith, according to St. The Father, confirms the heart of man with his strength, and whoever has acquired it can boast of confidence in his strength 361. “Nothing can ever shake a firmly believing Christian, even if “the earth is troubled and the mountains are broken into the hearts of the sea,” as St. David sings (Ps. 45:3) 362, for he is pleasing to God 363. Meanwhile, a Christian who has suffered “damage” in his faith exposes his soul to “the greatest danger,” because with the loss of faith he loses the only path to eternal life 364. His soul, deprived of this powerful force, “darks”, becoming weak 365 and weakened 366. Such a person gradually reaches madness, as a result of which he renounces God, according to the testimony of the Prophet, who says: “The fool says in his heart: there is no God” (Ps. 13:1) 367. To avoid this, a Christian must beware of all heresies and maintain “right faith” in the saving economy of Christ 368. Pure faith, according to the teachings of St. Theodora, helps to cleanse the soul from sin and develops in a Christian “readiness for exploits” 369, for the divine James claims that faith comes from works (James 2:18) 370, which is the essence of Christianity 371. However, along with faith, a Christian must always combine hope in the mercy of God, which grants salvation to those who “hope.” The need for every Christian, in addition to faith, to have hope for his salvation is shown by the example of the holy saints of God, who, according to the Rev. Theodore the Studite, received “promises” thanks to this very virtue 372. At the same time, the Word of God itself demands from a Christian that during his earthly life and activity he be “inspired” by hope 373. This requirement is based on the fact that the Lord, by His coming and the divine-human sacrifice, “destroyed the power of death and actually gave people the power to tread on the serpent and the scorpion and all the power of the enemy” (Luke 10:19), as evidenced by the lives of the famous saints of God 374. Therefore, although a person encounters great difficulties in the feat of salvation, he is not alone. God Himself provides him with gracious help, “if he completely places his hope in Him and does what is pleasing to Him, without retreating from trust in Him, for He said: “I will not leave you, I will despise you” (Nov. 1:5), and again “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33) 375. Being “inspired” by hope, the spirit of a Christian becomes fearless 376 in the fight against enemy power, because “whoever is established in his trust in God will not be shaken by anything human, as he who stands above everything, usually causes sorrow” 377 . In addition, a Christian, being in hope, experiences constant spiritual pleasure, ascending “to the mountain of the heights of angelic life” and feeling that this ascent brings him sweetness and pleasantness, since “... it is good to cleave to God, to put your trust in the Lord” (Ps. 72:28) 378. The complete “attachment” of the soul to God is achieved through Christian love. If the most important Christian virtues - faith and hope - are so necessary for a Christian to save the soul, then the third - love - is greater than the first two, because, according to the teaching of St. Theodora the Studite, she, like a queen, rises above all the gifts of the Holy Spirit 379. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself sets it as the first and highest commandment for a Christian, saying: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy thought.” (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30) 380. Citing this commandment, St. The Father says: “Whoever really loves like this does not become satiated, does not fall, is not careless, but more and more adds fire to fire, ignites desire with desire, setting the ascent of virtues in his heart and going from strength to spiritual strength. And he does this continuously” 381. Such a beneficial effect of love on the soul of a Christian comes from the fact that “all desires of the present age arise from corruption and end in corruption, only... love and its desires are limitless and incorruptible” 382. True love is constant. According to St. Father, she “is not limited to a place and does not fade away during testing, in contrast to those who love superficially and according to the flesh, who in difficult cases move away from loved ones and even become enemies” 383. Meanwhile, according to the Apostle, “He is long-suffering and merciful to love; he does not envy love; love is not exalted, is not proud, does not act outrageously, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in untruth, but rejoices in the truth; loves everything, has faith in everything, trusts everything, endures everything. Love no longer ceases” (1 Cor. 13:4–7) 384. She really is “the first and last of all blessings” 385, without which “nothing godly can be accomplished” 386. Being the “salt” of a Christian’s life, love, unfortunately, is not always revealed in its entirety. If “Christ extends the rays of His love equally to everyone” 387, then man does not equally respond with his love to the light of this divine love for him. Love for God is in the soul of a Christian, as St. Theodora, there is sometimes a “flaming” fire, sometimes an “extinguishing” fire 388. “It’s a sign of that,” says Rev. Father, - that this holy and immaterial fire has not been extinguished, is due to the fact that the soul, in this case, although... weakened and tired, still unremittingly strives for good and tirelessly does what it should...” 389 Whereas, “if it goes out in someone’s soul, despondency, laziness, thistles and thorns of passions, bodily lethargy and relaxation... and all other types of evil... 390 " Therefore, every Christian who has this divine gift unquenched is “blessed, God-loving, loved by everyone, for, bringing divine gifts from the good treasure of his heart (Luke 6:45) onto his face, thereby, as it were, he tints it with something and, thus, seems pleasant and beautiful to those who look God-like at him, since his spiritual image shines through the features of his face 391. Driven by such love, a Christian, in the words of St. Theodora, “saves the ship of his soul under the spirit of the Holy Spirit, heading to the harbor of salvation” 392, because where there is love, attracting and drawn by the Holy Spirit, there is care for the soul and body 393. However, loving God with all three faculties of his soul (Matthew 22:37), a Christian cannot help but love his neighbors at the same time, as the Savior says: “By this all understand, just as you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35) 394. Love for neighbors, as one of the properties of the most perfect Christian love, is natural, since “perfect love,” says St. Father, is not content with caring only for himself, but seeks what is useful for others.” 395 Because of this, a Christian also takes care of his brothers, in order to be loved and loved, to be respected and respected. For where spiritual love is, there is Christ in the midst, as He Himself promised. (Matthew 18:20) 396. As a result of complete love for God and his neighbors, a Christian has such a state of mind when he unites his soul with the Lord, with whom he lives, moves and exists (Gal. 2:20) 397. Thus, a saved Christian, having deep, unchanging faith in himself, always encouraging his hope, with the assistance of flaming love, reaches the highest level of perfection if, along with the indicated virtues, he carefully cultivates in himself: the fear of God, moderation, chastity and sobriety. Virtues of a Christian in relation to himself In the salvation of a Christian, according to the view of St. Theodore the Studite, the inner feeling of the fear of God, “greater than which there is nothing,” is of great importance 398. The fear of God is necessary for every person, first of all, in achieving the Kingdom of Heaven. “There,” says St. Father, - enters not a dialectician, not pouring out a lot of texts from his lips, not a talkative and well-read one, not one who has read a lot or learned by heart, not a singer and not a sweet-voiced one..., but one who has the fear of God, which constitutes the main wisdom, for “the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord” (Ps. 110:10) 399. Constituting the wisdom of man, the fear of God at the same time is, as it were, a kind of foundation for other Christian virtues 400. In the human soul it shines with an extraordinary light, taming all sinful passions 401. A Christian who lacks the fear of God is subject to all sin: he has “all grief and anger, wrath and cry and blasphemy” (Eph. 4:31) 402. Experiencing a “painful mood of the soul,” such a person, according to the Rev. Theodora, loses her outer human appearance, having “a swollen face, everted eyes, dilated nostrils, compressed eyebrows, hair standing on end,... like a pig.” 403 At the same time, he forgets “his covenant with God... and the future Last Judgment.” 404 While in a state of enslavement to sin, a Christian can, however, be reborn again “through the perception of the fear of God” 405. The fear of God has the power to curb all sinful movements of the flesh, making it vigorous, 406 for, having settled in the heart of a person, it, according to the thought of St. Father, “drives away the temptations of sin” 407. “Fear God,” says the Reverend Father, “who cleanses and keeps pure,” for,” he notes, “how can one not fear the One whose angels tremble, at whose glance the creation wavers, before whom we will all appear “naked and naked” (Heb. 4:13) and will soon receive rewards for what we have done in life?” 408 Therefore, every person should have “only one thing that is sought, so that whoever he is, acquires the fear of God,” 409 for “where the fear of God is, there is the observance of the commandments” 410, there is “the beginning and the end” of the entire saving feat of a Christian 411. Under the influence of the fear of God, the soul of a Christian is morally renewed. “From here,” says the reverend. Theodore, - contrition, tears, disgust from the world, desire for heaven, and what good does not come from here? This is the dwelling place of God." 412 Being a formidable weapon against all “satanic traps,” the fear of God gives rise to the virtue of humility in the soul of a Christian. 413 Humility, according to Rev. Theodora, is a means of healing the soul 414 from sin. In humility, every Christian finds true peace 415, because it “purifies the heart” 416. There is not a single glorified saint who, without humility, as a spiritual weapon against the devil, could reach the heights of moral perfection 417. For the sake of humility, “God,” says St. Father - became a man in order to make people gods." 418 Meanwhile, very often people are far from the idea of following the highest example of humility in the person of the Savior, or at least imitating those who possess this highest spiritual quality. Noting this fact, Rev. Theodore notes bitterly: “No one looks at the one who is patient, dressed in rags, who endures the cold, who is despised by everyone, who eats little, who is neglected, who is distinguished by humility and tries to become like God; on the contrary, one can say that almost everyone tries to follow the example of the most worthless people, who are demanding, who love to contradict or offend, who are grumbling, who show off, who lead a pampered life, who are lazy and who, having become the son of disobedience, pour out all filth upon themselves.” 419 Although the virtue of humility is in such oblivion among most people, nevertheless, “it is impossible for one who has acquired humility to hide, even if he stood on the lowest step, even if he hid underground, even if some out of envy began to spread slander about him,” for “a city cannot hide, standing on the top of a mountain” (Matthew 5:14) 420. A humble man, according to St. Father, “like a light that suddenly appears on a mountain and attracts the eyes of spectators” 421. Thanks to humility, the human soul attracts the mercy of God 422 and becomes the abode of God's grace 423, a source of contrition for sins, acquiring wisdom, prudence, reverence and is freed from vanity and other vices 424. From humility, as from a “good root,” grow “all joy and peace, meekness and piety,... perseverance in goodness, politeness and meekness, everything that is good, pleasant, everything desirable, which is what marks a true man of God” 425, because “every humble and contrite soul “brings forth good treasure” (Matthew 12:35) according to the Gospel. Punishment and reproach are sweeter for the humble and sweeter than the most pleasant drink" 426. Thus, in the words of Rev. Theodora, humility is “in general a source of virtues, which exudes every good deed, and even better, a divine garden that grows all possible fruits of immortality.” 427 In saving his soul, a Christian must strive for humility and be constantly guided by this virtue 428, thanks to which “he is completely changed for good and completely filled with the grace of God, ascending... gradually to the heights of virtues 429 and at the same time acquiring abstinence” 430. For a Christian, abstinence constitutes a “great weapon,” for it is an “introduction” to every virtue 431 . “From versatile abstinence,” says Rev. Theodore the Studite, “possession of many-sided virtue is created, and on the contrary, as a result of inattention in any one respect, slavery to many sins arises.” 432 Therefore, every Christian must regulate all his feelings by the principles of abstinence and proportionality 433. “Avoid,” instructs St. Father, disastrous situations and sinful customs. Bound yourself with rules regarding the eye, and hearing, and smell, and taste, and touch... so that you are not drowned by the pressure of passions.” 434 In particular, “let,” he says, “let the eye learn to see rightly, let the ear be closed to hearing evil, let the tongue be kept from all vain things.” 435 In this regard, every person must know “the limits of time and measure in order to say what is appropriate” 436. It is best for him to “acquire silence” 437. However, this does not require a Christian to maintain “all-day silence” 438, for “unreasonable silence does not bring any benefit” 439. Nevertheless, he must observe “timely silence” 440, remembering the covenant of the Wise One: “You cannot avoid sin from speaking too much: be sparing with your mouth, and you will be understanding” (Prov. 10:19) 441. According to the teachings of Rev. Theodora, any untimely conversations, for example, during worship, during meals, during common work, or when leaving a church service, are unacceptable 442. At the same time, when conversation is allowed, a Christian must still maintain restraint in speech 443, and speak only about what is useful to his soul and befitting his title 444. At the same time, it is necessary to avoid chatter, idle talk, verbosity 445, lies 446, slander 447, shameless speeches, rotten, offensive words 448, for “the tongue is not restrained..., it is full of deadly poison, and whoever bridles it is a perfect man” (Ik.1:26, 3:5-6,8) 449. Along with abstaining from idle talk, a true Christian abstains from food and drink. Moderation must be exercised in this regard. According to the teachings of Rev. Theodore Studite, “moderation in everything is the best thing” 450, while “excessiveness is the mother of evils” 451. In relation to food and drink, moderation is primarily abstinence in the quality and quantity of food. In the first case, a Christian is not allowed to look for tasty dishes to please his whimsical taste and thus indulge in gluttony 452. While eating ordinary, modest food, a Christian must also observe abstinence in its quantity. However, in abstinence itself, he must observe moderation so as not to deviate to extremes. In this regard, the measure is the physical need and strength of each individual person. Addressing his listeners, Rev. Theodore says: “I want you to eat and drink, but only in moderation, gracefully and for salvation, for the sake of bodily strength needed for necessary labor.” 453 Hence, “abstinence consists in being content with the amount of food that is necessary to satisfy natural needs, so that the food does not burden the body too much, and on the other hand, does not make it completely light, just as if a lot of cargo is placed on a ship, it will sink it, and if it is not enough, it will capsize it.” 454 Meanwhile, according to the Reverend Father, those Christians who have a special zeal not according to reason (Rom. 10:2) and abstain “not as much as is useful” for the salvation of their souls must certainly remember that “for everything... there is measure and weight” 455. In view of this, the wisest Solomon says: “Do not be truthful to the great, nor become overly wise” (Eccl. 7:17). Also, the great Theologian writes: “Do not become stricter than the law, more correct than the rule and higher than the commandments.” 456 Thus, eating food, according to St. Father, must be proportionate to the bodily labor of each person 457. Otherwise, if he eats a lot or does not finish, in both cases it is equally bad for him, for if a person burdens himself with food, he becomes lazy or inactive for any work, and vice versa, if he exhausts himself by abstaining from food, then thereby he becomes like “half-cooked beets” and as if dead to the tasks required of him 458. As for rest and sleep, moderation is required from a person here too. According to Rev. Theodora, “prolonged sleep makes the flesh fat. And when the flesh becomes fat, passions increase along with it.” 459 At the same time, excessive sleep deprives the soul and body of proper vigor, darkening a person’s mind 460 and giving rise to vile seeds of fornication 461. Therefore, incontinence during sleep is worthy of condemnation 462. Like everything else, a person’s sleep should be in moderation, at certain hours, depending on the needs of the body. Further, a Christian must abstain from everything that pampers the body, for example, all kinds of ointments, except for the need caused by illness 463. So, in the life of every Christian there should be moderation in everything, contributing to the “creation of the soul and the well-being of the spirit,” for “that which is the observance of the correct measure is wonderful,” since it keeps a person from deviating in one direction or another, makes him healthy and unharmed 464. Through abstinence and moderation in food, drink and sleep, a Christian becomes capable of chastity. In his moral teaching on chastity, St. Theodore the Studite refers mainly to the celibate monastic life with its main vow - virginity. According to St. Father, “every virtue is great, and to acquire it is the object of the most intense desire. However, there is no virtue as high as virginity, for virginity... first of all shone in paradise, before the serpent insidiously deceived the ancestors” 465. Virginity was honored to be the Mother of Christ 466, and therefore “she is the bride and mistress of Christ” 467. Being the “queen of virtues” 468, in the words of the Reverend Father, “makes people angels” 469. This is evident from the fact that “marriage begins and ends with corruption, but virginity leads to incorruption” 470. It “introduces people into a primitive state” 471 and “puts people above the flesh and the world” 472. Those who observe virginity receive primacy in the Kingdom of Heaven (Rev. 14:4) 473 if they guard themselves from everything that excites or feeds lust, and avoid what the enemy of salvation uses to seduce a virgin. To this end, men and women should avoid mutual intimacy. “Run,” says the reverend. Theodore, - as from fire, men from women and women from men, but if it becomes necessary to have communication, then as much as the need requires.” 474 To avoid temptation, according to St. Father, when meeting a woman, you should not stare at her or start a conversation, unless necessary, and during a conversation with her, the mind should be “grief” and the vision “down,” as Scripture says: “Do not despise the virgin... do not mix with the one who sings, lest you become bogged down in her endeavors.” (Sir.9:4–5) 475 At the same time, to maintain chastity there should be no place for shamelessness, for it is “a great and deadly evil,” the door of iniquity 476 leading to fornication, the sin of Sodom and other vices 477. It arises as a result of immodest mutual glances and smiles, private conversations, the closeness and contact of bodies, binge eating and drunkenness. A Christian must avoid any reason to violate chastity, namely: not to attract the gaze of others by excessive grooming of his face, not to respond to shameless glances, smiles, laughter; during sleep or daytime rest, do not lie down next to another person, and when sitting and talking, do not cuddle with a neighbor, do not hug, except for the prescribed kissing, do not push each other and do not unnecessarily touch someone else’s body with any member 478. At the same time, it is not permissible to look at one’s own nakedness, so as not to be subject to the curse of Canaan, for “fornication can happen even without intimacy with another’s body” 479. Even when a person satisfies a natural need, he must maintain the appropriate “decency” 480. As for the marital state, then chastity must certainly prevail in it. According to Rev. Theodora, “every man should be content only with his wife and not go beyond her” 481. He must love his wife, constantly maintain the purity of marital relations and not indulge in debauchery 482, for “adultery... is a grave sin and equivalent to the sins of a murderer, a sodomite, a bestialist, a poisoner and an idolater” 483, and “God judges fornicators and adulterers” (Heb. 13:4) 484. Therefore, every person, being in virginity or marriage, must be immaculate with all his feelings: “mind, eyes, heart, and body” 485 in order to find his primitive state, which existed even before the Fall in paradise 486. For this, in addition to chastity, constant vigilance or wakefulness of the Christian over his inner world is necessary. Wakefulness, according to Rev. Theodora, this is a moral state of a person in which all his spiritual forces are constantly concentrated for introspection of his soul, his actions 487. The basis of wakefulness for a Christian is always attention to his heart, for “the tyrant devil always irritates inner passions” 488. Every Christian, according to St. Father, has “a great need for vigilance and attention, for the heart to be ready to curb the mind... so that it does not incline to what it should not do, does not fall into the inappropriate, does not draw bad images, does not create sinful desires, from which... there is no benefit, but, on the contrary, most often sorrow and contrition” 489. Wakefulness helps a person protect the soul from any “spiritual illness” 490, as well as from “spiritual hibernation” 491, which is harmful to it. If, instead of being awake, a person is overcome by even a “small negligence” in the feat of salvation, then his soul gradually plunges into the “abyss of sin” 492. Therefore, “no one,” says Rev. Theodore, “should not be carefree, neglectful or indecisive, because the time of everyone’s life is fulfilled.” 493 Meanwhile, “everyone who is awake gains a lot” by enriching his priceless soul with treasures of virtues 494. In addition to internal personal benefits: fear of God, humility, abstinence, chastity, each person needs to acquire other Christian virtues in relation to others, namely: good behavior 495, obedience, work and spiritual communication. Virtues of a Christian towards others Among the spiritual qualities necessary for the salvation of the soul, his external way of life and behavior are of great importance for a Christian, because “each of us,” says Rev. Theodore the Studite - by his behavior shows what will come out of him - whether a chosen vessel, or a vessel of destruction." 496 In connection with this, St. The Father reasons as follows: “The man of God is ordered in everything, being, as it were, an instrument, which in all his actions: in word, gaze, food and drink, is set in motion by the Holy Spirit living in him.” 497 Therefore, every true Christian, zealous for his high title, must, according to the Reverend, differ from others in his behavior, manner of deportment, etc. His appearance, voice, movements, etc. must be strictly proportioned so that in all this there are signs of his moral height and prudence 498. In particular, according to the Monk Theodore, a Christian should cut his hair, and not grow it and let it loose, which is characteristic only of a desert dweller 499. At the same time, it is not proper for a Christian to show pretensions to panache, affectation and coquettishness in clothing, in the manner of wearing it, in posture or gait 500. “Our demeanor,” says Rev. Father, “should be humble and should not scare people away from us: there is no need to give yourself a stern look by raising your shoulders, wrinkling your eyebrows, walking with an important gait and throwing your body up.” 501 On the other hand, a person’s head should always be modestly lowered, his gaze downcast, and not wandering around 502. At the same time, the face itself should be “not gloomy, but not too cheerful”, with an expression of calm, “enlightened by sadness, shining with tears and contrition”, “inner psalmody, prayer and spiritual harmony”, “shine with grace for the benefit of those looking on” 503. Decrying the frivolous behavior of a person in society, Rev. Theodore says: “I call it an abomination when they take care of their face, dress up, perform and make antics like harlots.” 504 As for the treatment of neighbors, it is, according to St. The father should not be impudent, rude and arrogant, with gestures giving the appearance of importance or anger, but affectionately friendly, meek 505. For the most part, a Christian should be silent, and when he speaks, his word should be humble, polite, respectful to elders, but at the same time full of dignity, calm, reason and edification. It must be accompanied by moderation, modest movement of the eyes, without gesticulation with hands 506, and in conversation and address shouting, noise and all kinds of outrages are unacceptable 507. In relation to eating food, a Christian must also adhere to appropriate rules of decency. “When we eat, says Rev. Theodore, “then we should not frantically immerse our entire mind in food, but should listen attentively to the reading or arouse pious thoughts in ourselves,” and, notes St. Father, “they should not use all their five fingers, hastily and hastily take food, stuff their mouths with it or bite off in huge pieces, even if it was after labor, but they must take... in the amount necessary so as not to bring shame upon themselves by disorderly eating” 508. Thus, every Christian, no matter what he does, must do everything “decently and in order” (1 Cor. 14:40), so that the Lord may be glorified in everything 509, remembering that he is watched by “many eyes” and interpreted by “many mouths” 510. Being sedate, serious and disciplined in everything, a Christian must at the same time avoid self-will and show obedience. The virtue of obedience, according to St. Theodore the Studite, is above all the feats in the salvation of a Christian and bears the stamp of martyrdom 511. “As reality itself testifies and truth itself shows,” notes St. Father, no one considers a stylite, a hermit, a hermit, or a wearer of chains to be superior..., does not rejoice and does not please him to the same degree as a true novice.” 512 Obedience is extremely important for the moral growth of a Christian. The idea of ​​obedience, according to St. Father, very deep. It is rooted in the mystery of the economy of human salvation and has the most important basis for itself. Disobedience to God's commandment plunged all of humanity into the abyss of suffering, disease and curses. Only obedience can return a person to the path to salvation. “For disobedience,” says Rev. Theodore, “we were expelled from paradise, but God was pleased that through obedience we would be returned to Him again.” 513 According to St. Father, “The Only Begotten Son of God Himself completed the economy of the salvation of the world, “... being obedient even to the point of death, death on the cross” (Phil. 2:8) 514. Hence the need for obedience to a Christian, and especially to a monk, in his moral improvement is beyond doubt. The content of obedience, according to the teachings of Rev. Theodore, consists in a Christian’s renunciation of his will and complete submission of himself to a spiritual leader, like Jesus Christ Himself 515. Unquestioning submission of oneself to the will of the mentor (in the monastery - the will of the abbot) gives a person the opportunity to “improve” his spiritual and moral growth 516, for “he who discovers obedience follows the path of God” 517 and thereby “embraces everything” 518. His soul is “sanctified,” his will is “mortified,” and a complete unity of the spiritually born (novice) with the one giving birth (elder) occurs 519. As a result, a Christian acquires joy, peace, modesty, pure life, and the special grace of God 520. However, in order to be awarded these gifts, he must unswervingly carry out the orders given to him 521, without refusing under any pretext the assigned work or service 522, following the established order in everything 523, doing everything sincerely and not hypocritically, without any contradiction or grumbling 524, without criticizing the established orders and reasoning about the order of the spiritual leader 525. Only in cases of extreme need, when the assignment is beyond his strength, or does not correspond to the set goal, then a Christian can declare this to his spiritual mentor, and then with proper humility, without at all arbitrarily refusing the assigned assignment and without entering into controversy 526. In other cases, he must have complete confidence in his spiritual leader, realizing that if he orders or prohibits something, he knows what he is doing, and that “there is no one more saving than him... no one in the world” 527. In true obedience there should be no place for sight. According to Rev. Theodora, a Christian should not “gaze” at the faces of those to whom he owes obedience, and not be embarrassed by their youth or apparent shortcomings 528. There should be no limits to obedience for him. In the words of St. Father, a Christian must obey “like wax to the master, like copper to the smith, like an animal to the one who leads him.” 529 Submitting unquestioningly to his elders in everything, he should not stop at any difficulties, even if this would threaten his life 530. He must always readily say: “My father, I give everything to you: mind, will, and flesh; Do as you wish with your servant, obedient to you in everything.” 531 Thus, true obedience, being, on the one hand, obedience to elders, is, on the other hand, constant crucifixion, mortification, cutting off personal desires and will. “Neither by abstinence, nor by vigil, nor by sleeping on bare ground, nor by any other feat,” says the Rev. Theodore, “we cannot earn praise and testify to the asceticism of Christian life in such a way as by cutting off the will.” 532 Everything that goes against this, such as self-will and self-rule, is alien to true obedience and must be removed from the life of a Christian. In this regard, obedience in a Christian community becomes of great importance. According to St. Father, “... community life requires only one single virtue - blessed and holy obedience.” 533 Therefore, “there should be no place here for personal desire, personal inclination to self-indulgence,” since... any disobedience and self-will give rise to discord and disorder 534. Meanwhile, true obedience here ensures peace, unanimity and the integrity of the established system and entails another Christian virtue - love of work, which is also important in the improvement of every person. According to the teachings of Rev. Theodore Studite, labor is the urgent need of every person. A Christian needs it to acquire spiritual and material benefits. “Labor,” says St. Father is needed for the sake of acquiring virtue, so that a person can find a blissful life,... work for the good...” “Where there is... labor,” he notes, “there... sin cannot... penetrate. When the heart is inactive... then lust quietly penetrates, irritating and outraged us and not allowing us to return to our previous state.” 535 Therefore, the entire life of a Christian must constantly alternate in spiritual and physical exercises that protect the soul from the enemy of salvation - the devil 536. By doing spiritual things; through psalmody, poetry and all sorts of soulful reading, a Christian thereby distracts his mind from wasting time on vain matters, preserving it from sinful thoughts, for “idleness is the mother of sin” 537, and “work is the preservation of the mind” 538. As for physical labor, it is, according to St. Father, is useful to every person in the sense that it develops the abilities invested in his nature by the Creator. “Lord and Master,” says Rev. Theodore, - by the power of His foreknowledge, he determined each of us to perform the good deed of which he is capable... Thus, He determined for one to be the head, another the eye, another the hand... someone the foot or one of the members.” “One,” continues St. Father - received from God one gift, another another; therefore, everyone can benefit not only in one respect, but in many and different ones.” 539 With this in mind, the monk concludes: “Let no one remain idle, no matter who he is: such people do not belong to those who seek the Lord.” 540 Thus, an idle, parasitic lifestyle is incompatible with the high title of a Christian. A true Christian, according to St. The father should not neglect absolutely any work; do not pass by even the most insignificant activity 541. Every work should be pleasant for him, and every work should be “sweet and prosperous” 542, for everything that a person does to the best of his ability is pleasing to God 543. Such “carnal work, as dedicated to God, is spiritual” 544 and represents, according to the expression of the previous one. Theodora, “the echo of some mysterious voice, not emitted by sound organs, but heard by the power of activity.” 545 Therefore, any service or work, no matter how petty and low they may seem to a person, he must perform equally diligently and conscientiously, with fear and trembling, as before the Face of the All-Seeing God, as service and sacrifice to the Lord 546. A person who avoids work is unworthy of food. “Disgusting to me,” says St. The father is a slacker, unworthy even to eat according to the judgment of the divine Paul” (2 Thess. 3:10) 547. Such a person, according to Rev. Theodora, “ruins half of her life” 548. Meanwhile, everyone who works, no matter who he is by profession (cellarer, housekeeper, plowman, gardener, gardener, carpenter, etc.), finds joy and meaning in life in his work and receives the same reward from the Lord 549. Work aimed at the common good has special moral value. “A blessed thing,” says St. Father, to work with your brothers to the best of your ability, and the holy thing is to do work in the field.” 550 By these works the Christian sanctifies his body and makes his soul completely dispassionate 551. “If this is so,” he notes, “then let everyone fulfill his ministry and use the gift that he has received from God, so as to thereby bring general benefit, keeping in mind that everything that belongs to people is in the hand of God.” 552 Moreover, if a person cannot do one job, he must do another. “You are unable to press, or you feel unwell,” teaches the Rev. Theodore, then carry the sheaves. If you can’t carry sheaves, glean ears, carry water, or do something else suitable in the field or at home.” 553 However, “no one,” he continues, “let’s deceive that he is weak in order to move on to easier work. If this is true, then it will be checked by observers of the work, and if this is done simply because one wants to move on to another task, due to laziness alone, then there is no need to hypocritically hide the sin, for such pretense will not lead to good.” 554 Working “willingly and deftly” 555 for the benefit of his neighbors, a Christian must avoid any selfish goals or personal benefits. He is not allowed to use hired force in his work, for “what is done by someone else’s hand is not done voluntarily.” 556 According to the teachings of Rev. Theodore the Studite, in Christianity there should be no place for the exploitation of man by man, much less slavery, for “slavery was created by sin” 557. All people should work equally. “We,” says St. Father, we are our own slaves and masters, we ourselves serve and we ourselves use the services.” “Therefore,” he continues, “everyone should try to serve more than to use the services of others.” 558 You should go to work when called, promptly and without excuses 559. If general work is assigned, you need to leave private classes 560, and it is necessary for everyone to gather together, and not separately 561. In whatever field a Christian works; in the field, vineyard, workshops, etc. - his work must be preceded and accompanied by prayer 562. He must work with concentration, without laughter, argument or empty talk, and when working together, help each other, especially those lagging behind 563. Entrusted services and work should not be abandoned or run from one task to another, from one workshop to another 564. In a word, if the time for work has come, a person must work honestly; if the time for rest has come, he must rest, for, as the Word of God says, “there is a time for everything, and a time for every activity under heaven” (Eccl. 3:1). 565 In addition to work, spiritual communication with others brings great benefit to his moral growth. 4. Spiritual communication Every person has an inherent desire for social life. Only in a society in which, due to relationships, one helps another in everyday needs, labors and moral improvement, can a person achieve temporary and eternal benefits. However, for this, according to Prey. Theodora, everyone should have “one will, one desire, one path... one life, a common spiritual... and physical property,” just as it was in the Jerusalem community of the apostolic time 566. Therefore, Christians must live among themselves in peace, harmony, love, unanimity and like-mindedness 567, be meek in their behavior 568, mutually yield to each other in conflicts and forgive offenses 569. At the same time, in all circumstances of life, they must be imbued with mutual goodwill, caring for each other, encouraging and helping each other both in physical and spiritual improvement 570, and in cases of joy or sorrow - share equally with their neighbors 571. Despite the fact that Christians bear different responsibilities in society and have unequal virtues, nevertheless, being members of the “one living body,” they must be mutually united into a single inextricable union, according to the words of the Apostle: “For as there is one body and there are many pains, all the parts of the one body, which are many, are one body... And if one body suffers, they suffer with it.” all ouds: if one oud is famous, all ouds rejoice with him. (1 Cor. 12:12, 26) 572. Everything that violates this union and introduces division into it, according to the thought of the Rev. Theodore must be removed from it. These are; envy, mutual enmity, rivalry, ill will, hatred, anger 573, disputes, bickering, abuse, fighting, mutual insults 574, preferential love for one of the members, instead of equal love for all 575, desire for primacy, arrogance, arrogance of one’s spiritual and physical advantages 576. On the contrary, “Christians, being members of one great family, brothers in spirit, should rejoice in each other, sympathize with each other, and consider personal successes to be common and mutual.” 577 Only in this way, “unifying and agreeing with each other,” will they be able to improve and live in God 578. Moral improvement as a lifelong feat on the path to eternal life The earthly life of a true Christian, according to the thought of St. Theodore the Studite, is aimed at achieving the Kingdom of Heaven 579, for “being with God is inexpressible joy, incorruptible life, eternal joy, heavenly pleasure, enlightenment from the Holy Trinity and all other imaginable bliss.” 580 Such a blissful state of mind is the lot of few people. But it is achieved by a Christian through “intensive work” on cleansing his soul from sin in the process of moral improvement. Moral improvement is truly a feat that requires a Christian, in the conditions of earthly life, to completely renounce the “bonds of the flesh” and all “bodily desires” 581 . “Our business,” says the Holy Father, “is to live incorporeally while in the flesh, and to live incorporeally while in the body.” 582 To accomplish this task, a Christian must first of all “give priority not to the flesh... but to the spirit 583, constantly struggling with carnal aspirations, and in this struggle, “let,” says the Rev. Theodore, “conquers the spirit and enslaves the body, so that the soul, mistress and mistress, can be free, having peace with God” 584, for “the best law for the soul and body is the one according to which the higher should not be enslaved by the lower” 585. If the soul is in the power of the “lower”, that is, the flesh, then it is not able to rise to the height of moral perfection 586. The liberation of the soul from the power of the sinful desires of the flesh is the essence of human moral improvement. It must continue throughout the life of a Christian, since “life, in the words of the Holy Father, rushes by like a runner, flies by like a bird,” being, as it were, “one moment in comparison with future eternity” 587. Therefore, every Christian who wants to be saved must not lose “not a single day, not a single hour,” but daily make the beginning of a “new” life and establish himself on a spiritual foundation 588 with the help of grace 589. The very beginning of a Christian’s spiritual growth, according to St. Theodore, is a very difficult task for him, “for,” he says, “just as when traveling on foot, until a person is used to it, it seems painful and difficult to him, and when he has walked some distance and his veins have straightened out and his body has warmed up, then he will walk easier, stronger and more successfully, the same thing is observed with us when we follow the path of the Lord.” 590 Spiritual “ascent” through “change and direction of life for the better” 591 for each person begins from the moment when a moral turning point occurs in his soul. Under the influence of God's grace, a fallen man is born with a feeling of dissatisfaction with his sinful state and a desire to free himself from it. “And once the soul has experienced the impulse to salvation,” notes St. Father, then she moves unnoticed and quickly ascends to the heights of virtues, striving for the heavenly.” 592 On the part of a person, it is only necessary to actively participate in the feat of saving his soul until the end of his life, since, according to the thought of St. Theodora, “it is not the one who takes up a good deed who is worthy of praise, but the one who completes what he started well.” 593 Meanwhile, on the path of his moral growth, a Christian inevitably encounters various obstacles (temptations from the devil, worldly glory) 594 that contribute to his fall, which, even if small, stops “movement forward” 595. Under such circumstances, he is required to have a particularly attentive and critical attitude to the inner state of his soul. “According to the very state of your soul, try,” says the reverend. Theodore, - determine who came to you - friend and enemy. If he leaves your soul serene, does not soften it, but makes it courageous... then open the gates of your heart to such a Guest, bring Him to you, offer Him a treat, give Him shelter in your place, shine with Him, so that He, in turn, will nourish you for an even greater desire for God and everything divine. But if he brings confusion into your soul..., makes you fix your eyes on flesh and blood,..., kindling your soul with a fire of passions, then... drive away the dragon. He came to overthrow in an instant all... many years of deeds.” 596 In view of this, every morally improving Christian must “strain” in his feat in order to “reach the end of the race” 597, without stopping in spiritual growth, even if he considers himself at the height of perfection 598. “If,” says St. Father, one of us would say to himself that he has already reached such a degree of perfection that he considers even gold lower than lead, then in this case such a person only suppressed the thought within himself for a while, for our passions are constantly only in a bound state.” 599 On the contrary, “the more a person succeeds in struggle, the more he feels that he is moving away from perfection” 600. Therefore, every saved Christian must “constantly and strenuously advance in goodness,” without setting a limit to his moral ascent 601. With God’s help, gradually overcoming “path after path, mountain after mountain” 602 on the path to eternal life, a true Christian will be able to rise to the very pinnacle of virtue 603 and thus achieve, as far as is possible for his feeble powers, the heights of moral perfection and bliss. List of used literature 1. Works of St. Theodore the Studite. Volume 1, St. Petersburg. 1907 2. Works of St. Theodore the Studite. Volume 2, St. Petersburg. 1908 3. F. Uspensky. History of the Byzantine Empire. Volume 2 4. Triodion. Moscow, 1912 This is the name of Rev. Theodore received from the Studite monastery, where he lived, the field of his removal from Sakkudion. The Studite monastery was founded in 459. in Constantinople by consul Studius. Creations of Rev. Theodora Studite, volume 1, ed. St. Petersburg, 1907, p. 81 Works of St. Theodore the Studite, volume 2. St. Petersburg 1908, p. 189 Creations, volume 2, page 392 Creations, volume 2, page 198 Michianism - from the Greek μοιχεία means adultery. F. Uspensky. History of the Byzantine Empire, volume 2, page 245 Creations Volume 1, pp. 19–20 Creations, volume 2, pp. 237–330 Some researchers believe that Rev. Theodora had stomach cancer. Creations, volume 1, page 116 Creations Volume 2, pp. 1–91 Triodion. Moscow, 1912, sheet 18 on the back. Creations, volume 2, pp. 820–822 Creations Volume 2, pp. 94–199 Creations, volume 2, pp. 200–323 Works of St. Theodore the Studite. Volume 1, ed. St. Petersburg, 1907, p. 854. Works of St. Theodore the Studite. Volume 2, ed. St. Petersburg, 1908, p. 31. Creations, volume 1, page 870 Creations, volume 1, page 479 Creations, volume 2, page 453 Creations, volume 1, page 759 Creations, volume 1, page 447 Creations, volume 2, page 387 Creations, volume 1, page 235 Ibid., p. 854, Creations, volume 2, pp. 5, 64 Creations, volume 1, page 917 Creations, volume 1, page 398 Creations Volume 1 Page 874 Creations, volume 2, page 529 Creations, volume 1, page 922 Creations, volume 1, page 912 Creations, volume 2, pp. 819–820 Creations, volume 2, page 819 Creations, volume 1, page 417 Creations, volume 1, page 269 Creations, volume 1, page 606 Creations, volume 2, page 625 Creations, volume 1, page 672 Creations, volume 2, page 133 Creations, volume 1, page 503 Creations, volume 1, page 744 Creations, volume 1, page 938 Creations, volume 2, page 255 Creations, volume 1, page 517 Creations, volume 2, page 140 Creations, volume 1, page 428 Creations, volume 2, page 544 Creations, volume 1, page 728 Creations, volume 2, page 799 Creations Volume 1 Page 883 Creations, volume 2, page 648 Creations, volume 1, page 366 Creations, volume 2, page 103 Creations, volume 1, page 685 Creations, volume 1, page 724 Creations, volume 2, page 407 Creations, volume 1, page 364 Creations, volume 2, page 830 Creations, volume 1, page 725 Creations, volume 2, page 831 Creations, volume 2, page 570 Creations, volume 2, page 532 Creations, volume 1, page 407 Creations, volume 2, page 521 Creations, volume 2, page 742 Creations, volume 1, page 331 Creations, volume 2, page 291 Creations, volume 1, page 394 Creations, volume 2, page 506 Creations, volume 1, page 330 Creations, volume 1, page 352 Creations, volume 2, page 467 Creations, volume 1, page 408 Creations, volume 2, page 684 Creations, volume 1, page 452 Creations, volume 2, page 578 Creations, volume 2, page 695 Creations, volume 1, page 414 Creations, volume 1, page 698 Creations, volume 2, page 725 Creations, volume 1, page 367 Creations, volume 1, page 502 Creations, volume 2, page 399 Creations, volume 2, page 713 Creations, volume 1, page 571 Creations, volume 2, page 526 Creations, volume 1, page 610 Creations, volume 1, page 820 Creations, volume 2, page 756 Creations, volume 1, page 420 Creations, volume 2, page 358 Creations, volume 1, page 528 Creations, volume 1, page 888 Creations, volume 2, page 323 Creations, volume 1, page 544 Creations, volume 2, page 459 Creations, volume 1, page 745 Creations, volume 2, page 744 Creations, volume 1, page 545 Creations, volume 1, page 522 Creations, volume 2, page 671 Creations, volume 1, pp. 891, 583 Creations, volume 2, page 229 Creations, volume 1, page 706 Creations, volume 2, page 454 Creations, volume 1, page 739 Creations, volume 1, page 279 Creations Volume 1 Page 882 Creations, volume 2, page 522 Creations, volume 1, page 355 Creations, volume 2, page 751 Creations, volume 1, pp. 459–460, 487–488, 598 Creations, volume 2, page 135 Creations, volume 1, page 287 Creations, volume 2, page 703 Creations, volume 1, page 657 Creations, volume 1, page 328 Creations, volume 2, page 500 Creations, volume 2, page 61; Creations, volume 1, page 509 Creations, volume 1, page 880 Creations, volume 1, page 528; Creations, volume 2, page 358 Creations, volume 1, pp. 706, 821, 892; Creations, volume 2, page 76 Creations, volume 1, pp. 300, 532; Creations, volume 2, pp. 69, 71 Creations Volume 1 Page 892 Ibid., pp. 242, 266, 454 Creations, volume 1, page 322 Creations, volume 2, page 156 Creations, volume 1, page 357 Ibid., pp. 542, 838–839 Ibid., pp. 300, 357, 391 Creations, volume 1, pp. 768, 798; Creations, volume 2, page 31 Creations, volume 1, pp. 547, 612; Creations, volume 2, page 32 Creations, volume 1, page 507; Creations Volume 2, pp. 16–17 Creations, volume 1, page 597; Creations, volume 2, page 16 Creations, volume 1, page 809 Ibid., pp. 303, 438–440, 650, 655 Creations, volume 2, page 155 Creations, volume 1, page 301 Creations, volume 1, page 698; Creations, volume 2, page 455 Creations, volume 1, page 403 Creations, volume 1, pp. 493, 869; Creations, volume 2, page 745 Creations, volume 2, page 752 Creations, volume 2, page 131 Creations, volume 1, pp. 728, 773–774 Creations, volume 2, page 748 Creations, volume 1, page 760 Creations, volume 2, page 839 Creations, volume 1, page 315 Creations, volume 1, page 926; Creations, volume 2, page 15 Creations, volume 1, pp. 408, 493, 817 Ibid., pp. 469, 817–818 Creations, volume 1, page 769; Creations, volume 2, pp. 839, 850 Creations, volume 1, pp. 302, 311, 322, 485 Ibid., pp. 308, 435, 485 Creations, volume 2, page 18, 485 Creations Volume 1 Page 837 Creations, volume 1, page 956; Creations, volume 2, page 2 Creations, volume 1, page 838; Creations, volume 2, page 18 Creations, volume 1, page 697 Creations, volume 2, page 504 Creations, volume 1, page 541 Creations, volume 2, page 646 Creations, volume 1, page 516 Creations, volume 1, page 713 Creations, volume 1, page 525