ДУХОВНЫЕ БЛАГА

When there are spiritual goods, there is no harm from the lack of physical goods. And if they are not there, then what hope, what consolation remains for us? Therefore, you should always pray to God and ask for them. Christ taught us to pray for them. And if we delve into that prayer, we will not find anything carnal in it, but everything spiritual. Even the little sensual thing that we ask for in it becomes spiritual from the image of the petition. Even one instruction not to ask for anything more than daily bread, that is, daily bread, would be a sign of a spiritual and wise mind. But look what precedes this: “Hallowed be thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:9–10). Then, having spoken about those sensual things, He immediately turned away and again came to spiritual teachings, saying: “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). He [said] nothing about the authorities, nothing about wealth, nothing about fame, nothing about power, but included in the prayer everything that tends to benefit the soul - nothing earthly, but everything heavenly. So, if we are commanded to abstain from everyday and real things, then how unhappy and pitiful will we be when we begin to ask God for what He commanded us to reject, even if we have it, in order to save us from worries, but what He commanded us to ask for, we will not have any care for, or we will not even desire it? This truly means idle talk. That is why, although we pray, we do not receive success. How, you say, do evil people get rich? How unrighteous, criminal, predators, covetous? It is not God who gives them this, no. But how does God allow it? As he once allowed the rich man to do, observing it for greater punishment. Listen to what was said to him: “child!.. you have already received your good things... and Lazarus – your evil ones; now he... is comforted, but you suffer” (Luke 16:25). So, so that we do not hear this voice, we, who vainly and recklessly spend our lives in luxury and add sins to sins, let us take care of acquiring true wealth and perfect wisdom (8). What, really, is the benefit of earthly pleasure? Today it exists, but tomorrow it is scattered dust; today - a blazing fire, and tomorrow - cooled ashes. But spiritual blessings are not like that: they always shine and bloom and become more beautiful every day. That wealth never perishes, is never transferred, is never exhausted, never exposes to anxiety, envy or censure, does not destroy the body, does not corrupt the soul, does not arouse envy, does not incur hatred, while all this is connected with wealth. That glory does not lead to madness, does not give rise to arrogance, and never ceases or becomes darkened. Peace and pleasure in heaven are also continuous, always unchanging and immortal: no limit or end can be found for them. Let us desire, I convince you, this life. If we desire it, we will not value real goods at all, but will despise them and laugh at them. Everything that has an end is not very desirable. Everything that ceases, what is today and what is not tomorrow, even if it were something very great, all this seems too small and not worth attention. So, let us love not fleeting, transitory and flowing blessings, but constant and unchanging blessings (8). You might be interested in: