Часть II. Вопросы на исповеди

The proposed questions in confession should serve as a guide for the pastors of the Church when they perform the Sacrament of repentance and for the fasting laity who are preparing for this great and saving Sacrament. Great and responsible are the responsibilities of the confessor, invested by the Supreme Shepherd with the great power to bind and resolve sins of conscience, to teach spiritual instructions to the penitent on behalf of the Church and to heal sin-sick souls. Perhaps the perfect fulfillment of these duties is the cherished desire of every true shepherd. The pastor of the Church must not only offer the repentant the appropriate questions regarding the violation of certain requirements of the moral law (which is almost necessary, due to the strongly developed habit on the part of the flock not to talk about their sins or to confess them with a general and vague expression: “I have sinned in everything” or: “Whatever I have done, I have sinned”), but also to give spiritual and medical advice, to give the appropriate instruction not only general, at the end of confession, but also private, after individual confessed sins. Many sins are so grave - although, with a “dormant conscience”, they are not at all recognized as such - that leaving a confessing Christian without warning, without edification and exhortation does not allow the duty of a priest, who is obliged to give an account to the Supreme Judge for every lost soul. And the feeling of Christian love does not allow one to remain indifferent at the sight of death, and, moreover, eternal death, of a neighbor standing on the edge of an abyss and not noticing this danger. 1. The confessor’s questions should not be random, disorderly, and should not concern only certain commandments, but should be strictly thought out and proposed in a certain system, so that they affect all aspects of the moral life of a Christian and awaken the sinner’s conscience in all its relations to live in accordance with the moral law and the maternal leadership of the Holy Church. Considering the confession questions that were published before, we came to the conclusion that almost all of them suffer from extreme incompleteness and one-sidedness. In order not to be unfounded, we point out that all of them - with few exceptions - were compiled only on the basis of the ten commandments of the Law of God. Meanwhile, a Christian must be guided not only by them, but also by the nine Gospel commandments of the beatitudes, where the moral law given through Moses is elevated, supplemented and spiritualized. If he does not cry for sins, if he is not meek, if he does not hunger and thirst for the truth of God, if he does not strive to pacify his neighbors, if he is not pure in heart, if he is not merciful, he will not enter the kingdom of God. Questions in confession, drawn up only according to the Ten Commandments, strictly speaking, do not allow asking the penitent about this. But this is not enough. There are also commandments that a Christian must follow. We are talking about the nine church commandments, which for some reason many do not pay attention to at all. They embody the wise and loving spirit of the Holy Mother of the Church, the educator of Christians, these wanderers and strangers on earth, guiding them to eternal life. The wisest rules of human discipline can never equal the discipline of the Church, incomparable in the power of divine wisdom. Prayer, fasting, avoiding tempting sights, the need for frequent confession and Communion, avoiding heretical meetings, avoiding reading heretical works and other church commandments are so important and saving that their failure to fulfill them leads religious and moral life to an extremely dangerous state. That is why we decided to compose questions not only according to the guidance of the ten commandments of the Mosaic Law and the nine Gospel commandments, but also the nine church commandments. A Church shepherd, experienced in making confession, can test the conscience of those who repent on any one list of questions: on the ten commandments of God's law, the nine Gospel commandments or the nine church commandments, supplementing them if necessary. With this remark we eliminate the objection of those who will find some repetitions in our work. It goes without saying that it is neither necessary nor possible to offer every confessor all the questions. For example, out of twenty questions and instructions, it is enough to take only three or four that correspond to a given person, his age, gender, condition, rank, moral and religious mood and the circumstances in which he finds himself. By this we also eliminate the objection that in a short confession, with a mass of confessors, it is not possible to take advantage of all that is proposed here. This is not necessary, but one can and should choose a little from a lot. In addition, at the end we made an application in which we placed several programs of short questions for confession in crowded parishes. You can confess on any of them, drawing on the necessary additions from the main part of the questions. 2. Offering questions to the penitent if he does not have the skill to independently confess his sins (the pastor must gradually accustom him to this) is only one side of the matter. Another, much more important, is pastoral edification, or exhortation of the penitent in accordance with his moral state. A priest, tired, exhausted by a long confession, standing on his feet sometimes for fifteen, even twenty hours at a time, especially in crowded parishes, has no opportunity to give detailed instructions to the penitent. Only short, strong and to-the-point instructions and exhortations, certainly warmed by the fire of Christian love and imbued with the authoritative biblical and patristic spirit, are appropriate here. The edifications offered here will be to a certain extent useful to both young and older pastors, providing ready-made material from which one can easily choose what is needed. 3. But there is also a third, and most difficult, task of the confessor: it is to give the penitent spiritual and medical advice, to make it easier for him to overcome various kinds of passions: drunkenness, irritability, anger, pride, foul language, fornication, despondency, despair, etc., and at the same time indicate the means for acquiring saving Christian virtues. “The science of sciences,” said the great prayer book, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, an experienced teacher in spiritual life, “is to overcome the sin that lives in us, or the passions operating in us. For example, great wisdom is not to be angry with anyone for anything, not to think evil about anyone, even if someone does us harm, and to excuse it by all means; wisdom is to despise self-interest and sweets, and to love non-covetousness and simplicity in food and drink with constant moderation; wisdom is not to flatter anyone, but to speak the truth to everyone without fear; wisdom is not to be seduced by the beauty of a face, but to respect in every beautiful and ugly person the beauty of the image of God, which is the same for everyone; wisdom is to love your enemies and not take revenge on them in word, thought, or deed; wisdom is not to accumulate wealth for ourselves, but to give alms to the poor - so that we may acquire for ourselves an inexhaustible treasure in heaven. Alas! We have studied almost every science, but we have not taught the science of avoiding sin at all, and we often turn out to be complete ignoramuses in this moral science. And it turns out that the truly wise, the truly learned were the saints, the true disciples of the True Teacher - Christ, and we all, the so-called scientists, are ignorant, and the more learned, the more bitter the ignorant, because we do not know and do not do anything for the need, but serve self-love, love of glory, lust and self-interest" 67 . Where can I get advice on how to deal with sin? The personal experience of the confessor will hardly be sufficient here. The Word of God, the creations of the Holy Fathers and teachers of the Church and high ascetics of faith and piety, as well as the teachings of pious and wise people, verified and justified by experience - this is where you can find a rich source of wise advice regarding spiritual life. And with God’s help, we studied a significant number of these works and, as it seems to us, we found many precious instructions regarding the fight against sin and growth in a virtuous life. “Philokalia”, the works of St. Basil the Great, St. Ephraim the Syrian, John Climacus, Nile of Sinai, Abba Dorotheos, St. Demetrius of Rostov, St. Tikhon of Zadonsk and many other works, writings and letters about the spiritual life of the newest ascetics of piety - St. Seraphim of Sarov, the Optina elders Macarius and his disciple Ambrose, Saint Theophan the Recluse, the Zadonsk hermit George, Elder Nazarius, the abbot of the Valaam Monastery, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt and many other books about spiritual life we looked through, and what we found applicable to the life of the laity was extracted and included in the proposed questions in confession. These instructions and advice, which are given to the repentant at the moment of his moral enlightenment, in moments of his heartfelt contrition for sins, can, we think, give rise to a gracious desire in him to embark on the path of moral renewal and salvation and facilitate the fight against sin. It is obvious that the pastor-spiritual father gives these instructions only when: a) the repentant confesses to the sin about which he is asked, and only then; b) the confessor does not notice heartfelt contrition for sins; c) finally, when the penitent is inexperienced in spiritual life; then the shepherd must awaken his conscience and show him the danger of his spiritual lull and the severity of the sin committed, as well as give him spiritual and medical advice. As for the purpose of the proposed brochure for fasting lay people, we think that for them these questions can serve as a fairly detailed program of moral self-examination, which is so necessary during the days of fasting, when it is necessary to remember, if possible, all the sins and transgressions committed, to realize their severity before the court of God and the court of conscience, to repent of them and pray to the Lord for mercy. Reading pastoral edifications will show them how dangerous certain violations of the will of God are, how necessary it is for both temporary and eternal salvation to observe it and follow God’s commandments, how important it is, without delay, to take up the work of one’s salvation, which for every true Christian should be dearer than anything else in the world, although, unfortunately, due to the generalization of the flesh, the world and the devil, very often it does not seem so to us. At the end, a brief summary of church-practical notes is offered that could guide the priest when confessing people of different ages and conditions - social, physical and spiritual-moral. We believe that some, especially novice shepherds, will find here a solution to many confusions that arise in practice when performing the Sacrament of Repentance. In view of the very important characteristics of children's nature in physical, mental and religious-moral relations, in comparison with the nature of adult Christians, we considered it necessary to simultaneously compile “Questions for Confession of Children with detailed pastoral instructions for them.” Both the questions and instructions to youths during confession should differ in both form and content from the questions and instructions during confession of adults. It would be a great mistake on the part of the pastor to lose sight of this. The very special rite of confession of youths should always remind him of the difference between the confession of adults and the confession of children. In the name of Christ’s love, I earnestly ask all pastors and spiritual fathers who find my present work useful for themselves, to pray for the many-sinful priest Gregory, which will be the highest reward for me. Priest Grigory Dyachenko, Moscow, February 5, 1897 Preliminary questions for confession 1. Do you, my son, have enmity with anyone? Did you reconcile with everyone when you went to confession? 68 The Lord promised to forgive us our sins, provided that we forgive the sins committed against us by our neighbors: “If you forgive people their sins, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15). “So if you are bringing your gift to the altar, and there you remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift” (Matthew 5:23-24). Saint John Chrysostom writes: “How can you raise your hands to heaven, how can you pray and ask for forgiveness of your sins? Even if God wanted to forgive you, you yourself are hindering Him by not forgiving your brother.”69 In another place, the same saint teaches: “You cannot be without sin, and therefore do not stop praying for forgiveness, but even more do not stop forgiving others. As much as you want to be forgiven, you should forgive as much. Only under this condition will you receive forgiveness” 70. 2. Did you come to confession, my son, in order to really be cleansed of your sins, or just to comply with the established order? Know that for sinners there is no other path to salvation except the path of repentance, just as only repentance brought the prodigal son to his father’s house and saved him from destruction. The sacrament of repentance is a font in which the sinner is cleansed for heaven, a ladder that takes us back to where we fell. We should be inclined to repentance not by empty imitation of the example of others, not by unaccountable adherence to a long-established custom, but by the consciousness of our sinfulness and aversion to sin. He who resorts to repentance as a result of disgust for sin, the consciousness of the destruction of his sinful state, burns with the desire to be cleansed of sin, makes a promise to leave vice and embark on the path of virtue. “Know that you have sinned and that sin is a terrible evil, and you will have a desire to make amends for it,” teaches St. Neil of Sinai. 3. Do you observe the conditions under which your confession will truly have saving power, namely: a) Do you repent of the sins you have committed with sincerity, with contrition of heart? b) do you have a firm intention to improve your life? c) do you believe in Jesus Christ and hope in His mercy? 71 4. Don’t you think you can be saved without the grace of God? Know that none of our exploits by themselves can save us, and our hearts will never find peace from our deeds. It can only rest in the Lord the Savior, and then it is only inspired by the hope of salvation when it sincerely calls out to Him: “Lord, save me through your destinies!” Everyone who relies on themselves in the matter of salvation usually ends up losing all self-confidence, considering further work on the path of salvation hopeless. “You have to feel like a drowning man at sea who grabs hold of and lies down on a board that can lift him and carry him over the abyss. He constantly feels that he is about to die, but at the same time he feels a saving plank underneath him. This is a real image of every soul truly saved in the Lord. She feels that she is perishing on her own, but at the same time she feels that there is salvation by the Lord - for the sake of faith in Him” 72. Questions at confession regarding the guidance of the ten commandments of God's law with a brief pastoral edification of the penitent after each confessed sin The first commandment of God's law “I am the Lord your God, ... let you have no other gods before Me” (Ex. 20:2–3). 1. Do you, my son, have firm faith in the Word of God and the teaching of the Holy Church? If the answer is negative, the shepherd edifies the repentant in approximately this way. A doubter is like a wave of the sea, lifted and tossed by the wind. “Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, and believe in Me” (John 14:1), says the Divine Teacher, our Lord Jesus Christ. Imitate the Apostle Thomas, who, at the sight of the Risen Lord - and he had previously doubted the Resurrection - exclaimed: “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). But remember also the words of the Savior spoken on this occasion: “Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (John 20:29). What spiritual medical advice can I present to you, my son, by following which you could gain firm faith in everything that the Word of God and the Holy Church teaches? There are two paths: one is external, scientific, and the other is internal, the path of faith. The first is usually offered in a systematic presentation of theology. It is valid and essential for scientists, but, obviously, it is not universal, because it is based on information that is not available to everyone. This path is very long and difficult, and, what is especially important, it leaves the heart to itself, to its own waywardness and freedom. The second path, the path of faith, is sincere, more lively, more accessible, it brings more spiritual fruits. This is a prayer to the one True God for admonition. There is a True God. He showed us His will for our salvation, He wants it to be understood and fulfilled. Now, through human wisdom, it is hidden or confused to the point that one or another person does not have sufficient strength to find a way out of this labyrinth. “When someone, experiencing spiritual need, with a cry, groaning and heart disease, turns to God - the true Father of all people, who wants human faith to be effective - is it possible that He does not give such a questioner a decisive instruction to be convinced of its truth? He feeds the screaming ravens, through prayer sends rain to our thirsty flesh (see Ps. 147:8:9), and to man, His image, yearning, striving to learn how to glorify God, will He not show a source for quenching this spiritual thirst? Such a prayer is in no way a temptation of God, although it can be turned into one when someone insincerely, out of sheer curiosity, would like such certifying signs” 73 . “Do not abandon, but rather increase your prayer for faith, since without faith, according to the testimony of the Holy Scriptures, it is impossible to please God. Everything, absolutely everything that comes from us and from us that is unclean, sinful, imperfect - all this is born in us because we have little faith, because we have not yet acquired a living, ardent faith. “The lamp of the body is the eye” (Matthew 6:22), and for the soul is faith. If the body did not have eyes, then everything would seem to not exist for us or to exist, but in a distorted form. There is no faith in us - there is no true life in us, without which our entire external life, no matter how brilliant and abundant it may be, is one ghost, one dream, a body without a spirit" 74 . There are numerous examples of persuasion of faith through prayer. Cornelius the centurion asked for faith (see Acts 10:1-31). There were many who came to the hermits to ask about faith, and they, instead of any arguments, forced them to pray, and God revealed the truth to them, as was the case, for example, with St. Great Martyr Catherine. 2. Do you not suffer, my son, from the attack on your soul of frequent doubts about the truths of St. faith? Observe the following to get rid of fatal doubt: a) If you have doubts, you need to fight them. When doubt arises, do not agree with it in your mind, as if it really is what it suggests; but stop him at the very entrance, like an uninvited guest, and subject him to inspection. Just as in the fight against thoughts the main thing is to disagree with them with your heart, so when you have doubts, to disagree with them with your mind. Would you say that they suddenly penetrate and cover the entire mind? It's nothing. And in wishes it also happens that they embrace the whole heart. But this does not mean that they have already won, but only means that the attacker is shameless. If someone accidentally rushes at you and wraps his arms around you, you do not surrender to his power, but push him away. So it is here. Let doubt cover the whole mind, try to push it away so that it appears outside and you can deal with it as with another, alien person. If you begin to act this way, many doubts will immediately disappear as soon as you tear them away from your mind and demand them to be judged. If they persist, start driving. b) Regarding wishes, all the saints offer the following as a second technique: when we recognize in these wishes the enemy’s approach to us, instead of fighting them on our own, we need to turn to the Lord Savior - and they disappear. I think that the same should be done in relation to doubts. Turn mentally to the Lord and pray to Him to drive away the temptation with the tempter. And it will be. c) The third technique is to restore the good in yourself in ordinary strength. Whatever good thoughts and feelings you experience, you rush to restore. I think all the trouble you have is because you accept the doubts that arise as friends and let them in, and cherish them, taking their side. This means, without raising your hands, surrendering to the enemy in full power. And you hold in advance the conviction that doubts do not represent anything true, and when they appear, drive them away, trying in every possible way to remain on the side of good and truth. d) When you restore your good state, then you can sort out your doubts. Here they will be very weak. And victory will always remain yours 75. e) “Doubt is blindness of mind, therefore listen to the lamp of God’s Word. For the Word of God, like a spiritual light, drives away darkness and illuminates the eyes of the soul, reveals the vanity and charm of the world, exposes self-love and our sins.” f) “The opposite is driven away by the opposite: cold with warmth, bitterness with sweetness, darkness with light, etc. So, if we want to shake off the blindness from our intelligent eyes, we must heed the teaching and example of the life of Christ. Christ with His holy teaching and life is the Way, so we must adhere to Him, lest we get lost. He is the Truth, so we must entrust ourselves to Him, lest we be deceived. He is Life, therefore, we must cleave to Him, so that with Him, and in Him, and through Him we will come to life and be alive forever 76. 3. Have you ever allowed disbelief in God’s Providence? Take a look at the history of God’s people and you will see clear traces of God’s Providence in people’s lives. Remember what Joseph says to his brothers who sold him to Egypt: “It was not you who sent me here, but God, who made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord over all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt” (Gen. 45:8). Look carefully at your life and at the lives of those close to you: the Lord either showers them with blessings or punishes them with disasters in order to strengthen the faith of the faint-hearted, support the weak, frighten bitter sinners, stop evil or direct a person’s free will to good - and you will exclaim with the king and prophet David: “Bless the Lord, my soul, and do not forget all His rewards” ( Ps.103:2). 4. Do you not suffer, my son, from insensibility and hardness of heart in the matter of faith? Here are the ancient, proven remedies for insensibility, this deadly illness, for deliverance from which St. John Chrysostom himself prayed and called for prayer every day at four o’clock in the afternoon: “Lord! Deliver me from all ignorance, oblivion, cowardice and petrified insensibility": a) it is useful to often read the Divine Scripture and the touching words of the God-bearing Fathers, to remember about the Last Judgment of God, about the exodus of the soul from the body and about the terrible forces awaiting it, with the participation of which it did evil in this short-lived and disastrous life; b) it is useful to remember that we will have to appear before the Terrible and righteous Judgment Seat of Christ and not only in deeds, but also in words and thoughts, give an answer before God, before all His Angels and in general before all creation; c) it is also good to remember the great sorrows of man, so that at least the cruel and insensitive soul will soften and come to the consciousness of its bad state 77 . 5. Were you not once an atheist or did you not sympathize with the destructive teachings of the unfortunate atheist madmen? Remember that godlessness is extreme madness. “The fool said in his heart: There is no God” (Ps. 13:1). Only in his heart, in his thoughts, the one who said this is mad. “And in all fairness, how is he not insane? - exclaims St. John Chrysostom. - There is no God! But if there is no foundation, how does the building stand? If there is no house builder, how is the house made? If there is no architect, who built the city? If there is no farmer, how did sheaves of grain appear in the fields? If there is no creator of the universe, where and how does the world exist?” Notice, my son, that there are two main reasons for unbelief: pride and wickedness. Reluctance to lose the imaginary freedom of your mind and the desire to rid yourself of the reproaches of conscience, which, in the light of faith, denounces the actions of evil will; reluctance to part with beloved passions are the main reasons for disbelief. Therefore it is necessary to remove them. Remember, my beloved brother in Christ, that unbelief is powerless in solving the most important issues of life. Ask an unbeliever, if he does not believe in God, how he will answer these seven questions, the importance of which you will understand as you know the laws of the universe. First, where did matter come from? Can a dead thing create its own dead self? Secondly, where does the movement begin? Can a dead thing set its dead self into motion? Who gave the first push to motionless inertia? Where did the initial force come from? Third, where did life come from? Was life created of itself in dead matter, or was there a first vital force that penetrated into this insensible mass, and if you can explain everything, then tell me where this life-giving spark of Divine life came from, if not from the finger of the Almighty? Was the first bacillus or the first bacterium so omnipotent as to create itself? Fourthly, where does the wonderful harmony, the magnificent arrangement of all parts of the universe and the purpose of every object in nature come from? Will you make us believe that this immense harmonic harmony comes from a concatenation of circumstances, from a random combination of atoms? If someone told us that people called Krylov, Pushkin, Gogol, Dante, Shakespeare, Milton, never existed, but that millions of printed letters accidentally took their special forms and accidentally came together in Krylov's fables, in Pushkin's poems, in Gogol's stories, in Dante's "Divine Comedy", in Shakespeare's plays and in Milton's poems, then you would surely they would have thought that this man was out of his mind. But he would not be as mad as the man who tells us that the colors on the magnificent wings of a moth, the iridescent feathers on the neck of a dove, the glassy moisture and retina of the human eye, the delicately colored flowers and leaves of endless forests, and the sands and the seas, and the beautiful pink shells on the shore, and the layered crystal of the snow, and the heavens and the stars - that all this accidentally formed a symmetrical whole, and that from the combination They borrowed their majestic beauty from hostile atoms. Fifth, where did consciousness come from? Can blind chance think? Can dead matter comprehend its existence and create objects itself? Sixth, who gave us free will? We have a body, but at the same time we have a rational, free and immortal soul, created in the image and likeness of God. In other words, we have in us something infinitely higher than matter, that is, spirit. This spirit cannot be anything other than the breath of the Lord. Even the pagan poet said: “God is within ourselves.” Seventh, where does conscience come from? Did dead matter separate the divine sense of right and wrong? Therefore, he who does not recognize the existence of God does not solve even the simplest difficulty of the human mind; at the same time, it creates difficulties a thousand times more numerous and insoluble. He simply speaks amazing nonsense and displays boundless recklessness. When you reach faith in God along this path, then faith follows in Divine Providence, in the fact that God created us, that He is our Father, that we are the people of His pasture, the sheep of His right hand. And, with the awareness of our relationship to God, conscience, of necessity, awakens. Visible phenomena, by the will of God, reveal invisible ones. 6. Are you guilty of the sin of heresy? Have you ever sympathized with heretical false teachings? Know that to be a heretic means to be excommunicated from the Holy Church and from God, to condemn yourself to deprivation of the kingdom of heaven. Remember how St. once acted. Apostle John the Theologian, this holy and pure preacher of Divine love. Having met a heretic in a bathhouse, he hastily said to his disciple: “Let’s run away from here: the bathhouse may catch fire, for this wicked man is in it!” This same St. The apostle, who treated all sinners meekly, advises Christians not even to receive into their homes or welcome those who teach falsely about Christ our Lord. To prevent yourself from being carried away by any heresy, remember that only the Holy Church is the guardian and interpreter of Divine Revelation. God entrusted to the Church His Revelation, contained in the Holy Scriptures and in the Holy Tradition, therefore, the divine sources of the teachings of the Christian faith are undoubtedly recognized only as those that it accepts. “I would not believe the Gospel,” says the blessed one. Augustine, - if the voice of the Catholic Church had not convinced me of this” 78. The Church, having received Revelation from the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, keeps it intact and undamaged. Its meaning was also conveyed to her. From the beginning of her existence, she has been the infallible interpreter of Divine Revelation, and will remain so until the end of the century, for the Universal Church has never spoken and does not speak on its own, but speaks only by the Spirit of God, Whom it has, had and will have as its Teacher forever (see John 14:16, 17, 26). A person who speaks from himself can make mistakes, deceive and be deceived, but the Universal Church, since She spoke and speaks by the Spirit of God, cannot in any way sin, deceive and be deceived. The ancient Father of the Church, Saint Irenaeus of Lyons, says: “We should not seek from others the truth, which is easy to borrow from the Church: for the apostles put into it in full everything that belongs to the truth, so that everyone who wishes can receive the drink of life from it” 79 . 7. Weren’t you, my son, a schismatic, and didn’t you approve of schismatic unauthorized meetings outside of unity with the Orthodox Church? Remember that schisms are contrary to the desires and intentions of our Lord: “That they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21:22). “Do you want to be saved? - asks Saint John Chrysostom. – Stay in the Church, and it will not betray you. The church is a fence: if you are inside this fence, then the wolf will not touch you, but if you go outside, you will be kidnapped by the beast. Do not shy away from the Church: there is nothing stronger than Her in the world. She is your hope, in her is your happiness.” Know that “to whom the Church is not a mother, God is not a father,” as St. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage teaches. 8. Have you ever experienced despair in your salvation due to any grave sins you have committed? Do not imitate Judas Iscariot, who, throwing away in the church the pieces of silver he received from the high priests for betraying his Divine Teacher, went and hanged himself (Matthew 27:5). “No one despair, no one be exposed to this disease of the wicked,” says St. John Chrysostom. – If you fall into all the vices, then tell yourself: God loves mankind and desires our salvation. “If,” He says, “your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow” (Is. 1:18)” 80. “Do not despair, because the Lord is merciful, but do not be careless, because He is righteous,” teaches the same Holy Father. You said that at times you become very weak - to the point of cowardice, and sometimes to despair. Know that the enemy acts in two main ways: he tempts a Christian either with arrogance and doubt, or with cowardice and despair. The Monk John Climacus writes that one skilled ascetic repelled the machinations of his enemies with their own weapons. When they brought him to despair, he said to himself and to his enemies: “How come you, not so long ago, praised me and made me proud?” - and through this he reflected the evil intent of the enemy. If the enemies went over to the other side and began to praise and give reasons for arrogance and conceit, then the elder answered: “How come you brought me to despair not so long ago? After all, one thing contradicts the other.” And thus, this ascetic, with the help of God, repelled the machinations of the enemy with their own weapons, using one against the other in a timely manner. Also, if you sometimes have the idea of ​​rebelling courageously against your enemies, is this fair? The opposite of this, cowardice, shows that it is unfair. It is not in our power to rebel against insidious enemies, but rather, with humility, always resort to the help and intercession of the Divine, calling on the Lord Himself and His Most Pure Mother for help. As St. advises. John Climacus, “in the name of Jesus repel the warriors” 81. 9. Do you not suffer, my son, from a spirit of despondency? If the spirit of despondency troubles you, beloved, I will tell you this on behalf of the great spiritual physician, St. Ephraim the Syrian: “Don’t fall, but pray to the Lord, and he will give you patience; and through prayer, sit down and gather your thoughts, and console your soul, like the one who said: “Why are you sad, my soul, and why do you confuse me? Trust in God” (Ps. 41:6). And say: “Why are you careless, my soul? We cannot always live in this world.” Imagine in your thoughts those who lived before you and remember that just as they moved from this age, so we, when God pleases, must move from here. Dejection is that evil illness for which we not only pray for deliverance on Lent, but every day in evening prayer we cry out: “Push away demonic despondency far from me, Lord!” 82 “If you want to overcome despondency, do a little handicraft and read God’s books, and pray often” 83. 10. Do you, my brother, experience false and harmful fear for the salvation of the soul, sent from the enemy? When you feel such fear and an enemy attack, it is useful for you, following the example of the ancient Fathers, to pronounce with your lips - so that only your ears hear - the appropriate words of the psalms, for example: “The Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior, whom I will fear” (Ps. 27:1) and the entire 26 psalm. Also: “They went around me, and in the name of the Lord they resisted them” (Ps. 117:10). Also: “Judge, O Lord, those who offend me, and overcome those who fight me” (Ps. 34:1). Also: “God, attend to my help, Lord, strive for my help” (Ps. 69:2) and the like. You will see through experience how great the power of inspired psalms is, which, like a flame, scorch and drive away mental enemies 84. 11. Have you ever turned to wizards, fortune tellers, soothsayers of the future and fortune tellers? Didn’t you want to find out the future through them, or get relief from an illness, or avoid misfortune? Magic, as well as turning to wizards, is a great sin. God Himself through St. The prophet Jeremiah says: “Do not listen to your sorcerers, your sorcerers, your spellcasters, for they prophesy lies to you” (Jer. 27: 9–10). Those who turn to wizards are excommunicated by the Holy Church for six years from Holy Communion: so great is this sin! This means moving away from God to His enemy - the devil, and expecting help from him. One day, King Ahaziah, wanting to help himself in his illness, turned to the idol Beelzebub in the city of Ekron, and for this, according to the prediction of the prophet Elijah, he was punished with death: “And he died according to the word of the Lord, which Elijah spoke” (2 Kings 1:17). Another king, named Hezekiah, in a serious illness turned to God - and recovered (see 2 Kings 20). We, Christians, have God, the saints of God, we have a great and strong Intercessor of the Christian race - the Mother of God, the Queen of Heaven. We must turn to them in case of our need. 12. Are you guilty of the sin of superstition? Don't you believe in happy and unlucky days, meetings and other signs? All days are the same before God: He did not create happy and unhappy days. To think so means to blaspheme the Creator. It is not this or that day, but we ourselves are to blame for the misfortune if we start a business without the blessing of God or a sinful business. St. John Chrysostom even says that the devil instilled this superstition in people: “If anyone believes that a day is a happy or unlucky one, on an unhappy day he will not try to do good deeds, thinking that he will work in vain and will not be successful in anything.”85 Likewise, he who believes in any meetings, considering them unhappy for himself, sins gravely. It is not meeting a person that makes a day miserable, but living a sinful life. Some are afraid to meet a servant of God, who often carries the Holy Mysteries of Christ on his chest. This fear is directly caused by the devil, who hates the servants of God. All this originated in the first centuries of Christianity, when the pagan priests tried in every possible way to distract the pagans from turning to the True God and instilled hatred towards the elders of the Church, i.e. priests, preachers of the truth of Christ. 13. Do you not guess about the future from the books of Holy Scripture? Reveal for the purpose of fortune telling St. The Holy Fathers do not recommend the Gospel or other holy books. 14. Aren’t you too lazy, my son, to pray to God? Prayer is the food of the soul. “Do not abandon prayer as spiritual food,” teaches Saint Gennady, “for just as a body deprived of food weakens, so a soul deprived of prayer approaches relaxation and mental death” 86 . The Lord teaches: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7). “Be constant in prayer, watching in it with thanksgiving” ( Col. 4:2 ). Remember at the same time the wise and great instruction of one saint. ascetic: “Wish not what you want to happen to you, but what pleases God, and then you will be calm and grateful in your prayer” 87. When, during prayer, despondency and melancholy take possession of your heart, know that this comes from the devil, who is trying in every possible way to hinder you in prayer. Be strong, take courage, and with the memory of God, drive away the murderous sensations. When you are alone praying and your spirit becomes despondent, and you become bored and burdened by loneliness, remember then, as always, that the Trinitarian God, all the holy Angels, your Guardian Angel and the saints of God look at you with eyes that are brighter than the sun. Truly! For they are all one in God, and where God is, there they are. Where the sun is, all its rays are directed there. Understand what is being said. Always pray with a burning heart, and to do this, never overeat or get drunk. Remember who you are talking to. People often forget with whom they talk during prayer and who are the witnesses to their prayer. They forget that they are talking with the All-Seeing One, that all the Heavenly Powers and Saints are listening to their conversation with God. Someone during prayer, when he became sluggish and relaxed in spirit and body, and he wanted to doze off, aroused himself with the following internal question: “Who are you talking to, my soul?” And, after this, vividly imagining the Lord before him, he began to pray with great tenderness and tears; his dull attention was sharpened, his mind and heart were enlightened, and he was completely revived. This is what it means to vividly imagine the Lord God before oneself and walk in His presence! “If,” he said further, “my soul, you don’t dare to talk sluggishly and casually with people who are above you, so as not to offend them, then how dare you talk sluggishly and casually with the Lord!” Making an effort of will and intensely turning one’s gaze to God is the best means, immediately raising a person above distraction and turning him to concentrated prayer 88 . 15. Don’t you love the creature more than the Creator? Have you become addicted to anything earthly, to the point of forgetting God? “Woe to you if, having loved creatures, you forget the Creator,” teaches the blessed one. Augustine. “Friendship with the world is enmity with God” (James 4:4). And St. ap. John teaches: “Do not love the world, nor the things in the world” (1 John 2:15). Everything must be loved only for God and for the sake of God. “Do not rejoice in anything temporary in this deplorable age, because everything in it is impermanent and perverse, everything in it is deceptive and changeable. But if you want to be consoled, seek consolation in the Lord alone; if you want to rejoice, rejoice in the Lord alone,” teaches St. Demetrius of Rostov. “Can creature and carnal pleasure bring perfect peace and sure consolation to the soul?” – asks the same Holy Father and answers: “Not at all! Only the Creator can calm and console the soul and give it eternal and everlasting pleasure. Just as a branch blossoms and grows only from the root, so in the same way the soul can receive perfect consolation only from the grace of the Lord and the Most Holy Comforter Spirit, from Whom it received its being.” 16. Have you not committed the sin of man-pleasing, i.e. Have you flattered anyone or approved of bad deeds? Remember that the word of God says: “The Lord abhors the bloodthirsty and the flattering” (Ps. 5:7). “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who call darkness light and light darkness” (Isaiah 5:20). St. Basil the Great speaks about how dangerous it is to praise evil, vice and ungodliness: “Those who do this with their praises bring a curse on the lives of those being praised and become the culprits of their eternal condemnation for the very thing in which they approve of them.”89 17. Have you not trusted in man more than in God? Know that the Lord is very angry in this case. “Cursed,” He says, “is he who trusts in man” (Jer. 17:5). “Do not trust in princes, in the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation” (Ps. 146:3). The Word of God calls hope in man a shadow. What is more fickle and deceptive than a shadow? Today the one in whom you hoped is great and strong, tomorrow he fell from his height and carried you into his fall; Today he is alive, tomorrow he is dead and shattered all your hopes. Only hope in God will never deceive a person. “The Lord is my helper and my protector; My heart trusted in Him, and He helped me,” says St. king and prophet David (Ps. 27:7). 18. Didn’t you rely too much on yourself, on your wealth, on your moral strength in the matter of salvation? The Word of God forbids relying on “unfaithful riches” (1 Tim. 6:17). He who hopes for wealth departs from God in his heart and often becomes proud, cruel, and an oppressor of the poor and weak. You cannot rely on your own spiritual strength to save you. For “God works in us also to will,” i.e. only to wish, “and action”, i.e. something to put into practice (Phil. 2:13). Without the grace of God, a person cannot take even a step in the matter of his salvation. All the saints considered themselves insignificant sinners, poor and wretched without God's help. Attributing spiritual success to oneself comes in different forms, and can be the cause of a retreat from grace. Hence petrification, oblivion, darkening of spiritual vision, loss of strength. The remedy against it is to accept everything as from the hand of God with gratitude, as a gift, to always live in devotion to God, expecting everything from above 90. 19. Do you, my brother, love God more than anything in the world, more than father, mother, children, your own life? The Holy Apostle Paul uses an oath to frighten those who do not want to love Christ: “If anyone does not love the Lord Jesus Christ, let him be accursed” (1 Cor. 16:22). And St. Basil the Great, in his first Word about love for God, teaches: “So, brethren, having accepted the commandment to love God and to desire and thirst for Him alone, we must always remember Him; and as infants think about their mothers, so you reason about yourself, that we were created in His image and likeness, that He created us with an immortal soul, and that we are more venerable in word and in mind than all creatures and are gifted with ineffable blessings. For us, He came down from heaven and reconciled us with God and the Heavenly Father, saved, justified and created us sons and heirs of His kingdom.” Oh God! Our Savior! Kindle love in us, so that we may love You as You please. Are we worthy of His love, being “dust and ashes” (Gen. 18:27)? However, He loved us. How many temptations we experience without having love for Him! How much without it we are exposed to stormy waves of disasters and suffer! But although we sometimes reject Him, He does not turn away from us. We run from Him, but He seeks us and calls us to Himself, saying: “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden” (Matthew 11:28). Our God! We reject Your love, but You never cease to love us. We often accept satanic suggestions more than Your law. We, not sparing ourselves and our salvation, diligently do evil deeds. And despite this, a person often says: “I love God.” What a contradiction! He thinks that he loves God, but does not fulfill His commandments. What kind of love is this? This is pure hypocrisy! When you say: “I love Christ God,” then look at what He commands you: “I have given you an example, that you should do the same as I have done to you” (John 13:15). If you love Christ God, endure just as He endured, and do everything that pleases Him, what He taught and did. Your love must certainly be such as to do good, endure, not be embarrassed by anything that comes your way, and always thank God in everything, not in words and language, but in deeds themselves. You must love Him “with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength and with all your mind” (Luke 10:27). And if you love Him so much, then listen to the prophet Isaiah, through whose mouth the Lord says: “Will a woman forget her child, so as not to have compassion on the son of her womb? But even if she forgets, I will not forget you” (Is. 49:15) 91. 20. Are you not guilty of the sin of ingratitude to God for His countless benefits to you? “Isn’t it a shame to be ungrateful for the benefits received? Even animals are ashamed of ingratitude. They remember with gratitude the food delivered to them,” says St. Ambrose of Milan. Saint John Chrysostom, recalling the immeasurable benefits of the Lord to the human race, says: “He brought us from non-existence into existence, gave us both body and soul, created us rational, arranged all creation for the human race, sent to us a Physician of souls and bodies, His only begotten Son, who deigned to take the form of a servant and be born of a virgin.” “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). Can we help but thank God if we remember all these and other countless blessings, if we remember that after death a person can inherit eternal life with its endless and indescribable bliss? “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). Bless the Lord, soul of a Christian, and do not forget all His immeasurable and innumerable benefits to you; love your Creator, Provider and Savior, with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your thought. 21. Have you not been afraid or ashamed to support the glory of the name of God or to protect sacred objects from their desecration by wicked and blasphemous people? If you are sincerely convinced that your faith is the only true one, then prove it with your deeds. Don't look at what others will say about you. Perhaps there will be some foolish people who will begin to laugh - let them laugh to expose their foolishness. The holy apostles rejoiced when they were subjected to dishonor for the name of Christ; they should be imitated. If they begin to oppress you for your faith, this will be even more beneficial for you: rejoice, for the crown of martyrdom is being prepared for you. Shame, fear and embarrassment are the first signs of lack of faith. “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in His glory, both of the Father and of the holy angels” (Luke 9:26). This is what we need to be afraid of, not what people will say about us! There are times when our silence is completely unforgivable. Now you meet a blasphemer who openly condemns and blasphemes the Orthodox faith. Convict him, confess the truth. If he listens to you, you have gained a brother. He will not pay attention to your words, be calm: judgment belongs to God alone, and you have fulfilled your duty. The Holy Apostle Paul says: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Rom. 10:9). Do you see how the confession of faith ends! It serves the salvation of the soul and the attainment of eternal bliss by people. Walk boldly along this path, Orthodox Christian, with God's help! 22. Do you, my son, surrender yourself to the will of God? Let us surrender our will entirely to God, who knew everything before we were born, and we will not ask for everything to be our way, since not a single person knows what is good for him. But let us begin to say unceasingly in words and deeds: Heavenly Father, Thy will be done! For not every desire that seems righteous and right and good to a person is from the Holy Spirit. It is difficult to judge correctly whether a good or evil spirit prompts you to desire this or that, or whether you are moved by your own spirit. It seemed to many at first that their desire was from a good spirit, but in the end they were deceived. Second commandment of God's law “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or of anything that is on the earth below, or of anything that is in the water under the earth; do not worship them or serve them” (Ex. 20:4–5). 1. Are you, my son, infected with the passion of covetousness or love of money? Remember that covetousness is like idolatry, as St. Apostle Paul (see Col. 3:5). He calls the love of money the root of all lawlessness (see 1 Tim. 6:10). Know that “he who loves earthly things more than heavenly things will lose both heavenly and earthly things” 92. Money lovers are the most unfortunate people both in this and in the future life: here they are in constant worries, labors and anxiety, and there they must endure eternal torment. This passion is cured by the following means: 1) so that “with all your heart and with all your soul have hope in God 93 and 2) “if you want to overcome the love of money, love non-covetousness and poverty” 94. 2. Are you, my beloved, giving yourself over to gluttony, lust, especially drunkenness? The Word of God teaches us to lead a temperate life. “Take heed to yourselves,” says the Lord, “so that your hearts are not weighed down with gluttony, and drunkenness, and the cares of this life, and that that day does not come upon you suddenly” (Luke 21:34). “A belly weighed down with satiety, like a weight, hangs under the wings of the spirit and pulls toward the ground, so that with all its efforts it hits the ground rather than flies up to heaven,” says the wise Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. “Let us behave decently, not indulging in feasting and drunkenness” (Rom. 13:13), teaches St. Apostle Paul. He instructs: “Do not be deceived: neither drunkards nor revilers... will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:10). Woe to man from drunkenness! He experiences thousands of disasters in earthly life, ruining his health, shortening his life, thus becoming a suicide, falling into poverty and vices, causing deep sorrow to his family and friends and passing on vicious inclinations to his children (oh, don’t forget, my son, never forget this!); and in the future life he will be deprived of eternal bliss. Flee, my friend and my brother, drunkenness like a terrible poison, beware of it more than fire, fear it as the snare of the devil, through which he traps Christian souls to destruction and drags them to the bottom of hell, to eternal suffering along with himself. May prayer to the Lord for help, especially the Jesus Prayer, and reading the Word of God be a cure for this disastrous passion. Experience has shown that these remedies have saved many people from addiction. 3. Do you suffer from pride or ambition? Are you not proud of your gifts, merits or virtues? Know that God hates pride. “Everyone who is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord; you can guarantee that he will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 16:5). “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). Remember that “blessed are the poor in spirit” (Matthew 5:3), i.e. humble, completely devoid of pride. St. Anthony the Great, this wonderful teacher of spiritual life, writes: “All sins are vile before God, but pride is the most vile of all.” “Why do you exalt yourself, man, and rise above the clouds, being dust and dust?” - teaches the holy ascetic 95. Through pride the devil fell, through it our forefathers were deprived of heavenly bliss, who wished to be like gods and know “good and evil” (see Gen. 3:5), through pride a Christian becomes unworthy of the grace of the Holy Spirit, without which he is incapable of any good deed. Here are the remedies offered by ascetics experienced in spiritual life against this sinful disease: 1) “If you want to overcome pride by asceticism, do not say that you do it with your labor or your courage. But if you fast, if you remain on vigil, if you pray, if you lie on the ground, if you sing, if you serve, if you bow a lot, say that the feat is not due to my diligence, but because of God’s help and intercession” 96 . 2) “Eliminate two thoughts in yourself: do not recognize yourself as worthy of anything great and do not think that another person may be much lower in dignity than you” 97. 3) “When a reckless thought comes into your head - to count any of your good deeds, immediately correct this mistake and quickly count your sins, your continuous, countless insults to the All-Good and Righteous Master, and you will find that you have them like the sand of the sea, and in comparison with them, there are no virtues.” 98 4. Have you not sinned by hypocrisy, that is, have you not seemed pious for the sake of gaining glory from people, without having true piety in your soul? The Lord long ago denounced the outward piety of people who worshiped God with their lips, but not with their hearts. He said about such people: “They worship Me in vain” (Matthew 15:8–9). God not only will not hear them, but will flare up at them with righteous anger. In the New Testament, our Lord Jesus Christ denounced the scribes and Pharisees, predicting a severe punishment for their hypocrisy (see Matthew 23:13–39). “There is no benefit from charity, which is trumpeted; There is no benefit from fasting, which is announced to everyone: what is done for show does not bear fruit, but is limited to human praise” 99. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who has given us effective remedies against all our ailments, physical and mental, commands us to heal the passion of hypocrisy at its very beginning - in vanity. Vanity hungers and thirsts for human glory - the Lord commanded that vanity be deprived of its food and drink, human praise, that all good deeds be carefully hidden from human eyes, that all good deeds, love for one’s neighbors, should be sacrificed entirely to the one God 100 . 5. Didn’t he consider the worship of St. to be idolatry? icons? Do you carry the cross of Christ - the instrument of our salvation? Saint Athanasius the Great says: “We, the faithful, do not worship icons as gods, as the pagans do - let it not be! - but we only express the disposition and love of our soul for what is depicted on the icon. Therefore, often, if the image is erased, we burn what was previously an icon, like a simple tree. Therefore, just as Jacob, before his death, bowed to the top of Joseph’s rod (see Heb. 11:21), not honoring the rod itself, but the one who held it, so we, the faithful, honor icons for no other reason than to express our love for those holy faces that are depicted on them, kissing them in the same way as we kiss our children; We bow to them in the same way as the Jews once worshiped the tablets of the law and the two gold sculptured Cherubim, not honoring the nature of gold or stone, but the Lord who commanded this to be done” 101. The third commandment of God's law “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain” (Ex. 20:7). 1. Are you not guilty, my son, of the sin of blasphemy, if not in word - from which may God save you! – is it a thought? The holy apostles considered the sin of blasphemy to be characteristic of such people who have no fear of God and for whom “destruction does not sleep” (Rev. 16:11, 21; 2 Pet. 2:3). Among believers, they considered it unthinkable. What remedy for this can I offer you, my son? 1) Let it be known to you that if, against our will, blasphemous thoughts invade our heart, which loves the Lord and reveres Him, then they are from the devil and cannot be imputed to a person: let him be calm, since he is innocent of this. “Let no one be embarrassed,” says Saint Demetrius of Rostov, “let no one despair of being inspired by blasphemous thoughts, knowing that this is more for our benefit, and not a temptation; to the demons themselves - to shame.” The devil who inspires these thoughts in a person tries to assure him that he himself gives birth to them in himself, in order to lead him to despair through this; but you need to know that all those thoughts that the soul does not desire are from the devil. It happens that a person, as if in oblivion, accepts thoughts for a short time, but, having come to his senses, expels them. In this case, you need to cry out to the Lord from the depths of your heart and repent - and the Lord will forgive. 2) If someone is embarrassed by these thoughts, then the enemy strengthens them, and when he neglects them, the enemy leaves disgraced. 3) During the attack of blasphemous thoughts, you do not need to enter into any reasoning or argument with them, but you need to say the internal prayer without ceasing: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner!” As the Holy Fathers taught, “beat your adversaries in the name of Christ; there is no stronger weapon than this, neither in heaven nor on earth” 102. So, we must neglect blasphemous thoughts and liken them to the barking of a dog: although we hear it, we do not suffer harm from it. And if you start to object to such thoughts, they will intensify and will not go away until the person leaves them unattended. 4) Let us humble ourselves, stop judging our neighbors, let us be merciful to everyone, be diligent in prayer, abstain in food and drink - and the thoughts of the enemy will move away from us, according to what is said in St. Gospel: “This generation cannot emerge except through prayer and fasting” (Mark 9:29) 103. On the part of a person, the reason for the appearance of these thoughts is either proud conceit or condemnation of others. Therefore, when blasphemous thoughts invade, first of all reproach yourself for judging others and having a proud opinion in the present or past. 5) Say in advance against these thoughts the words of St. John Climacus: “Get away from me, Satan! I worship the Lord my God and serve Him alone, and let your illness and this word turn on your head, and let your blasphemy rise on top of your head in this and in the age to come.” 7) Finally, at this time, you need to keep in mind and firmly remember the advice of St. Isaac the Syrian: “When a person, caring about inner cleansing, by the grace of God approaches the first degree of spiritual reason, that is, the understanding of the creature, then the enemy, out of envy, strongly arms himself with blasphemous thoughts. And do not stand in this country without weapons, lest you soon die from the thoughts that sow in you and deceive you. May tears and frequent fasting be your weapons. And be careful not to read heretical dogmas, for this in many ways arms the spirit of blasphemy against you. When you have satisfied your belly, do not dare to shamelessly experience any of the divine things and concepts, lest you repent. In a full belly there is no understanding of the mysteries of God.” Listen to the words of this great father, try to have, if possible, abstinence in food and drink and a contrite and humble heart before everyone, in order to acquire saving crying for past and present sins and through this preserve yourself unharmed in your present temptation from the spirit of blasphemy. Know that the enemy, if he cannot harm someone, then out of his malice tries, at least, to confuse him, to annoy him with various thoughts and evil suggestions 104. 2. Have you not grumbled against God in sickness, need and misfortune? To grumble against God is a great sin: the creature cannot demand an account from the Creator or express its displeasure at the illnesses, poverty and various misfortunes sent by God. Misfortunes are sent for our benefit: either for our correction, or for protection from great sins that we would commit if we were rich or prosperous, or for deliverance from future torment. It is better for a person to endure a little here than to suffer forever in the future life. All the saints asked the Lord: “It is better here, Lord, to punish, but there to have mercy.” “Who are you, man, that you argue with God? Will the product say to the person who made it: “Why did you make me like this?” (Rom.9:20), says the Apostle Paul. Remember that nothing happens without the will of God. Even a hair from our head will not fall without the will of the Heavenly Father (Luke 12:7). “Blessed is the man whom God admonishes, and therefore do not reject the punishment of the Almighty” (Job 5:17). “Even if our outer man is decaying, yet our inner man is being renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16). Know that “the Lord is close to the brokenhearted” (Ps. 33:19); Delight yourself in the Lord, commit your path to the Lord, cast your worries on Him and He will support you. “He inflicts the wounds, and He Himself binds them up; He smites, and His hands heal” (Job 5:18). “When your flesh suffers from illness, remember that the first enemy of your salvation suffers, who is weakened by illness, and generously endure your illness in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, who endured both the Cross and death for our sake. Also remember that all our illnesses are God’s punishment for sins. They cleanse, reconcile us with God and introduce us again into His love: Your peace, - it is said, - and grant us Your love: for You have given us everything. Remember that in illness the Lord is with you: “I am with him in sorrow” (Ps. 90:15), that it came from the beck of the Master, fatherly punishing us. Believing in prosperous times, be careful not to fall away in times of adversity, but, like a martyr, be constant in faith, hope and love” 105. 3. Do you not recognize yourself, my son, as guilty of the sin of blasphemy, which happens when someone disrespects sacred objects, ridicules them and insults their holiness? This sin is close to blasphemy and brings terrible punishment on the perpetrators. When the sacred Ark of the Covenant was returned from Philistine captivity, many of the Jews began to regard it as an ordinary thing, touched it, looked inside, and for this blasphemy they were suddenly punished with death (see 2 Kings 6:6-7). Remember that God is long-suffering and merciful, but He is Holy and just and often severely punishes blasphemers. There are examples of how a person who pretended to be dead, while other madmen performed a blasphemous funeral service over him, actually turned out to be dead. Let the blasphemer remember that God will not leave a blasphemous sinner unpunished. 4. Have you ever, my son, been inattentive during prayer or worship and in vain, i.e. only with your lips, and not with your heart, did you call on the name of the Lord? When you pray, you stand before God and His saints, who look at you and hear your prayers. Beware of being absent-minded. This insults the greatness of God and turns God’s saints away from you. The Monk John Climacus says: “Just as the king of the earth hates the one who, when standing before him, turns his face away from him and converses with the enemies of the ruler, so he is abominable to the Lord who, while standing in prayer, is occupied with unclean thoughts. Awaken from your love of peace and voluptuousness, cast off your worries, get rid of your thoughts, renounce your body; because prayer is nothing more than alienation from the visible world” 106. The best remedy against absent-mindedness in prayer is fervent prayer to God. “Try to lift up, or rather, enclose your thought in the words of prayer,” says St. John Climacus, “and if, tired, it falls, lift it up again, because inconstancy is characteristic of the mind, but even this can be established by the One who is able to give constancy to everything” 107. “If during prayer,” says St. Basil the Great, “the enemy introduces evil dreams, let the soul not cease to pray and not consider these evil suggestions of the enemy to be its own wills; but, having judged that the manifestation of indecent thoughts occurs in us due to the persistence of the inventors of wickedness, let him fall all the more earnestly to God and pray to Him that He will scatter the evil barrier of the indecent thoughts remaining in the memory, so that by the striving of our mind we can unhindered, without any delay and instantly ascend to God so that the invasion of evil thoughts does not in the least hinder the path. If such violence of thoughts continues due to the persistence of the one at war with us, then even in this case we should not despair and leave the feat halfway through, but endure until God illuminates us with the grace of the Spirit, which puts the insidious enemy to flight, purifies and fills our mind with divine light and makes it so that our thought in serene silence serves God with joy" 108 . 5. Did you not, my brother, swear falsely, i.e. did you affirm with an oath what did not exist? “Do not swear falsely by My name and do not dishonor the name of your God. I am the Lord your God” (Lev.19:12). The Lord forbids a false oath and points to Himself as the Rewarder for lies. The Omniscient One knows the secret thoughts of our hearts. The righteous will strictly punish for the desecration of His holy name. Ananias and Sapphira showed untruth before the holy apostles and lied to the Holy Spirit, for which they were instantly struck with death (see Acts 5:1–11). And now there are amazing examples of God’s punishment for a false oath. Do not expose yourself to the wrath of the Just God, who hates the false oath of His most holy name, before whom the Cherubim and Seraphim tremble. 6. Have you, my son, sinned by committing perjury by not fulfilling a promise made under a legal oath? Remember that the Lord threateningly punishes oath-breakers. King Zedekiah broke his oath to be faithful to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and went over to the side of the Egyptian king in order to go with him against Nebuchadnezzar. For this, he was convicted by God through the prophet Ezekiel: “My oath, which he despised, I will turn on his head. And I will throw My net over him, and he will be caught in My snares, and I will bring him to Babylon, and there I will judge him for his treachery against Me” (Ezek. 17:19-20). And, indeed, Nebuchadnezzar soon took Jerusalem and took Zedekiah into captivity. His eyes were gouged out and he was thrown into prison, where he died. "God! Who will dwell in Your habitation? - asks the holy prophet and king David and among other things says: “He who swears to his neighbor and does not break the oath” (Ps. 14: 1, 4). For anyone who has even a spark of reverence for God in his heart, breaking an oath is a terrible thing. Saint Basil the Great does not even justify the involuntary and violent violation of an oath: if the oath is confirmed in the name of God, then a Christian must better endure for the truth than betray the oath 109. 7. Have you ever broken your vows to God? Pronounced vows must be fulfilled. “Man,” says St. Prophet Moses - if he makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath, ... he must not break his word, but must fulfill everything that comes out of his mouth” (Numbers 30:3). You see, vows stand alongside an oath. “If you make a vow to God,” says the wise King of Israel Solomon, “do not hesitate to fulfill it” (Eccl. 5:3). All the holy saints of God, both in the Old and New Testaments, strictly fulfilled their vows: Jacob made a vow in Bethel to sacrifice a tenth of his property to God (see Gen. 28); Saint Anna made a promise to dedicate her son Samuel to God (see 1 Samuel 1:11); The Most Holy Mary in the Temple of Jerusalem made a vow to God - to always remain a Virgin. And they all holyly fulfilled their vows to God. If you have thoughtlessly made a vow that you are unable to fulfill, then turn to your spiritual shepherd, who, according to the order of the Church, will release you from your vow; and henceforth make vows after mature discussion. 8. Didn't you swear? Have you called on the name of God in vain in ordinary conversations or without due reverence? Did you force anyone to perform deity? The name of God is great, holy and terrible. In Old Testament times, those who dared to pronounce the name of God without respect, with disdain were stoned (see Lev. 24:16). The Cherubim and Seraphim, standing at the Throne of God, call on His name with fear and trembling (see Is. 6:1-3). Saint John Chrysostom says: “How strange is it: a servant does not dare to name his master’s name unnecessarily and at random, but you pronounce the name of the Lord of Angels everywhere unnecessarily and with great carelessness!” Many great scientists, such as Newton, stood up from their seats or took off their hat when it was necessary to pronounce the name of God. Let us imitate them too! 9. Didn’t you, my son, hide anything in confession? Whoever hides sins from his confessor during confession, although he will hear from him: “I forgive and permit,” but the Holy Spirit, as the Knower of the Heart, will not forgive or permit him. Therefore, St. John Chrysostom says: “We will not be ashamed of people in our sins, but we will fear, as we should, God, who even now sees our deeds, and in the next century will punish those who have not repented. Whoever now fears shame only from people, and is not ashamed to do anything indecent before the All-Seeing God, and does not want to repent and correct himself, will be put to shame on the future day of Judgment, not in front of one or two people, but in full view of the entire universe.” 110 For hidden grave sins, people are still here on earth, during their dying illness, they are tormented by demons, and after death they are subject to torment in hell. There are many stories about this in soul-helping books. 10. Didn’t you call on God and His saints for help in bad deeds, as well as in cases of deception in trade? Remember that this is a terrible blasphemy, and such an evil prayer can often bring about quick and obvious punishment from God. Many examples show that people who asked God for the destruction of their enemies themselves fell into great disasters according to the arrangement of God’s Providence, which through this admonished them and taught them that enemies must not only be forgiven, but also loved. There is a lot of evidence of how rich, but heartless people lost all their property from a fire or flood because, among other things, they asked God to increase hunger in the country, so that they could then sell their huge reserves of grain to the poor at a high price. The Fourth Commandment of God's Law “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy; six days you shall work and do all your work in them, and the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God” (Ex. 20:8-10). 1. Are you guilty of the sin of disrespecting holy holidays? Did you work unnecessarily on Sundays and holidays, or did you force your subordinates to work on holidays? Remember, my son, that it is a great sin to disturb the peace of holidays. In the Old Testament, Sabbath breakers were stoned to death (see Numbers 15:32–35). The Jews so strictly observed the peace of the holiday that one day about a thousand people allowed themselves to be killed by enemies who attacked them on the Sabbath day without taking up arms. “Let us all die in our simplicity,” they said (see 1 Mac. 2:37). “Only deeds of unavoidable need are permissible on the day of the Lord, and only deeds of charity and love for mankind are worthy of the day of the Lord” 111. God only has seven days in a week. He assigns six of them for us to work and carry out all our affairs, and only the seventh day He assigns for Himself. Are we not robbing the Lord of His Sunday, which He appointed for us to serve Him for our own salvation? There are families who break Sundays and do not go to the church of God. But since they steal His day from the Lord, the Lord does not bless them. People who trade on Sundays often become poorer instead of getting richer, and sometimes go completely broke. 2. Have you, my beloved, avoided worship on holidays? Always remember that the church of God is the dwelling of God, the visible heaven, the school of faith and piety, the place of healing for our bodily and spiritual infirmities, the place of mutual communication between heavenly and earthly things; a house of prayer, where your prayer is united with the prayer of the saints and is much more likely to be heard than at home; a place of special presence of God's grace, without which the human soul dies for spiritual life, just as grass dries up and dies without rain. “Having abandoned all your affairs,” teaches Saint Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, “gather without laziness to church for prayer. Don’t say: “I’ll pray at home.” Just as a house without a fire cannot be heated by smoke alone, so home prayer cannot be done without church prayer.” The once righteous Juliana, during a harsh winter, having neither clothes nor shoes, did not go to church for some time. Priest of the Church of the Holy Rights Lazarus, having come to the church one day for Matins, suddenly heard a voice from the icon of the Mother of God: “Go, tell merciful Juliana that it is in vain that she does not go to church: home prayer is pleasing to God, but not as much as church prayer. And you respect her: the Spirit of God rests on her.” From that time on, despite any weather, righteous Juliana went to church 112. 3. Have you, my brother, always stood in church with the fear of God, faith and reverence? Remember that in the church of God you need to stand as before the Face of God. The church is the house of God, the dwelling of God, the visible heaven. The Lord of heaven and earth Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, is present here in the Holy Gospel, in which He, according to the teaching of the Holy Fathers, is hidden; in the holy image of His Cross; in the holy relics placed at the foundation of the Throne and in the holy antimension. He is primarily present in the Sacrament of His Most Pure Body and His Most Holy Blood. In the church of God, as in heaven, all the Heavenly Powers, the Most Holy Mother of God, the holy Angels and saints of God are present: they pray with us, reinforce and lift our prayers to heaven, bringing down the grace of God upon us through their intercession. “Standing in the church, standing pretending to be in heaven.” Remember this. Standing with reverence in the church of God, with all your heart take a living part in all his sacred chants and prayers. “When you hear prayer in church, try to let not only your ear hear, but also your heart, so that the prayer of the Church becomes your own prayer” 113. 4. Didn’t you rejoice madly on holidays, instead of, according to the commandment of God, “hallowing” the day of the Lord? Once the Lord, through the mouth of the prophet, spoke to the Jews, who spent their holidays in the service of one sensuality: “My soul hates your holidays” (Is. 1:14). This is a scary word! Let us fear the wrath of God, let us spend the holidays holy, “not indulging in feasting and drunkenness, nor in sensuality and debauchery, nor in quarrels and envy” (Rom. 13:13); “not with the leaven of vice and wickedness” (1 Cor. 5:8), with quarrels and foul language, but in purity and righteousness. Remember that if innocent and useful works for temporary life are indecent on holy days, then how many times more inappropriate are useless, carnal and vicious works on these holy days? 5. Do you, my son, realize your duty to do good to the church of God for its needs? Saint Gregory the Theologian says: “When Moses erected the tabernacle on earth as an image of the heavenly, then everyone brought what they were commanded: some gold, others silver and expensive stones for the upper robe, each and every one that they had at that moment, they all brought for the construction of the tabernacle, and none of the poorest was left without an offering. So we too will bring to God’s honest tabernacle of this church, although one will bring less and the other will bring more: we will not all contribute equally. God measures alms not by the merit of what is given, but by the strength and disposition of the giver. So, do not hesitate to become generous, but be one now, and for lack of something worthy, do not refuse everything.” 114 6. Were you lazy about working on weekdays? Do not forget that work is commanded by the Lord: “work six days and do all your work in them.” The Lord condemned Adam to labor, and exhausting work at that, after his fall, and consequently, all humanity descended from him: “By the sweat of your face you will eat bread until you return to the ground from which you were taken” (Gen. 3:19). “God imposed exhausting labor on man, for if even now, when such labor is imposed on us, we sin incessantly, then what would we not dare to do if God allowed us to indulge in inaction?” – teaches Saint John Chrysostom 115. One sage said: “Just as fresh waters, turning into stagnant waters, spoil, so too do human souls and bodies spoil from idleness, which is truly the mother of many vices.” 7. Do you spend time on holidays reading the word of God and spiritual books, prayer, spiritual reflection and good deeds? According to God’s commandment, holidays must be “sacred,” i.e. use it for holy and spiritual works, for the glory of God. Such godly activities on holidays undoubtedly include reading the Word of God and spiritual books, prayers and reflections about God, about one’s soul, about eternal salvation, and doing good deeds. Everyday bustle and everyday activities do not allow everyone to indulge in these soul-saving activities. But the soul of a Christian, deprived of the Word of God and prayer for a long time, will yearn because it does not have spiritual food. Remember that “man cannot live by bread alone” (Matthew 4:4), but also by the Word of God and prayer. Refreshed by the source of living water - the Word of God, strengthened by prayer, with which the grace of God comes, a person becomes purer, more perfect and more successful in all his affairs. Thinking about your high destiny for the future life, about the bliss of the righteous and the eternal torment of hell will encourage the souls of those who labor and are burdened in this life, will give them the strength to endure all sorrows with patience and even joy, and will instill in the souls of people the saving fear of God, which keeps a person from evil. And a person deprives himself of these precious fruits by not taking proper advantage of holiday rest, by avoiding reading spiritual books, prayer and thinking about his soul and eternity! O man, come to your senses and come to your senses while there is time, while you are alive! 8. Do you love the Holy Orthodox Church? Don’t you prefer any heterodox churches, Christian societies and unauthorized Christian gatherings to her? “The Church is our Mother, intercessor, nourisher, enlightener, tender guardian, our intercessor and protection, our purification, sanctification, true exaltation and affirmation, our guide, our deification, our glory. At the same time, she is our spiritual air, thanks to which our souls exist. The Orthodox Church surpasses all non-Orthodox churches, firstly, in its truth, its Orthodoxy, observed and won by the blood of the apostles, hierarchs, martyrs, saints and all saints; secondly, by what most truly guides us to salvation, cleanses, sanctifies, renews us through hierarchy, worship, the Sacraments, and fasts; thirdly, because it best teaches to please God and save one’s soul, it best leads to repentance, correction, prayer, thanksgiving, and glorification. Where are there such prayers, praises, thanksgivings and petitions, such wonderful services as in the Orthodox Church? Nowhere" 116. The world is like the sea; and the Church of God in the midst of the world is like a ship in the waves; Her pilot is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself. Do not imitate those arrogant ones who want to be saved outside the ship, but observe all the traditions of the Holy Church, as necessary means to achieve eternal life. Fifth Commandment of God's Law “Honor your father and your mother, so that it may go well with you and that your days on earth may be long” (Ex. 20:12). 1. Have you ever sinned by being disrespectful to your parents? Did you offend them with disobedience and impudent words? Did he leave them without help? Remember that it is an extremely grave sin to fail to honor your parents. For honoring parents, the Lord promises two great blessings: long life and prosperity, but for disrespect for father and mother, He takes away these two precious blessings: disrespectful children often experience all sorts of disasters and die very early. “Cursed is he who curses his father or his mother” (Deut. 27:16). According to the Law of Moses, children who offended their parents were given the death penalty! “Whoever curses his father or his mother must be put to death” (Ex. 21:17). “Show all respect,” says Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, “to those who gave birth to you, so that it will be good for you. Your parents are your great benefactors: show them your worthy gratitude. Remember their illnesses and labors, raised for the sake of your upbringing, and be grateful to them for that; know for sure that you cannot repay anything for their good deeds shown to you.” 2. Have you always retained in your soul boundless filial love for your God-crowned King? Didn’t you dare, even mentally, to condemn his life and his actions? Do you pray to God for him? Know firmly that royal power was established by God for the welfare of the nations: “For every nation He appointed a leader” (Sir.17:14). “By me Kings reign and rulers legitimize righteousness” (Proverbs 8:15). “The Most High rules over the kingdom of men and gives it to whomever He wants” (Dan.4:14). The king is a sacred person. The Lord says: “Touch not my anointed, and do not harm my prophets” (Ps. 104:15). Remember that whoever resists royal power is “resisting God’s decree, and those who resist will incur condemnation upon themselves” (Rom. 13:2). 3. Do you, my brother, love your fatherland? The feeling of love for the motherland, or patriotism, is one of the highest and noblest phenomena of human nature. History adorns its best pages with examples of patriotic deeds. In the Holy Scripture itself, the feats of patriotism are depicted next to the greatest deeds of faith. The greatest representatives of the Old Testament world - Moses, Joshua, Samuel, David, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezra, Zerubbabel, Nehemiah, the Maccabee brothers, the great Old Testament wives - Miriam, Devorah, Esther and Judith present us with examples of high patriotism. In some saints, the fiery impulses of patriotism were so elevated that they were ready, out of love for their people, not only to sacrifice all the blessings of temporary life, but, if it were possible before the court of the highest justice of God, their most eternal salvation, God’s very favor towards them. The Holy Prophet Moses begged God to better blot him out of the Book of Life, but not to deprive God’s favor from the chosen people (see Exodus 32:32); St. The Apostle Paul said with sorrow that he himself would like to be excommunicated from Christ because of his love for his brethren, the race of Israel (see Rom. 9:3). Our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, who appeared on earth as the True God and the True Man, with all human properties and aspirations, except for sinful ones, and who showed us in His life high examples of filial obedience (see Luke 2:44–49), friendly love (see John 11:3, 33–36), at the same time showed us an example of love for His people. Although He was sent to proclaim the Gospel of the kingdom of God to all people, but first of all “he came to His own” (see John 1:11), “to the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24), and to them he was the first to announce the secrets of the kingdom of God and tried to gather them around Him, “as a bird gathers its chicks under its wings” (Matthew 23:37–39). When they did not want this, did not accept Him, hated Him, wanted to kill Him, He grieved and cried over their blindness and the death they were preparing for themselves (see Luke 19:41-44). Thus, love for one’s people constitutes in us not only a natural affection, but also a highly moral feeling, a Christian virtue. 4. Didn’t you sin by disrespecting the civilian leaders: didn’t you grumble at them, didn’t you reproach them, didn’t you judge their actions? Remember, my son, what is said in the Word of God: “Let every soul be submissive to the higher authorities, for there is no authority except from God; But the existing authorities have been established by God” (Rom. 13:1). Indignant against earthly power, we are indignant against Heavenly Power. Saint John Chrysostom instructs us to honor leaders of all kinds: “Destroy the courts of justice, and you will destroy all order in our lives; remove the helmsman from the ship, and you will sink the ship; take the leader away from the army, and you will deliver the soldiers into captivity to the enemies. So, we must give great thanks to God for the fact that there are kings and for the fact that there are judges. Having concern for the welfare of people, so that many of them would not live more senselessly than animals, God established the power of rulers and kings, like the reins for driving a chariot and the helm for steering a ship” 117. 5. Have you sinned by being disrespectful to the shepherds of the Church? Let it be known to you that the shepherd of the Church is a servant of God, appointed by the Holy Spirit to shepherd the flock of God in the Church. “Do you know,” asks St. John Chrysostom, “who the priest is?” - and answers: “Angel of the Lord” 118. And “therefore, we should honor shepherds,” he says, “more than parents” 119, for “they are Christ’s servants on earth, and whoever honors them honors Christ” 120. “They are the very ones,” says the same Holy Father in another place, “to whom it is entrusted to give birth spiritually and to recreate through Baptism. Through them we put on Christ, unite ourselves with the Son of God, become members of this blessed Head” 121. 6. Have you ever disrespected your elders? Those people who do not want to honor old age are grievously sinning, contrary to the clear teaching of the Word of God: “Stand before the gray man, and honor the face of the old man, that you may fear the Lord your God” (Lev. 19:32). True, among the elders there are also those who must be restrained from any disgraceful actions by younger people. But you also need to be meek, polite and condescending towards them. “Do not reproach an elder, but exhort him as a father, ... the elders as mothers” (1 Tim. 5:1-2), instructs St. Apostle Paul. 7. Have you ever treated your servants unfairly, rudely or harshly? Did he oppress her with payment for her work? “Woe to him who builds his house in wickedness and his chambers in iniquity, who makes his neighbor work for nothing and does not give him his wages” (Jer. 22:13). Even according to the Old Testament law, it is prescribed that “the hireling’s wages” should not remain with the owner “until the morning” (Lev. 19:13). Christians should be even more concerned about our servants, who are our brothers in Christ. The Holy Apostle Paul teaches that masters should treat their servants in the fear of God, “moderating severity, knowing that... and over them there is a Lord in heaven, with whom there is no partiality” (Eph. 6:9). 8. Have you ever grumbled towards those you serve? Did you allow yourself to be careless in the performance of your duties? Never forget, my son, that by serving your master or master, you are serving Jesus Christ Himself, to whom you will one day give an account of everything (see Eph.6:5; 1Tim.6:1-2; 1Pet.2:18-19); that you will not lose your reward from the Lord for your labors and fidelity, and it will be greater the more unfairly the gentlemen treated you and the more resignedly you served them. Look at the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who, “having become poor for our sake” (2 Cor. 8:9), Himself willingly served others, was not ashamed to wash His disciples’ feet, and, finally, voluntarily gave Himself for the salvation of the world to suffer on the Cross and die. 9. Do you care about raising your children? Do you teach them virtues: obedience, love of truth, prayer, hard work? Do you instill in them love for God, their neighbors and the Church of God with its saving Sacraments? Do you curb the bad character of children with reasonable punishments combined with meekness and justice? Are you setting a bad example for them with your life? The Word of God says: “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and admonition of the Lord” (Eph.6:4). “Train a young man when he begins his way; he will not turn away from it when he is old” (Prov. 22:6). “A young boy can be likened to a board prepared for depicting a picture: whatever the painter depicts - good or bad, holy or sinful - is what remains. So it is with a child: whatever rules you teach him to, he will live with those.” 122 Severe punishment awaits parents for their careless attitude towards raising their children. Saint John Chrysostom, citing an example of the severe punishment of God that befell the high priest Eli because he knew about the bad behavior of his children and did not curb them, says: “Parents who neglect the Christian upbringing of their children are more lawless than child killers; for child killers separate the body from the soul, and they cast the soul and body into fiery Gehenna” 123. 10. Do you, parent, pray to God for your children? Do you ask the Lord for gracious help in raising them in piety and fear of God, so that they become useful citizens of their fatherland, good children, capable of comforting you in your old age, helping you in your weakness, and obedient sons of the Holy Mother Church? Do not forget, beloved brother in Christ, that the task of raising children, whom, no matter how hard you try, you cannot always protect from many bad examples, is so difficult that only God’s gracious help, sought through fervent prayer, can help you in this. Your prayer for children, namely that they be kind and pious - but not, of course, that they be rich and noble - will undoubtedly please God. He will find thousands of means to make you wise in the important matter of raising children, whether through enlightening your mind or through good and pious people. Ask Him earnestly for this - and it will be given to you; seek - and you will find; knock on the doors of God’s mercy - and it will be opened to you (see Matthew 7:7). Remember that bad children, poorly brought up, can ruin your whole life and bring you to an early grave. In addition, you will be responsible before God for their moral destruction. Therefore, pray earnestly to God, the Source of reason and goodness, for your children, and He will give you everything you need for the good upbringing of your children. Even spoiled children, if their parents pray for their conversion, the Lord corrects them. Here is an example: the mother of Blessed Augustine - this later great teacher of the Western Church - prayed for a long time to convert him to the path of truth when he was drowning in wickedness. The mother's prayer was finally heard: her son turned to God, accepted monasticism, began to lead a truly pious life, was ordained a bishop and became a great teacher of the Church; His excellent creations are still respected today. The Sixth Commandment of God's Law 1. Didn’t you, my son, incite anyone to beat others and, in general, to cause harm to the health of others? Did this not result in their death? “Woe to the world because of temptations,” said the Lord, “great woe to that person through whom temptation comes” (Matthew 18:7). A person in anger, irritation is a sick and unhappy person. He is in captivity of the devil and can commit a grave sin in this state. It is necessary not to incite him to evil, not to arouse his anger, not to add fuel to the fire, but to extinguish the fire by pacifying the warring parties. If a house is on fire, we try our best to put out the fire, but here the soul of a Christian, precious in the eyes of God, for which the Blood of the Son of God was shed, dies in anger. Is the soul of a Christian less deserving of your attention and love? 2. Did you not allow someone to die, although you could have saved him from death? If we can save our neighbors from death, but we don’t, for example, having the means to help the hungry, out of stinginess, we don’t help and thus bring them to death, then we are their murderers, and murder is a terrible, mortal sin. If we do not repent, if we do not wash our heartlessness with tears of repentance, if we do not correct our lives, then we will inevitably perish. The human court may not punish us, but the divine court will certainly condemn us. The Word of God teaches that whatever we desire for ourselves, we must do to others (see Matthew 7:12). Tell me: do you want, if you are drowning in the raging waves of a deep river or sea or dying of hunger, to be given a helping hand? If yes, then do the same to others. We are all members of the Body of Christ, we are all brothers in God: how can we not give a helping hand to our brothers in their need and grief? Remember that all your virtues are nothing if you do not have love and compassion for people. Love is the queen of virtues, and without it there is no entrance to the kingdom of Eternal Love. 3. Have you sinned against the sixth commandment of God’s law, which prohibits not only the taking of a neighbor’s life, but also every offensive word and action and even hatred against him? The Holy Apostle Paul teaches: “Let no corrupt word come out of your mouth, but only what is good” (Eph. 4:29). Moreover: “for every idle word... people will give an answer at the terrible judgment of God” (Matthew 12:36), but there is nothing to say about rotten - false, seductive, obscene or black, which people utter in anger. “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer; and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him” (1 John 3:15). Know that God will not forgive us our sins, will not accept our repentance and will not hear our prayer if we have not forgiven the sins of our neighbors, if we are angry with them and hate them. “Whoever has enmity towards his brother and thinks that he loves Christ is a liar and deceives himself,” teaches St. Ephraim the Syrian. How can you not get angry? Answering this question, St. Basil the Great says that this can be achieved: 1) “if you always adhere to the thought that you are before the eyes of the Lord who sees you and is near you, for what kind of subject in the eyes of the sovereign would dare to do anything displeasing to him? 2) if you do not expect obedience from others, but be ready to obey yourself, considering everyone higher than yourself, for if anyone demands obedience for his own benefit, then let him know that the Word of the Lord teaches that everyone should serve others. And if he retaliates for violating the Lord’s commandment, then he does not need anger, but mercy and compassion in order to act like the one who said: “Whoever faints, with whom I would not faint” (2 Cor. 11:29)?” 124. 4. Are you irritable at home and when communicating with others? The irritability of the heart, like a spark, is extinguished by the fact that a person entrusts himself to the will of God, realizing that God allows troubles to happen for our testing, in order to show us ourselves how strong our good inner direction is. This obliges us to behave complacently in such cases, believing that God Himself is looking at us at this moment. The idea that those who cause us trouble are tools of the enemy is correct. Therefore, when someone gives you trouble, always assume that there is an enemy behind them, inciting and instilling offensive phrases and deeds. The book “Invisible Warfare” has good instructions on this topic. Saints Barsanuphius and John and Saint John Climacus have many of them. Look through these books 125 often. Here are some more wise spiritual healing tips against irritability. “Make it a law: expect trouble every minute and, when it comes, greet it as an expected guest. When something happens that is contrary to your will, ready to upset and irritate you, quickly turn your attention to your heart, pray and, as much as you can, try to prevent evil feelings from arising. If you do not allow these feelings to appear, their action will come to an end, but if they arise, even to a small extent, decide, if possible, not to say or do anything until you have expelled them. If you cannot help but speak and do, try to speak and do not according to those feelings, but according to the commandment, as God commands, meekly and quietly, as if nothing had happened. Throw out of your mind any expectation of an end to this attack and prepare yourself for temptation for the rest of your life. If this does not happen, patience cannot be cultivated. Apply the following to all hammers: maintain a benevolent look, a friendly tone of speech, affectionate treatment and, most importantly, avoid in any way reminding those who have offended you of their injustices. Act as if they mean nothing to you. Your irritability, sometimes capricious, will pass as soon as you learn to walk in the presence of God, under the all-seeing eye of God. Irritability comes from pride. It will be driven away by humility, as well as the realization that one should spread goodness around oneself” 126. 5. Have you seduced anyone or led anyone with your word or action? Temptation is a great sin: it kills the soul of a neighbor, instilling unbelief in it, accustoming it to an immoral life and wickedness, through which the gates of the kingdom of God are closed to it. The harm from temptation is so great that it is impossible to determine its limits. Those who are seduced by someone’s bad word or deed will also seduce others; the temptation will spread further and further and bring greater and greater punishments upon the head of the guilty person. The Lord Jesus Christ says: “Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the depths of the sea” (Matthew 18:6). “Do not think that you are not a murderer if you have caused your neighbor to sin. You corrupt the soul of the seduced and steal from him what belongs to eternity,” says St. Augustine. 6. Did you avoid temptations to sin? Have you ever gone to those meetings where moral feelings are offended? Have you looked at the pictures or read those books that depict unclean love? “They say: “If I had not looked, I would not have been tempted; if I hadn’t heard, my heart wouldn’t hurt; If I hadn’t tasted it, I wouldn’t have wanted it.” You see how much temptation there is from our eyes, ears and tastes. How many people have suffered and are suffering from the fact that, being unsteady at heart in good dispositions, they looked carelessly with unclean eyes, listened with ears unaccustomed to distinguishing between good and evil, and tasted with a greedy taste. The feelings of sin-loving, greedy flesh, unbridled by reason and God’s commandments, drew them into various worldly passions, darkened their minds and hearts, deprived them of peace of heart and took away freedom from their will, making them their slaves. How carefully you need to look, listen, taste, smell and touch, or, better yet, how you need to protect your heart, so that through feelings of suggestion, as through windows, sin does not creep in, and the culprit of sin himself, the devil, does not darken and wound with his poisonous and deadly arrows the heavenly chick - our soul" 127 . 7. Do you show mercy to your neighbors? Do you help them in need? Do you console them in grief and misfortune? Do you love them as you love yourself? Even in the Old Testament, the Lord inspired people: “Let mercy and truth not forsake you: tie them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart” (Proverbs 3:3). Jesus Christ teaches: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). The Lord promises to have mercy on us if we are merciful: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). Remember that by doing good to the poor, you are doing good to Christ Himself. “He who does good to the poor lends to the Lord, and He will reward him for his good deeds” (Prov. 19:17). At His terrible and righteous Judgment, the Lord will say to the merciful: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:34–36). Almsgiving is “the queen of virtues, which very quickly leads you to heaven,” says St. John Chrysostom. 8. Did you try to reconcile with those at war and did you contribute to the reconciliation of those at enmity? Keep firmly in mind that the duty of a Christian is not only to make peace with his neighbors in the event of a quarrel or hostility, but also to persuade others to the Christian world. “If it is possible on your part,” says the holy Apostle Paul, “be at peace with all people” (Rom. 12:18). All who bring peace among people are called children of God: “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). The Faith of Christ is a religion of reconciliation, and its followers should be champions of peace. Just as a plant during a drought, scorched by the rays of the sun, gradually dries up and finally dies if it is not refreshed by life-giving dew and rain, so the poor soul of a Christian, exposed to the fire of anger and enmity against its neighbor, dies for spiritual life if it is not revived by the feeling of reconciliation and Christian love 128 . Our souls understand each other: anger, not yet expressed in words, but hidden in the heart and only slightly reflected on the face and eyes, is already transmitted to the soul of the one against whom I have anger, and is noticeable to others. I am outraged by passion - my indignation also touches the heart of another, there is some kind of spiritual overflow of an unclean stream from one spiritual container to another. The best way to reconcile with the enemy is to destroy in yourself the attachment to your brother, then it will be destroyed in him too; calm down yourself, then he will calm down too. What a close connection between souls! The word of the apostle is true: “We are members of one another” (Eph. 4:25, 4); “we, who are many, are one body” (Rom. 12:5). “Of one blood... the whole human race” (Acts 17:26). That is why the Divine commandment demands: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39) 129. Prayer for the enemy is another excellent means of inducing him to peace. “Pray with all your heart for the one who has offended you and say: “God! Help my brother and me, for the sake of his prayers.” In this way, a person prays for his brother, and this is a sign of compassion and love; and he humbles himself, asking for help for himself, for the sake of his prayers, but where is compassion, love and humility, what can irritability, or rancor, or another passion have time for there? Abba Zosima said: “If the devil stirs up all the cunning of his malice with all his demons, then all his cunning will be abolished and crushed out of humility according to the commandment of Christ.” He who prays for the enemy will not hold any grudges 130. 9. Have you ever allowed yourself to treat your pets cruelly? Didn't he starve them or beat them? Know that pets are your servants, given to you by the Lord to help you. By treating them cruelly, placing a burden on them beyond their strength and denying them what they need, you become unworthy of the gift of God and thereby offend the Lord of all creation. The Word of God says: “Blessed is he who has mercy on cattle” (Prov. 12:10) and “Do not muzzle an ox while he is threshing” (Deut. 25:4). All the saints meekly and compassionately treated not only domestic animals, but also wild animals; often treated them when they were sick, and often fed them from their own hands. Such, for example, are the monks Gerasim of Jordan and Sergius of Radonezh. Let us also imitate them. 10. Have you ever been exposed to the bad habit of smoking tobacco? “Say you can’t stop smoking tobacco! What is impossible for man himself is possible with the help of God, you just have to firmly decide to give up this habit, recognizing the harm it causes to soul and body. Smoking tobacco relaxes the soul, multiplies and intensifies passions, darkens the mind and destroys bodily health with a slow death. Irritability and melancholy are consequences of the morbidity of the soul that comes from smoking. I advise you to use spiritual medicine against this passion: confess in detail all your sins, from the age of seven and throughout your life, and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. Read the Gospel daily, standing, a chapter or more, and when melancholy strikes, then read again until the melancholy passes. He will attack again - and read the Gospel again. Or make thirty-three large bows in memory of the earthly life of the Savior and in honor of the Holy Trinity. The same advice is useful in the fight against any other bad habit” 131. 11. Did you attempt suicide? Are you shortening your life through intemperance, drunkenness, excessive work and worries? Suicide is the greatest crime against God, for life is a gift from God, who alone can take it away; against neighbors, for a person is born and lives not for himself alone, but also for his neighbors. “We, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another” (Rom. 12:5; see 1 Cor. 12:19–30): “if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it” (1 Cor. 12:26). But a suicide causes terrible grief to parents and children and is ungrateful to the fatherland, which has the right to demand service and useful activity from him. It is also a sin against oneself, “for no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and delights in it” (Eph. 5:29). Remember that thoughts of suicide are inspired in us by the devil, the original enemy of our salvation. Therefore know who your enemy is. Prayers to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Queen of Heaven and the Guardian Angel, complete surrender to the will of God, reflection on the Last Judgment of God, confession and Communion are the best means for driving away any thought about this sin. In addition, do not allow the devil to enter your heart through serving the flesh and the world, avoid temptations and visit the church of God more often. 12. Are you active or careless in the matter of your salvation? How can a soul ascend to heaven if throughout its life it has neglected all means to free itself from the world and from its passions? Where could her heavenly abilities come from if she did not develop them here on earth? Where, in fact, could the slightest spiritual vision develop in her, if here she remained alien to everything spiritual and did not demonstrate this spirituality in anything? If every impulse of the soul towards God was stifled, every gift of religious love and faith was stubbornly neglected and denied, then where could the ability to find consolation in what God and heaven give us develop? Develop your soul so that it strives towards God with all its might and, contemplating God, moves away from sin. Create on the ruins of the old creation a new one, which, in contrast to the old one, degenerating from negligence, is freed from sin, revealing itself in all its spiritual power and beauty. And since our ideas about a spiritual being are compiled according to the properties of our bodily being, then the concepts that we must be guided by for the development of our spiritual nature, we can simply borrow from the features of our old creation that are well known to us. For example, our spiritual nature contains a sense of vision. If you neglect it, without developing it, you will not possess it. But develop it and you will see God. And we know how to develop it. Be pure in heart. “The pure in heart... will see God” (Matthew 5:8). This is a way to develop one of the properties of the soul, and by becoming pure in heart, we will have the opportunity to see God. We must also try to acquire a sense of spiritual touch, similar to that possessed by the woman who touched the hem of Christ’s robe - that wondrous power that is called faith and accepts God into the heart. There is also a sense of taste - a spiritual thirst for God, something inside us that feels and sees that He is good. If you neglect this feeling, then the picture of the spiritual world will be dead and icy for you, but if you begin to develop it, your soul will be engulfed in sacred fire, spiritual burning. Finally, there is a great feeling of love, love for God, which gives us the opportunity to know Him. As long as this feeling is absent, no person can truly understand the full “greatness of salvation,” the measure of which is the words of Christ: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “God created the doctor and medicine. He created them not in vain, but so that they could heal illnesses: aversion from the doctor and medicines is a reproach to God. You can avoid treatment by cultivating patience, but you must be afraid that arrogance might creep in: “Let the weak be treated, but we are strong.” For such thoughts about oneself, a murmur is born in the soul. It’s better this way: an illness comes, get treatment. The pain will go away from the medicine - thank God. It will not work - endure and thank God (St. Theophan the Recluse). The Seventh Commandment of God's Law “You shall not commit adultery” (Ex. 20:14). 1. Have you not sinned, my son, against the seventh commandment of God’s law, which prohibits fornication, adultery and all carnal uncleanness? “Flee fornication,” exhorts St. Apostle Paul. He did not say: “Abstain,” but said: “Run,” try in every possible way to move away from dissolute life. Remember that our bodies are “the temple of the Holy Spirit living in us.” How can the church of God be turned into a dwelling place for demons? “You are not your own,” the apostle of Christ further says, “you now do not belong to yourself, “you were bought with a price” - the price of the Blood of the Son of God (1 Cor. 6:18-19). “You are the church of God and the Spirit of God lives in you.” Know this: “if anyone destroys the church of God,” desecrates, destroys, “God will punish him” (1 Cor. 3:16–17)! Perhaps you yourself know how this terrible sentence of God’s judgment comes true on the debauched even in earthly life: some of them rot alive from terrible diseases, others die in terrible torment. But this does not save the unfortunate violators of God’s commandment from judgment in the future life: even there “God will judge the fornicators and adulterers” (Heb. 13:4). “Do not flatter yourself,” says the apostle of Christ, “do not deceive yourselves: neither fornicators nor adulterers... will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). 2. Have you ever taken pleasure in unclean carnal thoughts? A Christian should not only not commit gross sins of the flesh, but should not even defile himself with unclean desires. The Savior says: “Whoever looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28). Never lose sight of the fact that “an unrighteous thought is an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 15:26). From your unclean and nasty thoughts, like from a seed, a sinful deed can easily be born. Therefore, suppress in every possible way, and at the very beginning, bad thoughts and desires. “If you want to overcome fornication, love fasting, and thirst, and vigil, and remember death, and never talk to a woman, and you will win” 132. 3. Do you suffer from unclean carnal lusts? It is good to remember the following significant words of St. Demetrius, Metropolitan of Rostov: “A man is born in the flesh from a wife for life and again, wordlessly uniting with her, dies for God in soul. Just as salt is born from water and again, touching the water, melts and disappears, the same is true in relation to the wife. The best worldly life according to the flesh cannot be compared with the pure angelic life. To cleave to creation is death, but to cleave to the Creator of creation is life and eternal joy. Add fasting and prayer to thinking about this, and your spiritual illness will pass.” St. Ephraim the Syrian, knowing the cunning of the enemy and our weakness, gives the following advice: “It is harmful for someone seeking chastity to share company with a woman, and do not approach a virgin at all, if only there is a thought of the carnal in you. Run away from them like a chamois runs from a snare.” “Guard, brother, the integrity of your body, and to excel in virtues and divine innocence you have the following three benefits: continence of the belly and tongue and bridling the eye. And if you preserve the first ones, but do not preserve your eyes from wandering, then you will not acquire lasting innocence. Just as a broken water pipe cannot retain water, so a scattered eye cannot retain a chaste mind. That is why someone made a covenant with his eyes not to look at the beauty of a maiden” 133. Eighth commandment of God's law “Thou shalt not steal” (Ex. 20:15). 1. Have you sinned against the eighth commandment of God’s law, which prohibits appropriating someone else’s property through deception, secret theft, robbery, bribery, parasitism, or through extortion, which consists of charging exorbitant interest from needy and poor people? The sin of stealing or appropriating someone else’s property is so great that those guilty of it, unless they repent and correct themselves, are deprived by the Word of God of the Kingdom of God: “Do not be deceived: ... neither thieves, nor the covetous, ... nor extortioners will inherit the Kingdom of God,” says St. Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 6:9–10). “Better is a little fear of the Lord than great treasure and trouble with it” (Prov. 15:16). “The stolen property of others,” says Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk, “like fire brought into a house, destroys all other property, for where there is untruth, there is the oath of God; Where is the oath of God, there will be no good, but all misfortune will follow. Predators and robbers are like a man drawing water with a sieve: everything that they steal and collect flows out of their hands, like water drawn with a sieve. Steal and grab, man, steal as you want and whatever you want, however, know that everything will flow out of your hands and your own untruth will be consumed like fire” 134. The holy ascetics protected other people's property so much that if they reaped someone's grain in the field, they did not dare to pick an ear of corn and eat it without asking the owner; a bunch of peas found on the road was not taken for fear of breaking the eighth commandment of God's law. Let us, my son, imitate them. 2. Have you committed any deception in trade, selling damaged goods, using incorrect scales and measures? Avoid deception in trade just as you avoid the fire of hell itself, for, according to the testimony of the wise Sirach, “he who builds his house with other people’s money is the same as he who gathers stones for his own grave” (Sir. 21:9), and moreover, the evil acquired by evil is squandered. 3. Have you ever sinned against your neighbors with any lie or cunning, with the aim of harming their well-being or appropriating something from their property? Lies, deception and theft, no matter how cunningly hidden by man, are for the most part either directly revealed and punished with shame and civil penalties, or accompanied by disasters sent from God to admonish violators of God’s commandments. Experience shows that bringing what has been unjustly acquired into one’s home is the same as bringing in fire, which will destroy the property that a person himself previously had: easy money, acquired through untruth and deceit, weans a person from beneficial hard work, accustoms a person to idleness - the mother of all vices, and inevitably leads a person to poverty and destruction. “He who sows evil will reap evil, and will fulfill the evil of his deeds” (Proverbs 22:8), says the wise Solomon. If in this life a person hides his secret crimes towards his neighbors, he will not escape the future righteous reward at the Second Coming of the Lord, “Who will illuminate the hidden things in darkness and reveal the intentions of the heart” (1 Cor. 4:5). The Ninth Commandment of God's Law “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor” (Ex. 20:16). 1. The word of God condemns the vice of lying: “Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who speak the truth are pleasing to Him” (Prov. 12:22). “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom. 1:18). “The tongue is a small member, but it does a lot. Look, a small fire ignites a lot of substance! And the tongue is fire, the embellishment of untruth; the tongue is in such a position between our members that it defiles the whole body and inflames the circle of life, being itself inflamed by Gehenna” (James 3:5-6). “The behavior of a lying person is dishonorable, and his shame is always with him” (Sir.20:26). “Therefore, putting away falsehood, speak the truth every one of you to your neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Eph. 4:25). “Lies are alien to God,” says Abba Dorotheos. – In the Holy Scriptures, the devil is called the “father of lies” (John 8:44), and God is called the Truth, for He Himself says: “I am the Way, and the Truth, and the Life” (John 14:6). You see from whom we separate ourselves and with whom we unite with lies! 2. Did you not judge your neighbors? Have you passed on bad rumors about others? Don't you like to listen to gossip? The Judge and King of Heaven deigned to pronounce a clear commandment: “Judge not, lest ye be judged” (Matthew 7:1). This means that those guilty of this are conscious and intentional violators of the will of God. They arbitrarily and impudently arrogate to themselves the right that belongs to the Heavenly Judge: the right to decide the fate of all people. We have “one Lawgiver and Judge, who is able to save and destroy; and who are you who judge another? – asks the Apostle James (James 4:12). Why do you anticipate, like the Pharisee, the judgment of God and judge another? “Just as fire is alien to water, so it is alien to the repentant to judge others. If you saw someone sinning even when the soul leaves the body, then do not condemn him, for the judgment of God is unknown to people. Some obviously fell into great sins; but they performed even greater good deeds in secret; and those who loved to ridicule them were deceived, catching smoke but not seeing the sun,” says St. John Climacus. 3. Do you refrain from idle talk? Keep your tongue from idle talk and laughter. To do this, firstly, pray as often and as diligently as possible, repeating with the holy psalmist David: “Lord, set a guardianship for my mouth” (Ps. 140:3); secondly, keep in mind the memory of hell: you won’t want to laugh there, you only need to cry and moan; thirdly, always look deep into your heart, this abyss of sin, where “the creeping things that are without number” (Ps. 103:25). You will involuntarily cry out in this abyss: “Mountains, fall on me, hills, hide me (see Luke 23:30) from the face of my All-Good God, whose paternal compassion I, the most wretched of all people, constantly offend!” 135. 4. Don’t you like, my son, to laugh at others? Mockery is completely inadmissible for a Christian when it concerns a directly known person. Making certain shortcomings funny in order to warn and wean others from them is, of course, not reprehensible (although achieving this goal through such a means as ridicule is very doubtful), but making this or that person funny is always criminal. Any ridicule of a famous person, to a greater or lesser extent, has the following harmful properties: firstly, it covers, and sometimes distorts, the good qualities of the person on whom it falls. In those who are laughed at, they cease to see character traits worthy of respect, therefore, slander, noticeably or unnoticeably, enters into ridicule. Secondly, it resonates more painfully than direct reproach in the soul of the person who is subjected to it, and makes a stronger and more lasting impression on others than direct reproach, therefore, it has a particularly destructive force for the honor of a neighbor. Finally, it gives the character of pleasure to the condemnation of one's neighbor: to laugh at another means not only to condemn him, but also to find pleasure in this condemnation, therefore, schadenfreude is combined with mockery - a feeling unworthy of a Christian 136. 5. Didn’t you hide the truth at the trial? Did you slander anyone in court? Slander is strictly condemned in the Word of God. Slander removes you from God. Already in earthly life, the Lord severely punishes slanderers. Here is an example: three evil people slandered the holy Bishop Narcissus and confirmed their slander with an oath. One said: “May I die by fire if I lie.” The second called upon himself a severe illness. The third said: “May I go blind if I don’t tell the truth.” The saint endured wrongful accusations without malice; but the justice of God befell the false witnesses, and each of them suffered the execution that he himself called upon himself 137. So, beware, my son, of bearing false testimony against your neighbor in court. The Lord “is not mocked” (Gal.6:7); He is merciful, but at the same time also just. Tenth Commandment of God's Law “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor any of his livestock, nor anything that is your neighbor’s” (Ex. 20:17). 1. Don’t you envy your neighbor’s wealth, happiness, health, abilities, success in life? Remember that not only a Christian, but also man in general, is not at all characterized by envy. Christians tend to love and rejoice in the prosperity and happiness of their neighbors, but not to envy. Envy comes from the devil. “Through the envy of the devil death entered the world,” says the Holy Scripture (Wis. 2:24). Envy is a double-edged sword that harms both: both the envious person and the one he envies. Let's listen to what the Holy Fathers say about the sin of envy. Saint Gregory of Nyssa writes: “Envy is the beginning of malice, the mother of death, the first door of sin, the root of all evil.” Saint Basil the Great says: “As rust eats away iron, so envy eats away the soul in which it lives.” He who envies his neighbor rebels against God. “Tell me, what are you jealous of? - asks Saint John Chrysostom. – Is it because your brother received a spiritual gift? But from whom did he receive it, tell me: was it not from God? This means you are at enmity against the One who gave it to him. Do you see to what extent evil extends, to what degree of sin it rises and what an abyss of punishment it tears up?” “Do not envy, man, anyone in earthly, transitory happiness, for everything in the world is like grass and the flower of the field; do not envy the rich and famous, who are satiated with earthly pleasures; but wisely imitate the one who is adorned with virtues. For why would you envy earthly happiness when everything in this world is temporary and perishable? Suppose someone is famous and rich, but will it be like this forever? Or does someone enjoy pleasure and happiness in abundance, but does it always happen? No, all this was given for a very short time” 138. Do not envy the rich, for “it is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:23), and remember that sometimes tears flow through gold, that a person’s happiness does not lie in wealth alone. Do not envy human beauty, for great temptation awaits those who have a beautiful face, sometimes from temptation, sometimes from pride and self-exaltation, which can lead them to hell. Do not envy those who are successful in business, for God blesses their successes, which means we condemn God’s blessing, which is true madness. Saint Basil the Great gives the following wise advice against the sin of envy: “If you see with your intellect above everything human, you will not consider anything earthly great and extraordinary: neither what people call wealth, nor fading glory, nor bodily health; If you do not seek good for yourself in transitory things, but direct your gaze to the truly beautiful, praiseworthy, to the achievement of eternal and true blessings, then you will be far from recognizing anything earthly or perishable as worthy of pleasure and competition. And whoever is like that and is not amazed by worldly greatness, envy can never approach him” 139. 2. Do you struggle with bad thoughts and unclean wishes? “Take courage, and let your heart be strong” (Ps. 30:25): God’s help is near. The Lord never abandons those who turn to Him with hope and entrust themselves to Him. The main thing is to suppress thoughts. When thoughts have subsided, everything else loses its power. As soon as a bad movement appears, immediately turn your thoughts to one of the gospel events: the Transfiguration of the Lord, the Crucifixion, the Resurrection, the Ascension. This way everything bad will be rejected. Remember death, the Last Judgment. Following this, mentally cry out to the Lord as if you were talking to someone face to face, and ask Him for healing, saying: “You see, Lord, what I have. I don't want anything like that. Help and repel these attacks." And begin to say the Jesus Prayer, repeating it with faith, and with it alone limiting all movements of the mind and heart. The Lord allowed temptation and is watching how you act. He is the Leader, you are warriors. He expects you to repel the enemy, not to disgrace His aspirations” 140. 3. Do you remember any sins you have committed that, due to the shortness of time and oblivion, I did not ask about? Repent, my son, of all your sins, committed by you in thought, word and deed, and may you receive forgiveness and mercy from the Lord. Remember that there is no sin that a truly repentant sinner cannot atone for through repentance. How many sinners do we know who have received forgiveness and pardon through repentance! By repentance the publican was justified more than the Pharisee; for repentance the sinner was pardoned, having washed the Savior’s feet with her tears; the doors of heaven were opened to the repentant thief; through repentance and bitter tears, the Apostle Peter, who denied the Lord three times, was again elevated to the rank of apostle; Through repentance, many of the greatest sinners took the path of virtue and received eternal bliss. Thus, the Venerable Mary of Egypt spent seventeen years in sinful, vicious pleasures, but, having repented, she found such grace from the Lord that she crossed the Jordan River as if on dry land and rose above the earth during prayer. Such is the power of repentance! General admonition to the penitent after confession according to the guidance of the Ten Commandments of God's Law At the end of confession, the pastor of the Church exhorts the penitent to turn away from sins and serve the one God. Now keep yourself from sins in every possible way, and in the future do not anger your Creator with them, whom you must love “with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37). If you love Him so much, then you will begin to keep His commandments, for true love for God is known by fulfilling His commandments. Remember that God hates sins and He punishes them. Remember that He did not spare the disobedient angels for their sins (2 Peter 2:4) and cast them down from heaven. For transgressing the will of God, Adam was expelled from paradise and brought disaster upon all humanity that descended from him; for sins, the Lord destroyed the whole world with a flood, except for the righteous Noah; for sins he brought and brings upon people debilitating hunger, infectious diseases, devastating wars and other disasters, so that people would come to their senses, repent and reform. To deliver people from sin and all its disastrous consequences, especially eternal condemnation, the Lord sent His only begotten Son into the world, so that “whoever believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life” (John 3:16). If, with all your desire to live righteously, according to God’s commandments, with all your desire to hunger and thirst for God’s truth in order to be satisfied with eternal bliss in the future life, you – through the action of the enemies of your salvation: the flesh, the world and the devil – fall into sin again, then immediately mourn your sins, for “blessed are those who mourn”: they will be comforted by the Lord (Matthew 5:4). Set the intention not to sin, rise from your fall and repent before God, may He give you help and forgiveness. The Lord will accept you, forgive you and pour out His ineffable mercy on you, as He Himself teaches in the parable of the prodigal son, who said to his father: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son; take me as one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:18–19). Our Heavenly Father is merciful: He will return His love to you again and will make you not a “mercenary,” but a child of God. The burden of our sins is immeasurably great, and our heart, like a kind of abyss, is filled with “vermin” - passions that “have no number” (Ps. 103:25). Until the hour of death overtakes us, we will continually sigh from the depths of our hearts like a humble publican, we will return from the far side - from the realm of sin - to our Merciful Heavenly Father like the prodigal son, we will be touched like Ahab, we will cry like a harlot; let us cry out like a Canaanite woman, let us not be lazy about standing in prayer like a widow; let us pray like Hezekiah, let us humble ourselves like Manasseh. If we pray to the All-Bountiful Lord in this way, then, without a doubt, He will not reject our prayer, our sighs and tears. May our only concern from now on be for the soul: we have only one, the same time of life, the end is unknown, the abyss of the air is impenetrable and full of our enemies, no one will help us except faith and good deeds. We will try with all our might to find them, my beloved child in Christ! Questions in Confession on the Guide to the Nine Gospel Beatitudes First Beatitude “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). 1. Do you, my son, have Christian humility - spiritual poverty, without which you cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven? “The poor in spirit,” says St. John Chrysostom, “those who constantly keep in mind and realize their insignificance, are humble in spirit and contrite in heart, taming all pride and arrogance in themselves” 141. “The poor in spirit,” according to the Monk Macarius of Egypt, “constantly remains in great humility and heartfelt contrition for his insignificance, always before the gaze of his soul has its sinful ulcers, recognizes the surrounding darkness of passions and asks the Lord for deliverance from them 142. “The Lord rests in the souls of the humble” 143. “Humility,” says St. John Climacus, “is a divine veil that does not allow us to look at our virtues; an abyss of self-humiliation, inaccessible to any thieves. Many of us call ourselves, and perhaps actually consider ourselves, sinners, but the heart is tested when others dishonor” 144. “Neither asceticism, nor vigil, nor any other work will save us, if there is no true humility with it” 145. The Monk Macarius of Egypt teaches: “Woe to that soul that is not aware of its ulcers and, due to great and immeasurable depravity, does not think that it has any vice! The good Doctor does not visit her or treat her, because she does not care about her ulcers, considering herself unharmed and healthy. “It is not the healthy,” it is said, “that need a physician, but the sick” (Matthew 9:12)” 146. “Let us accustom ourselves,” says St. Basil the Great, “to simplicity in clothing and gait, in sitting, and in food, and in how to make the bed, and in the home, and in household vessels. Let us show modesty in speech, in singing, in our behavior with others. Let's not use pomp in words, pompous importance in reasoning, let's not be grandiose. Let us be kind to a friend, benevolent to a servant, kindly to the daring, and philanthropic towards inferiors. We will be pleasant in greetings, cheerful in answers, friendly, accessible to everyone. Let us not speak of ourselves with praise, but let us cover up, as far as possible, our own perfections. We will blame ourselves for sins, we will not be cruel in reproaching, we will not quickly and with anger reprove others, for this is a sign of pride. Let us not condemn for unimportant things, as if we ourselves were righteous, but let us accept and spiritually correct those who have fallen. In short, let us strive for humility as lovers of it - and it will glorify us” 147. Here, my son, are the spiritual means for acquiring humility. 1. Reflection on the greatness of God and our insignificance. God is everything, and we, creatures, are nothing. Abba Dorotheos says: “The closer the saints come to God through knowledge and purity of life, the more clearly they see the greatness of God’s perfections, the more they see themselves as sinners; in the brilliance of God’s glory, the more clearly they see their shortcomings, weaknesses, sinful impurity, and they humble themselves.” 2. Reflection on the fact that we are completely, in everything, dependent on God. We have received everything from God: both life and strength, without the assistance of God’s grace we cannot do anything good. The Monk Macarius of Egypt says: “If a king places treasures with some beggar, then the one who accepts it for safekeeping does not consider these treasures to be his own property, but admits his poverty everywhere, not daring to squander someone else’s treasure, because he always reasons with himself: “This treasure is not only someone else’s, but it was also given to me by a strong king, and he, when he wants, will take it from me.” Likewise, those who have any gifts from God should be humble and confess their poverty. If a beggar, having accepted a treasure from the king and relying on this foreign treasure, begins to exalt himself with it as if it were his own wealth and his heart is filled with arrogance, then the king takes his treasure from him, and the one who had it for safekeeping remains the same beggar as he was before. So, if those who have gifts from God are exalted and their hearts begin to be puffed up, then the Lord takes away His gifts from them and they remain the same as they were before receiving grace from the Lord” 148. 2. Have you ever been proud? Didn't you consider yourself better than others? Have you attributed solely to yourself, and not to God’s help, your successes in science or life, or the good deeds you have accomplished? Remember that “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6). “If there is no foundation - humility,” says St. John Chrysostom, “then even someone who has risen to heaven in life, all this will easily be destroyed and will have a bad end. Even if you are distinguished by fasting and prayer, all this without humility will collapse and perish” 149. Of the six vices that are especially abominable before the Lord, according to Solomon, pride ranks first (see Proverbs 6:16–17). Among the seven deadly sins, pride is also named in first place. In the person of the Antichrist and the wicked servants, his pride will be condemned at the Last Judgment of God (see 2 Thess. 2:12). But even in real life, the Lord often brings shame and humiliation to the proud, as can be seen from many Old Testament examples. The Egyptian pharaoh died in the Red Sea for proudly opposing the will of the Lord; King Nebuchadnezzar fell into a bestial state because he exalted himself in his power and forgot about his dependence on the Most High, who owns the kingdom of men (Dan. 4:30); Antiochus Epiphanes, as punishment for the fact that he had exalted himself before the God of Israel and tried by all means to destroy true reverence for God, was struck by a disgusting dying disease, so that he himself recognized this disease as a consequence of the wrath of God for his pride (2 Mac. 9: 5-28). A Christian must be adorned with humility, recognizing his sins, his insignificance before God, confessing that everything he has best has been received from God, and without His gracious help no one can take a step not only on the path to eternal salvation, but also to this earthly well-being. Are not the valleys abundantly irrigated with moisture? Aren't the valleys blooming and fragrant? Is it not on the mountains that there is snow, and ice, and lifelessness? High mountains are an image of proud people; valleys are an image of the humble: “Let every valley be filled, and every mountain and hill be made low” (Luke 3:5). The Lord says: “To whom will I look: to him who is humble and contrite in spirit, and to him who trembles at My word” (Isaiah 66:2). Truly “blessed are the poor in spirit,” i.e. the humble, who consider themselves to be nothing, “of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). Since the sin of pride is harmful and very widespread, then, my son, turn your attention to the spiritually healing advice that I will give, guided by the wisdom of the holy ascetics who overcame pride. These are the means to combat the spirit of pride. The first remedy is to realize that we are not perfect in Christian virtues. One ascetic, striving to achieve blissful humility, came to mind with proud thoughts that he had already become very righteous and holy. Then, having previously written on the wall of his cell the names of the highest virtues: perfect love, angelic humility, pure prayer and others, he said to himself: “Let’s go for proof.” Approaching the wall, he read the names of the virtues and exposed himself in arrogance with the answer: “Until you acquire them, until then know that you are still far from God” 150. The second means of defeating pride can be found in the thought that the proud will not enter the Kingdom of God. The Venerable Arseny the Great saw in a vision two people who, no matter how hard they tried to carry a log into the open doors of the church, could not achieve their goal and enter, because they carried the log across the doors, not allowing one another to go forward and carry it along, as they should. And the Angel explained to the monk that these people are virtuous, but proud, not willing to humble themselves before each other, and therefore remain outside the Kingdom of Heaven 151. To overcome pride, it is also very useful to remember about death and decay, which every person is subject to. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk teaches: “We are born naked and crying; we live in troubles, misfortunes and sins; we die with fear, illness and sighing; we are buried in the ground and turned back to the ground. Here you cannot see where the rich are, where the beggar is, where the noble is, where the servant is, where the master is, where the slave is, where the wise man is and where the foolish one lies. We will all be equal, since we will all turn to earth. Why then does the earth and pus ascend? It is shameful for Christians to be proud when Christ, the Great and High God, humbled himself. It is shameful for slaves to be proud when their Lord is humble. There is nothing so indecent and indecent for Christians as pride, and nothing testifies more to a Christian than humility. From humility a person knows that he is a true disciple of the meek and lowly-hearted Jesus” 152. “Will not the exaltation of the proud fall,” says St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, “if they confront him with his end: the ugliness of destruction, the stench of decay, the worm of the grave, decaying and decaying, and, finally, the worm of hell, which never sleeps?” 153 The proud should never forget that arrogance and vanity have always brought death to man. The king of the Jews once became arrogant: “Herod, dressed in royal clothes, sat on an elevated place and spoke to the people”; and the people, subservient to him, “exclaimed: “This is the voice of God, and not of man.” But suddenly the Angel of the Lord struck him because he did not give glory to God; and he was eaten by worms and died” (Acts 12:21–23). “I saw,” says the holy King and prophet David, “a wicked man exalting himself and towering like the cedars of Lebanon; and I passed by, and behold, he was gone; and he sought him, and his place was not found” (Ps. 37:35–36). The fate of the proud is deplorable already in this life, but there is nothing to say about the future. They are hated by God and are doomed with the devil to eternal torment, while the kingdom of heaven belongs primarily to the humble, poor in spirit, and the Lord especially favors them. To combat pride, read more often the lines of Holy Scripture directed against it: “Learn from Me: for I am meek and lowly in heart; and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:29). “Whatever is high among men is an abomination to God” (Luke 16:15). “When you have done all that is commanded you, say: We are worthless servants” (Luke 17:10). “For whoever thinks himself to be something, when he is nothing, deceives himself” (Gal.6:3). “He is not worthy who praises himself, but whom the Lord praises” (2 Cor. 10:18). “In our humility the Lord remembered us... and delivered us from our enemies” (Ps. 135:23–24). “I humbled myself, and He saved me” (Ps. 114:6) 154. 3. Aren't you vain? Don't you like to be praised? God Himself often humbles the vain by sending unexpected dishonor. Pray to remove the spirit of vanity. If prayer does not destroy vainglorious thoughts, then think about the exodus of the soul from this life. If this does not help, we will frighten him with the shame of the Last Judgment. “Whoever exalts himself will be humbled” (Matthew 23:12) even here, before the age to come. When praisers, or, better to say, flatterers, begin to praise us, we will immediately bring to mind all our iniquities, and we will find that we are not at all worth what is attributed to us 155. Second Beatitude “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). 1. If you happened to sin in thought, or word, or deed, did you regret it? Do you grieve in your heart that you violated the will of God, your Creator, Provider and Savior? Do you mourn your sins? Remember that because of sin a person suffers disasters on earth, because of sins he is deprived of eternal bliss after death. To sinners, unbelievers, disobedient Holy Mother Church, thieves, workers of untruth, liars, murderers, heartless, cruel, merciless, the Lord will say in anger at the Last Judgment: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). Until the Lord calls you to Judgment, having sinned, beg God with many tears to forgive you your sins. Regret your violations of God’s commandments, mourn, groan, lament, cry. Know that regret for sins and tears of repentance are pleasing to the Lord, who will grant you forgiveness and salvation for them. All saints were deeply grieved when they committed some kind of sin. The Holy King and Prophet David often and greatly lamented his sins: “I am weary with my groanings, every night I wash my bed, I water my bed with my tears” (Ps. 6:7). The Holy Apostle Peter, as church tradition says about him, every night, hearing the rooster crow, he immediately remembered his rejection of Christ, rose from his bed and threw himself to the ground in bitter weeping. This is what he did throughout his entire life! “Just as after a torrential rain,” says St. John Chrysostom, “the air becomes clean, so after the shedding of tears there comes silence and clarity, and the darkness of sin disappears” 156. “Crying for sins,” testifies Saint Demetrius of Rostov, “washes the soul, whitens all darkness, cleanses the conscience, enlightens the mind, resolves sinful bonds, breaks the handwriting of all iniquities” 157. 2. Are you careless in the matter of your salvation? The best remedy against this dangerous disease is to remember death. There is nothing more certain than the truth that each of us must die sooner or later. Meanwhile, it seems that we think about nothing so little as death, and if the thought of this ever comes, we try in every possible way to reassure ourselves that it is not our turn to die. Keep in mind the following: death is about to come, now, this minute, this moment. There is no better way to keep the mind in spiritual sobriety. Let a cry continually come from your heart to the Lord: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner! Nothing prevents carelessness more than the thought of sudden death. But not a single thought is further from us than this one 158. 3. Do you not experience, my son, heartfelt insensibility and cooling in the matter of salvation? It often happens that people who lead a good Christian life suddenly and apparently without any reason begin to feel some kind of relaxation, paralysis of all spiritual forces, as a result of which they become cold towards spiritual achievements and any desire to cry about their sins disappears. Those who do not realize how and why this happens and how to fight it, St. Theophan the Recluse writes: “This happens to everyone from time to time. Almost everyone who has written about spiritual life remembers this. Saint Mark the Ascetic names three such enemies: ignorance with oblivion, laziness with negligence and petrified insensibility. Saint John Chrysostom did not forget them in his short prayers: “Deliver me from all ignorance, oblivion, cowardice (this is laziness with negligence) and petrified insensitivity” 159. The means of struggle indicated are not difficult: endure and pray. It is possible that God Himself sends this so that we can learn not to rely on ourselves. Sometimes we take on a lot and expect a lot from our efforts. So the Lord takes away grace and leaves the person alone, as if saying: “Here, try, see how much strength you have.” The more natural talents there are, the more necessary such training is. Having realized this, we will endure. Such a test is also sent as punishment for outbursts of passions that are not healed by repentance. These outbursts are for the soul what bad food is for the body, which aggravates, or weakens, or dulls. We must remember: was there anything like this in our souls, and repent before the Lord, deciding to beware in the future. Most often this test is sent for anger, untruth, annoyance to others, condemnation, pride and similar sins. Since grace is taken away by the will of God, we can only pray for deliverance from this petrified insensibility. The prayer against cooling must be offered in your own words before the prayer rule and after the rule, and during its continuation you should cry out to God, as if presenting your dead soul before His face: “You see, Lord, what it is like! But say the word, and he will recover” (Matthew 8:8). With the same word, you need to turn to God more often throughout the day. Leave all other items, keep this one prayer against cooling. And don't give yourself any rest until you get warm. This warmth is the touch of the Lord on the heart, and constant warmth in the heart is evidence of the Lord’s presence in it. Grant you, Lord, this blessing! Work hard and don’t give up! Someone says: “Put yourself in the state of dying.” Another adds: “Even better, place yourself at the moment of your judgment, when the final decision about you is ready to sound from the mouth of God.” Read the word of St. Isaac the Syrian in case of coldness and insensibility! Do not be embarrassed by the thought and do not give in to spiritual relaxation, but be patient, read the books of teachers, force yourself to pray and wait for help. She will come so quickly that you won’t even notice” 160. Third Beatitude “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth” (Matthew 5:5). 1. Have you ever been irritated with your neighbors, with your bosses, with your elders or with your comrades when they told you something that you didn’t like? Have you expressed your irritation through swear words, insulting actions, or stubbornness? Do not forget that irritation should be alien to Christians, who need to be adorned with meekness and patience. They must imitate our Lord Jesus Christ, Who not only Himself meekly endured those who crucified and blasphemed Him, but also begged His Heavenly Father not to throw the heavenly arrows of His wrath at them. And how can we act differently, how can we be irritated, angry, take revenge? God, our common Father, before whom we sin without number, always deals with us in His meekness, does not destroy us, is long-suffering to us, and unceasingly benefits us. And we must be meek, lenient and long-suffering towards our brothers. “If you forgive people their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses” (Matthew 6:14–15). Until you forgive those who offended you with all your heart, until you reconcile with your enemies, until then God will not hear your prayers and forgive you your iniquities. 2. Do you, my son, have Christian meekness? Remember that a meek person never repays evil for evil, insult for insult, does not get angry, does not raise his voice in anger at those who sin and offend. “Being slandered, He did not slander each other; while He suffered, He did not threaten, but handed it over to the Just Judge” (1 Pet. 2:23). Here is a majestic image of meekness! This is her being! In addition, we, as Christians, are all members of one Body, and the members take care of each other in every possible way. Moreover, we are called sheep of the verbal flock of Christ. Why is this so? Because the sheep is meek, kind, and patient. We should be like that too. Only those of us belong to the flock of Christ who are meek and gentle like lambs. “If anyone does not have the spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom. 8:9). At the Last Judgment, only the sheep of Christ’s flock will stand on the right side of the Judge, and the lively goats will be on the left, and the sheep will be brought into heaven, and the goats will be sent to Gehenna. So, “blessed” are the meek, happy, for they “will inherit the earth”, i.e. will receive the kingdom of God. 3. Aren’t you, my son, too touchy and aren’t you too angrily worried about every unpleasant word? “Your touchiness comes from “self-worth,” by which they recognize and feel themselves worth a lot; Therefore, when someone dares not to give us what we deserve, we get angry and plot revenge. Try to do this so that, without missing a minute, you take charge of yourself and ruin your “self-worth.” Do not look at the offender and the offense; here you will find more support for resentment and revenge; but throw it out of your head and clothe yourself in the sackcloth of insignificance. The apostle says that he who flatters himself is the one who thinks that he is something, and this something must be ruined and thrown out the window. A feeling of insignificance will come, consider yourself worthy of all humiliation and insult, and then resentment and vengeance will evaporate by themselves. You only have to work hard to destroy the “self-value” once, and then it will be easy to deal with it, and it will soon die out completely. Then some kind of support for the inner world is formed in the soul! 161. What remedy can I show you, my son, against touchiness and irritability? a) “If you want to overcome rage, acquire meekness and patience and remember how much evil the Jews did to our Lord Jesus Christ, and the Lover of Mankind was not angry with them, but even prayed for them, saying: “Father! Forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing" (Luke 23:34)" 162. b) “If someone annoys you or somehow saddens you, then, according to the word of the Fathers, pray for him, as if he had brought you great benefit and as a physician to your love of power. Through this, your irritability will decrease, for, according to the Holy Fathers, love is the bridle of irritability" 163. 4. Do you, my son, have Christian patience, without which it is impossible to learn the virtue of meekness, commanded by the Lord to everyone? Do you endure illness and various sorrows with patience? May the following words strengthen you, my son, in patience. “Sorrow can be compared to a bitter medicine, which, if wrapped or rolled into patience, can be easily swallowed; but if, due to indignation, we begin to chew it, it turns out to be disgusting and unbearable” 164. The Monk Syncletikia said: “Having asked for permission, the devil strikes with serious illnesses so that cowardly people weaken in their love for God. Therefore, the body sometimes suffers from severe fever and is languishing with unbearable thirst. If you are a sinner, then, suffering in illness, remember about future punishment, about eternal fire, about torment after the Judgment, and do not be faint-hearted in present suffering, but rejoice that God visited you, and repeat this beautiful saying: “The Lord punished me by teaching, but did not give me up to death” (Ps. 117:18), you are iron, and fire will cleanse your rust. If you are a righteous person and are exposed to illness, then through this you move from great to greater, you are gold, and through fire you become purer. Are you tempted by fever? Are you punished by a cold? But Scripture says: “We have passed through fire and water, and You brought us out into rest” (Ps. 65:12). You have achieved the first, expect the second too. As you progress in virtue, repeat the words of the righteous: “I am poor and a sufferer” (Ps. 68:30). This twofold tribulation will make you perfect, for the psalmist says: “In tribulation you gave me room” (Ps. 4:2). In these schools of need and suffering you will form your soul through exploits” 165. “All the saints spent their lives in sorrows and sorrows, in suffering, patience and persecution: are you the only one who wants to remain without any suffering and sorrow? Or are you the only one who wants to be one of God’s chosen ones, not wanting to endure anything? Let this not happen!” (St. Demetrius of Rostov). “If danger, disaster, sorrow shake your courage, exhaust your patience, remember the Mother of the Lord, who stood at His Cross.” “If Christ, who committed no sin, suffered, can we sinners grumble at suffering?” (St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow). “As a hammer breaks a stone, so sorrows crush rudeness, insensibility, pride and fearlessness of the heart” (Archbishop Jacob of Nizhny Novgorod). “If a father leaves his son without punishment and allows him to live according to his own will, then it is clear that he has rejected him from himself; so if God leaves a person without punishment, then this is a sign of his rejection from God’s mercy; and nothing else will follow but to endure the eternal wrath of God” (St. Tikhon of Zadonsk). “Whatever sorrow befalls you, do not blame anyone for it but yourself, and say: “This happened to me because of my sins” (Abba Or). “Don’t say: “Ah! How unhappy I am!”, but say: “This is still not enough for my sins!” (St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow). “What virtue is there in willingly accepting what is pleasant? But to accept the sorrowful kindly, out of reverence for the will of God - this is a feat, this is a virtue, this is a guarantee of reward! (St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow). “If you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, then wish for yourself sorrows; for whoever has not had tribulations will in no way enter into it, because “the gate is narrow” (Matthew 7:14).” “In times of calm expect storms, in times of health expect illness, in times of wealth expect poverty; in times of contentment - hunger and you will not fall under the weight of the coming disasters" 166. “Ask God not so much that He will deliver you from real disasters, but more that He will give you the strength to endure them” (St. Innocent, Metropolitan of Moscow). “The physician of souls and bodies uses the weapon of sorrows to uproot the roots and erase the traces of sin, and with the fire of suffering burns out the infection of inclinations to sinful pleasures.” “Meet disaster not as an enemy and tormentor, but as a just punisher of sins, as a doctor of mental illness, as a messenger of God, as a messenger of grace: “The Lord punishes whomever he loves” (Heb. 12:6) (St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow). “The plaster applied to the wounds then exerts its effect when the patient patiently wears it on the ulcers. Otherwise, the best plaster, untimely discarded from the ulcer, will not bring any benefit to the patient. The same can be said about sorrows: impatiently enduring sorrows can make them ineffective, powerless to achieve the beneficial purpose for which they are sent to us by the wise Providence” (Archbishop Philaret of Chernigov). “In order to acquire patience in sorrows and temptations, believe that everything is done to us according to the will of God” (schemamonk Parfeniy). Our God is Omnipresent, therefore, He hears our every breath, sees every tear we shed. Our God is Almighty, therefore, He can deliver us from all enemies, snatch us from the jaws of death itself. Our God is Most Good, therefore, He wants us to enjoy well-being in the present life given by Him. So, if, despite all this, some misfortune oppresses us, it means that by the judgment of God it is recognized as useful and necessary for us. The Fourth Beatitude “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). 1. Are you trying to live righteously, virtuously, piously? Do you care about being justified at the Last and Righteous Judgment of Christ? Remember that a Christian must love the truth, i.e. try to live righteously, piously, virtuously as much as a hungry man desires bread to quench his intense hunger, and a thirsty man desires water to quench his painful thirst. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6), said the Lord. Know that a person cannot justify himself before God, i.e. to become holy, except by living and active faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. The truth of Christ, our justification through living faith in Jesus Christ, necessarily requires that we fulfill the commandments of God and prove our faith by deeds. The Lord Himself demanded the fulfillment of His teaching: “If you know these things,” He says, “blessed are you if you do them” (John 13:17). “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15). “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me” (John 14:21). The Lord confirmed His teaching by His own example. He said about Himself: “My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me” (John 4:34). The Apostle James teaches: “What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? Faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself” (James 2:14, 17). So, blessed are those who with all their souls seek their justification before God through faith in Jesus Christ, zealously fulfilling His holy commandments. If someone tells you that it is difficult to live righteously in the world, then answer this that “the broad and spacious path”, i.e. the path of an intemperate and sinful life will lead to hell, but the “narrow and cramped” path leads to the kingdom of God (see Matt. 7:13–14), the path of patience, labor and struggle with one’s sinful inclinations and passions, the path of voluntarily bearing one’s cross. If anyone says that one can be saved only by faith in Jesus Christ, answer him that this is not Christ’s teaching, but antichrist and carnal wisdom. Keep the following tips in mind. “Do you want to practice virtue without difficulty? Think about labor that it is temporary, but about reward that it is eternal” (St. Neil of Sinai). “In virtue, the beginning is difficult, but the continuation is pleasant: on the path of virtue, the more you move forward, the easier your path will become.” “There is no difficult task that would not be made easy by the hope of reward from God.” “God makes it easier for us to achieve virtue not only through hope for future benefits, but also in another way, i.e. with His everlasting gracious assistance and help.” (St. John Chrysostom). 2. Do you realize, my son, that without the redemption of us from sin, curse and eternal death by the Blood of the Son of God, we could never be justified before God and in no case could we be freed from the power of sin and achieve the kingdom of heaven? Deeply imprint this great and saving truth in your heart and love your Lord with all your heart. “A good friend,” says the Four Menaions in the Word for the Nativity of Christ, “seeing his beloved friend wounded by the enemy with a deadly sword, diligently takes care of his healing. The doctors tell him that the ulcer is incurable and that certain death threatens his friend, that he can recover if someone redeems him with his life, that is, by putting his mouth to the ulcer, sucks the poison out of the wound and then dies. Then he decides to sacrifice his life for his friend, sucks the poison from the wound and dies, redeeming him with his death. So the Lord our God did with us, wounded by the deadly poison of sin. He, carried on the Cherubim, the perfect Physician of souls and bodies, put His mouth - His Son God - to the wound of our nature, and God the Word, uniting with our wounded nature, drew sinful poison from it onto Himself. He who takes away the sin of the world bore our sins and, laying down His life for us, healed us.” 167 “Imagine, my son, that the children of some great father, through their own fault, were subjected to his wrath and curse and, as a result, experience shame, poverty, troubles and sorrows. But one elder brother of theirs, innocent before his father and the only one he loved, for the benefit of the other brothers, undertook extraordinary labors and exploits to earn them his father’s mercy, and then provided them with the greatest help, earning all his father’s treasures. All this, upon returning to his brothers, he shared with them. How should the brothers feel towards such a benefactor? Will they not receive him with the most tender joy and love? Will they not recognize him as their second father? Won't they devote their entire lives to him? We owe an incomparably higher and stronger love to the Divine Savior, the Only Begotten Son of God and our brother in humanity, for the benefits that He deserved and brought to us incomparably surpass all earthly treasures that an earthly father can pass on to his children” 168 . “Imagine that the king finds some beggar who has leprosy on all his limbs, and is not ashamed of him, but applies medicine to his ulcers and heals his scabs, finally introduces him to the royal meal, puts purple on him and makes him king. This is what God did with the human race: he washed the wounds of people, healed them, and brought them into the heavenly bridal chamber. Therefore, the dignity of Christians is great: it is incomparable with anything” 169. Love, my son, your Savior with all the strength of your soul, fear sin, the destruction of which required such a sacrifice of the Son of God, and strive for a righteous, holy life. The Fifth Beatitude “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). 1. Do you give alms to the poor? Do you help the poor? Do you sympathize with the unfortunate? Do you console the sad? Do you teach truth and goodness to the ignorant? Do you pray to God for all people? Do you have Christian love for your neighbors who require your help? Remember that for mercy to the brethren you yourself will receive mercy from God; for temporary mercy - eternal mercy, for small mercy - infinitely great mercy, for you will not only receive mercy from the Eternal at the Judgment of God, but you will also receive eternal bliss. The Lord Himself mentions mercy towards people when depicting His last Last Judgment. These are His words: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the Throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; and will separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:31–36). From these words of the Lord it is clear how necessary and infinitely important Christian charity is for us. It is necessary because without works of mercy it is impossible to inherit the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world for those blessed by the Heavenly Father, and “judgment without mercy will be to the one who has not shown mercy” (James 2:13); it is infinitely important because mercy towards one’s neighbor is shown to Jesus Christ Himself, according to His testimony: “Just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25:40); for all people, especially Christians, are “His least brothers.” “Alms are the queen of virtues,” says St. John Chrysostom, “very quickly leading to heaven” 170. “Great and excellent is the power of almsgiving. This virtue has great boldness before God: like some queen of our life, with great courage she usually passes through the vaults of heaven, and the Powers to whom the gates of heaven are entrusted, seeing the alms entering, with great honor for her sake, open these gates to other virtues; and if they see them walking without alms, then they close the gates in front of them. This can be seen from the parable of the five virgins who were not allowed into the sacred chamber because they did not constantly have oil in their lamps, and note the difference: mercy without virginity brought those who had it into heaven, but virginity without mercy could not do this” 171. “Because of the hand of the needy, you always see the hand of the Lord Himself stretched out to you. He Himself said: “Whatever you do to them, the poor, you will do to Me.” Those who have wealth should not think that they are masters, but should think that they are God's agents. What is the law for clerks? Measure out what everyone needs. You see the inscription above you: “A beggar has been provided for you, and be a helper to an orphan” (Ps. 9:35). Whoever comes to you with tears, do not let him go without drying that tear. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” 172. 2. Do you give alms with joy? “Those who give bread or money to the hungry with regret, with “an evil eye and an unsatisfied heart” (Ps. 101:5) are the same as putting poison in their bread or in their alms, although this poison is spiritual, invisible. It is necessary to give with love, with respect for one’s neighbor, voluntarily, with joy, for it is characteristic of love to rejoice when helping a loved one” 173 . 3. Are you suspicious of your neighbors, considering them unworthy of your love and assuming in them the ability to harm you? “You become weak in brotherly love because you entertain thoughts of suspicion against your neighbor and believe in your own heart. This also happens to you because you don’t want to suffer anything against your will. So, first of all, you must, with God’s help, not at all believe your opinions. Heal, Lord, our soul from every ailment, so that it will be capable of serving You both here and there! 174. The Sixth Beatitude “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). Have you ever held hatred towards anyone in your heart? Have you envied the wealth, beauty, and success of your neighbors? Did you delight in any impure desires in your heart? Did your thoughts dwell on any shameful objects? Did you care about the purity of your heart? Remember that evil desires and thoughts make the soul unclean before God, Who, as the Omniscient, knows everything. “The thoughts of evil are an abomination to the Lord” (Prov. 15:26). The Lord Jesus Christ said: “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). And for our salvation, it is not enough to correct external behavior alone, but it is necessary to cleanse the heart. Only “the pure in heart will see God” (Matthew 5:8), and “nothing unclean will enter into the heavenly Jerusalem” (Rev. 21:27). “Therefore,” says the apostle, “having these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God” (2 Cor. 7:1). Evil thoughts and desires are prohibited because from them, as from a seed, sinful deeds are born. “From the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, fornication, theft, false witness, blasphemy” (Matthew 15:19). Therefore, be afraid of the sin of lust, and if it arises, then immediately, at the very beginning, suppress it. Here are the main means to achieving purity of heart: The first and most important means of cleansing the heart from all sinful thoughts and desires is the frequent and diligent invocation of the most holy and sweet name of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is the Source of all holiness and purity; Demons tremble at His name (see Mark 16:17). Just as the sun, with its appearance, disperses all darkness and illuminates all the abysses of the earth, so the spiritual Sun - our God and Lord Jesus Christ - removes from our hearts all sin and all moral impurity. That is why the Holy Church, in its akathist hymn to the Sweetest Jesus, teaches us to cry out to Him: “Jesus, turn away my heart from the lusts of the evil one” 175 . The second remedy is Christian humility. Remove pride from your heart, which is an abomination before God, realize your spiritual poverty, turn with a heartfelt cry to God for help against the unclean thoughts overwhelming your heart - and the Almighty Lord will give you gracious help and free you from spiritual defilements brought about by the enemy of our salvation, the devil, cleanse your heart and make it a church to Himself. Humility is a great tool for attracting God’s gracious help; by humility its saving power is multiplied in us and this heavenly treasure is preserved. The grace that dwells in a humble ascetic confirms him in virtues and protects him like the mother of a child, preventing him from falling. “My strength,” said St. to the Apostle Paul, the Lord is made perfect in weakness” (2 Cor. 12:9). And the Apostle Paul himself says: “I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest on me” (2 Cor. 12:9). “Humility is great and strong in order to attract the grace of God into the soul; then this grace of God, having come, covers the soul” 176. Be humble to receive grace from the Lord. “If you do not humble your wisdom, grace will leave you and you will completely fall in that in which you are tempted only by your thoughts. For to persevere in virtues is not your business, but that of grace. She carries you on the palms of her hands, protecting you from all resistance” 177. The third means to cleanse our hearts from sinful thoughts and desires is a pious life. Carnal, sinful life makes a person incapable of receiving the grace of God and the visitation of his soul by Christ, the Sun of Truth. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk speaks about it this way: “The sun is clearly seen in clean and quiet water, and its likeness is depicted in it; so God, the Eternal Sun, appears in a quiet, immaculate and pure soul, and depicts His image in it. “Let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, practicing holiness in the fear of God,” the apostle exhorts us (2 Cor. 7:1), so that God, the Eternal Sun, will dwell in us, and His holy image will be depicted in our souls!” 178 To what has been said, let us add the following words of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt. “To cleanse the heart,” says one great prayer book, “one needs great work and sorrow, frequent tears, unceasing inner prayer, abstinence, reading the Word of God, the writings and lives of God’s holy saints, but, most importantly, frequent repentance and Communion of the Most Pure Mysteries” 179. Seventh Beatitude “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). 1. Have you ever been at enmity with anyone? Instead of reconciling the warring parties, did you not try to quarrel them even more? The Lord demands from us that we not only not be at enmity with others and immediately make peace in the event of quarrels, but also persuade others to peace. “Have peace among yourselves,” He says (Mark 9:50). “I appeal to you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that... there be no divisions among you, but that you be united in one spirit” (1 Cor. 1:10). “Be at peace with one another” (1 Thess. 5:13). “Pursue...peace with all who call on the Lord with a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22). “Be like-minded and peaceful, and the God of love and peace will be with you” (2 Cor. 13:11). “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). “Whoever reconciles those at war does the greatest good and can rightly be called blessed; he does the work of God’s power, destroying evil in human nature and instead introducing good into communion, teaches St. Gregory of Nyssa. – The Lord calls the peacemaker the son of God because the one who brings such peace to human society becomes an imitator of the True God. The Giver and Lord of good things completely destroys and destroys everything unnatural and alien to goodness. He commands a similar activity to you: and you must extinguish hatred, stop enmity and revenge, destroy quarrels, drive out hypocrisy, extinguish the memory of malice smoldering in your heart and instead introduce everything opposite: love, joy, peace, goodness, generosity - in a word, the whole collection of good things. So, isn’t he blessed who gives away divine gifts, who imitates God in his gifts, whose benefits are likened to the great gifts of God! 180 2. Do you like to argue, thereby disturbing the peace of your soul? If someone, having been convicted once or twice, does not listen, do not argue with him, but commit everything to God, His will be done: God is strong and will turn evil into good. Learn to endure with patience the shortcomings and weaknesses of others, whatever they may be, for you also have many things that others must endure. If you cannot make yourself the way you want, how can you make others be the way you want? We want others to be perfect, but we do not correct our own shortcomings; we want others to be strictly rebuked, but we ourselves do not want to be rebuked. We don’t like self-will in others, but we ourselves don’t want to be denied what we want. Eighth Beatitude “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). Do you love to live piously, according to the truth of God, are you ready to suffer for your piety? Weren't you afraid of the ridicule of those around you, who madly and frivolously ridiculed your love for the church of God, your reverence for shrines, your respect for the statutes of the Holy Church regarding fasting, church rituals, your love and compassion for the poor and unfortunate, your concern for the salvation of your soul? Did you not cowardly agree with those who blasphemously ridiculed the teachings, Sacraments and rites of the Holy Mother Church? “Remember that the Lord said: “Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will also be ashamed when He comes in the Glory of His Father with the holy Angels” (Mark 8:38). Love the truth and turn away from lies and all sin, express it directly and boldly, so that truth reigns as it should, and untruth is shamed and eradicated. Will people be offended by your truthful speech, will they not love and honor you? So what? You will be unpleasant to people, but you will be the mouth of God, the apple of God’s eye. However, even here all honest and truthful people will respect you, and in heaven the Angels and all the saints will please you. They will gladly accept your soul into the heavenly settlements when it is separated from this mortal body, for the inhabitants of heaven do not look without sympathy at our local exploits, virtues and our struggle with sin and untruth, but with great participation and sympathy as members of the one Body of Christ, as the Lord testified, saying that “in heaven there will be more joy over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7), or, as the Apostle says, “If one member is glorified, all the members rejoice with him” (1 Cor. 12:26). And how calm the conscience is, how pleased a person is when he speaks the truth, and how tormented his conscience is when he is ashamed or afraid to do it! But for the most part, this is why untruth multiplies and boldly raises its head, because they give it free rein, as they say, and do not expose it! However, prudence does not always require telling the truth to everyone: we should not do this when we foresee that this will plunge us into obvious danger, and no benefit will come from our word. Then it is better to secretly pray to God, so that He Himself will enlighten the unrighteous and guide them on the path of righteousness or send people who are able and capable of exposing untruth! And virtue requires moderation and prudence, so that without prudence, virtue is no longer virtue or loses much of its value 181 . Ninth Beatitude “Blessed are you when they revile you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil against you unrighteously because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven” (Matthew 5:11–12). Do you love Jesus Christ, your Lord and Savior, who delivered you from death by His suffering on the cross, and do you fulfill His holy teaching? Does your love extend to the point of being ready to lay down your soul for loyalty to your King and God, like the holy martyrs? Are you like them in mortifying your flesh with its passions and lusts (see Gal.5:24), with an insatiable thirst for pleasure, bliss, luxury, a tendency to anger, revenge, pride, envy, etc. vices? Never forget that the Lord promises great heavenly blessings to all His faithful servants, to all who suffered martyrdom for Him or who endured persecution or any troubles for His holy name and for faithfulness to His teachings: “Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven” (Matthew 5:12). “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor entered into the heart of man the things that God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). For an hour of blissful life in paradise, a person would give his entire earthly life if he were able to do it. That is why the holy martyrs went to suffer for Christ with such joy: neither fire, nor wild animals, nor sharp swords, nor starvation, nor any torture could force them to renounce the Lord and love for Him. That is why the holy ascetics “in the deserts, caves and clefts of the earth” (Heb. 11:38), exhausted themselves with labor, fasting and prayer in the fight against passions and lusts. Remember that the Lord does not leave His faithful servants without His all-powerful and gracious help. He seems to say this to each of them: “Do not be discouraged and do not despair, My faithful followers, proclaiming My truth to people in word and deed and with irresistible firmness, even to the point of exile and death, standing for My truth, for My commandments: I will be your support, your strength, your consolation, your inner bliss in all your sufferings, in difficult struggles with the inclinations of your sin-damaged nature, in all adversities and sorrows, with all tortures and torments for My name. It is written: “As the sufferings of Christ increase in us, our consolation also increases through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5), because in all sorrows, persecutions, torments, I myself will be with you, my kingdom will be a kingdom of peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. Will you be expelled from your fatherland? But to those to whom God Himself has become a Father through Me, the Fatherland is heaven, as the Apostle says, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20), or, as it is said in My prayer: “Our Father, who art in heaven,” because where the Father is, there is the Fatherland: in heaven is the Father, there is the Fatherland, there all His children will gather. Whether your property will be taken away from you, but the one who follows My footsteps has a better property, an eternal one - in heaven, and not a temporary property on earth, like a dream. They will deprive you of your honorable name, ranks, and distinctions, but they will not deprive you of the name of a Christian, the name of the children of God, the title of a joint heir of Christ, the seal of the gift of the Holy Spirit, and these names and distinctions are more valuable than all worldly names and distinctions. If you are deprived of life itself, “do not be afraid of those who kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell" (Matthew 10:28)." And the word of the Lord came true exactly: the exiles and martyrs for the name of Christ, even in earthly life, with all the persecutions, sorrows, deprivations, torments, triumphed over their persecutors, rejoiced and had fun, going to fierce torment, as if they were going to inherit the kingdom, had a royal spirit, royal greatness, invincible patience and with their faith, with their patience they put all their tormentors to shame, and death inherited the kingdom of heaven and now reign with Christ, according to His word: “To him who overcomes I will give to sit with Me on My Throne, just as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His Throne” (Rev. 3:21)” 182. General exhortation to penitents according to the guidance of the nine beatitudes So, follow the path leading to eternal bliss: fulfill the commandments of the beatitudes. Remember that these paths are infallible and lead directly to salvation, for they were indicated by our Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who truly “is the way, the truth, and the eternal life” (John 14:6). Know that the moral law of God is constantly operating in the world, according to which every good is rewarded and every evil is punished; evil is accompanied by sorrow and tightness in the heart, and good is accompanied by peace and joy of the heart. It is unchangeable, for it is the law of the unchangeable, all-holy, righteous, wise and eternal God. Those who do good, who fulfill this moral gospel law, will certainly be rewarded with eternal life, and those who do not repent of their violation will be punished with eternal torment. Questions during confession regarding the guidance of the nine church commandments 183 The first church commandment It instructs everyone to pray to God with contrition and tenderness of heart and to fulfill the statutes of the Church on all Sundays and holidays, i.e. attend Vespers, Matins and Liturgy (see Luke 18:1; Eph.6:18; 1 Thess. 5:17). 1. Do you ask God for His all-powerful and saving help, without which you cannot live even for one minute? Remember, my son, that prayer is for a Christian soul what water is for a tree and a fish. “All people,” says St. John Chrysostom, - have a need for prayer, which is no less than the need of trees for water; for just as they cannot bear fruit without receiving juice from the roots; so we, without being watered with prayers, cannot bear in abundance the valuable fruits of piety.” “If you deprive yourself of prayer, you will do the same as someone who takes fish out of water does; for just as water makes up the life of a fish, so prayer makes up your life. Through prayer, like through water, you can soar, cross the heavens and get closer to God” 184. “The bird is cunning and careful, it does not allow itself to be caught by hunters in the vastness of God’s world, and when it sees that someone is approaching it and wants to grab it, it immediately flies up from the ground and thus gets rid of the catchers. Likewise, a Christian must be wise and vigilant so that the incorporeal fisher does not catch his soul. Our soul is like a bird of heaven, the devil is an evil fisher, “seeking to devour” (1 Peter 5:8) someone’s soul. Just as a bird, taking flight, thereby escapes from the fowler, so we, when we see the enemy, the devil, catching our soul with earthly things, must immediately leave them with our hearts, not for a moment becoming attached to them and turning our thoughts to the Lord Jesus, our Savior, and thus we will easily get rid of the fowler’s snare” 185. 2. Do you pray, according to the apostolic commandment, unceasingly? “We must try to acquire this skill: do not consider the end of prayer the end of prayer, but even after that consider it a duty to be at prayer. This is accomplished by constant remembrance of God, with reverence and surrender to the will of God. Then it will be in your soul that when you move away from prayer, you do not leave prayer, but only change one type of it to another. You can walk and sit and say prayers that you know by heart, and perform others, or replace them with the Jesus Prayer. As soon as you open your eyes after sleep, immediately direct your thoughts to the Lord and you will be with Him. This is what the Jesus Prayer is for. House rules and prayer in the Church also guide everything. And during needlework, too, everything should be with the Lord. They asked Saint Basil the Great: how to pray unceasingly? He answered: have a prayerful disposition in your heart and you will pray unceasingly. Work with your hands, and lift your mind to God. The apostles walked all over the earth, did a lot of work, and, meanwhile, prayed incessantly. And they wrote this commandment. The spirit of faith, trust and devotion to the will of God - this is what needs to be warmed up in the heart" 186. 3. Do you pray with the attention of your heart or outwardly and formally? “Remember that the point is not in words and bows, but in lifting the mind and heart to God. You can say all the words of the prayer and make a lot of bows, but not remember about God at all, or remember somehow, with scattered thoughts and wandering of the mind. And, therefore, without praying, fulfill the prayer rule. There will be antics and buffoonery before God. Deliver, Lord! We must do God’s work with fear and trembling—keep this in mind. Try in every possible way so that where there are words, there is a mind, or, as St. John Climacus says, enclose the mind in the words of prayer. Speech to God is not pronounced with the tongue, but with the feelings of the heart. If so, this will be true prayer. How to understand the expression: “concentrate the mind in the heart”? The mind is where the attention is. To concentrate it in the heart means to establish attention in the heart and intelligently contemplate the invisible God before oneself, turning to Him with praise, thanksgiving, and petition, making sure that nothing extraneous enters the heart. Here is the whole secret of spiritual life. Repentant feelings and tears in prayer are a real thing. Without repentant feelings, prayer is not prayer. So consider it not to have happened. Prayer without these feelings is the same as a dead miscarriage. So it is with the Fathers. And try your best to have tears during prayer. Accustom yourself to weep over yourself as over the dead, for the main thought or place where you should keep yourself mentally is part of the Judgment, or the moment when the Lord is ready to say: “Come” or: “Depart.” ABOUT! Lord, save me! And how not to cry, not being able to say affirmatively that He will not say: “Go away.” Reading prayers, standing in prayer and bowing constitute a prayerful state, and prayer actually comes from the heart. When there is none, and there is none. Try to always pray from your heart. For the heart, this is the law: “God will not despise a contrite and humble heart” (Ps. 50:19)” 187. 4. Do you drive all worldly worries out of your heart while standing in prayer? “You said that the worries of life weigh you down to the point that they don’t even allow you to pray. This is the enemy's obsession. Since we need shelter, clothing, food and other things, we need to get them, and therefore we need to think about it and take care of it. And there is nothing wrong with that. This is how God was pleased to arrange our lives. But the enemy, creeping up on this sinless one, instills sinfulness, this constant concern that weighs on both the head and the heart. The Savior’s instruction is directed against this disease: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things” (Matthew 6:34). This does not mean that we do nothing, but that, while doing, we do not languish with excessive care, which does not add anything, but only languishes. The sin of over-concern is that it wants to arrange and obtain everything itself, without God; which after this teaches one to rely on hope on what has been gained and on other methods, one’s own exclusively, without God’s Providence, and through both of these, it instructs one to consider the blessings of life as the main goal and the present life as the ultimate one, without extending thoughts about the future life. See what a God-fighting spirit moves in this multi-concern! Take from this impulse to fight this evil, as you would fight if the enemy instilled in you an inclination to murder. If you don’t fight, worry will completely eat you up, but if you fight, it will go away, like any other mental illness when you fight it. How to fight? Get started and learn. First of all, begin by praying to clear away this worry, and then cleanse all your affairs, so that your affairs will go on as usual, and there will be no worry. How can prayer be cleared of worries? As soon as worries come during prayer, drive them away; comes again - drive again. And so it always is. Never keep worries in prayer once you realize it has arrived. This is the struggle! And you will see its fruits. Even before prayer, decide not to succumb to worries if they come during prayer, and thereby protect and confirm such an intention from various thoughts. You will see the fruit, just don’t give up, but fight” 188. 5. Do you go to the church of God to pray on holidays? Do you attend all church services with zeal? Know that in the church of God, where with one mouth and one heart they offer praises, thanksgivings and petitions to God, your prayer will be incomparably more successful and beneficial than at home. Remember that “where two or three are gathered together” to pray in the name of Jesus Christ, there He is “in the midst of them” (Matthew 18:20). Be jealous of the Christians of the first times of the Church, who, despite any obstacles to their prayer meetings, gathered very often wherever they could, turning not only their homes into churches, but also underground caves and the very dungeons where their persecutors threw them. They brought from their meetings such a rich supply of spiritual consolation, spiritual strength and vigor that they were able to rejoice in the midst of all the dangers of life and not feel fear from the most immediate and terrible torments. Do not forget that the Holy Church, by the 80th canon of the Sixth Ecumenical Council, excommunicates from Communion those laity who, without a good reason, do not come to church meetings on holidays and Sundays for three weeks in a row. 6. Do you have reverent respect for the shrine? Disrespect for holy churches and other sacred objects is a grave sin. When we gather in the church, we must remember the words: “Take off your shoes from your feet; for the place where you stand is holy ground” (Ex. 3:5). We should also say together with Patriarch Jacob: “Truly the Lord is present in this place; ...this is nothing other than the house of God, this is the gate of heaven” (Gen. 28:16–17). We are unpleasantly struck by frivolity, vanity, swagger, drowsiness born of satiety, arrogant disrespect and indecent behavior, which often upsets us during Christian worship. Are there many among the masses of those praying on a holiday in the church of God who can say about themselves that at the moment they are free from all sinful thoughts and with a pure heart offer up their prayers to the Lord? We must all remember that God is in His sacred church and that everyone who wants to appear before Him properly must appear with clean hands and a pure heart and stand in the church of God with faith, reverence and fear of God. The second commandment of the church This commandment requires a Christian to observe four specific fasts each year. Moreover, one must fast on Wednesdays and Fridays, as well as September 14 (27), August 29 (September 11) and other days on which fasting is appointed. Are you fasting according to the rules of the Church? Do you fast on Wednesday, Friday and the four prescribed fasts? Remember that fasting is the best way to overcome the sensual impulses of our sinful nature and curb destructive passions. Fasting makes us capable of prayer and meditation about God and the Divine. “Whoever fasts,” says St. John Chrysostom, - he prays with a good spirit" 189. “Fasting makes the soul good, lightens its wings, lifts it above earthly things, and leads to thoughts of heavenly things” 190. Physical fasting should be combined with spiritual fasting, i.e. curbing passions, such as: anger, hatred, rancor, condemnation of neighbors, etc. sinful inclinations; performing charity; with prayer and repentance. Know that St. The Church, through its pastors, reduces the severity of fasting only for extremely weak and dangerously sick Christians. Healthy people must fast according to the rules of the Mother Church. Whoever does not fast on Wednesday and Friday, who does not observe other fasts established for special important historical and moral-religious reasons, shows that he does not want to honor in any way those days on which the Lord suffered for us, does not want to prepare properly for the worthy celebration of great Christian holidays, does not want to strengthen his abstinence from sensuality and turn his soul and heart to those immeasurably high blessings that were brought to earth by the revealed Son of God. The third commandment of the church This commandment commands that the pastors of the Church be given due respect as servants of God and mediators who intercede for us before God, especially those who confess us as spiritual fathers, and also that we consult with them about our salvation (see 1 Cor. 4:1, 9, 13, 14; 1 Thess. 5:12-13; 1 Tim. 5:17). In addition, this commandment prohibits worldly people from interfering in spiritual matters (1 Cor. 6:1). 1. Do you respect the pastors of the Church? Do not forget that the Holy Spirit Himself appointed spiritual shepherds as guardians in order to shepherd the Church of the Lord and God, which He acquired for Himself with His Blood. Know that by obeying the shepherds of the Church, you are obeying Jesus Christ Himself. “He who listens to you hears Me, and he who rejects you rejects Me,” said the Lord (Luke 10:16; Matt. 10:11; Luke 16:16; see also Heb. 13:17; 1 Thess. 5:12–13; 1 Tim. 6:17). If the insult inflicted on the servants of the earthly king, who carry out his will, brings great punishment on the offenders, then what punishment will those Christians be subjected to who not only do not respect, but even insult the servants of the Heavenly King? “If anyone,” says St. John Chrysostom, - will show some kind of mercy and condolences to simple people and those lying in the market place, the Lord appropriates it to Himself and promises to bring it into the kingdom and say: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Moreover, those who give due honor to the priesthood will not only receive an equal reward, but also an incomparably greater one.” 191 Where there is no respect for the sacred order, there is no respect for religion. Immoral people, enemies of public order of all times, have cared less about nothing than to weaken respect for the holy order through slander and slander. 2. In matters of doubt about faith, do you turn to spiritual shepherds? Do you ask them for advice regarding the direction of your life on the path of salvation? Remember that anyone who, not adhering to church order, wants to be guided in matters of spiritual life only by his own reason or turns to uncalled teachers, is consciously or unconsciously alienated from the Church of God; he is close to the danger of being seduced by the devil or people led astray from the path of truth and goodness. This is mainly where schisms and sects, wrong beliefs and superstitions arise, contrary to Christian truth and purity, without which it is impossible to inherit eternal life. The fourth commandment of the church This commandment prescribes at least four times a year, and certainly once a year, to confess one’s sins to a legally and Orthodox ordained priest. Sick people should first of all try to clear their conscience through confession and partake of the Holy Mysteries, having first received the Sacrament of Anointing. 1. Do you often approach the holy, great and saving Sacraments of repentance and Communion? Do you approach them with proper preparation? Don’t forget that “there is only one refuge from the wrath of God - repentance,” teaches St. Tikhon of Zadonsk - it hides sinners from vengeance and execution. The Ninevites, who heard about the coming wrath of God, resorted to this safe refuge, and thus were saved. Even now many resort to this and are saved. Repent while there is time; turn while the Lord receives" 192. Know: “God wants all people to be saved and to reach the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4), does not want the sinner to die, but wants him to turn from the evil way and live (Ezek. 18:23). “The blood of Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the whole world” (1 John 1:7, 9, 2:2). Remember that the Lord says: “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood abides in Me, and I in him” (John 6:56). “He who eats My Flesh and drinks My Blood has eternal life” (John 6:54). If a Christian has no desire to use these saving Sacraments, then this is a sure sign that he is indifferent to his eternal salvation, does not notice his approaching death, does not appreciate the gift of God’s boundless mercy, does not appreciate the Sacrifice made for him by the Savior, is alienated from communication with Him, and although he is among the believers, he does not belong to it, just as a withered branch no longer belongs to a tree, although it remains on it until will be cut off and thrown into the fire. This commandment requires a Christian to firmly preserve his Orthodox faith, for which it is prescribed that those inexperienced in the knowledge of Holy Scripture and sciences should not read books written by heretics, should not listen to their blasphemous teachings, and should withdraw from communication with them (see Ps. 1: 1, 3). 1. Have you read works written in a hostile spirit against the Holy Church? Have you not listened to the blasphemous teachings of unbelievers and heretics? Weren't you on friendly terms with them on religious issues? Remember that “blessed is the man who did not walk in the counsel of the wicked and did not stand in the way of sinners” (Ps. 1:1). The Word of God prescribes great caution in dealing with heretics, not only for the laity, but also for the ministers of the Church. “After the first and second admonition, turn away from heretics, knowing that such a one has become corrupted and sins, being self-condemned,” teaches the apostle (Tit. 3:10–11; cf. 2 Tim. 2:23–25). Like resin, it is sticky, black and, when it burns, smoky and stinking; So the bad deeds of the vicious blacken his soul, stick to his comrade and friend, infecting the heart and spreading, like smoke and stench, a bad reputation and a harmful example. The Holy Church persistently warns its children against close communication with those who do not belong to its members, for it truly knows the terrible power of temptation to sin and the fact that only with the close union of its members with it is their salvation possible, but without this union there is inevitable death. Of course, Orthodox Christians not only can, but must live peacefully with everyone, as far as it depends on them, and treat everyone with meekness and love. The Church prohibits them from communicating with people of other faiths only when it comes to religious matters. Thus, councils once forbade, even under the threat of excommunication, praying with Jews in synagogues or with heretics in their meetings, accepting holiday gifts from non-believers, participating in any of their religious celebrations, etc. 193 The Orthodox have also always been forbidden to read and keep heretical books, at least to those who did not have sufficient knowledge of the Word of God and all theological teaching. These rules have not lost their meaning even today. Now, even more than ever, the right faith is exposed to various temptations both from unbelief and from open unbelief, and therefore everyone who holds dear the salvation acquired to us at the price of the priceless Blood of Christ the Savior must adhere as closely as possible to the Church of Christ and follow its maternal leadership 194 . The sixth commandment of the church The sixth commandment commands us to pray for all Christians - living and dead, especially for those who have been entrusted with spiritual and civil authority (see 1 Tim. 2:2-3); and also to pray for the conversion of heretics and schismatics to the Orthodox faith. 1. Do you pray for the King, the civil authorities and the army? Do you pray for bishops and church clergy? Do you pray for all Orthodox Christians? Do you, with the prayer of the Church, also offer your prayers to God for the conversion of heretics and schismatics? Never forget that it is the direct will of God that Christians “make prayers, supplications, petitions, and thanksgivings for all people, for kings and for all those in authority, that we may lead a quiet and serene life in all godliness and purity, for this is good and pleasing to God our Savior” (1 Tim. 2:1-3). The fervent prayer of many Christian souls, with one mouth and one heart beseeching the Lord to grant spiritual wisdom and strength, health and salvation to church and civil authorities as instruments of Divine Providence over human society, will attract God's blessing to them, with the help of which they will accomplish their great and difficult work of leadership for the good of the people entrusted to their care. By praying for heretics and schismatics who have been cut off from the saving Body of Christ’s Church, you not only testify to your love for your neighbors, but also to your zeal for the glory of God, according to the instructions of the Lord, Who taught us to pray daily: “Hallowed be Thy name!” 2. Do you pray for all the dead, especially relatives, friends and spiritual shepherds? As for your prayer for the dead, know that by this you testify to the fulfillment of the direct commandment of the Word of God: “Pray for one another” (James 5:16); that you, as a member of the Body of the Church of God, the Head of which is Christ the Savior, “possessing the living and the dead” (Rom. 14:9), have sincere love for its other members, according to the word of the Apostle: the members care for one another (1 Cor. 12:25). By praying for the dead, you express and strengthen your faith in the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. This is accompanied by great beneficial consequences for your own moral life. For the departed, my son, pray as if your soul were in hell, in flames and you yourself were tormented; feel their torment in your heart and fervently pray for their repose “in a brighter and greener place,” in a place of coolness. The seventh commandment of the church This commandment prescribes that all residents of a diocese must certainly observe the fasts and prayers prescribed by the bishops of this diocese in case of general need and disaster. Do you take a heartfelt part in the prayers of the Church appointed on the occasion of famine, debilitating and endemic diseases, bloody wars and other social disasters? Do not lose sight of the fact that the common unanimous prayer of the Church has great power. Here are examples: a) once the enemies of Christ’s teaching imprisoned the Apostle Peter and wanted to kill him. Then the entire community of believers began to diligently pray to God for him. And so the Angel of the Lord was sent from God to free Peter and return him to the believers (Acts 12); b) the inhabitants of the city of Ustyug, with their tearful prayers before the icon of the Mother of God, saved themselves from a stone cloud that was ready to break out over their city for their sins; c) about the elders of the Panteleimon Monastery on Athos they write: “When they see a cloud ready to destroy the ripening grapes with either heavy rain or hail, they all stand in prayer at the ringing of the bell and just stretch out their hands to the sky, the storm passes and breaks out in a whirlwind somewhere in a deserted place.” Likewise, in everyday matters, prayer is equally effective as in matters concerning salvation. So, blessed is the one who has firm faith and knows how to pray fervently: he is safe in his ways, prayer will protect him, protect him, comfort him, confirm him. He is like a rock that no storms of the sea can harm. Eighth commandment of the church This commandment prescribes that no one should steal or use church property for their own needs. Have you sinned against the eighth commandment of the Church, which prohibits withholding, concealing or stealing anything belonging to the Church? Understand that if the theft of property belonging to a person is such a great crime that it deprives the kingdom of God, then how much more severe will the blasphemers who dare to appropriate for themselves things dedicated to God or used for worship be subject to torment in Gehenna? Church rules strictly condemn this grave sin, excommunicating from church communion for fifteen years 195. The ninth commandment of the church It prohibits marriages on days on which this is not permitted by the Church, and also prohibits Orthodox Christians from attending illegal games and spectacles and commands them to avoid all pagan customs. 1. Have you visited immodest entertainment societies or theatrical performances that awaken unchaste thoughts and feelings? Especially, haven’t you been to the theater, circus, pleasure gardens and other public places of entertainment and entertainment on the eve of Sundays and holidays, on which you should remain in prayer and deeds of charity? Know that those Christians act very sinfully who, contrary to the wise care of the Holy Mother of the Church, who protects them from everything that seduces and has such a disastrous effect on the entire spiritual life of a person, attend such public amusements and shows that evoke unclean thoughts and desires in visitors. Theater lulls Christian life, destroys it, giving the life of Christians the character of pagan life. “They all dozed off and fell asleep” (Matthew 25:5). By the way, theater also produces this disastrous dream in people. Theater is the school of this world and the prince of this world - the devil; and sometimes he “transforms himself into an angel of light” (2 Cor. 11:14), in order to more conveniently deceive the short-sighted, sometimes he will put on a seemingly moral play, so that they will repeat and trumpet the theater that it is a very instructive thing. Woe to that society which has many theaters and which loves to go to theatres. Sometimes, however, theater is the lesser evil for those who love evil. Listen to the opinion of the people, to the opinion of those who have visited the theater many times: they do not hesitate to say that the theater leads to debauchery. Only the blind, whose “the god of this age has blinded their minds” (2 Cor. 4:4), say that theater is moralizing. No, Christians must certainly study the law of God, read the Gospel more often, delve into divine services, fulfill the commandments and statutes of the church, read the writings of the Holy Fathers, spiritual journals, in order to be imbued with the Christian spirit and live like a Christian. Here are our spectacles 196. "Woe to the world from temptations!" - says the Lord and threatens the seducers with terrible punishment (Matthew 18:7). The Holy Church carefully protects her children from temptation and forbids them to attend immodest games and shows, and Christians, like stubborn, unreasonable and disobedient children, do not want to hear their mother’s warning voice and rush to where they defile their hearts and acquire the habit of a vicious life. Remember the wise rule that “what the eyes have not seen, the mind does not come to mind and the heart does not desire.” 2. In general, have you indulged in excessive secular pleasures? “I have nothing to say, my son, if you can stay within the limits in which you want to keep yourself. But will you keep yourself in them? Remember the popular saying: “Beware of the first glass.” Where did it come from? From experience - that, having drunk one glass, it is difficult to resist another, and then it’s spilled. Such is the power of sensual pleasures over our weak hearts! The whirlpool and seething of secular entertainment is of the same nature. You say: “After all, I can’t go all out.” Now it’s easy for you to say, but what will it show later? Imagine that you see a room where there is hidden intoxication, and you are eager to stay in it and see what is there. They tell you: “Don’t go, there’s a fire there.” And you answer: “I don’t want to get burned.” Will burnout spare you because you say you don't want to burn out? Secular entertainment is a waste. And before you know it, you’ll be dead!” 197. A general admonition to the penitent after confession not to violate the force of church commandments Try, my son, to fulfill all the commandments and rules of our wise teacher, the Holy Mother of the Church. Remember that no worldly rules, no worldly discipline can replace church rules. Whoever, from an early age, gets used to subordinating his personal wishes to the requirements of the church order, protects himself in advance from the temptations of self-will and sensuality, and even in the event of his most moral failures, he is able to quickly correct himself with the help of grace-filled means bestowed by the Church, the power of which he knows from experience 198 . On the contrary, someone who has not learned in his youth to respect the rules of piety and to treat the Church as his spiritual mother does not have firm supports to resist various temptations in worldly life, without feeling behind him a powerful spiritual force that supports him during trials and is always ready to lift him from falling. May the Lord give you His gracious help to be a faithful and obedient son of the Mother Church for the good of your own, temporary and eternal salvation. May He help you to know that only under her guidance can you safely cross the stormy sea of ​​life and reach a quiet and serene haven - the Kingdom of Heaven! Application. Church-practical instructions regarding confession 1. Confession of priests If you happen to confess a priest, then in the prayer of permission, as well as in the preliminary exhortation, instead of the word “child”, you should say “brother”, and instead of a blessing of hands, use mutual kissing of hands or depict with your right hand the sign of the cross over the clergyman being permitted (priest, abbot, archimandrite, bishop), the usual one, for which the confessor can use the very cross of the Lord, located at under his hands to perform the release of confession. Questions for confession by priests In addition to general questions, it is appropriate for a priest’s confessor to keep in mind the following program of questions, drawn up in relation to presbyteral ministry. It goes without saying that every Christian, and especially a pastor, is obliged to confess his sins; Only in case of any difficulty or oblivion during confession should certain questions be proposed. 1. Do you always have in your thoughts the oath you took before God when you entered the priesthood? Do you remember that you swore before God to carry out your priestly service in accordance with the Word of God, with the rules of the church and the instructions of your superiors, and do you consider your first and main task to be caring for the salvation of the souls entrusted to you? 2. Did you not refuse confession, Communion or Baptism to those in mortal danger, out of fear of exposing yourself to danger, or out of negligence? 3. During an epidemic, were you always ready, like a good shepherd, to lay down your life for your sheep? 4. Did you not allow those who turned out to be unbelievers, stubborn and unrepentant sinners to go to confession and not allow them to receive the Holy Mysteries? 5. Didn’t he expose anyone’s sins in his sermons, so that one could recognize in them the person he was talking about? 6. Do you protect the souls entrusted to your care from all heresies and schisms, and through obvious greed and extortion have you given any of your parishioners a reason to deviate into schism or heresy? 7. Do you try to admonish those who are mistaken and turn them to the path of truth? 8. Has your negligence led to ignorance of the faith and obstinacy in sins in your parish? 9. Did you, through negligence, leave your parishioners without instruction in the church on Sundays and holidays? 10. Do you yourself hold the teaching of faith and teach it to others as the Holy Orthodox Church teaches, and do you not allow yourself arbitrary interpretations and teachings in it not according to the mind of the Holy Fathers? 11. Are you not looking for the satisfaction of vanity in sermons, and not for the benefit of your neighbor? 12. Do you read Holy Scripture, the Holy Fathers, and other spiritual books? 13. Do you have an addiction to reading books that feed only curiosity and especially corrupt the heart, mind and imagination? 14. Do you always perform divine services and the Sacraments with zeal and reverence, remembering that “cursed is everyone who does the work of God carelessly” (Jer. 48:10), and do you not rush unnecessarily when performing them, violating reverence and decency? 15. Did you introduce any arbitrary changes to the worship service? 16. Have you ever performed religious services while intoxicated, and what kind of service? 17. Did you not approach the Divine Liturgy without proper preparation, rarely clearing your conscience with confession and not arousing heartfelt contrition in yourself, especially when you were angry? 18. Do you try to read prayers during divine services and services, especially at the Divine Liturgy, with all diligence, attention and reverence? 19. Do you always follow the prayer rules prescribed by the Church before serving the Liturgy? 20. Do you perform incantatory prayers at Baptism with all due attention; Don't you leave them for some reason? 21. Due to your negligence, did a sick person die without being instructed by the Holy Mysteries, or a baby without Baptism? 22. Were you not burdened by the confession of the penitents, and did you not express this to them in word or appearance? 23. Have you violated your priestly oath in any way? 24. Did he not oppress the parishioners during the fulfillment of their needs by extorting payment from them, especially for confession and communion of the Holy Mysteries, and did he not refuse to teach the Holy Mysteries free of charge to the poor who did not have anything to give, or did he not refuse to bury the poor dead without payment? 25. Didn’t he spread strictly untested miracles? 26. Do you not murmur against the authorities placed over you, and do you slander them, and especially the bishop? Are you not spreading bad rumors, and are you not condemning his actions and orders, and are you trying to harm him in some way? 27. For the sake of acquiring honor, or out of fear, self-interest and other unclean motives, did you violate your duties? 28. Are you trying to arrange your life, your family, and your household affairs in such a way as to serve as a good example for your parishioners? 29. Don’t you like to follow fashion and empty worldly customs in your life? 30. Do you have a passion for games, worldly shows and feasts? 31. Didn’t you go to the inn unnecessarily? 32. Didn’t you inspire your parishioners to do false oath in favor of yourself and others? 33. When carrying out special assignments from your superiors, did you always maintain diligence, loyalty and love of truth? 34. And did you try your best to discover, preserve and present to your superiors what is fair and what should be known in order to protect the common and private good? Didn’t the clergy also spend church funds on their own needs? 35. Did you take wax, oil or any other sacred thing from the church for your needs? 36. Did you allow yourself in the church to use bad and abusive words and generally disrespectful treatment of the shrine of the church and the altar? 37. Didn’t you perform the Sacraments, especially the Liturgy, after committing a mortal sin and without repenting of it? 38. Didn’t he lower the Divine needlessly? services on Sundays and holidays? 39. Did you tempt parishioners with drunkenness, dancing and games? Do you yourself know of any sin against your priestly duties 199? To shorten the time, some priests take several people to confession at once, especially children. This is inconsistent with anything and can be accompanied by the most harmful consequences for those confessing. For is it possible that even children can confess anything openly to a priest in the presence of others? This kind of confession can, from a very early age, instill a person’s secrecy before the priest and encourage him to conceal such sins that someone else would confess in private with complete frankness and sincerity. Not to mention the fact that during such a joint confession, the priest cannot ask any special questions, nor offer appropriate advice, instructions and warnings to the penitents, etc. Therefore, the ancient rule rightly notes that this is not the custom of the Holy Catholic Church, but a custom that is alien and corrupt, and more heretical; and about priests who confess this way, it is directly decreed: “They should not dare to confess everyone together” 200. Confession of children is a highly important sacred act. The entire further structure of the religious and moral life of children, these future citizens of both the earthly and heavenly Fatherland, often depends on one or another attitude towards confession. In view of this, we have compiled both separate questions and instructions appropriate for the confession of children. Here we offer the following program for the confession of youths, referring those who wish to a brochure specially compiled by us on the confession of children 201. Questions when confessing children 1. Do you, my son, pray to God every day, especially in the morning and evening, and also before starting any business and before lunch and dinner? 2. Aren't you swearing? Do you not pronounce the name of God - great, holy and terrible - in vain and carelessly in jokes? 3. Do you, my son, consider it a sin to live idly, in constant absent-mindedness? 4. Do you willingly go to church for divine services and spend holidays as you should? 5. Do you honor your parents and do you not offend them in any way, and do you not sometimes resist them? 6. Do you, my son, study diligently and always obey your teachers and fulfill all their commands? 7. Do you treat your elders with due respect and treat them with courtesy, in accordance with their dignity and position? 8. Are you sometimes stubborn unnecessarily and don’t you have a bad habit of always standing your ground and not following anyone’s orders? 9. Are you not angry in vain, or do you scold and quarrel with others, or do you not bring others to quarrel with each other? 10. Have you learned to smoke tobacco, which is so harmful to health? 11. Have you, my son, ever drunk even a glass of wine, which you should fear as a fatal poison, like fire? 12. Have you ever beaten or tortured animals without reason? 13. Aren’t you used to lying and don’t you try to deceive anyone at any opportunity? 14. Have you ever, my son, taken anything without the permission of your parents, and have you ever taken anything from anyone without permission? 15. If you have your own money, don’t you spend it indiscriminately on treats or on any other unnecessary and harmful things? 16. Have you done anything that you would not do or would be ashamed and afraid to do in front of witnesses, especially in front of your parents? 17. If you did, then what is it? 18. Do you still have something, my son, to say that weighs on your conscience? Tell me, do you remember any other sins that I didn’t ask about? Now thank the Lord, who has made you worthy to repent, and then try to live better than before, do not repeat previous sins, try not only not to offend God by violating the Lord’s commandments by sins, but also to please God with the good deeds that you can do. 3. About confession of the dumb and deaf-mute The dumb and deaf-mutes do not have the physical ability to confess their sins with the living word. But since God does not demand the impossible from us, and confession is just as necessary for those deprived of language as for anyone, then, condescending to their shortcomings, it is enough to demand from them that they explain their sins with some signs, if only they do not know how to write. If they can write, then let them write 202. Deaf and mute people who can neither explain the type of their sins nor hear the questions of their confessor should be tried to win over repentance, which they can express with a tender look at the icon or a deep sigh, and, in view of these signs of their desire to repent, allow it. If possible, then in these cases you should also inquire earlier through their relatives or those living with them about their facial expressions, in order to directly direct their attention during confession to the sins they have committed, asking with the same signs that explain them 203. But if deaf and dumb people can read, then the confessor can ask them in writing, as is done during confession of deaf and dumb people who have received a special upbringing 204 . 4. About the confession of those whose language the confessor does not know Those who speak a language unknown to the confessor, if they cannot speak Russian, can be allowed to do so if they reveal by some signs their contrition for the sins they have committed. They are not obliged to confess through an interpreter, but, in case of doubt about the moral state of the penitent, and especially in mortal danger, the confessor must oblige them to take an interpreter to make confession. This translator is obliged to keep the secret of confession in the same way as the confessor himself, and therefore the confession should be arranged in such a way that the identity of the person confessing is hidden from the translator 205 . 5. What requirements regarding confession should be presented to people close to mortal danger? If a patient loses consciousness during confession, without having time to tell all his sins, then he should not delay resolving it until the morning, assuming that he may recover. The salvation of the soul should not be endangered by human calculations. Dying people who have lost their senses and cannot confess can be allowed to die if they themselves ordered to call a confessor or if their moral state is known to the confessor from repeated previous confessions. Equally exempt from full confession are those who, due to the severity of illness and suffering or weakening of their strength, cannot complete their confession without danger to life, or when there is a danger that the patient will die or lose consciousness without completing his confession 206. It is also impossible to demand a full confession on the eve of a battle from those who must take part in this battle, during a shipwreck, during the fall of buildings - it is enough that those who are in imminent danger of death express their contrition by some external signs, and these can be resolved by the priest 207. In cases similar to the latter, i.e. when death is close and inevitable (as for example, in a shipwreck, a train wreck on a railroad, etc.), if the priest does not have an stole with him, he can accept confession from a penitent who is facing death and resolve it without it 208 . 6. Is it necessary to require confession from adults from Jews, pagans and Mohammedans when, after receiving Baptism, they begin Holy Communion? Adults from Jews, pagans and Mohammedans can be admitted to Holy Communion without confession of sins, since in the sacrament of Baptism all their sins are washed away - both original and arbitrary 209. 7. On the confession of patients with contagious diseases and patients possessed by rabies and other dangerous diseases A priest often has to confess patients suffering from dangerous contagious diseases, such as, for example, cholera, plague, smallpox, etc. If the priest does not have the courage to approach the patient as he should, or simple, natural prudence does not allow him to do this, then he can confess the infected not by approaching them, but from afar; only in this case he must first remove all those present from the room in which the patient is located, so that no one can hear a single word from the patient’s mouth. But this kind of confession is especially necessary and even inevitable when confessing patients suffering from rabies and hydrophobia, for they, even having regained consciousness, cannot themselves guarantee when a new attack will happen to them, and can be dangerous for strangers, and at the same time for the priest 210. 8. Questions during confession of dangerously ill patients 1. Do you believe in the Lord God and His Holy Church? 2. Have you sinned before the Lord and are you aware of your sinfulness? 3. Do you not grumble against the Lord because of your illness? 4. Do you repent, my son, of your sins and 5. Have you committed particularly serious sins against love for God and your neighbors? 6. Do you have a strong intention and determination to improve? 7. Are you confident in God’s mercy and do you hope for forgiveness of sins? In conclusion, the priest must, in the shortest words, impress upon the confessor the need for correction. “Remember, my son,” he can tell him, “that you made a promise to the Lord to correct yourself, and try to fulfill it, otherwise the wrath and judgment of God will befall you,” and then resolve it, according to custom 211. 9. On the confession of unconscious patients It often happens that a priest is called to confess a patient who, due to apoplexy or for some other reason, is completely unconscious, and sometimes in the last death throes, so that he is not only unable to confess his sins, but even to listen to permission from the priest. In this case, the pastor must first of all make inquiries: is there any hope for the return of the patient’s consciousness in order to confess him at the first opportunity. If this turns out to be impossible, then the priest can read the usual prayer of permission over the dying person, provided, however, that he knows that the dying person believed in the Lord Jesus, was a son of the Orthodox Church and was not a bitter and unrepentant sinner, and then betray him to the will and judgment of God. It goes without saying that if the one thus resolved came to consciousness after this, then the confessor should be invited to him again according to custom 212. 10. About confession in crowded parishes In crowded parishes, the priest is not always able to cope with the multitude of fasting people in a timely manner and there is no way to confess everyone in detail. In this case, it is best to do the following: instead of postponing confession, as is customary, until the last day, the priest can begin to confess the fasting people several days before their Communion, instilling in all of them that Christians who are afraid to confess a few days before Communion reveal extreme laziness and reluctance to fight their sinful habits, when even one or two days cannot remain in the proper Christian mood characteristic of a true follower and servant Christ's 213. In addition, it is known that if one of the repentants fell into any sin in the interval between confession and Communion, then such people are not prohibited from confessing again before Communion of the Holy Mysteries, at least in this sin. But even if this is observed, it still often happens that the priest has to confess up to 300 people, or even more, at the same time. In this case, there is nothing left to do but limit yourself to short questions and few but strong instructions. We offer four programs of such questions here. You can confess for each, adding what is missing from the text of this brochure (this applies to both questions and instructions). Brief questions during confession when there are many people confessing A. Questions on the Ten Commandments Outline 1. The first commandment: I am the Lord thy God: thou shalt have no other gods besides Me. Reflect: you know no other gods except the True God; but do you really love no one and nothing as much as God, do you not honor or listen to anyone more than God, do you treat God with complete trust, have you never grumbled against God, etc.? 2. The second commandment does not command the worship of idols. Don't you bow down to idols? But don't you serve mammon more than God? Your belly, your pride, your pride, covetousness, gluttony, drunkenness, the mighty of this world to the point of oblivion of God, etc.? 3. The third commandment says: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, that is, in vain. Don’t you use the name of God every now and then in joking conversations and generally without any reverence? Don’t you sign yourself with the sign of the cross without any thought about the Lord crucified for us, somehow and sometimes jokingly? Don't you pray to God only with your lips - coldly, absent-mindedly, and not with your heart and whole soul? 4. The fourth commandment commands us to honor holidays. How do you spend them? If you don't have the habit of working on holidays, that's a good thing. But on holidays, not only should you not work, but you should also spend them in holiness, in the thought of God, in giving alms, in visiting the sick and alleviating their lot, etc. Are you observing this, my son? 5. Fifth commandment: Honor your father and your mother. Here, remember your entire family life: how did you treat and treat your parents, brothers, children, and servants? Then move on to social and church life: how regularly do you serve your state duties, how obedient are you to your superiors, how devoted to your spiritual fathers, are you fulfilling your duties in relation to your godfather and mother and godchildren? This commandment is broad. Are you not guilty of anything against her? 6. Sixth Commandment: Thou shalt not kill. “It’s not my fault against her,” you say to yourself. Yes, may you not kill anyone. But is it really possible to kill a person by deed? Sometimes a word of slander, condemnation, hatred and contempt is worse than a knife. You can become a murderer in this way: a person is in need, suffers, strives with all his might, and even, being sick, goes to work. You could have helped him, but you couldn’t, and he died from the strain. Who is his killer? According to the law of conscience, you are guilty of his death. You should have helped him, if not yourself, then through people - and he would still live. So, if you did not show compassion to the unfortunate, did not console the sad, did not help your neighbor, did not guide the erring on the path of truth and goodness, did not turn away from temptation, and perhaps you yourself destroyed someone’s soul through the sin of temptation, then you, without a doubt, to great misfortune, are also guilty of the sixth commandment of the Law of God, which prohibits murder. In what way have you sinned against her? 7. The seventh commandment generally prohibits all carnal uncleanness. This also includes: various games and immodest jokes, obscene songs, harmful reading, passion for clothes and theatrical performances, etc. Tell me, in good conscience, am I not guilty of this? 8. Eighth Commandment: Thou shalt not steal. You are not a kidnapper. That's true. But any deception, forgery, or concealment is also theft. Do you know this? I will say more: the category of thieves should include everyone who, in one way or another, lives at the expense of others, beggars by trade, parasites, people making all sorts of easy money, the unmerciful, moneylenders, misers of all kinds and types, wasteful householders who ruin their families in this way, etc. Are you not guilty of anything? 9. And against the ninth commandment, and especially who among us is not irresponsible? Do not bear false witness against your neighbor, says the Lord. And who among us has never said an extra word about another? What about double-mindedness? Gossip? Gossip? In what way, my son, did you break this commandment? 10. And against the tenth commandment, which of us is pure? Who is free from envy? Who is alien to unclean, selfish and adulterous desires. In what way have you sinned against this commandment? B. Questions on the outline of the nine gospel commandments Are you fulfilling the gospel commandments? Do you care to adorn yourself with gospel virtues? 1. Are you trying to cultivate a sense of humility, an awareness of your own unworthiness? 2. Do you mourn tearfully over your sins and weaknesses? 3. Have you always been and do you try to be meek in your dealings with your neighbors? 4. Do you thirst for holiness and supreme righteousness? 5. Are you attentive to the needs of your neighbors? Do you consider yourself obligated to help those in need, comfort the sad, visit the sick, admonish the foolish, and generally be merciful to everyone? 6. Are you making efforts to maintain purity of heart? Do you harbor envy, hatred and bad desires in your heart? 7. Do you care about the pacification of warring parties? 8. Are you ready to endure at least slight sorrows for the truth? 9. And do you love the Lord Jesus so much that you would be ready to go to death for Him? B. Questions regarding the outline of the nine church commandments 1. Do you pray to God morning and evening with contrition and tenderness of heart, without coldness, without indifference, without distraction, but as if standing face to face before the Throne of God? Do you go to pray on Sundays and holidays in the church of God - a place of the special gracious presence of God? 2. Do you fast according to the rules of the Church? Do you combine physical fasting with spiritual fasting, i.e. with curbing passions, with abstinence from bad habits? 3. Do you respect the pastors of the Church as servants of Christ? Do you ask them for advice regarding the direction of your life on the path of salvation? 4. How often do you receive the Holy Sacraments of repentance and Communion? Are you approaching these life-saving remedies with proper preparation? Do you consider the beginning of the correction of life after these Sacraments? 5. Have you read works hostile to the word of God and the teachings of the Church? Have you had friendly relations with heretics on religious issues? 6. Do you pray for the Tsar, the father of our Fatherland, for the civil authorities and the army? Do you pray for all Orthodox Christians, both living and dead? 7. Do you take a heartfelt part in the prayers of the Church appointed on the occasion of famine, widespread disease, disastrous wars and other social disasters? 8. Have you sinned in thought, word or deed? against the eighth commandment of the church, prohibiting withhold, conceal or steal anything belonging to the Church? 9. Have you visited immodest entertainment societies that awaken unchaste thoughts and feelings? Wasn’t he especially in these places of entertainment on the eve of Sundays and holidays, which (eves) should be sanctified with prayer and deeds of charity? D. Questions regarding the plan of our responsibilities to God, neighbors and ourselves 1. IN RELATION TO GOD. Do you consider it your sacred duty to acquire true and clear knowledge about God and other truths and objects of holy faith? Do you love God with all your heart and all your soul, more than anything? Have you not often violated your love and reverence for God by thoughts of unbelief and lack of faith, by coldness or absent-mindedness during worship, in church or at home, while standing in prayer, by omitting daily prayers, morning and evening, and even by complete neglect of them? Have you angered God by not paying attention to the lessons given to us by life, by the ways of God’s Providence? Have you not upset the Lord with cowardly grumbling about the allegedly unrighteous fate of His Providence, or with ingratitude for blessings, or with mockery of the objects of the holy faith, of the holy saints of God, sacred rites and church decrees? 2. IN RELATION TO YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD. Do you love your neighbors, according to the commandment of Christ, as yourself? Do you respect in them the dignity of people who are similar to you in everything, who have the same moral powers and rights to the same kingdom in the afterlife? Do you value in them the high title of Christians, sealed with the gift of the Holy Spirit, redeemed by the Blood of Christ, destined for the inheritance of eternal bliss? Didn't you look at your neighbors as an instrument for the satisfaction of impure passions, as a means to achieve shameful goals? Have you not offended them with unfounded suspicion or distrust, contempt, slander, hatred, condemnation, rancor, vindictiveness, gloating in their sorrows and sorrows? Have you, my son, appropriated someone else’s property by robbery or deception, covetousness or in any other way? Did you harm the property, honor, good name and even the health of your neighbors? 3. IN RELATION TO YOURSELF. Do you value your human and Christian dignity? Do you keep your soul and body pure? Do you refrain from everything that is contrary to sobriety and chastity? Do you avoid the sins of intemperance, excess in food and drink, which so inflame unclean passions in the soul and disordered movements in the body? Are you faithful to your vows to God? Have you not uttered false, nasty and seductive words with your tongue? Have you, my son, used your eyes, hands, feet and whole body to harm yourself and to harm others? Did you behave worthily in the rank in which you were placed by Providence? Have you used your wealth, honor and other gifts and advantages with benefit and worthy of the glory of God? What state are you in in relation to your salvation, i.e. Has the beginning of salvation been laid in you through true, all-perfect and unrepentant repentance, even if you encounter stumblings and even falls in your life? Are you living a grace-filled Christian life or are you in a state of sin, insensibility, unrepentance and spiritual deadness, although you confess often? Do you sincerely desire the salvation of your soul, i.e. Do you realize the severity of sin, which offends the greatness of God, angers the love and mercy of the Heavenly Father, tramples on the Holy Spirit? The blood of the Son of God, is the grace of the All-Holy Spirit dishonored? Do you feel all the danger of a sinful life, which deprives us of the glory of the children of God, expels us from the bright kingdom of God, makes our soul an object of disgust for the Holy Spirit? Angels, a playground for evil and unclean spirits and turns us from a god-like being into senseless beasts? Does your heart tremble at the mere thought of the loss of eternal life, of the deprivation of the kingdom of God for all eternity? Does your whole being shudder at the thought of the endless eternity of torment awaiting the sinner after death? 214 1. Various penances are prescribed, depending on the degree of sins, age, position, as well as the degree of repentance of the penitent. 2. When assigning a penance to a penitent, which consists of performing some good deeds, one must choose virtues that are opposite to the sin being confessed. Thus, the lover of money should be prescribed the distribution of alms, the fornicator - fasting, the weak in faith and hope - prayer, etc. But at the same time, one should also look at whether it is possible for the penitent to fulfill the penance imposed on him, so as not to assign him the impossible, for example, not to assign alms to a beggar; a busy person, burdened with many responsibilities - frequent going to church and long prayer, etc. 3. Since penance is not satisfaction to God for sins, it is not possible to impose it at all on the penitent, who sincerely and with tears repents of his sins and promises to continue to refrain from them with all his might. 4. Penance, consisting of excommunication from the Communion of the Holy Mysteries, is imposed for obvious or more important sins. Such penance, according to the instructions of the rules of the Holy Fathers, is assigned: - for apostates from the faith, judging by the circumstances that prompted them to do so, and according to the extent of repentance - from 4 years 215 until death 216. One who voluntarily renounces and converts receives Holy Communion only upon death 217. Those who renounced due to persecution and torment – ​​from 8 to 4 years. Those who pretend to show themselves not to be Christians, but who did not make sacrifices to idols, are subject to excommunication for six months 218. - heretics and schismatics - until they renounce their errors, – incestuous for 12 years, – adulterers – from 7 to 15 years, – murderers – from 5 to 20 years, – homosexuals – from 7 to 15 years, – for cowherds – from 7 to 15 years, and until the end of life, – for oathbreakers – from 6 to 10 years, – grave diggers (robbers of graves) – for 10 years, etc. The indication of the period for which those who repent of these and similar sins should be excommunicated does not have mandatory significance and should be accepted by priests as a guide to determine the severity of this or that sin, so that in this, and only in this respect, until now the rules indicated in the breviary (extracted from the rules of the Holy Councils and the Fathers of the Church) should retain their force. This will be discussed further below (See § 18). 5. If a priest can impose on a penitent a penance consisting of excommunication from the Holy Mysteries, it can only be, firstly, when “the penitent has a person who is ready for any penance so that this penance will not plunge him into despair, laziness and negligence, but will even more lead to the consciousness of spiritual heaviness and the wrath of God and will encourage him to complete repentance"; but secondly, even in these cases, the priest should not impose such penance on his own, but each time seek the permission of his bishop, explaining to him the circumstances of the penitent, without indicating his name. 6. Excommunication from the Holy Mysteries for a long time is not allowed at all. 7. For those who have performed penance, there is a special prayer in the Trebnik, at the end of the rite of confession; it should be read above what is permitted, not publicly and not at the Liturgy. 8. Only the priest who imposed the penance can authorize; another priest cannot permit what is not forbidden to him, except in those cases when a person dies under the prohibition. Every priest who attends his death must allow this. 9. If a prohibited person, in extreme necessity, turns to another confessor, then the other must deal with him even more strictly. 10. Another confessor can change the penance imposed by the first one only if the first one did not maintain proper measure and justice and if any reason added again makes it impossible to fulfill the previous penance. But it can change only: a) during confession, for confession is a Sacrament in which the right to bind and decide is given, and b) after hearing those sins for which penance was imposed, for the judge cannot judge without knowing the case. 11. But penance cannot be changed by a priest if it is imposed by a bishop. 12. In the same case, so that the forbidden does not pass into the afterlife without permission, a prayer of permission should be read over him during burial. 13. All people of secular rank who are sentenced to church repentance undergo this repentance in their places of residence, under the supervision of their spiritual fathers, excluding those whose penance on the spot was unsuccessful and who are therefore subject to imprisonment in monasteries 219. 14. When assigning penance, more or less prostrations are often imposed on the penitent. So that bows in this case are not just a mechanical movement of the body, but are animated by thought and feeling, the following method should be used: you can, for example, tell a penitent who knows the 50th Psalm to read this psalm at such and such a time and so many times, placing a bow on each verse of the psalm (there are 21 verses in all, therefore, there will be 21 bows; or, if there are two bows per verse, then 42 bows). For someone who does not know the 50th Psalm, you can assign another prayer, which he knows, dividing it into parts and prescribing bows. To someone who doesn’t know a single prayer, you can point to the Jesus Prayer, which even if he didn’t know, you can immediately teach him, make him read it at home like this: Lord Jesus Christ (bow), Son of God (bow), have mercy on me, a sinner (bow) 220. 15. People who have converted from schism should not be denied penance, even if such a penitent did not have grave mortal sins on his conscience, because, being in schism, they have become accustomed to the idea that penance during confession is a necessary condition and accessory, as a result of which, by refusing penance to such people, one can give them reason to think and say that in the Orthodox Church, “to the doctor, they don’t do the doctor” 221. 16. As for the time of assigning penance at confession, this is determined with all accuracy in the sequence of repentance in the missal, from which we see that the priest must first question the penitent about his sins, then absolve him, give him the proper admonition, and only after that, as necessary, assign him a certain penance. However, in cases where permission must be given to the penitent subject to the acceptance of one or another penance for any special sins, the priest can assign penance before permission, at his own discretion 222 in order to thereby elevate and aggravate the significance of the penance for the penitent and to dispose him to more willingly accept and fulfill it. 17. For all this, every priest must know without a doubt that all these so-called penance sinners, as well as other generally prohibited sinners, according to the statutes of our Church, can and should be released from their penances in no other way than by reading over each of them a special prayer of permission, which is set out in our missals under the name “prayer for those allowed from prohibition.” It goes without saying that this prayer must be read over the person permitted when, at the end of his penance, he confesses his sins to the priest and prepares for Communion, i.e. or immediately after the ordinary prayer of permission, or before Communion, etc. And priests must read this prayer not only over those who are completing the period of their penance, but also over those who would need to confess and receive communion in case of mortal danger before the end of the period of penance 223, with the obligation to fulfill his penance to the end in case of recovery, etc. 224 18. Necessary comments about the so-called rules and canons of the Holy Fathers, placed in our missals, regarding different types and types of sins and punishments for them for those who repent. Our missals usually contain a collection of various rules and regulations under the title: “Nomocanon, that is, a lawmaker who has rules for abbreviating St. Apostles, Great Basil and St. Councils" (or, as in small breviaries: "an expression of the most necessary rules from the Nomocanon"). This collection, by the way, contains various rules and instructions about confession and penances that priests must assign to penitents. But no matter how important these rules are in their historical significance, at the present time they cannot have constant practical importance and even if now they can be suitable in any respect for priests, then, as said above, perhaps for determining the importance of this or that sin according to the view of the church (depending on the importance of this or that penance assigned for known sins), but not at all as an unchanging guide, which priests, in the words of the “Spiritual Regulations”, “we should hold on like blind people” (§14). For our church has never looked at them “as if they were inconveniently changeable dogmas 225” and in our Russian Church, the doubts with which in the past many treated some articles of the Nomocanon (with a large breviary) are now resolved by legislative order from the Holy Synod in the sense that the articles do not have a canonical basis and, therefore, may remain without effect 226. As a result, every priest regarding these rules must always keep in mind the following decree of the “Spiritual Regulations”: the canons on penances are left to the discretion of the spiritual father. Based on them, he must look at who and what the penitent is, and can increase and decrease the time and amount of penance and replace one penance with another. Actually, it is precisely this, which in ancient custom was a penance, according to which one is deprived of Communion of the Holy Mysteries for a long time, at the present time, it should be left and not used” 227. 12. Prayer “for those who are in prohibitions and bind themselves with an oath” In addition to the penances imposed on penitents by priests, it happens that believers sometimes impose on themselves a certain kind of penance or prohibition, such as when a sick person, freed from some illness, makes a vow to go to a certain place for pilgrimage, or when someone proposes not to eat certain food or drink wine until he makes peace with his enemy, etc. At the same time, it often happens that others, in order to be more faithful to their promise, they take an oath before the Lord that they will certainly fulfill this or that, and thus appear before God and their conscience not only to be voluntarily prohibited, but also bound by an oath. It is known how hard it sometimes is in the souls of those who, having made one or another vow, cannot then fulfill it. As a result, it often happens that someone, having confessed to the priest that he has not fulfilled his vow, does not want to be satisfied with one ordinary permission from him in confession, but demands from the priest even more diligent prayers for himself, guidance and blessings. Then the priest must examine the matter most carefully - and if it turns out that the penitent is really unable to fulfill the vow he has taken upon himself, then the priest, to calm his conscience, after the usual permission in confession, can also read over him the so-called prayer in our breviaries “for those who are in prohibitions and bind themselves with an oath” - and then, teaching him not to make any unreasonable and difficult-to-fulfill vows in the future, or replacing previously given a heavy vow to another, lighter one, to let him go in peace, according to custom 228. The priest can read the same prayer, according to the instructions of the New Tablet, over those “who, for example, being in great anger for having done some good to an enemy, betray themselves to demons or, having forgiven their son for some offense, wish for themselves absurd events for this” 229, and, generally speaking, over all those who make various unreasonable oaths that hinder their activities and outrage their conscience. This should also include the so-called prayer in the breviaries “for those who swear boldly,” which, at the request of the penitents, the priest can especially read over those of them who admit that they are infected with a passion for uttering various curses and curses, and will ask the priest to pray to the Lord to deliver them from this dangerous and harmful illness 230. My life in Christ. T. II. Ed. 4. P. 180. In further questions, it is necessary to take into account the penitent’s occupation, his education, social and marital status, as well as whether he is under penance if he is from another parish. To do this, you must first ask him about this if he is not known to the confessor. Saint John Chrysostom. Conversation 22. Saint John Chrysostom. Discourse 18 on the Gospel of John. See part 1. Conditions for true repentance and the need for sincere repentance. pp. 70 – 74. Saint Theophan the Recluse. Saint Theophan the Recluse. Outlines of Christian moral teaching. P. 331. Letters from a spiritual father to spiritual children. St. Petersburg 1861. Part 2. According to the letters of St. Theophan the Recluse. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. According to the teachings of Abba Dorotheus See St. Cyril of Jerusalem. Catechetical teachings. Lesson 4, paragraph 43 St. Irenaeus of Lyons. Against heresies. Book 3.Ch. 4. St. John Chrysostom. Commentary on 1 Corinthians According to the letters of the Optina elder Ambrose. Soulful reading." 1896. No. 8. P. 623. Soulful reading. 1896. November. P. 507. From the teachings on the eight thoughts of St. Nila. From the letters of the Optina elder Ambrose. Soulful reading." 1896. No. 8. P. 623. Addition to the works of the Holy Fathers Part 3 Venerable Nile Skete Patericon Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. Works of St. Basil the Great in Russian translation. Part 1. P. 390. According to the “Elderly Instruction” of the abbot of Valaam Nazarius. Ava Evgeniy. Skete patericon Reverend Neil. Philokalia. T. II. P. 425. From the teachings about the eight thoughts of St. Nila. From the teachings on the eight thoughts of Saint Nile. Philokalia. T. II. C. 285 Saint Basil the Great. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. T.I. St. Basil the Great. A word about fasting. See the sermons of St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov), Bishop of the Caucasus, as well as “Daily Teachings in the Word of God” by priest Grigory Dyachenko. 1897. Works of St. Athanasius the Great St. Dimitry Rostovsky. Spiritual healing for confusion of thoughts. Letters of the Optina Elder Ambrose. Soulful reading. 1896. July. P. 448. Ladder. Words 28, 42, 25. Creations of the Holy Fathers. T. IX. pp. 425, 426. Sunday reading.” 1888. pp. 28, 29. Discourse 34 on the Evangelist John. P. 399. Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. See Life of Righteous Juliana. St. Filaret, Metropolitan of Moscow. Saint Gregory the Theologian. T. II. P. 152. Conversations to the Antiochian people. Part 3. P. 245. Conversation 2 on the second Epistle to Timothy. Discourse 7 on the Evangelist Matthew. Chronicle of St. Demetrius of Rostov Creations of St. Basil the Great. T.V.S. 228, From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1896. No. 8. P. 642. From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. Lessons and examples of Christian hope. Ed. 3. P. 572. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. T. I From the letters of the Optina elder Ambrose From the teachings on the eight thoughts of St. Neil. Spiritual healing. Soulful reading. 1896. November. pp. 503, 507 Works of Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk. T. IV. P. 70. See Essays on the moral Christian teaching of Favorov. Ed. 6. P. 130. See Stories from the history of the Christian Church by Bakhmetyeva. Saint Demetrius of Rostov. Spiritual alphabet. Creations of St. Basil the Great. T. IV. pp. 188, 190 Letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1896. No. 9. pp. 104–105. One hundred very soul-saving chapters of Theodore, Bishop of Edessa. Christian reading. Part 17.S. 136. The legend about the asceticism of the Holy Fathers. P. 293, 6. Conversation 15. P. 25. P. 163. Conversation on the Evangelist Matthew. P. 25. T. III. pp. 188 ff. Words and speeches. T. Words and speeches. IV. pp. 342–343. See Philokalia. T. II. P. 449. See Ladder. “Historical teaching about the Fathers of the Church” by Archbishop Philaret of Chernigov and Nizhyn. T. III. St. Petersburg 1882. pp. 125–126. Discourse 6 on the Evangelist Matthew. From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1895. T. I. P. 416. Prayer 7 for the future sleep. From letters to St. Feofan the Recluse From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1894. T. II. Consolation to those who mourn, drawn from Holy Scripture. M. 1855. Priest Grigory Dyachenko. Lessons and examples of the Christian faith. Catechetical teachings delivered at the Kiev St. Sophia Cathedral in 1854. St. Macarius of Egypt. Conversation 15. Ch. 45 From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1894. T. I. Venerable Isaac the Syrian. A spiritual treasure collected from the world. For more information about this, see the book by priest Grigory Dyachenko. Lessons and examples of Christian love. Ed. 3. P. 725. Complete works. T. I. P. 203 St. Gregory of Nyssa. A word about bliss. Christian reading. 1842. May. pp. 164, 165, 169, 170, 177, 178. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. Complete set of works. T.I.S. 218 – 224. St. Peter (Tomb). Orthodox confession. Part 1. Question 87 – 95. Christian reading. 1835. Part 3. P. 8. Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt. My life in Christ. 1894. T. I. From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1895. T. I. From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1896. No. 5. P. 96, 97. Discourse 57 on the Evangelist Matthew. 65 apostolic canon; 37, 38, 39 rule of the Council of Laodicea, etc. See more about this in the book of Archpriest. Favorov “Essays on moral Orthodox Christian teaching.” St. Gregory of Nyssa. Rule 8. Based on the book of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt “My Life in Christ.” T. II. From letters to St. Theophan the Recluse. Soulful reading. 1896. No. 12. P. 702. See Vladimir Diocesan Gazette for 1872 and Minsk Diocesan Gazette, No. 24 for 1873. See book. Plato, Bishop of Kostroma, “Reminder to the priest of the duties when performing the Sacrament of repentance.” Breviary of Peter Mohyla. On repentance pp. 345–346. Breviary of Peter Mohyla. On repentance pp. 345–346. Questions for children's confession. Moscow. 1987. Plato, Bishop of Kostroma. “A reminder to the priest of the duties when performing the Sacrament of Penance.” 1859. pp. 12–13. Archpriest Ev. "Letters on Pastoral Theology". Part II. P. 79. Plato, Bishop of Kostroma. “A reminder to the priest of the duties when performing the Sacrament of Penance.” 1859. P. 13. Bishop Plato. A reminder to the priest of his duties. P. 13 – 14. And: “Guide for rural shepherds.” 1860. T. II. pp. 180 – 184. Plato, Bishop of Kostroma. “A reminder to the priest of the duties when performing the Sacrament of Penance.” P. 15. Breviary of Peter the Mogila. The establishment of the Sacrament of holy repentance before the service. Breviary of Peter Mohyla. Instructions on the operation of the Holy Sacraments. Manual for Rural Shepherds 1867. T. S. 424 – 428. See about this in the book. Priest A.F. Choynacki “Practical guidance for clergy when performing the Holy Sacraments.” 1863. P. 154. See about this in the book. Priest A.F. Choynacki “Practical guidance for clergy when performing the Holy Sacraments.” 1863. Here we will share one of our experiences. Once I was invited to a sick man - the son of a general - for his confession, but he did not show any signs of consciousness: he suffered from a dangerous form of epilepsy. I was about to leave in sorrow, but suddenly I remembered that I had read somewhere about a way to find out whether a patient is conscious. I returned to him and said that if he wants to confess and understands who is talking to him, let him move his eyelids twice. To my joy, he did it immediately. Having made sure that the patient understood me and could confess his sins with the movement of his eyelids, I began confession, which I completed successfully with God’s help. I asked the patient questions and asked him to make a movement with his eyelids if he admitted the sin that I asked about. He immediately fulfilled my request. If he did not recognize himself guilty of this sin, then I did not notice any movement over the centuries. Having completely recovered two days later, this man considered it his duty to come to my apartment and express the most ardent gratitude for having received the holy and saving Sacrament through me. He was in despair because he could not speak when I asked him, although he was perfectly aware of everything, and he was extremely happy when I found a means of spiritual communication with him. A remarkable phenomenon: he died from the same illness a year later on exactly the day and hour when he was confessed to me. About the positions of parish elders. S. 192, § 100. See: Priest. Grigory Dyachenko. Daily teachings in the Word of God. T. III. 1897. St. Peter of Alexandria rule 2. St. Basil the Great 83, Gregory of Nyssa 2 St. Peter of Alexandria rule 2 and 5. See Priest. O. N. Silchenko. Practical guidance for sending parish requests. A Guide for Rural Pastors. 1860. T. I. See. A Guide for Rural Pastors. 1860. T. I. Compare New tablet. Part IV. Ch. XIII, § 4–6. New tablet. Part IV. Ch. XXXV. See priest. Chojnacki. Practical guidelines for clergy when performing the Holy Sacraments. 1883. pp. 151–152. Nomocanon with A. Pavlov’s large breviary. Odessa. 1872. P. 32. Compar. right there. pp. 186–204. Addition to the “Spiritual Regulations”. § 14. Priest. Chojnacki. Practical guidance for clergy when performing the Holy Sacraments. 1883 pp. 150–151. New tablet. Part IV. Ch. XXXIII. See more about this in the book. priest A.F. Khoynatsky. 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