Discourses on the Beatitudes

In “Discourses on the Beatitudes” (8 words) St. Gregory of Nyssa views the Gospel Beatitudes (Matt. 5:3-10; cf. Luke 6: 20-23) as a ladder of 8 steps along which the Divine Word gradually raises a person to the heights of perfection. The top of the ladder of this spiritual ascent is the Lord Himself. In this work, St. Gregory sets out his teaching on purification as a step on the path to deification. *The title of the work in Greek is Λόϒοι εἰς τοὺς μακαρισμούς. *The title of the work in Latin is Orationes de beatitudinibus. Matthew 5:1–3. Seeing the people, He went up the mountain; and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Who among those gathered is such that he can be a disciple of the Word, and together with Him, from the earth - from empty and low concepts, to ascend to the spiritual mountain of sublime contemplation - to this mountain, which has escaped every shadow of the towering hills of malice, and illuminated from everywhere by a ray of true light, in the pure clarity of truth, from its top makes it possible to see everything that is invisible to those imprisoned in the intermountain? And what is revealed to the eye from this height, what types these are, and how numerous, God the Word Himself describes, pleasing those who ascended the mountain with Him, as if with a finger indicating here the Kingdom of Heaven, and there the inheritance of the high earth; then pardon, truth, consolation, the acquired kinship with God of all kinds, and the fruit of persecution, precisely that in order to become a co-dweller with God, and everything else that besides this, according to the finger of the Word from above from the mountain, can be seen in the hope of the one who stretches out his gaze from this high guard. So, since the Lord ascends the mountain, let us listen to what Isaiah calls: “Come, and let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord” (Is. 2:3); and if we are weak from sin, then, as the prophecy teaches, we will strengthen “weak hands and feeble knees” (Isa. 35:3). For if we are at the top, we will find the Healer of “every ailment and every disease” (Matthew 4:23), and the Receiver of “our ailments”, “and the Bearer of diseases” (Matthew 8:17). Therefore, let us also hasten to the ascent, so that, standing with Isaiah at the pinnacle of hope, we too can see from above the blessings that the Word indicates to those who follow to this exaltation. But may God the Word open our mouths, and may He teach us that, the hearing of which is bliss. Let the beginning of our review be the beginning of what is said in the teaching. “Blessed,” it is said, “are the poor in spirit, for to them is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). If a gold lover finds an inscription showing that a treasure is kept here, but the place containing this treasure presents a lot of sweat and labor to those who want to acquire it; then will he not find the strength to work, will not care about the gain, and will not take on any careful effort and recognize the most pleasant wealth? No, This is impossible; on the contrary, he will invite all his friends to do this, and, gathering all the help he can from everywhere, with many hands, he will make the hidden wealth his own. Behold, brethren, the treasure that Scripture shows us; this wealth is hidden for us because it is unclear. equally, and to each to acquire it in its entirety. For such is the division of virtue that it is given to all who compete for it, and the whole belongs to everyone, without being diminished from those participating in the division. When dividing earthly wealth, he who seizes more of those who receive an equal share commits injustice; because he who increases his share will certainly diminish the share of the accomplice. But spiritual wealth is likened to the sun; for it is given to all who look at it, and remains whole for everyone. Therefore, since everyone is endowed with equal benefit from labor; then may everyone provide prayerful assistance in what we seek. First of all, I believe, we must formulate a concept of bliss itself, what it is. Bliss, according to my reasoning, is the volume of everything that appears as good, in which there is no lack of anything consistent with a good wish. But the concept of bliss will become more familiar to us from comparison with the opposite. The sign of bliss is unceasing and shadowless joy that comes from virtue. And the opposite of bliss is the state of distress. Therefore, disaster is languor in bitter and involuntary suffering. The location of those in one or another of these states is divided according to the opposite. It is possible for the one being pleased to have fun and rejoice at the pleasure offered to him; and for the needy one to grieve and be upset by what he has. Therefore, the Divine itself is truly all-blessed: because, no matter what we imagine Him to be, bliss will be this pure life, ineffable and incomprehensible good, inexpressible beauty, source of grace, wisdom and power, true light, the source of all goodness, power that exceeds all; one kind, always unchanging, unceasing joy; eternal joy, about which, if someone says everything he can, he will not say anything worthwhile. For the understanding does not comprehend the Existing One, and if we manage to imagine something more sublime about Him in the mind, then what is presented is inexpressible in any word. since He who created man “created him in the image of God” (Gen. 1:27); then in second place blessed will be that which is so named after the communion of true blessedness. How is primitive beauty in relation to bodily beauty in a living and truly existing face; and the second place in it is occupied by what is shown in the likeness in the picture, and so human nature, being an image of the highest bliss, is itself distinguished by its goodness when it shows on itself the image of blissful features. But since sinful filth has disfigured the beauty of the image; then He came, washing us with His own water, both living and flowing, “into the eternal life” (John 4:14), so that when we put aside the vileness of sin, the blessed image would again be renewed in us. And just as in the art of painting some expert will tell the inexperienced that a beautiful face is made up of such and such bodily parts, which has such and such hair and the roundness of the eyes, and the outline of the eyebrows, and the position of the cheeks, and one by one everything that complements good looks; So He who paints our soul in the likeness of the one Blessed One, depicts everything in order that serves to bliss in words, and firstly says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for of them is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3). But what will be the benefit of this generosity if the meaning contained in the word is not clear to us? For even in the art of medicine, many expensive and hard-to-obtain cures remain unused and useless for the sick until we hear from art what each of them is good for. So, what does it mean to become poor in spirit, how does one acquire the right to become the owner of the heavenly kingdom? From Scripture we have learned two types of wealth: one desirable, and the other condemned. The wealth of virtues is coveted, while material and earthly things are despised, because the former becomes the property of the soul, and the latter can only serve to deceive the senses; Therefore, the Lord forbids collecting it, as being prepared for consumption by worms and for the snares of those who dig up the walls (Matthew 6:19), and commands us to make efforts to obtain the wealth of exalted treasures, which is not touched by the power of corruption. Having said about the worm and the thief. The Lord pointed to the despoiler of spiritual treasures. Therefore, if poverty is opposed to wealth, then, of course, according to the correspondence it must be admitted that there are two types of poverty: one rejected, and the other pleased. Therefore, whoever has become poor in chastity, or in valuable possessions - justice, or wisdom or prudence, or turns out to be poor, and non-covetous, and poor because of some other valuable treasure; he is poor from poverty, and is pitiful because of the lack of acquisition of what is dear to a person. But whoever voluntarily becomes poor from everything that appears to be vicious, and does not put away a single devil’s treasure in his hiding places, but burns in spirit, and through this accumulates into his treasure the poverty of evil deeds, he, according to the instructions of the Word, is in blessed poverty, the fruit of which is the kingdom of heaven. But let us return again to making treasures, and we will not cease to reveal the hidden with the mining word. The Lord says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” It was said in some way before, and now it will be said again, that the end of a virtuous life is likeness to the Divine. But the Dispassionate and Pure is completely inimitable for people; because it is absolutely impossible for a passionate life to become like a nature that does not allow passions in itself. Therefore, if God alone is blessed, as the Apostle calls Him (1 Tim. 6:15), and for people communion in bliss is possible through likeness to God; imitation is extremely difficult: it follows that the bliss of human life is inaccessible. But there is also something in the Divinity that, as possible, is offered to those who wish to imitate it. What exactly is this? It seems to me - poverty of spirit; This is what Scripture calls voluntary humility. As an example, the Apostle shows the poverty of God, saying: “He is rich for our poverty, so that through His poverty we may be rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). So, since everything else that is seen as relating to the Divine nature exceeds the measure of human nature, and humility is something akin to us and has grown with us, who walk on the earth, from the earth we have composition, and we return to the earth; then you, having become like God in what is natural and possible for you, clothe yourself in this blessed image. And let no one consider success in humility to be easy and easily acquired. On the contrary, such a thing is more difficult than any virtuous endeavor. Why? Because when a person, having accepted good seeds into himself, fell asleep, the enemy of our life rooted in us the main thing from the opposite sowing - the tares of pride. For by what he cast himself to the ground, by the same token he drew the poor human race with him into a general fall; and for our nature there is no other evil equal to this illness produced by pride. Therefore, since the passion of exaltation is innate to almost everyone who belongs to the human race, the Lord therefore begins to please, as if some kind of primordial evil, tearing away pride from our habit by advising us to voluntarily become like the One who became poor, Who is truly blessed, so that we, in whatever we can, as much as we have the strength, having become like Him through voluntary poverty, attract fellowship in bliss. “For this,” it is said, “let this be understood in you, even in Christ Jesus: He who is in the form of God is not equal to God by admiration, but has become exhausted and has received the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:5-7). What greater impoverishment is there for God to be in the form of a servant? What greater humility is it for the King of creatures to come into communion with our poor nature? The King of kings, the Lord of lords, willingly puts on the form of a slave; The judge of the universe becomes a tributary of the rulers, the Lord of creation dwells in the den; The all-encompassing does not find a place in the inn, but is thrown into the manger of dumb animals; The Pure and Whole accepts upon Himself the filth of human nature, bearing upon Himself all our poverty, and even comes to the test of death. Do you see the extent of free poverty? Life tastes death; The judgment is held at the judgment seat; The Lord of the life of all things is subject to the judgment of the judge; The King of all the supreme power does not turn away from Himself the hands of the executioners. In this example, says the Apostle, let the measure of humility be visible to you. But it may be good, as it seems to me, to carefully consider the unreasonableness of such a passion of arrogance, so that when we succeed in humility with great willingness and comfort, the acquisition of bliss will become successful for us. For as competent doctors, having first destroyed the pathogenic cause, they can more easily overcome the disease; So we too, having humbled those who boast of vanity with reason, will make the path of humility easy to approach for ourselves. How can anyone better prove the vanity of arrogance? How else than by reasoning, what is nature? For there is no reason for someone to fall into such a passion who looks at himself and not at what surrounds him. So what is a person? Shall I say that Scripture expresses itself more respectfully and reverently? But our Decorator, who prepares human nobility for greatness, leads the genealogy of nature from decay; and your nobility, your nobility, your proud man, originate from there and are related to Plinth. If it is desirable for you that it be said directly and closely related to birth; then go away, don’t talk about it, don’t hide it, “let you not reveal,” as the law says, “the shame of your father and mother” (Lev. 18:7); Do not proclaim in front of everyone what is worthy of oblivion and deep silence. And don’t you blush after this, you earthly idol, who will soon be dust like a bubble, remain inflated for a short time, remain full of pride, expand in your arrogance, and puff up your thoughts with vain wisdom? Don't you look at both limits of human life, how it begins and how it ends? But you are proud of your youth, you mean your blossoming age, you admire your beauty, the fact that your arms are full of strength to move, your legs are light and jumping, your curls flutter in the wind, a gentle fluff borders your cheek, your clothes are bright purple, multi-colored silk fabrics dotted with images of battles, animal hunts, or some other event; or maybe you diligently look at the black shiny shoes, admiring the carefully lined seams? Are you looking at all this, and not looking at yourself? I’ll show you, like in a mirror, who and what you are. Didn't you see the secrets of our nature in the cemetery? Have you seen a pile of bones lying one on top of the other? skulls stripped of flesh, presenting a terrible, disgusting appearance with sunken eyes? Did you see mouths baring their teeth and other members, scattered no matter how they were? If you saw them, then you saw yourself in them. Where are the signs of your current color? Where is goodness? Where is the freshness of lips? Where is the majestic beauty of the eyes, sparkling from under the cover of the eyebrows? Where is the straight nose in the midst of beauty? Where is the hanging hair on the neck? Where are the curly curls near the churches? Where are the hands throwing arrows like a bow? Where are the galloping legs of horses? Where is the scarlet, fine linen, cape, belt, shoes, horse, the speed of his running, neighing - everything that now increases your arrogance? Tell me, where in what is left here is what you are now exalting yourself about, what you think highly about? What dream is so untenable? What dreams are like this? What shadow is so weak and intangible as this dream of youth, which at the same time appears and instantly flies by? So let us ask those who, due to imperfect age, go crazy in their youth. What will someone say about those who have already matured, in whom, although their age is perfect, their character is fickle and the disease of pride is increasing? The name of such an illness is arrogance of character; and the pretext for pride most often is the authorities, and the power associated with them; because, either having it, they suffer from this, or they are preparing for it, or often, the power has already ceased, but stories about it again awaken the disease. And where will you find such a word that will penetrate their ears, blocked from the voice of preachers? Who will convince such people that they are no different from those who show themselves off in a spectacle? For they are wearing a mask and some skillfully crafted and gilded scarlet robe, and they are solemnly seated on a chariot, but at the same time, from such decorations no disease of pride enters into them; but just as they thought about themselves before going to the spectacle, they retain the same disposition in their souls during the performance, and after that they do not grieve when they get off the chariot and take off their clothes. But those who exalt themselves in the disgrace of life with their superior power do not talk about what happened not long ago and what will happen soon after. Just as inflated bubbles expand, so they puff up at the loud appeal of the herald, put on some other person’s mask, changing the natural position of the face into a gloomy and scary one; and they imagine a more severe voice, which, to the horror of those listening, becomes similar to a brutal one. They no longer remain within the limits assigned to man, but transform themselves into those possessing God’s power and God’s authority. For they are confident about themselves, as if they were the masters of life and death; because of those they judge, one is given a sentence that saves him, and the other is condemned to death, and they do not pay attention to who is truly the Master of human life, who determines both the beginning and the end of existence; although it is enough to reduce their vanity that many of the commanders, while they were in office, were seen kidnapped from their commanding seats and taken to the graves, where the voice of the herald replaced crying. Therefore, how can one be the master of someone else’s life for whom his own is someone else’s? But even he, if he becomes poor in spirit, looking at Him who became poor for our sake voluntarily, and having before his eyes the equality of our nature, homogeneous with him, will not scold any deplorable spectacle of the dreamily displayed leadership; then he will truly be blessed, having exchanged the Kingdom of Heaven for temporary humility. Do not reject, brother, another lesson of poverty, as it serves to acquire heavenly wealth. The Lord says: “Sell all your possessions and give to the poor: and have treasure in heaven: and come after Me:” (Matthew 19:21). But such poverty seems to me not far from poverty to be blessed. So we, having left what we had, “will follow You with death,” the disciple says to the Master, “what will happen to us” (Matthew 19:27). And what is the answer to this? “Blessed are the poor in spirit: for the kingdom of heaven is for them.” cloud" (1 Thessalonians 4:17). Gold is a heavy property, as is every substance coveted as wealth; but a light thing that carries grief is virtue. And heaviness and lightness are opposite to each other. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to become light by pinning oneself to the heaviness of a substance. Therefore, if we must ascend to things above, we are drawn into poverty by being drawn down, so that we may become things above. What is the way to do this? His psalmody indicates: “Give to the poor: his righteousness endures forever and ever” (Psalm 111:9). Whoever entered into communication with the poor put himself in a single part with the Poor One for our sake. The Lord became poor so that you too would not be afraid of poverty. But She who became poor for our sake reigns over all creation. Therefore, if you become poor with Him who is poor, you will also reign with Him who reigns. For “blessed are the poor in spirit: for to them is the kingdom of heaven,” which we too may be worthy of in Christ Jesus our Lord! To him be glory and power forever and ever! Matthew 5:5. Blessed are the meek for they will inherit the earth Those ascending some ladder, when they stand on the first step, rise from it to the one lying above, and the second again leads the ascendant to the third, and this one to the next, and this next one to the one behind it; and thus the one who ascends from the level on which he stands always rises to the highest, and reaches the very top of his ascent. What do I mean by this, with this I begin my speech? It seems to me that a series of beatitudes are arranged like steps, making it convenient in words to ascend from one beatitude to another. For the one who has ascended with his understanding to the first bliss, according to some necessary sequence of thoughts, accepts what follows; although the word, apparently, at first glance represents something strange. The listener will say, perhaps, if you follow the arrangement of the steps, then it is impossible to receive the inheritance of the earth after the kingdom of heaven. On the contrary, if the word were to follow the nature of things, then it would be more consistent to mention the earth before heaven, since from it our ascent to heaven will begin. But if we are inspired by a few words, and stand on the very ridge of the vault of heaven; then we will find there the heavenly land, prepared as an inheritance for those who lived virtuously; so that there will be no error in the order of the beatitudes, according to which in God's promises they are offered to us, first heaven and then earth. For the visible sky, as far as the bodily sense is concerned, is akin to itself in everything; and although it appears, by local distance, to be high; however, it is lower than the spiritual essence, to which the thought cannot ascend without first passing through the mind what the feeling touches. If the highest lot is called earth, then do not be surprised at this: because the Word descends to the lowness of our hearing, and it descended to us because we were not able to rise to Him. Therefore, with sayings and words familiar to us, It conveys the Divine secrets, using such words that custom retains in human life. For even in the previous promise, the ineffable bliss in heaven called it a kingdom, perhaps indicating with this name something similar to what happens in the kingdom below, for example, some crowns shining with the brilliance of stones, colored scarlet, sparkling with something delightful for greedy eyes, vestibules and curtains, elevated seats, rows of decorously standing spearmen, and everything else that is displayed in such a disgrace of life, trying with such things to raise the greatness of power even higher? But since the naming of the kingdom, in relation to this life, is something great and almost above everything desired for people; That is why the Word used this name to mean the highest good; so, if people had something else of a higher kingdom, then, of course, the Word, by naming it, would inspire the soul of the listener to desire ineffable bliss. For it was impossible to reveal to people these benefits, which are higher than human feelings and knowledge, and it was impossible under their own names. It is said: “Eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and the heart of man has not sighed” (1 Cor. 2:9). But so that the hoped-for bliss does not remain completely distant from our fortune-telling, as much as we perceive in the baseness of our nature, we hear so much of the inexplicable. Therefore, do not let the similarity of the earth lead your understanding after heaven to the earth below; but if from the first bliss you have risen in mind and ascended to heavenly hope; then extend your love to that land, which is not the common heritage of all, but only for the meekness of life of those recognized as worthy of this promise. It seems to me that the great David, about whom the divine Scripture testifies that he was meek and gentle more than anyone else who lived in the world in his time, was guided by the spirit, and had the confidence of faith, saying: “I believe to see the good things of the Lord in the lands of the living” (Psalm 26:13). For I do not believe that the Prophet called this land of the living a land that brings back everything mortal and again resolves into itself every generation from it. On the contrary, he knew the land of the living, into which death did not enter, on which the path of sinners was not trampled, which did not bear the trace of vice, which the sower of tares did not cut through with the plow of wickedness, which does not produce thistles and thorns, on which there is water of rest, and a green place, and a spring divided into four streams, and grapes cultivated by the God of all things, and everything else that we hear mysteriously expressed in inspired teaching. If we truly mean this high land, imagined above the heavens, on which the “city of the great King” is inhabited (Psalm 47:3), about which “glorious words were spoken”, as the Prophet says (Psalm 86:3), then it would be unfair to find the order of the sequence of beatitudes strange. Otherwise, it would not be likely, as I think, that this land of blessing would be given to the hope of those who, as the Apostle says, will be caught up in the clouds through the air to meet the Lord, and so will always be with the Lord. For what other need is there for those who have the highest hope of life in the land below? "We... We will be caught up into the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thessalonians 4:17). But let's see what kind of virtue the inheritance of this land is intended as a reward for. It is said: Blessed are the meek: for they will inherit the earth. What is meekness? And why does the Word please meekness? In my opinion, everything that is done with meekness should not be equally considered a virtue, especially if the word only denotes quietness and slowness. In fast walkers, the quiet one is no better than the hasty one; and in hand-to-hand combat, it is not the one who moves with difficulty who takes the crown from the enemy; and if we are flowing “to the honor of the highest calling” (Phil. 3:14), then Paul advises to increase speed, saying: “Before this, that you may comprehend” (1 Cor. 9:24), because he himself, with always intensified movement, strived forward, consigning to oblivion what was behind; and was agile in hand-to-hand combat. For he looked out for the enemy’s readiness to attack, stepped with a reliable foot, had armed hands, did not throw the weapon from his hands into something empty and untenable, but touched with it the most essential parts of the opponent, striking the body itself. Do you want to know Pavlovo's art in battle? Look at the wounds of the one who fights him; look at your opponent's black eyes; look at the marks of sores on the vanquished. Without a doubt, you are not unfamiliar with the enemy who fights with him with the help of the flesh, whose eyes he blackens, tearing apart with the nails of abstinence, whose members he kills with hunger, thirst, cold, on whom he inflicts the plagues of the Lord, whom he defeats, leaving behind him in the run, so as not to darken his views if the opponent runs ahead. So, if Paul is quick and swift in his exploits; then David, attacking his enemies, widens his “feet” (Psalm 17:37), and the Bridegroom in the Song, in terms of mobility, is likened to a roe, “jumping on the mountains, and leaping on the hills” (Song 2:8). Many similar examples can be cited, from which it turns out that speed in motion is preferable to quietness. So why does the Word here, in the form of prosperity, please meekness? For it is said: “Blessed are the meek: for these shall inherit the earth” (Matt. 5, 5), without a doubt, this land, fruitful with beautiful offspring, adorned with the tree of life, watered by springs of spiritual gifts, on which grows the “true” grape “Vine”, the worker of which, as we hear, is the “Father” of the Lord (John 15, 1)? But the Word seems to be saying something similar to the following: there are many conveniences for vice, nature is very rapidly for the worse; like heavy bodies, although they are completely motionless upward, but if they are pushed along the slope from some high peak, they rush down with such swiftness, increasing the desire with their own weight, that the speed exceeds the measure. So, since speed in the pursuit of vice is harmful; then, without a doubt, what is represented by the opposite will be worthy of satisfaction. And this is quietness - the skill of being slow and motionless in such impulses of nature. For, like fire, having the property of always moving upward, it is motionless in the opposite direction; Likewise, virtue, being fast-moving towards the higher and higher, and never abandoning its speed, finds the opposite desire not allowed for itself. And therefore, since in our nature there is an abundance of haste towards evil; then quietness in bad deeds is greatly gratified. For inactivity in this serves as evidence of movement towards the heavenly. But it would be better to explain this teaching with the most examples borrowed from life. The movement of every will is twofold, because of freedom it rushes towards what seems best, here towards chastity, and there towards lewdness. But what is said about the particular type of virtue and vice, then understand about the whole. For human character is necessarily divided in opposite directions; irritability is opposed to gentleness of character, arrogance to modesty, hatred to goodwill, hostility to love and a peaceful disposition. So, since human life is material, and passions are due to substances, every passion has a quick and uncontrollable impulse towards the fulfillment of desire (because the substance is heavy and tends downward); then the Lord, therefore, does not please those who live outside the influence of passions on them (in material life it is impossible to completely succeed in an immaterial and dispassionate life); but he calls meekness the possible limit of virtue in human life, and says that being meek is enough for bliss. For human nature does not legitimize perfect dispassion; It is not in the nature of a truthful Lawgiver to command what nature does not accept. Such a command would be likened to the order of someone who would move those living in the water to live in the air, or, conversely, everything that lives in the air - into the water. On the contrary, the law must be applied to the inherent and natural force. Therefore, this blessedness commands moderation and meekness, and not complete dispassion; because the latter is outside of nature, and virtue thrives in the former. Therefore, if bliss presupposed immobility towards desire, then this blessing would be useless and serve no purpose in life. For who, connected with flesh and blood, would achieve such a thing? Now it is said that it is not the one who lusts for some reason who is condemned, but the one who, by design, attracts passion to himself. That sometimes such a desire occurs is often brought to this point, even against our will, by weakness connected with our nature; but not to be carried away, like a stream, by the swiftness of passions, but to courageously resist such a disposition and reflect the passion with reason - this is a virtuous matter. Therefore, blessed are those who do not suddenly indulge in passionate movements of the soul, but are restrained by reason - those whose thoughts, like some kind of bridle, stop the impulses and do not allow the soul to go into disorder. It is better to say something similar to this, namely, that meekness is worthy of gratification, can be seen by anyone in the passion of irritation. For as soon as a word, or some deed, or the suggestion of some kind of trouble, arouses such a disease, the blood in the heart boils, and the soul is ready to move towards vengeance; and just as, according to legend, other drugs change our nature into the image of dumb animals, so then a person, out of irritation, suddenly becomes a boar, or a dog, or a leopard, or some other similar animal; he has bloodshot eyes, standing on end and bristling hair, a stern voice, cutting speech, a tongue numb with passion and unable to serve internal impulses, lips that do not move, do not utter words, do not hold moisture in the mouth affected by passion, but ugly, along with the sound, spitting out this foam, and such are the hands, such are the legs, such is the entire structure of the body, each member corresponds to passion. Therefore, if such is the irritated one; and he who means bliss, with the help of reason, tames the disease, and expresses this with a calm look and a quiet voice, like some doctor who, with his art, heals those who are maddened to the point of disgrace; then wouldn’t you say yourself, comparing one with the other, that this beast is pitiful and vile; But the meek one is worthy of praise, who even the malice of his neighbor did not force him to lose his good looks? And that the Word has this passion in mind especially, is clear from the fact that after humility, meekness legitimizes us; because it is natural to hold on to one another, and the state of humility to be, as it were, the mother of some meek skill. For if you destroy arrogance in your character, then there will be no time for the passions of irritation to arise; because the cause of such illness in those who are irritated is resentment and dishonor. Dishonor does not concern the one who has taught himself humility. If anyone’s thoughts are pure from human deception, and he sees the insignificance of nature, which is given to him as an inheritance, also what the beginning of its composition is, and to what end the brevity and transience of this life tends, he sees the impurity associated with the flesh, and the poverty of nature, which in itself would not be sufficient to maintain its own composition, if its shortcomings were not filled by the abundance of the wordless, and on top of this he sees sorrows, sorrows, disasters and various types of diseases to which human life is subject, and from which no one is exempt and is not free by nature: then one who carefully peers into this with the pure eye of the soul will not easily be indignant at the shortcomings of the honors given to him. On the contrary, he will deceive the honor shown to him by his neighbors because there is nothing in our nature that can stand among honorable things, except only the soul, for which honor is not something sought in this world. For to be vain of wealth, or to be proud of one’s family, or to dream of glory, or to mentally arrogate to oneself superiority over one’s neighbor, to which human honors are limited, all this serves to shame and reproach the soul, so that a reasonable person will not agree to desecrate the purity of the soul with anything like this. To behave this way means nothing more than to be deeply rooted in humility, after success in which, irritation will not even have entry into the soul. And when there is no irritation, a “quiet and silent life” prevails (1 Tim. 2:2); and this is nothing other than meekness, which is the end of the blessedness and inheritance of the heavenly earth in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory and power forever! Amen. Matthew 5:4. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted We have not yet reached the top of the mountain, but are still in the mental submountain; although we have already passed two certain hills, elevated by the beatitudes into blessed poverty and the highest poverty of meekness, from where the word leads us to even greater exaltations, and shows us a third in order of elevation between the beatitudes, to which, without a doubt, we must hasten, as the Apostle says, laziness “put aside every one, and make it easy to commit sin” (Heb. 12:1 ); so that, having become light and agile at the top, your soul gets closer to the purest light of truth. Therefore, what does it mean to say: “Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4)? Of course, anyone who has this world in mind will laugh, and, mocking this word, will say this: if those who are exhausted by every calamity are blessed throughout life; it follows, of course, that those who live a carefree and prosperous life are in poverty. And thus he will increase the laughter by listing the types of disasters, exposing the bad consequences of widowhood, the bitter state of orphanhood, losses, shipwrecks, capture in war, unjust decisions in courts, expulsion from the fatherland, descriptions of property, dishonor, disasters from illnesses, such as: mutilation, loss of limbs, and all kinds of bodily injuries, and if any other suffering, affecting either the body or the soul, befalls people in of this life, he will describe everything in words, and thereby, in his opinion, will prove that a word that pleases those who cry is worthy of ridicule. But we, without paying much attention to those who have a narrow and low view of the Divine thoughts, will try, as much as possible, to consider the wealth contained in the depth of what has been said; so that through this it becomes clear how much difference there is in the carnal and earthly understanding with the sublime, heavenly understanding. At first glance, one can recognize crying for misdeeds and sins as blessed, according to the teaching on sorrow of Paul, who said that there is not just one type of sorrow, but there is worldly sorrow, and there is sorrow “made according to God,” and the work of worldly sorrow is death, and the second sorrow through repentance “works out” salvation for those who mourn (2 Cor. 7:10). For such a state of soul is truly not unworthy of gratification when, having come to a feeling of badness, it mourns a vicious life. As in bodily ailments, in which one of the parts of the body becomes inactive due to some damage, a sign of the death of the inactive part is its insensibility; if, by some kind of medical art, the body is restored to vital feeling, then the pain of the member, both the sufferer and the one serving the patient, rejoices, taking it as a sign of the transformation of illness into health that the member has already begun to feel the pain caused to it: so, when others, as the Apostle says, “having invested in hopelessness,” betray “themselves” (Eph. 4:19) to a life of sin, becoming truly something dead and inactive for a virtuous life, they do not feel at all what they are doing. If any healing word touches them, as if with some kind of hot and scorching composition - I mean strict threats of future judgment - and the fear of what is expected will penetrate to the depths of the heart, and in it, numb from the passion of voluptuousness, as if rubbing and warming, like some kind of hot and sharp medicine - the fear of Gehenna, an unquenchable fire, a worm that does not die, the gnashing of teeth, incessant crying, pitch darkness and everything like that will make you feel the life you are living; This will make him worthy of pleasing, producing a painful feeling in his soul. Just as Paul frantically scourges the one who has ascended to his father’s bed with words until he remains insensitive to his sin; and when the healing of reproaches touched this person, as if he had already become blessed for his crying, he begins to console, but not much to say, “he will be consumed by sorrow” (2 Cor. 2:7). Let us assume that this thought in the proposed view of the doctrine of beatitude will not be useful for a virtuous life, because sin somehow multiplies in human nature, and repentant crying turns out to be a cure for it; but it seems to me that the word, with the strongest effect of crying, means something that has a deeper meaning than what is said, forcing one to understand something else besides this. For if the word indicated only repentance for a sin, then it would be more consistent to please those who weep, and not always to those who weep. So, if we take a painful state for comparison; then we please those who are cured, and not those who are always being treated, because the continuation of treatment also shows the indomitability of the disease. But for another reason, it seems to me, it is not good to limit ourselves to such a single thought, as if this word bestows bliss only on those who cry over sins. For we will find many who have led their lives impeccably, and, according to the testimony of God’s Word itself, have been distinguished by every good deed. What kind of covetousness does John have? What kind of idolatry does Elijah have? What small or big sin in their lives is known to history? So what? Does this word really suggest that they are outside of bliss, both those who were not initially ill and those who have not reached the point of needing this healing, I mean repentant crying? Wouldn’t it be absurd to recognize such people as deprived of divine blessing because they did not sin and did not heal sin by crying? Or in this case, wouldn’t sinning be preferable to living sinlessly, if only the repentant were given the Comforter’s grace as their lot? For it is said: “Blessed are those who mourn: for they will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). Therefore, as much as possible, having followed, as Habakkuk says, “on high” the Ascendant (Hab. 3:19), let us still look for the meaning contained in what has been said, in order to find out what kind of crying is destined for the consolation of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, let's first see what crying is in human life, and why does it sometimes happen? It is obvious to everyone that crying is a sad disposition of the soul that appears when deprived of something loved; which state does not exist in those living safely. For example: a person is successful in life, all things go like the flow of a river, to his satisfaction, his wife makes him happy, his children make him happy, his brothers support him with their assistance, he is honored in the national assembly, and his superiors have a good opinion of himself, he is feared by his opponents, respected by his subordinates, courteous with friends, abounds in wealth, lives for his own pleasure, is pleasant, carefree, strong in body, has everything that is considered dear in this world: such a person, of course, lives in joy, enjoying every thing he has. But if some kind of vicissitude affects this prosperity, and, due to some bad coincidence of circumstances, results in either a break with those most loved, or a loss of property, or some kind of bodily injury; then the deprivation of the joyful thing produces the opposite disposition, which we call crying. Therefore, the concept given about it is true that crying is a kind of mournful feeling of the loss of what makes us happy. If we understand human crying, then let the obvious serve as some direction to the unknown, and it will become clear what pleasing crying is, followed by consolation. For if here the mourning is made by the deprivation of the goods that one has, and no one will mourn what he wants to lose; then one must first find out the good itself, what it really is, and then form an idea of ​​​​human nature; for this will also be achieved in order to succeed in pleasing crying. For example, of those living in darkness, when one was born in darkness, and the other was accustomed to enjoying the outer light, but became a prisoner by force, the present disaster does not affect both equally. For one, knowing what he has lost, will consider the loss of light difficult for himself; and the other, who has not known such grace at all, will live carefree, as if he grew up in darkness, and reasoning that he is not deprived of any of the blessings. And therefore, the desire to enjoy the light of one will lead to every effort and idea to see again what is forcibly deprived; and the other will grow old, living in darkness, because he did not know better, recognizing the present as good for himself. So, in considering what we are talking about, whoever was able to discern true good, and then understood the poverty of human nature, will, of course, consider the soul to be in distress, mourning the fact that real life does not enjoy this good. Therefore, it seems to me that the word pleases not sadness, but the knowledge of good, because of which a person suffers from sadness that this sought-after thing is not in life. Therefore, order requires us to investigate whether something real is this light, with which this dark den of human nature is not illuminated in real life? Or perhaps desire strives for something that is not there and that is incomprehensible? For is our reason such that it can follow the nature of what we are looking for? Is the meaning of names and sayings such that they convey to us a worthy concept of the highest world? What do I call the invisible? How can I represent the immaterial? How can I show something that has no form? How can I comprehend something that has no size, no quantity, no quality, no outline, is located neither in place nor in time, beyond any limitation and definite idea? Whose business is the life and independence of everything represented by good? To what is attached in thought every lofty concept and name: Divinity, kingdom, power, ever-bearing, incorruptibility, joy, joy, and everything that is highly thoughtable and predicable? Therefore, how and with what thoughts is it possible for such a good to become visible to the eye - to be both contemplated and invisible? It communicated existence to all beings, but it itself was ever-present, and did not need to be brought into being? But so that the mind does not bother itself in vain, stretching to the limits of the infinite, let us stop inquisitive research into the nature of the highest goods, since everything like this cannot be comprehended; Let us derive one benefit from our research, that, due to the very impossibility of seeing what we are looking for, a certain concept of the greatness of what we are looking for will be imprinted on us. But to the extent that, according to our belief, the good is by nature above our knowledge, to such an extent we intensify within ourselves the cry for the good with which we are separated, and which is so high and great that even the knowledge of it cannot be contained. And of this good, which exceeds all power of comprehension, we people were once partakers; and in our nature this good, which exceeded any concept, was to such an extent that what a person possessed, by its most exact resemblance to the prototype, seemed to be a new good that had taken on the image of the first. For what we now conjecture about this good, all that was in man: incorruptibility and bliss, self-control and non-subordination, a carefree and unconcerned life, occupation with the divine - in order to look at the good with a pure and naked understanding from every veil. For all this gives us, in a few sayings, a conjectural understanding of the word about the existence of the world, saying that man was created in the image of God, lived in paradise, and enjoyed what was planted there; and the fruit of these plants is life, knowledge and the like. If it was with us; then how can one not groan about the misfortune that compares the present poverty with the bliss of that time? The high is humiliated; what was created in the image of the heavenly became earthly; those appointed to reign became enslaved; what was created for immortality is corrupted by death; those who are in heavenly pleasure are transferred to this painful and difficult country; those brought up in dispassion exchanged this for a passionate and short-lived life; uncontrollable and free now under the domination of such great and many evils that it is impossible to number our tormentors. For each passion in us, when it prevails, becomes the ruler of the enslaved, and like some kind of dominant, occupying the stronghold of the soul, through those who submit to it, torment the subject, using our thoughts to please ourselves for our servants. So irritability, anger, fear, apprehension, insolence, a state of sadness and pleasure, hatred, quarrel, inhumanity, cruelty, envy, caressing, memory malice, insensitivity, and all the passions that seem to be acting against us, a list is compiled of some tormentors and rulers, like a captive of some kind, enslaving the soul to their power. And if anyone enumerates the troubles that befall the body, closely connected and inseparable from our nature - I mean the various and varied types of diseases that in the beginning humanity did not experience at all; - then he will shed much more abundant tears, looking instead of blessings in comparison with sorrows and prosperity at the opposite calamities. Therefore, the Satisfying Cry seems to secretly teach the soul to turn its gaze to the true good, and not to plunge into the real charm of this life. For it is impossible for someone who carefully delves into matters to live without tears, for someone so deeply immersed in the pleasures of life to think that he is sad. Similar things can be seen among the dumb. Although the structure of their nature is worthy of pity (for what is more pitiful than this - to be deprived of reason?); however, they have no feeling about their misfortune; on the contrary, they also lead life with some pleasure: a horse raises its head up, an ox blows up dust, a pig bristles its hair, young dogs play, calves jump, and every animal, as you can see, shows its pleasure with some signs. And if they had any concept of the gift of reason; then they would not have spent their stupid and miserable life in pleasure. Likewise, by people who have no knowledge of the blessings that our nature has lost, real life is spent in pleasure. And whoever enjoys the present should not look for something better. And whoever does not seek will not find what is purchased by those who seek alone. Therefore, therefore, the Word pleases mourning, recognizing it as blessed, not because it is such in itself, but because it comes from it. And the connection of speech shows that for those who cry it is blissful to cry, since this very thing leads to consolation. For the Lord said: “Blessed are those who mourn,” and did not stop speaking there, but added: “For these will be comforted” (Matthew 5:4). This, it seems to me, having foreseen the great Moses (it would be better to say, the Word establishing it through him), in the mysterious rites of Passover, he legalized for the Jews to eat unleavened bread on the days of this holiday, and as a seasoning for food he made a “bitter potion” (Ex. 12:8), with such fortune-telling, giving us the opportunity to find out that we can only become partakers of this mysterious celebrations, as if voluntarily mixing the bitter potion of this age into an unpampered and unleavened life. Therefore, the great David, even seeing in himself the highest measure of human well-being, I mean the kingdom, abundantly endows his life with a bitter potion, groaning pitifully and mourning the continuation of his coming in the flesh, and losing strength from the desire for something more, he says: “Woe is me, for my coming will continue” (Psalm 119.5); and in another place, unflaggingly looking at the beauty of the “villages” of God, he says that he “dies” from a strong desire, recognizing for himself that it is more honorable to be considered last there than to excel in the possession of the present (Psalm 83:2). But if anyone would like to more accurately understand the power of this pleasing cry; then let him examine with himself the story of Lazarus and the rich man, in which such a teaching is made clear to us with greater openness. For Abraham says to the rich man: “Remember that you received your good things in your life, and Lazarus the same evil: therefore he is comforted, but you suffer” (Luke 16:25). This should have been the case after foolishness, or better yet, evil mind, made us alien to God’s good view of man. since God has legalized for us to enjoy good things that are not mixed with evil, and has forbidden us to mix the testing of bad things with good things; then when, out of greed, we have willfully become fed up with the opposite, that is, we have tasted disobedience to God’s word; - of course, human nature must therefore experience both, and have a part in the sad and the joyful. And just as there are two centuries, life, in accordance with each century itself, appears to be twofold. Likewise, joy is twofold: one - in the present age, and the other - in the one ahead of us according to hope; then it is blessed to leave a share of the joy of true blessings to eternal life, and to fulfill the service of sorrow in this short and temporary life, considering it a loss for ourselves not if we lose something pleasant in this life, but if for the enjoyment of this pleasantness we do not receive something better. Therefore, if it is blissful to have endless and everlasting joy, and human nature must certainly taste the opposite, then it is not difficult to understand what the word means. Why are those who weep “blessed” now? Because “they will be comforted” forever. Consolation is the communion of the Comforter; for the Spirit’s own action is the gift of consolation, which may we also be worthy of, by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ! Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Matthew 5:6. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied Those knowledgeable in the art of medicine say that those who suffer from stomach and a weak urge to eat, due to the accumulation of bad juices and excesses in the upper part of the stomach, always imagine their stomach as full and satiated, and therefore have an aversion to healthy food, due to the weakening of the natural urge during this imaginary satiety. But if any care of medical art is applied to them; then, after cleansing the accumulated in the gastric cavities with some kind of diluting medicinal drink, it will happen that nothing alien will disturb the nature, and the urge for healthy and nutritious food will return to them. And a sign of health is that food is no longer taken forcefully, but with desire and enthusiasm. What does this introduction mean to me? since the word that guides us to the highest steps of the ladder of beatitudes, and, in the words of the Prophet, places good “ascents on our hearts” (Ps. 83:6), acting sequentially, after the ascents we have already completed before, indicates a similar new fourth ascent, saying: “blessings are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be satisfied” (Matt. 5:6 ): then it’s good, I think, having saved the soul from the loss of the urge to eat and from satiety, as much as possible, to arouse in ourselves this blissful urge to eat and drink. For it is not possible for a person to be strong without sufficient food to support his strength, nor to be satisfied with food without tasting it, nor to feed on it without the urge to eat. So, since strength is a certain vital good; and it is maintained with sufficient satiety; and satiety comes from food, but to those who eat it when there is a urge for food: then this urge in the living is something worthy of gratification, serving in us as the beginning and cause of strength. But in considering the sensual nature of this food, it happens to us that not everyone desires the same food, and the desires of those who eat it are often divided according to the types of dishes, one enjoys the sweet, while the other feels the urge to eat something spicy and intoxicating; some like salty, and others sour; It often happens that not everyone has the urge to eat healthy food; for others, due to some peculiarity of their constitution, having a tendency towards some kind of passion, feed the disease with dishes corresponding to it in quality. And if he has the urge to eat healthy dishes, then, without a doubt, he will live enjoying his health; because food will preserve his bodily well-being. Likewise, in spiritual food, not everyone’s wishes tend to be the same. Some desire fame, or wealth, or some kind of worldly celebrity; Others do not care so much about a good table; others greedily consume envy, like some kind of poisonous food; and there are also those whose desire is aroused by the naturally beautiful. Naturally, it is always beautiful for everyone that it is not chosen for the sake of anything else, but is desired in itself, always the same, and never loses its attractiveness when it is saturated with it. Therefore, the Word pleases not just those who are hungry, but those whose desire is inclined towards true truth. So what is truth? For this, I think, must first be revealed in words, so that when its beauty is revealed, then an attraction to the beauty of the visible will be aroused in us. For it is not possible to have a desire for something that has not been seen; On the contrary, our nature in considering what is unfamiliar to us is somehow ineffective and motionless if, through hearing or sight, it does not acquire any concept of what is desired. Therefore, some researchers of this kind say that truth is compliance with the rule, to give everyone equal and due dignity. For example, if someone becomes a complete master when distributing money; then one who has in mind equality and alms proportionate to the needs of those receiving is called truthful. And if someone, having received the power to judge, pronounces a sentence, not out of mercy or enmity, but following the nature of the deeds, and punishes those who deserve it, and justifies with his sentence those who are not liable, and in other controversial cases carries out judgment according to the truth, then he is called truthful. And the one who assigns taxes from the subordinates, when he imposes a tax commensurate with his strength, and the lord of the house, and the ruler of the city, and the king of the nations - if each of them rules the subordinates, not driven by the power of unreasonable motives, but by the justice of judging those submissive to him, and in deciding the matter in accordance with the behavior of the subordinates; then those who define truth by observing the said rule mean all this in the name of truth. But, looking at the height of the divine law, I believe that here by truth we mean something more than what is said. For if the saving word is spoken in general for the entire human race, not every person can be among those named (for to reign, to rule, to administer justice, to have the power to distribute money, or any other supervision is the lot of not many; the great multitude is under the leadership and supervision of others); then how can anyone agree that the truth is true, which is not offered equally to the whole race? For if, according to the words of the outer sages, the end of righteousness is government; and where there is advantage, there is no equality: then this concept of truth cannot be recognized as true; because it is immediately exposed as inequality in life. Therefore, what is the truth that extends to everyone, the desire for which, as a general thing, is presented to everyone who has in mind the Gospel meal, whether he is rich or poor, whether he is a slave or a ruler, whether of a noble family or a purchased slave, so that no external circumstance increases or decreases the concept of truth? For if it can only be found in one who is superior to others by some kind of power and advantage; then why is Lazarus, who was cast down at the gates of the rich man, righteous, not having any means to show such righteousness: no superiors, no power, no home, no meals, or any other life supply with which one can actually accomplish this righteousness? For if truth is possible to him who governs, gives, or generally has anything under his supervision; Anyone who does not manage this is, without a doubt, beyond the ability to create the truth. Why is it that he who has not had that which, according to many, is distinguished by truth, is granted peace of mind? Therefore, we need to seek that truth, the one who desires it will enjoy it according to the promise. For it is said: “blesseds are those who hunger... for righteousness: for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Since there are many kinds of substances, the taste of which human nature strives with lust; then we need a lot of information in order to distinguish between the nutritious and the poisonous in such foods, and so that what, in the opinion of the soul, is accepted as food, does not cause us death and destruction instead of life. But, perhaps, it will not be time to clarify the concept of this with something else that is resolved in the Gospel. He who entered into fellowship with us “in every way... except sin” (Heb. 4:15), and who shared the same infirmities with us, did not recognize hunger as a sin, and did not refuse to experience this weakness through His own experience, but allowed this natural urge to desire food to come to Himself. For, having been without food for forty days, “you have hungered” (Matthew 4:2). So, when I wanted, I gave nature time to do its thing. But the inventor of temptations, as soon as he learned that this weakness of hunger had occurred in Him, advised to satisfy the desire with stones, that is, to turn the desire for natural food to the unnatural; for he says: “Rztsy, let this bread be made of stone” (Matthew 3:4). What injustice has agriculture been guilty of? Why was it necessary to despise seeds so much as to dishonor the food made from them? Why is the Creator's wisdom condemned, as if, while feeding humanity with seeds, it does not feed it properly? For if now the stone turns out to be more suitable for food; this means that God’s wisdom erred in its proper consideration of human life. “Rtsy, let this stone be bread,” he says to this day to those who are tempted by their own desires, and saying this, most often he convinces those who look at him to prepare food for themselves from stones. For when a desire goes beyond the necessary limits of need, what is this other than the advice of the devil, who then prohibits food from seeds, and causes a desire for the unnatural? They eat bread from stones, offering it out of covetousness, preparing for themselves expensive and sumptuous meals out of untruths. Their preparation of the supper is some kind of celebration, cleverly arranged to amaze everyone, going beyond what is necessary for life. For what has the substance of silver, which is not used for food, and is displayed in heavy and difficult to carry devices, to do with natural need? What is the feeling of hunger? Is it not a desire to make up for the lack of what is necessary? since the strength is lost, what is missing is again made up by a decent increase. Bread, or anything else suitable for consumption, is what nature desires. And whoever brings gold to his mouth instead of bread, does he satisfy a need? Therefore, when, instead of something suitable for food, someone is looking for a substance that is not used for food; then he directly takes care of the stones, because nature demands otherwise, and he is occupied with something else. Nature, with a feeling of hunger, as if in a clear voice, almost says that now food is needed, because it must return lost strength to the body again. But you don’t listen to nature; you don't give him what he asks for. On the contrary, you take care that you have a larger burden of silver on your table, you look for forges of this substance, you are curious to know the history of the images minted on the substances, so that they accurately convey passions and morals through art, and you can recognize the irritation of a warrior when he raises his sword to the slaughter, and the suffering of a wounded man when, mortally struck, he shows the appearance of being ready to cry, and the zeal of the trapper, and the ferocity of the beast, and everything else, what these vain people skillfully depict with such sophistication on tabletop devices. Nature requires drink; and you prepare expensive tripods, tubs, bowls, large vessels, and thousands of other instruments that have nothing to do with the required need. Is it possible that in what you are doing, you don’t hear someone clearly advising you to turn your gaze to the stone? What if someone describes to you what accompanies this stony food, these vile spectacles, passionate pleasures of the ear, with which they pave the way for a series of evils, seasoning the food with what incites debauchery? Here's an opponent's food tip! It is precisely this, turning your gaze to the stones, that he offers you instead of the lawful use of bread! But the One who overcomes temptation does not expel hunger as the cause of evil from nature, but by removing only excessive care, which joins the need on the advice of the opponent, allows nature to take care of itself without leaving its natural limits. Just as those who purify wine do not humiliate it, and do not call it unfit for consumption because of the foam that has formed on it, but, having separated the excess in the neck of the vessel, do not leave the wine, which has become pure, unused: so the Word, surveying and analyzing what is alien to nature, with the subtlety of an accurate review, does not reject hunger, as serving to preserve our life, but cleanses from refined additions to what is needed, and rejects them, saying that he knows the nutritious bread, which was assimilated into the nature of God by the word. Therefore, if Jesus is the “hunger,” then hunger is worthy of satisfaction when it is accomplished in us in imitation of Him. And therefore, if we have learned what the Lord is hungry for, then, of course, we will know the power of the bliss that we are now talking about. What is this food that Jesus is not ashamed to desire? After a conversation with the Samaritan woman, He says to the disciples: “My food is, that I may do the will” of My Father (John 4:34). The will of the Father is obvious, “Who wants all men to be saved and to come into the understanding of truth” (1 Tim. 2:4). So, if He wants us to be saved, and our life becomes His food; then from this we know what such a disposition of the soul should be used for. For what exactly? Let us hunger for our salvation, thirst for God’s will, which desires our salvation. And how can we succeed in such greed, we now learned from this satisfaction. For whoever desired God’s truth found what he truly desired, and satisfied this desire not in one of those ways in which desires are fulfilled. For not only, as food, did he desire the communion of truth; because a desire that stopped at this one disposition would be half perfect; Now he did this good thing with drinking, so that the fervor and ardor of the desire could be demonstrated by the very sensation of thirst. For, during times of thirst, becoming somehow dry and burning, we drink with pleasure, as something healing in such a situation. since, although the incentive to take food and drink is one in kind, the disposition towards both is different: the Word has ordained for us that the highest thing in the desire for good, pleases those who endure both, and hunger and thirst for righteousness; since what is desired is sufficient to facilitate both desires, to become both solid food for the hungry and drink for those who have attracted grace with thirst. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). Is it possible to truly desire truth? and if someone has a similar disposition towards chastity, or wisdom or prudence, or any other kind of virtue, then the Word does not please him? But perhaps what has been said has some meaning similar to the following: truth is one of the things meant by the name of virtue; and divine Scripture, according to its custom, in mentioning a part often embraces the whole, for example, when it explains the nature of God by some names. For the prophecy, as if from the person of God, says: “I am the Lord” (Isa. 42:8): “this is My name forever, and the memorial of generations” (Ex. 3:15); and in another place he says: I am (Ex. 3:14), and in another Prophet: “For I am merciful” (Jer. 3:12). And with thousands of other names, meaning height and splendor, Holy Scripture knew how to name God; why we know exactly from this that when one name is said, the entire list of names is silently pronounced by that one name. For if He is called Lord, it does not imply that other names do not belong to Him; on the contrary, in one name it is called by all names. And from this we know that the inspired word under any part can embrace many things. Therefore, here too, having said that truth is offered to those who are blissfully hungry, by its name the word means every kind of virtue; so that he who hungers for prudence, courage, chastity, or anything else that is contained in the same concept of virtue is equally worthy of satisfaction. For it is impossible for any one type of virtue, separately from the others, to be a perfect virtue in itself. In whatever is not seen as something intelligible as good, in that, by all necessity, the opposite of it takes place; and the opposite of chastity is debauchery, prudence is folly, and everything that is taken for the better, without a doubt, there is something understandable that is contrary. Therefore, if everything is not seen together in truth, then it is impossible for the rest to be good. No one will say that the truth is unreasonable, or impudent, or dissolute, or has anything else seen in vice. If the concept of truth is not combined with everything bad; then, of course, it will contain in itself all good; good is everything represented as virtue. Therefore, by the name of truth, the Word pleases those who hunger and thirst, promising them the fulfillment of what they desire, here every virtue is signified. For it is said: “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be satisfied” (Matthew 5:6). The predicate, it seems to me, has this certain meaning: what is sought in life for pleasure, it serves to satiate those who seek it; on the contrary, caring for pleasures, as Wisdom mysteriously says somewhere, “the vessel is broken” (Proverbs 23:27), which, while constantly filling it with care, those who strive for it show some kind of impossible and useless labor, always pouring something into the abyss of desire and adding to pleasure, but not bringing the desire to satiety. Has anyone known the limit of the love of money by acquiring what money lovers covet? Has anyone who was so passionate about fame calmed down when he received what he was looking for? And whoever has satisfied voluptuousness with what has been heard, or seen, or with the madness and fury of the womb and what follows; Did he find any gain in himself from this pleasure? Isn’t every kind of pleasure felt by the body such that it approaches and flies away, and for the shortest time does not remain with those who touch it? Therefore, we learn from the Lord this lofty teaching, that the zeal for virtue alone, which has been established in us, is something solid and consistent. For whoever has succeeded in anything high, for example: in chastity, or in modesty, or in piety before God, or in any other of the sublime and evangelical teachings, with each success he has not fleeting and unstable, but unshakable, abiding and continuing joy throughout his life. Why? Because all this can always be put into action, and throughout life there is no time that leads to satiety and good activity. And chastity, and purity, and immutability in all good, and unsociability with evil are always put into action, as long as someone has virtue in mind, and the activity is accompanied by fun. But for those who have given themselves over to senseless lusts, although the soul always has lewdness in mind, there is not always pleasure. For greed for food stops satiety, the pleasure of the drinker fades away along with thirst, and everything else in the same way needs a certain time and interval in order to again arouse the desire of the enjoyer, weakened by pleasure and satiety. But the acquisition of virtue, in whom it has once been firmly rooted, is neither measured by time nor limited by satiety, but to those who live virtuously always gives a pure, living, strong feeling of their own benefits. Why does God the Word promise to those who hunger for this the satisfaction of hunger, such satisfaction that with satiety inflames, and does not extinguish, desire. So, this is what the Speaker from the high mountain of thoughts teaches us - not to occupy us with desires for anything that the pursuit of which has no end ahead, and the desire for which is vain and unreasonable, like those who are trying to step on the top of their shadow, whose run extends to infinity, since there the pursuer always leaves with speed from the one they are pursuing; but to turn the desire to that for which the zeal becomes the acquisition of the coveted one. For whoever has desired virtue makes good his acquisition, seeing in himself what he desired. Therefore blessed is he who hungers for chastity; for he will be filled with purity. And saturation with it produces, as has been said, not disgust, but increased desire; and satiation and desire mutually increase to an equal degree. For the desire for virtue is followed by the acquisition of what is desired; and the acquired good brings unceasing joy to the soul. Such is the property of this good that, not only in the present, it delights the one who uses it, but for all parts of the time it brings real joy, because the one who succeeds is amused, and the memory of a life spent correctly, and life itself in the present, when it is spent virtuously, and the expectation of reward, which I believe in nothing other than that same virtue again, since it is the work of those who succeed, and becomes the reward of success. If you need to touch on a certain bold word; then, it seems to me, under the name of virtue and truth, the Lord perhaps offers to the desires of those who listen to Himself, “Who has given us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and deliverance” (1 Cor. 1:30), as well as “bread that comes down from heaven” (John 6:50), and “living water” (John 4:10), the thirst for which David confesses in a kind of psalmody, revealing to God this blessed suffering of the soul, when he says: “My soul thirsts for the mighty, living God: when will I come and appear to the face of God” (Psalm 41:3)? And by the power of the Spirit, it seems to me, having been previously trained in these majestic instructions of the Lord, he attributed to himself the fulfillment of such a desire; for he says: “I will appear before Your face in righteousness, I will be satisfied, never to be revealed to Your glory” (Ps. 16:15) So, here, according to my reasoning, is true virtue, good without any admixture of evil, good in which every concept constituted by the thought of the best is comprehended - God the Word Himself - this virtue that has covered the “heavens” , as Habakkuk puts it (Hab. 3:3). And those who hunger for this Divine truth are very justly blessed; for he who has truly “tasted” the Lord, as the psalmody says (Psalm 33:9), that is, having received God into himself, becomes filled with what he thirsted and hungered for, according to the promise of Rexago: I and the Father “will come, and we will make our abode with him” (John 14:23), obviously, after the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. So, it seems to me, the great Paul, who tasted those ineffable fruits from paradise, was both filled with what he tasted and always hungry: for he confesses that he was filled with what he desired, saying: “But Christ lives in me” (Gal. 2:20), and like one who is hungry, he always reaches out to “what is before” (Phil. 3:13), saying: “I have not already attained, or have already been accomplished:” but I hasten, that I may “comprehend” (Phil. 3:12). For may we be allowed to say something that will remain only in conjecture, and which does not exist in nature. As if from the sensual food taken as food, nothing was ejected out of excess, but was entirely taken in to add to bodily growth; then the bodies would achieve great growth, because their size would be increased by daily food: so is this truth, and with it every virtue, since, being eaten as spiritual food, it is not ejected, it always makes those who partake more and more tall from it, constantly increasing their size by its addition. So, if we have understood this blessed hunger; then, having vomited out all the abundance of vice, let us hunger for the righteousness of God, so that we may be fulfilled by it in Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Matthew 5:7. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy Jacob, in a certain vision, saw a ladder stretching from the earth to the heavenly heights, and God establishing himself on it, and was mysteriously taught, perhaps, something that teaching now does to us through the beatitudes that ascend to it, constantly leading us to the most sublime thoughts. For even there, to the patriarch in the form of a ladder, I think, a virtuous life is depicted, so that he himself would know and convey to those who would follow him that there is no other way to rise to God than by always looking to the things above and having an incessant desire for the highest, and therefore he did not like to dwell on what he had already succeeded in, but considered it a loss for himself if he did not touch what is even higher. So here, too, the height of one’s bliss before another prepares one to approach God himself, truly blessed and “established” in all bliss. Without a doubt, just as we approach the wise through wisdom, and toward the pure through purity, so we approach the blessed through the path of beatitudes; because bliss is that which in the true sense is characteristic of God; which is why Jacob said that God established himself on such a ladder (Gen. 28:13). Therefore, participation in the bliss is nothing other than communion with the Divine, to which the Lord leads us with what has been said now. Therefore, it seems to me that in the proposed conversation about beatitude, by what follows in order, He in some way makes the one who listens and understands this word a god. For he says: “Blesseds of mercy, for they will be shown mercy.” It is known from many places of divine Scripture that holy men call God’s power merciful. So David in his hymns, so Jonah in his prophecy, so the great Moses in many places of their law call the Deity. Therefore, if the title “merciful” befits God, then does not the Word also call you to become God, as adorned with the property of the Divine? For if in the inspired Scripture God is called merciful, and the Divine is truly blessed; then the thought that follows in order from this is clear: if someone, being a man, becomes merciful, then he is worthy of God's bliss, having achieved what is called Divinity. “The Lord is merciful and righteous, and our God has mercy” (Psalm 114:5). And is it not more blessed for a man to be called and to become what God is called for His works? The divine Apostle also advises “to be zealous” for higher gifts in his own words (1 Cor. 12:31). But our goal is not to convince ourselves to wish for good; because this naturally lies in human nature - to have a desire for good, but so as not to make mistakes in our judgment about what is good. For our life, for the most part, sins in the fact that we cannot know exactly what is good by nature, and what deceptively appears to be so. And if vice in life appeared to us, in all its nakedness, as an unvarnished phantom of something good, then humanity would not indulge in it. Therefore, we need the ability to understand the proposed saying, and, having studied the true beauty of the thought contained in it, to form ourselves according to it. And the thought of God is naturally implanted in all people; but due to ignorance of the truly existing God, there is an error in the subject of honor; for some honor the true Divinity, represented in the Father, Son and Holy Spirit; and others got lost in absurd assumptions, having imagined something venerable in creatures; and as a result of this, deviation from the truth in small things opened the entrance to wickedness. So in the reasoning of the thought before us, if we do not understand the true meaning, there will be no small damage for us who have sinned in the truth. Therefore, what is mercy, and what is its activity? Why is he who receives what he gives back blessed? For it is said: “the blessings of mercy: for these will be shown mercy.” The immediate meaning of this saying calls a person to mutual love and compassion; because, due to the inequality and dissimilarity of everyday affairs, not everyone lives in the same circumstances, regarding the dignity and structure of the body, and prosperity in everything else. Life is for the most part divided into opposites, distinguished by slavery and domination, wealth and poverty, glory and infamy, decrepitude of the body and good health, and all the like. Therefore, so that what is insufficient comes into equality with those who are abundant, and what is meager is replenished by those who are abundant, the Lord legitimizes people to be merciful to the inferior; for it is impossible to induce otherwise to heal the troubles of a neighbor, unless mercy softens the soul to accept such an impulse; since mercy is known from the opposite of cruelty. Just as the cruel and ferocious are inaccessible to those approaching, so the compassionate and merciful one comes, as it were, into the same disposition with the needy, for the saddened one he becomes what his sorrowful mind requires; and mercy, as another interprets it, giving this concept a definition, is voluntary sadness produced by the misfortunes of others. If we have not accurately expressed the meaning of this word; then, perhaps, it can be more clearly interpreted by another concept: mercy is a disposition filled with love towards those who endure with sorrow something burdensome for them. For, just as cruelty and bestiality have hatred as their beginning, so mercy in some way comes from love, and only has it as its beginning. And if anyone examines exactly the distinctive property of mercy, he will find that it is an intensification of a loving disposition, combined with a feeling of sadness. Everyone cares equally about having good communication, both enemies and friends; but the desire to participate in the deplorable is characteristic only of those possessed of love. And of all the affections in this life, love is recognized as the most powerful, and mercy is the strengthening of love. Of course, in the proper sense, he who has his soul in such a disposition as one who has reached the very top of virtue is worthy. And let no one imagine this virtue to consist in one material thing; for in this case, success in such things will, without a doubt, be the property of only those who have some ability for charity. But, it seems to me, it is fairer to look at production in such a matter. Whoever wished only good, but encountered an obstacle to doing good, because he did not have the opportunity, is no less in the disposition of his soul than the one who proved his will by deeds. And how much benefit there is for life if someone accepts the meaning of this bliss in this sense - it’s unnecessary to talk about that; because the success achieved in life according to this advice is obvious to the children themselves. If, let’s assume this way, such a relationship of soul with the humiliated occurs in everyone, then there will no longer be anything higher or lower, and life will not be divided according to the opposite of names; Poverty will not burden a person, slavery will not humiliate him, dishonor will not sadden him, because everyone will have everything in common; both equality of rights and freedom of speech will be established in human life when the abundant voluntarily equalizes the scarce. If this happens, then there will be no pretext for hostility; Then envy is ineffective, hatred is dead, then rancor, lies, deceit, war - all these products of the lust to have more within oneself - will become foreigners. After the destruction of this uncompassionate disposition, of course, like some bad root, the offspring of vice will also be uprooted, and after the eradication of evil deeds, a whole list of all good things will take their place: peace, truth and the whole series of what is represented as the best. Therefore, what is more blessed than this, to lead life this way, not entrusting the security of your life to locks and bolts, but finding this security in each other? How a cruel and bestial man makes those who experience his ferocity hostile; so, on the contrary, everyone becomes favorably disposed towards the merciful, because mercy naturally gives birth to love in those who receive it. Therefore, mercy, as the word has shown, is the mother of goodwill, the guarantee of love, the union of every friendly disposition: and with this reliable support, is it possible to imagine anything more solid for this life? Therefore, the word justly pleases the merciful when so many benefits appear in his name. But although everyone knows that this advice is useful for life; however, it seems to me that the meaning of it mysteriously gives something more than what is understood at first glance as an indication of the future; for it is said: “the blessings of mercy: for these will be mercy,” as if the reward of the merciful for mercy was postponed until last. Therefore, leaving this understandable meaning, and found by many at first glance, let us try, as much as we can, to penetrate with our minds behind the inner veil. “Blesseds of mercy: for they will be shown mercy.” In this very word one can recognize a certain sublime teaching, namely, that He who created man in His own image put into the nature of the creature the firstfruits of all good things, so that good things do not enter into us from outside, but in our will, whatever good we wish, as if from some treasury, to take good things from nature. For from the part we learn to judge the whole, that it is not possible for anyone to get what they want except if they grant this good to themselves. Therefore, the Lord says somewhere to the listeners: “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21); and: “Everyone who asks receives it, and the one who seeks finds it, and it is opened to the one who asks” (Matthew 7:8); so to get what we want, and to find what we are looking for, and to become among the blessings we desire is in our will, as soon as we want it, and this arbitrariness depends on our will. And as a consequence of this, we are led to the opposite thought, namely, that the inclination towards evil does not come from the outside, due to some compelling necessity; but together with the consent to evil, evil itself is formed, then coming into existence when we choose it; By itself, in its own independence, outside of arbitrariness, evil is nowhere to be found. This clearly reveals the self-righteous and free power that the Lord of nature created in human nature so that everything, both good and bad, would depend on our will. And the Divine court, following an incorruptible and truthful verdict, in accordance with our will, gives to everyone what a person has acquired for himself. “To them,” as the Apostle says, “seeking through patience good things, glory and honor and incorruptibility, seeking eternal life”; and to those who resist the truth and obey unrighteousness: anger, sorrow, and everything that is called strict retribution (Rom. 2:7, 8). For, like accurate mirrors, images of faces are shown as the faces in reality are, those of the cheerful ones are cheerful, and those of the gloomy ones are drooping; and no one will blame the properties of the mirror if the image of a face drooping from despondency turns out to be gloomy; so God’s truthful judgment is likened to our dispositions; and whatever is in our will, such will be its reward. “Come,” he says, “blessed” (Matthew 25:34); “Go to the curse” (Matthew 25:41). Is it really some external necessity that determines a sweet voice for those standing on the right hand, and a stern voice for those standing at the left? Was it not because of what they did that the first received mercy? And did others, by treating their fellow tribesmen cruelly, make the Divinity cruel to themselves? The rich man drowned in luxury did not have mercy on the poor beggar at the gate. By this he deprived himself of mercy, and having the need for mercy, was not heard; not because one drop would damage the great source, but because a drop of mercy is incompatible with cruelty. For “what fellowship is there between light and darkness” (2 Cor. 6:14)? “A man,” it is said, “if he sows, he will also reap: as he who sows to his flesh, from the flesh he will reap corruption; but he who sows to the Spirit, from the Spirit he will reap eternal life” (Gal. 6:7-8). Human will, as I think, is sowing, and the reward for will is harvest. The class of those who have chosen such sowing is abundant in blessings; It is difficult to gather thorns from those who sow thorny seeds in life; because a person must certainly reap what he has sown; It cannot be otherwise. “Blessedness of mercy: for there will be mercy.” What human word will depict the depth of thoughts contained in this word? The positivity and vagueness of the saying give reason to look for something more against what was said, because it is not added: who are those on whom mercy should extend its effect, but it is simply said that “the blessings of mercy.” For, perhaps, this word allows us to understand something similar to the fact that the meaning of mercy is in connection with blessed crying. There he who spends his life in weeping was worthy of praise. And here, it seems to me, the Word understands the same teaching. In what disposition are we in the face of other people's misfortunes, when some of those close to us meet some kind of grave sorrows, or having lost their father's home, or having escaped naked from a shipwreck, or having fallen into the hands of robbers on land or sea, or from free people becoming slaves, from those who lived happily - captives, or having suffered some other similar evil, while hitherto they experienced life in some kind of prosperity - therefore, how painful is this? disposition occurs in our souls; Moreover, it is much more opportune, perhaps, for us to arouse in ourselves such thoughts about a humiliating revolution in life. For, when we consider how bright our abode is from which we were expelled, how we fell to the power of robbers, how we exposed ourselves, mired in the depths of this life, what and how many rulers we brought upon ourselves instead of a free and self-lawful life, how the bliss of life was interrupted by death and decay; Then, if we occupy ourselves with these thoughts, is it possible for mercy to be directed towards the misfortunes of others, and for the soul not to feel pity for itself, considering what it had and what it lost? For what is worse than this captivity? Instead of pleasure in paradise, we inherited a painful and difficult area in life; instead of this dispassion, they took upon themselves thousands of disasters from passions; Instead of living this high life and being with the Angels, they were condemned to live with the beasts of the earth, and the angelic, dispassionate life was exchanged for bestial life. Who can easily count the cruel tormentors of our life, these frantic and ferocious rulers? A cruel ruler is irritation, others like that are envy, hatred, passion of pride; some kind of mad and ferocious tormentor who despises us as slaves is an intemperate thought, enslaving us for passionate and unclean services. But doesn’t the torment of covetousness exceed the measure of all cruelty? Having enslaved the poor soul, he always forces him to fulfill his insatiable desires, constantly taking into himself and never being filled, like some many-headed beast, with thousands of jaws transferring food into an unfillable belly, in which acquisition never serves even as a small satiation, but what is always received becomes food and ignition for the desire for more. Therefore, who, having understood the disastrous nature of this life, will remain mercilessly and unmercifully disposed to such disasters? But the reason that we do not have mercy on ourselves is that we do not feel evil; for example, what do those raging from madness suffer from, for whom the excess of evil consists in the fact that the feeling of what they endure is taken away? Therefore, if someone recognizes himself, what he was before, and what he is now (Solomon says somewhere: “those who know themselves are wise” (Proverbs 13:10)), then he will never cease to be merciful, and God’s mercy will naturally follow such a disposition of the soul. Why is it said: “the blessings of mercy: for they will be shown mercy.” They were pardoned, not others. By this the Lord makes clear the thought, as if someone had said: it is a blessed thing to take care of bodily health. Whoever has this care will live healthy. So the merciful is very blessed; because the fruit of mercy becomes the own property of the one who has mercy, both on the basis of what we have found now, and as a result of what we have studied before, I mean about the one who shows compassion of the soul to the misfortunes of others. For an equally good deed is both, to have mercy on oneself according to what has been said, and to have compassion for the misfortune of one’s neighbor: because the will of a person in relation to inferiors with the superiority of power shows the truthfulness of God’s judgment, why a person is in some way his own judge, and in judgment over his subordinates he pronounces a sentence on himself. Therefore, since we believe, and really believe, that the whole human race will appear “before the judgment seat of Christ, so that everyone may receive what he has done with his body, either good or evil” (2 Cor. 5, 10); since (it may be bold to talk about this, but let’s say, if only it is possible to comprehend with reason and comprehend the ineffable and invisible bliss in rewarding the merciful) the goodwill that has occurred in the souls towards those who show mercy and after the present life in those who have received mercy naturally remains forever in the future life: therefore, is it not likely that the benefactor, even during the judgment, will be recognized by those who have benefited, will incline the soul to praise him with thanksgiving voices before the God of every creature? And what other bliss will he need at such a spectacle, proclaimed for his valiant deeds? For the word of the Gospel teaches that those who are favored will also be at the King’s judgment over the righteous and sinners. He addresses both of them with instructions, as if with a finger, letting them know what is before them: “before you have made one of these least of my brethren” (Matthew 25:40). For the word: “these” shows the presence of those who have been blessed. Tell me now, you who prefer the inanimate substance of possessions to future bliss: what kind of shine does gold have? What kind of shine does expensive stones have? What kind of decoration is this from clothing in comparison with this good offered to hope? When the One who reigns over creation will openly reveal Himself to the human race, sitting magnificently on an exalted throne, when countless darkness of Angels will be visible around Him, and when the ineffable kingdom of heaven will be revealed to the eyes of all; and also, in contrast to this, terrible torment will be shown; and among this, the entire human race from the first creation to the entirety of those brought into being, in fear and hope of the future, will appear with bewilderment, repeatedly shuddered by the fulfillment of what was expected for both; because even those who lived with a good conscience are not sure of the future, seeing that others are drawn by an evil conscience, as if by some executioner, into that terrible darkness: and meanwhile, this one, with the praise and gratitude of those blessed, filled with boldness, will be brought by deeds to the Judge; Then will he really begin to calculate his good part by material wealth? Will he really agree that, instead of these blessings, all the mountains, and plains, and valleys, and seas, being transformed, become gold? And who carefully hid his wealth under seals, locks, behind iron doors, in safe secret places, and preferred to hide and keep the substance flowing from him to any commandment; Moreover, if he is drawn headlong into the dark fire, everyone who has experienced his cruelty and unmercifulness in this life will begin to reproach him and say to him: “Remember that you received your goodness in your belly” (Luke 16:25); You have concluded mercy in strongholds with your wealth, and left mercy on earth; You didn’t bring humanity into this life, and you don’t have what you didn’t have; you don’t find what you didn’t expect; You cannot gather up what you have not squandered; you do not reap what you do not sow; your harvest is worthy of sowing; you have sowed bitterness, gather its handles; you respected cruelty, have with you what you loved; did not look at anyone with compassion, and no one will look at you with pity: you despised the mourner, they will despise you, the perishing; You ran for opportunities to show mercy, and mercy will run from you; you abhorred the beggar, those who were in poverty from you will also abhor you. If this and similar things are said, where will the gold end up? where are the shiny vessels? Where is the security given to treasures by seals? where are the dogs assigned for the night watch and the supply of weapons for intruders? Where are the signs written in the books? What do they mean against weeping and gnashing of teeth? Who will light up the darkness? Who will put out the flame? Who will turn away the undying worm? Therefore, brethren, let us understand the word of the Lord, which teaches us so much about the future in a little, and let us become merciful, so that through this we may become blessed in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Matthew 5:8. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God What is natural to feel when looking from some lofty peak onto some vast sea; My understanding suffered the same thing, as if from the top of a mountain, from this lofty saying of the Lord, stretching my gaze into the inexplicable depth of thought. In many coastal places you can see a semi-truncated mountain on the coastal side, cut off in a straight line from top to bottom, while its upper edge, leaning from a height, hangs over the abyss. As naturally happens to someone who, having stood on such a watch, looks from a great height at the sea in the depths, so now my soul is spinning, perplexed by this great saying of the Lord. “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8). God is offered to the eyes of those who have purified their hearts. But, as the great John says, “No one has seen God anywhere” (John 1:18). Paul also confirms this with great understanding when he said: “What no man has seen is what man has seen, but below he can see” (1 Tim. 6:16). It is a smooth and insect-proof stone, showing no trace of the ascent of thoughts; Moses also affirmed about Him that He is inaccessible to those who intend to teach the doctrine of God; because our understanding cannot in any way approach Him, due to the decisive denial of any possibility of comprehending Him. For Moses says: it is impossible for anyone to see the face of the Lord and live (Ex. 33:20). But seeing God is eternal life, and these pillars of faith: John, Paul and Moses recognize this as impossible! Do you see the whirling by which the soul is drawn into the depth of what is perceived in the word? If God is life; He who does not see Him does not see life. And that it is impossible to see God, the God-bearing Prophets and Apostles testify. What is human hope based on? But the Lord strengthens the falling hope, as He did with Peter, who was in danger of drowning, again placing him on solid water that did not yield to the pressure of his feet. Therefore, if the hand of the Word stretches out to us and places those not firmly standing in the depths of speculation on firm thought; then we will be without fear, holding fast to the Word that guides us. For it is said: “Blessed are the pure in heart: for they will see God.” Therefore this promise is such that it exceeds any limit of bliss. For after such a good thing, will anyone desire anything else in what he has seen, having everything? Because to see, according to the usual usage of words in Scripture, also means to have: for example, in the words: “see the good things of Jerusalem” (Psalm 127:5), Scripture means: you will find. And in what was said: “let the wicked be lifted up, let him not see the glory of the Lord” (Is. 26:10), with the word: “he does not see,” the Prophet expresses that he will not partake of it. Therefore, whoever sees God, in this vision already has everything that is in the list of blessings, endless life, eternal incorruptibility, immortal bliss, an endless kingdom, unceasing joy, true light, spiritual and sweet food, unapproachable glory, unceasing joy and every good. Therefore, it is so important and abundant that the promise of this blessedness is offered to hope. But since in order to see the Lord, the way is shown in advance, it is precisely to have heart purity for this; then at the same time my understanding again fails; And isn’t this purity of heart something impossible for us, and doesn’t it exceed our nature? For if in this way God is seen, but Moses and Paul did not see God, and they claim that they themselves and others cannot see; What is now proposed by the word about bliss, apparently, is something impossible. Therefore, what benefit does it give us to know how to see God, if with understanding there is no possibility? This is the same as if someone called it blessed to be in heaven; because there a person will see what is not seen in this life. If any instrument for ascending to heaven were indicated in advance in the word; then it would be useful for the listeners to learn that it is blessed to be in heaven. And since ascent is impossible, what benefit will the knowledge of heavenly bliss bring, which only upsets those who know what we are missing out on due to the impossibility of ascension? Therefore, does the Lord really command that which is outside our nature, and exceeds the measure of human strength in the greatness of the commandment? No. For he does not command those whom he has not fledged to become birds, nor those whom he gave life on land to live under water. Therefore, if for all others the law is consistent with the powers of those who receive it and nothing is forced by the supernatural; then, of course, as a consequence of this, we will understand this in such a way that it is not hopelessly foreshadowed in bliss. Yes, and John, and Paul, and Moses, and anyone else, if like them, is not deprived of this high bliss - which consists in the vision of God, and the one who said: “The crown of righteousness is kept for me, which the righteous Judge will reward me” (2 Tim. 4, 8), and the one who fell to the Persians of Jesus, and the one who heard the Divine voice: “I know you above all” ( Ex. 33, 17). Therefore, if about those who have proclaimed that the comprehension of God is beyond strength, there is no doubt that they are blessed, and blessedness consists in seeing God, and vision is given to the pure in heart; this means that purity of heart is not impossible, in which one can become blessed. Therefore, how can one say that they are speaking the truth, in agreement with Paul, who claim that the comprehension of God is beyond our strength, and that the Lord’s word does not contradict them, promising that with a pure heart God will be visible? It seems to me that in order for us to review what has been proposed in an orderly manner, it would be good to first offer a brief discussion about this. The nature of God, in itself, in its essence, is higher than any comprehending thinking, as inaccessible to fortune-telling thoughts and not close to them; and no power has yet been discovered in people to comprehend the incomprehensible, and no means have been invented to understand the inexplicable. Therefore, the great Apostle calls the ways of God unsearchable (Rom. 11:33), meaning by this word that on this path, which leads to the knowledge of God’s essence, human thoughts cannot ascend, so that almost none of those who have passed this life before us have left any trace of comprehending imagination, which would be signified by the knowledge of that which is higher than knowledge. But being such by nature, He Who is above all nature, This invisible and indescribable, in another respect is visible and comprehended. There are many ways of such understanding. For, even by the wisdom visible in the universe, one can divinely see Him who created all things in wisdom. Just as in human works, in some way the mind perceives the creator of the exhibited creation as having put art into his work; what is seen is not the nature of the artist, but only the artistic knowledge that the artist put into the work; so we, looking at the beauty in creation, imprint in ourselves the concept not of essence, but of the wisdom of the wise One who created everything. If we talk about the reason for our life, namely, that not out of necessity, but out of good will, God began to create man, we again say that in this way we saw God, having comprehended goodness, and not essence. Likewise, everything else that leads us to the concept of the better and more sublime, like this we call the understanding of God, because every sublime thought represents God to our vision. For power, and purity, and immutability, and non-combination with the opposite, and everything like this, impresses on the souls the idea of ​​​​a certain divine and sublime concept. So from what has been said, it is revealed that the Lord is true in His promise, saying that those who have a pure heart will see God; and Paul does not lie, asserting in his own words that no one has seen or can see God; for He who is invisible by nature becomes visible in actions, seen in something that is around Him. But the meaning of what has been said about bliss is not limited to the fact that based on any action one can make similar conclusions about the actor. For it is possible for the wise of this age, perhaps, according to the structure of the world, to comprehend the highest wisdom and power. But the greatness of bliss, it seems to me, gives something else as advice to those who are able to accept it in order to see what they want. The idea that presented itself to me will be explained with examples. In human bodily life, health is a certain good, but blissful is not only knowing what health is, but living in health. For if someone, praising health, takes in food that brings bad juices and harmful to health, then, oppressed by illnesses, what benefit will he receive from praising health? Therefore, let us understand the proposed word in this way, namely, that the Lord calls not knowing anything about God, but having God in oneself, bliss, for “blessedness is it for the pure in heart: for they will see God.” But not as a spectacle, it seems to me, before the face of a cleared spiritual eye, that God is offered; On the contrary, the height of this saying, perhaps, also represents to us what the Word more openly stated, saying to others: “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21), so that we learn from this that he who has cleansed his heart from every creature and from a passionate disposition, sees in his own beauty the image of God’s nature. And it seems to me that in the little that has been spoken, the Word concludes this advice: all of you, O people, in whom there is any desire to look at what is truly good, when you hear that God’s splendor is above the heavens and the glory of God is inexplicable, and the beauty is ineffable, and nature is inconceivable, do not fall into hopelessness, as if it is impossible to see what you want. For you have within you the measure of comprehension of God, who created you in this way, immediately realizing such goodness in nature; because in your composition He imprinted the likeness of the blessings of His own nature, as if He had imprinted carved images on wax. But vice, having washed away the god-like features, rendered the good, covered with vile veils, useless. Therefore, if by a zealous life you again wash away the impurity that has settled on your heart, then God-like beauty will shine in you. As happens with iron when the rust is removed from it with a grindstone; Having recently been black, in the sun it casts some rays from itself and emits a shine: so the inner man, whom the Lord calls the heart, when the rust of impurity that appeared on his image from bad love is cleansed, will again take on the likeness of the prototype and will be good; because what is like good is without a doubt good. Therefore, whoever sees himself sees in himself what he desires; and thus the pure in heart becomes blessed, because, looking at his own purity, he sees a prototype in this image. For just as those who see the sun in a mirror, although they do not look at the sky itself, nevertheless see the sun in the radiance of the mirror no less than those who look at the very circle of the sun; So you too, says the Lord, although you do not have the strength to see the light, if you return to that grace of the image that was communicated to you at the beginning, then you have within yourself what you are looking for. For purity, dispassion, alienation from all evil is Divinity. Therefore, if this is in you, then, without a doubt, God is in you, when your thought is pure from all vice, free from passions and far from all defilement, you are blessed in your keenness of vision; because, having purified himself, he saw what was invisible to those who were not purified, and having removed the material darkness from the eyes of the soul, in the pure sky of the heart you clearly see a blissful sight. What exactly? Purity, holiness, simplicity and all such luminous reflections of God’s nature in which we see God. And that this is really so, we have no doubt based on what has been said. But what was difficult for our word at the beginning remains with the same inconvenience. If everyone agrees that the one who is in heaven is involved in heavenly miracles, then, since the method of ascending there is impossible, agreement in this does not bring us any benefit: it is also certain that, after the purification of the heart, a person becomes blessed; but how can he cleanse it from what defiles it, this is almost completely equivalent to ascending to heaven. Therefore, is there any Jacob’s ladder, any fiery chariot, similar to the one that carried the Prophet Elijah to heaven, on which our heart, having risen to the heavenly wonders, would lay down this earthly burden? If anyone imagines the necessary mental suffering in his mind, he will recognize it as difficult and impossible to escape from the evils associated with it. Our very birth begins immediately with suffering, with suffering comes growth, life ends with suffering, and evil in some way dissolves with nature through those who initially allowed suffering into themselves and through disobedience instilled illness into themselves. But just as the nature of living beings continues through the succession of what belongs to each genus, so that according to the law of nature, what is born is the same as the one who gave birth: so from man is born man, from the passionate is the passionate, from the sinner is the sinner. Therefore, in those who are born, sin is in some way formed, which is both born, and growing, and ending with the limit of life. On the contrary, that virtue is inconvenient for us to acquire, that with countless sweats and labors with diligence and exhaustion we barely succeed in it, we learn this from many places of Divine Scripture, hearing that the path leading to the kingdom is cramped and narrow; and the one who leads into destruction through a vicious life is wide, sloping and trampled. However, that an exalted life is not entirely impossible, Scripture confirmed this by presenting to us in the sacred books the miraculous deeds of so many men. But since the promise to see God contains a double meaning, one to know the nature that exceeds everything, and the other - to enter into unity with Him through the purity of the heart: then the first kind of understanding, according to the word of the saints, is recognized as impossible, but the other is promised to human nature in the present teaching by the Lord, saying: “blessings for the pure in heart: for they will see God.” And how to become clean, you can learn ways to do this from almost every gospel teaching. For, moving on to the subsequent commandments, you will find a clear teaching about the purification of the heart. The Lord, having divided vice into two types, those visible in deeds and those formed in thoughts, punished the first type, that is, untruth revealed in deeds, according to the old law, but now he drew the attention of the law to another type of sin, not punishing the bad deed, but providing for it not to begin with. For to remove vice from arbitrariness itself is much more important than to make life alien to evil deeds. since vice is many-parted and diverse; then the Lord, in His commandments, contrasted each of the forbidden deeds with a special medicine. And how the disease of anger most often and most clearly befalls a person throughout his life; then he begins by healing the prevailing, legitimizing, first of all, non-anger. You have been taught, he says, by the old law: “Thou shalt not kill”; and now learn to remove from your soul anger towards your fellow tribesman (Matt. 5, 21–22); for the Lord did not completely forbid anger, because sometimes such a desire of the soul can be used for good, but to ever be angry with a brother without any good purpose - such an ignition was extinguished by the commandment, saying: “Everyone should be angry with his brother in vain” (Matthew 5:22). For the addition of the word: in vain shows that the discovery of irritation is often well-timed, when this passion boils up during the punishment of sin. This kind of wrath was in Phinehas, as the word of Scripture testified, when by the defeat of the wicked he appeased the indignation of God against the whole people. Then the Lord proceeds to heal the sins of voluptuousness, and with His commandment removes from the heart the inappropriate lust of adultery. So you will find that subsequently the Lord corrects everything in order, establishing laws against each type of vice. He forbids unrighteous hands to dispose of themselves, not allowing them to take revenge. He drives out the passion of covetousness, ordering the one who is deprived of clothes to add the rest to what is taken away. He heals fear, commanding him to neglect death. And in general you will find that in each commandment, cutting like a plow, the word pulls out bad roots from the depths of the heart, and thereby clears the thorns from growing. So, both are beneficial to nature, both by the fact that good is commanded, and by the fact that teaching about the present subject is offered to us. If, in your opinion, striving for good is difficult, then compare it with the opposite life; and you will find how much more difficult the vice is if you take into account not the present, but what will happen after. For whoever has heard about Gehenna will no longer with any difficulty or effort move away from sinful pleasures; but on the contrary, fear alone that has taken possession of his thoughts is enough for him to drive out passions from himself. It is better to say that those who have comprehended what is implied in what is not said also benefit from the fact that they receive the strongest desire from it. For if the pure in heart are blessed, then of course those who are defiled in mind are pitiful, because they see the face of the enemy. And if in a virtuous life the features of the Divine itself are imprinted, then it is clear that a vicious life becomes the image and face of the enemy. But if God, according to various ideas, is called everything that we imagine is good, light, life, incorruptibility, and everything of this kind; then of course, and on the contrary, the opposite of all this will be called the inventor of vice, and darkness, and death, and corruption, and everything that is homogeneous and related to this. So, having learned from what both vice and a virtuous life are formed in us, since, by free will, we have been given the power to do both of these, let us avoid the devil’s image, reject this bad personification, let us take upon ourselves the image of God, let us become pure in heart in order to become blessed, as soon as God’s image is imagined in us through a pure life, in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. Matthew 5:9. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God In the sacred tabernacle of meeting, which the Lawgiver built for the Israelites according to the image shown by God on the mountain, everything contained within the fence, as well as every single part, were holy and sacred. The innermost part was untouched and inaccessible, and was called the Holy of Holies. And this strongly expressed name shows, I think, that this part had holiness not in equal measure with other parts, but as much as the sanctified and holy differed from the common and unclean, just as much this inaccessible part was more sacred and purer than the shrines surrounding it. Therefore, I believe that all the blessings previously indicated to us on this mountain, how many of them were previously prepared by God’s word, are such that each is sacred and holy, but now offered to view in the true sense is the sanctuary and holy of holies. For if there is no greater good than this, to see God; then to become a son of God is, without a doubt, above all well-being. What invention of sayings, what signification of names will fully embrace the gift of such a promise? Whatever anyone imagines in his mind, what he imagines is, without a doubt, beyond imagination. If we call what is offered in the promise of this blessedness good, or precious, or sublime; then the signified is greater than what is expressed by these names. Success is higher than desire, gift is higher than hope, grace is higher than nature. What is man in comparison with the nature of God? From which of the saints will I borrow a word to express the humiliation of man? According to Abraham’s word, he is “earth and ashes” (Gen. 18:27); according to the word of Isaiah, “hay” (Isa. 40:6); according to the word of David, not even hay, but the likeness of hay: for Isaiah says: “All flesh is hay”; and David says: “man is like grass” (Psalm 36:2). According to Ecclesiastes, he is “vanity”; and according to Pavlov, “cursedness” (1 Corinthians 15:10); for in the sayings by which the Apostle called himself, all mankind is mourned. That's what a man is; and what is God? How can I say anything about something that cannot be seen, or heard, or grasped with the heart? What words will I use to describe nature? What similarity of this good will I find in the good things known to us? What words will I invent to signify the ineffable and unspeakable? I hear that the Holy Scripture tells great things about the Supreme Nature; but what does this mean in comparison with Nature itself? The word has spoken as much as I am capable of receiving, and not as much as the signified contains. Just as those who breathe air into themselves receive it, each according to its capacity, one more, the other less, but even the one who contains a lot does not contain the whole element within himself, but on the contrary, he, as much as he could, took into himself as much from the whole, and this is the whole in him: so the theological concepts of Holy Scripture, set forth to us by God-bearing men by the Holy Spirit, for our measure of understanding are high, great, and surpass all magnitude, but do not reach the true value. It is said: “who measured water in a handful, and the sky in a span, and all the earth in a handful” (Is. 40:12)? Do you see what a lofty thought the one who describes unspeakable power has? But what does this mean in comparison with what really exists? The prophetic word in such high terms showed only a part of the Divine activity. About the very power from which activity, not to mention the nature from which power, it did not say, and did not mean to speak, but on the contrary, it refers to the word, according to some guesses, representing only the Divinity, as if on behalf of God uttering the following words: “to whom have you likened Me” (Isa. 46:5)? says the Lord. Ecclesiastes offers the same advice in his own words: “do not be hasty... speak the word before the face of God, for God is in heaven, but you are on earth” (Eccl. 5:1), the mutual distance of these elements, as I think, showing to what extent the nature of God exceeds earthly thoughts. By this Being, so powerful and great that it is impossible to see Him, hear Him, or comprehend Him in thought, a sane person is appropriated into nothingness among beings - this ashes, this hay, this vanity; He will be adopted as a son by the God of all. What can be found worthy of thanksgiving for this mercy? Where is such a word, such a thought, such a movement of thought to glorify this abundance of mercy? Man goes beyond the limits of his nature, becomes immortal from mortal, from soon-perishing to unchangingly abiding, from ephemeral to eternal, in a word, from man to God; because he who is worthy to become the son of God will, without a doubt, have in himself the dignity of the Father, becoming the heir of all his father’s blessings. What greatness of the rich Lord! What a wide hand! What a great hand! How many gifts of ineffable treasures! Nature dishonored by sin brings us almost into equality with Itself! For if the property of what He Himself is by nature bestows on people, what else is this affinity proclaimed if not some kind of equality? This is the reward, what kind of feat is this? It is said: if you are a peacemaker, then the grace of sonship will crown you. It seems to me that the work for which such a reward is promised is a new gift. For in enjoying what we desire in this world, what is sweeter for people in peaceful life? Whatever pleasant thing you talk about in life, in order for it to be pleasant, you need peace; for if there is everything that is valued in this world, wealth, health, wife, children, house, family, servants, friends, land, sea, both enriching with their gifts, gardens, animal traps, baths, places for wrestling and bodily exercises, for coolness and fun, all that there are, inventions of voluptuousness; add to this entertainment shows, music, and if there is anything else that delights the life of the luxurious; If all this happens, but there is no good - peace, what is the use of all the good, the enjoyment of which will be stopped by war? Therefore, the world itself is pleasant to those who enjoy it, and delights everything that is valued in this world. If, even during peace, we suffer some kind of disaster in humanity, then evil, mixed with good, becomes easy for those who suffer. It is true that when life is constrained by war, we are also insensitive to such sorrowful cases; because the general calamity exceeds the private calamities in its sorrows. And just as, as doctors of bodily suffering say, if two illnesses come together in one body at the same time, then the stronger one becomes noticeable, and the painful sensation of a lesser evil is somehow hidden, stolen by the increase of overpowering pain: so the disasters of war, predominantly sorrowful, lead to the fact that every private person becomes insensitive to his own misfortunes. But if, even to feel its own evils, the soul somehow becomes numb, struck by the general disasters of the war; then how can she have a pleasant feeling? Where are the weapons, spears, sophisticated iron, sounding trumpets, rattling cymbals of the squad, closed shields, fearfully anointing helmets with feathers, collisions, crowds, fights, battles, massacres, flights, pursuits, groans, joyful cries, the earth is moistened with blood, the dead are trampled, the wounded are left without help, and everything that is in war can be seen and heard about sorrowful military events - will there really be someone who will sometimes find time to incline his thoughts to the memory of an amusing one? If a memory of something very pleasant comes to the soul; then will not this, in times of danger, the remembrance of the most beloved object entering into the thought, serve to increase the calamity? Therefore, the One who rewards you, if you have prevented the disaster of war, will give you two instead of a gift; One gift is a reward, and another gift is the feat itself; because, even if there were nothing to hope for for such a deed, then peace itself for those who have intelligence is more valuable than any care about it. Therefore, the abundance of God’s love for mankind can be recognized in this, that he rewards with good rewards not for labor and sweat, but for pleasures, one might say, joys; since of all that makes us happy, the main thing is peace, which everyone would like to have in such an extent that they can not only use it themselves, but, due to the great abundance of it, give it to those who do not have it. For it is said: “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), and a peacemaker is one who gives peace to others. But no one will tell another what he does not have himself. Therefore, it is desirable that first you yourself be filled with the blessings of the world, and then provide such wealth to those who need it. And my word does not need to extend an extremely inquisitive review to the depths; because to acquire a good, the concept that appears at first glance is sufficient for us. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9). Scripture briefly offers the gift of healing for many ailments, concluding details in this comprehensive and general speech. First let's understand what the world is? Nothing more than a love-filled disposition towards a fellow tribesman. Therefore, what is meant by the opposite of love? hatred, anger, irritation, envy, rancor, hypocrisy, the scourge of war. Do you see how many and for what ailments one saying serves as a preventative medicine? For the world equally opposes everything that has been calculated, and with its presence leads evil to destruction. Just as upon the return of health disease is destroyed, and upon the appearance of light there is no darkness left, so with the appearance of peace all passions excited by the resistant disappear. And what a blessing this is, I don’t consider it necessary to describe it in words. Judge with yourself, what is the life of those who mutually suspect and hate each other? Their meetings are unpleasant, everything about one is disgusting to the other; the lips are silent, the eyes are turned in different directions; the hearing is blocked from the words of both the hater and the hated; One of them likes everything that the other doesn’t like; and on the contrary, everything that is kind to the hostile is hostile and hostile. Therefore, just as a fragrant aroma fills the surrounding air with its fragrance, so it pleases the Lord to abundantly increase the grace of the world for you, so that your life will be a cure for someone else’s illness. And how great such a good is, you will find out more precisely by calculating the disasters from every passion generated in the soul by hostile will. Who will describe, as it should, the passionate movements of anger? What word can describe the indecency of such a disease? See how the same attacks appear in those possessed by irritation as in those possessed by demons. Compare the suffering from the demon and from irritation, and judge what the difference is between them. The bloodshot and perverted eyes of the demoniac, the language is unclear, the pronunciation is rough, the voice is shrill and intermittent, these are the common actions of both irritation and the demon; shaking of the head, frantic movements of the hands, trembling of the whole body, legs not standing still - in similar terms, one description of two diseases. The only difference is that one evil is voluntary, while another, to whom it happens, strikes him involuntarily. But according to one’s own desire to be exposed to disaster, and not to suffer against one’s will, how much more is this worthy of regret? Whoever sees illness from a demon will certainly take pity; and at the same time he sees disorderly actions out of irritation and imitates them, recognizing it as a loss for himself not to overcome with his passion the one who fell ill before him. And the demon, tormenting the body of the sufferer, stops the evil at this point, that the demon in vain strikes the air with his hands; and the demon of irritability does not make bodily movements in vain. For when this one gains the upper hand, the blood in the atrium boils, as they say, with bitter bile from an irritable disposition that has spread throughout the body; then, from the constriction of internal vapors, all the main sensitivities are oppressed. The eyes emerge from the outline of the eyelashes, and something bloody and serpentine is directed at what is offensive to them. And the insides are suppressed by breathing, the veins in the neck are exposed, the tongue becomes white, the voice from the compression of the beating vein involuntarily becomes sonorous, the lips from the cold bile that has entered them harden, turn black and become difficult to move naturally, so that they are unable to hold the saliva that fills the lips, but they spew it out along with the words, and from forced pronunciation they spit it out as foam. Then you can see that the arms, as well as the legs, are set in motion, and these members no longer move in vain, as happens with those who are possessed, but for evil that they cling to each other because of this illness. For the aspirations of those who strike each other are directed at the main sensitivities. And if in this fight the mouth comes close to the body, then the teeth do not remain idle, but, like the teeth of an animal, bite into what is close to them. And who will tell in order all the many evils that arise from irritation? Therefore, whoever does not allow such disgrace to occur will rightly be called blessed and honorable for this very great benefit. If he who frees a person from some kind of bodily trouble is worthy of honor for such a good deed, then how much more so will he who frees his soul from this illness with a mind be recognized as a benefactor of life? For just as much as the soul is better than the body, the one who heals the soul is preferable to those who heal the body. And let no one think that, in my opinion, trouble caused out of irritation is worse than evil deeds committed out of hatred. Passions: envy and hypocrisy, it seems to me, are much worse than the one mentioned now, and precisely to the same extent that the hidden is more terrible than the obvious. And we are more afraid of those dogs who do not first notify us of their irritation, neither by barking nor by attacking from the front, but in a meek and quiet form lie in wait for us unexpectedly when we do not foresee it. Such are the passions of envy and hypocrisy in people in whom hatred, like fire, flares up secretly in the depths of their hearts; and the appearance is covered with the mask of friendship, like a fire covered with straw, from which, while it burns what lies inside, the flame is not visible, but only acrid smoke comes out, strongly condensed inside; but as soon as someone blows, a clear and bright flame spreads. So envy eats away the heart inside, like a fire, as if buried under some pile of straw. And although illness hides from shame, it cannot be completely hidden; but, as if some kind of acrid smoke, the bitterness of envy is revealed in external attacks. But if the one who is envied is touched by some kind of misfortune, then the envious person then discovers this illness, turning the sadness of the distressed person into fun and pleasure. However, the secrets of this passion, when they think about hiding it, are shown by obvious signs on the face. What in the desperately ill is a sign of imminent death, you often see in someone consumed by envy: dry eyes sunken between widened eyelids, drooping eyebrows, bones sticking out in place of a shoulder. What is the cause of the disease? The fact that a brother, or relative, or neighbor lives happily. What extraordinary injustice! To blame the fact that the one whose well-being he is sad about is not in poverty, recognizing for himself an offense not that he himself suffered any evil from another, but that this other, without doing any offense, lives as he wishes. What's wrong with you, poor thing? - I would tell him. Why are you drying up, looking with a bitter eye at the well-being of your neighbor? How can you blame him? Is it because he is beautiful in body? Or what is adorned with the gift of speech? Or what takes advantage of birth? or what, having assumed the position of chief, in this rank turns out to be worthy of respect? Or that he has a lot of money? Or that they respect him for his prudence in speech? Or that he is known to many for his good deeds? Or what makes children happy? Or what amuses his wife? Or that he lives luxuriously from the income of his home? Why does this fall on your heart like the point of an arrow? You fold your hands, press your fingers between your fingers, worry with your thoughts, sigh deeply and painfully; It’s unpleasant for you to use what you have; the meal is bitter, the house is gloomy. The ear is ready to listen to slander against someone who lives safely; and if anything good is said about him, hearing is blocked for this. And with such a spiritual disposition, why do you cover up your illness with hypocrisy? Why do you pretend to be friendship out of feigned affection? Why do you greet with respectful names, asking to be cheerful and healthy, but in secret with your soul uttering desires that are contrary to this? Such was Cain, irritated by God's favor towards Abel. Envy within inspires him to murder, and hypocrisy becomes the perpetrator of the crime. Having assumed some kind of friendly and welcoming appearance, he leads Abel to the field away from his parental protection, and there he reveals envy through murder. Therefore, whoever eradicates such a disease from human life, binds people of the same tribe with goodwill and peace, and brings people into friendly harmony, is he not truly performing a work of divine power, destroying evil in the human race, and in its place introducing the communion of good things? That is why the Lord calls the peacemaker the son of God; for by bestowing this on human life, one becomes an imitator of the true God. So “blessed are the peacemakers: these shall be called the sons of God” (Matthew 5:9). Who exactly? Imitators of God’s love for mankind, which is characteristic of God’s activity, show this very thing in their lives. The beneficent Giver of blessings and the Lord completely destroys and turns into nothing everything that is not akin to goodness and is alien to it, and legitimizes this way of action for you, to drive out hatred, to stop war, to destroy envy, to prevent battles, to exterminate hypocrisy, to extinguish the resentment that burns the inside of the heart, and to introduce in its place what is restored by the destruction of the opposite. Just as light comes with the removal of darkness, so instead of those listed above, the fruits of the spirit appear: “love, joy, peace, kindness, long-suffering,” and the entire number of blessings collected by the Apostle (Gal. 5:22). Therefore, how is the dispenser of divine gifts not blessed, who is likened to God by his gifts, and who likens his benevolence to God’s generosity? But, perhaps, satisfaction does not only mean the good delivered to others, but, as I think, in the proper sense, a peacemaker is called whoever brings the rebellion of the flesh and spirit and the internecine warfare of nature within himself into peaceful harmony, when the bodily law has already become inactive, “warring against the law of the mind” (Rom. 7:23), and, having submitted to a better kingdom, becomes a servant of the divine commandments. Better to say, let us hold on to the thought that the word of God does not advise this, that is, it does not imagine the life of those who have succeeded in duality, but that when the “mediastinum of the fence” (Eph. 2:14) of vice is destroyed in us, with the dissolution of the “both” with the best, they become united into one. So, since we believe that the Divinity is simple, uncomplicated and indescribable, then when human nature, through such pacification, becomes alien to the composition of the dual, it exactly returns to goodness, becoming simple, indescribable, and, as it were, in the true sense, one, so that in it there is one and the same thing, both the visible and the secret and the hidden with the visible; then blessedness is truly confirmed, and such in the true sense are called sons of God, having become blessed according to the promise of our Lord Jesus Christ. Glory to him forever and ever! Amen. Matthew 5:10. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven The order of high teaching of lessons elevates the present review of this saying to the eighth level. But I consider it best to explain first in words what the Prophet means, in the inscription of two psalmodies, the mystery of the eighth, as well as purification and the law of circumcision; since both, according to the law, took place on the eighth day, and perhaps this number has some affinity with the eighth beatitude. As a certain pinnacle of all bliss, it constitutes the very pinnacle of good ascent. For even there the eighth Prophet mysteriously means the day of resurrection and cleansing indicates the return of a defiled person to natural purity, and circumcision, as interpreted, is the putting off of the dead skins in which we are clothed, having been stripped of life through disobedience. And here the eighth beatitude includes the restoration to heaven of those who have fallen into slavery, and from slavery are called again into the kingdom. For the Lord says: “Blessedness has been expelled for My sake: for these are the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:10). This is the end of deeds according to God, the reward of labor, the reward for shed sweat - to be worthy of the kingdom in heaven! The hope of a good lot no longer circles around the fickle and changeable; because perverse and changeable things have a place on earth. About the same thing that is visible and moves in the sky, we do not know anything that would not always be the same and the same; On the contrary, everything there is in order and flows in sequence. Therefore do you see the abundance of the gift? The greatness of dignity is not bestowed in perversion, so that good hopes could be overshadowed by the fear of some kind of revolution: but by naming the kingdom of heaven, the Lord shows the invariability and ever-present sameness of the gift offered to us in hope. In what has been said, the following is difficult for me: why does the Lord, first of all, say about those who are poor in spirit and about those persecuted for His sake that the reward is equal for both; then how, if someone has an equal reward, then obviously their exploits are equal? And then, when, having separated the gums from the ears, he calls for the heavenly kingdom, then he presents other reasons for such honor. For there, having spoken of compassion, sociability, and mutual love, he does not at all mention spiritual poverty and persecution for His sake. And this, from the meaning that appears at first glance, seems to be very different from one another. For what does this have in common: to be poor and to be persecuted? Or else, what is consistent between this and acts of compassionate love? Has anyone fed the needy, or clothed the naked, or taken in a traveler under shelter, or rendered possible service to the sick and imprisoned? In relation to the fulfillment itself, what does this have in common with being poor and persecuted? The first heals the misfortunes of others, and of the latter, each one, both the poor and the persecuted, themselves have a need for healers. But the end is the same for everyone; because the Lord equally raises to heaven those who are poor in spirit, those who are persecuted for His sake, and those who show compassion to their fellow tribesman. Therefore, what can we say to this? The fact that everything is in mutual connection with each other, tending and contributing towards one goal. For poverty is not far from exile, and love of poverty does not shy away from poverty. But it seems to me that it would be good to first examine the real word, and then look for agreement and meaning in what has been studied. “It is blessed to expel the truth for the sake of it.” From where and by whom did you “expel”? The closest concept of the word indicates the field of martyrs and implies the course of faith. For persecution means an intensified effort for speed in the current, or better yet, it also implies victory in the current. For there is no other way for the current to win; as if leaving behind him the one who flows with him. And so, since those who flow “for the honor of the highest calling” (Phil. 3:14), and those who are persecuted by the enemy for the sake of sowing honor, equally have behind their backs, one a competitor, the other a persecutor (and this is the fulfilling course of martyrdom, in exploits of piety those who are persecuted and not overtaken); then in the bliss offered to hope, spoken in the final words, the Lord adds, it seems, the main thing, like a kind of crown. For it is truly blessed to be persecuted for the Lord's sake. Why? because the expulsion of the bad becomes the reason for remaining in the good. Alienation from the evil one serves as a reason for mastering the good. And what is good, and what is higher than all good, is the Lord himself; to whom the persecuted hasten. Therefore, truly blessed is he who uses the assistance of the enemy for his own good. since human life lies in the intermountain between good and bad; just as one who stumbles in his good and high hope falls into the abyss, so one who is separated from sin and delivered from corruption approaches truth and incorruption. And the persecution brought by the tormentors against the martyrs, as it seems at first glance, is painful for the feeling, but the purpose of what the martyrs endure exceeds all bliss. However, we can better understand the meaning of this word from examples. Who does not know how much worse it is, admittedly, to suffer abuse than to be loved? And this, apparently, painful thing is many times the cause of well-being in this life, as Scripture shows in Joseph, who was abused by his brothers, and who, having been removed from cohabitation with them by sale, became the king of those who were malicious, but perhaps would not have reached such a high rank if envy of this malice had not paved the way for him to the kingdom. If someone, having knowledge of the future, began to predict to Joseph: if you were subjected to malicious intent, you will be blessed; then at first glance it would not have seemed reliable to Joseph, who, hearing this and first of all bearing in mind the sad, would have considered it impossible for the end of an evil will to turn out to be good. So here, too, the persecution inflicted by the tormentors on the faithful, having in itself much that is painful to the senses, makes the hope offered to them of obtaining the kingdom through suffering inconvenient for those who have become incarnate. But the Lord, seeing the frailty of nature, more than others, proclaims to the weak in advance what the end of the feat is, so that with the hope of the kingdom they can easily overcome the temporary sensation of the painful. Therefore, the great Stephen, beaten by stones thrown from everywhere, rejoices, as if some pleasant dew, readily accepts clouds of stones flying one after another onto his body, and rewards the murderers with blessings, praying that this sin will not be committed against them. For he heard the promise, and saw that what was hoped was in accordance with what was revealed. Hearing that those who were persecuted for the Lord’s sake would be in the kingdom of heaven, he saw what was expected when he himself was persecuted. When he hastens to make a confession, his hope is shown to him, the sky is opened, and from the supreme lot of the world, the glory of God, and He Himself, of whom the ascetic testifies with his deeds, comes to the current feat. For the “standing” of the Ascetic gives us a guess (Acts 7:55) to understand the help that is given to those who struggle; from which we know that He is the same and controls the deeds, and with His ascetics confronts those who oppose them. Therefore, who is more blessed than one who is persecuted for the sake of the Lord, when he is given the opportunity to have the hero of the hero himself as an associate? It is not an easy, and perhaps even impossible, thing to prefer the invisible good to the visible pleasures in this life; and it is easy for a person to decide to be expelled from his home, or separated from his wife and children, from brothers and parents, from peers, and from everything pleasant in life, if the Lord himself does not work for the good of what is done according to foreknowledge. For whomever he “foreknows,” as the Apostle says, he “prepresents,” and calls, and justifies, and glorifies (Rom. 8:28–31). since the soul, through the bodily senses, becomes somehow attached to the pleasures of life, and through the eyes it delights in the beauty of the substance, through hearing it receives an inclination towards what has a pleasant effect on the ear, and through smell, taste and touch it acquires a disposition towards what usually has a pleasant effect on each of these senses; then, as if by a nail and by some sensual force, the soul nailed to the sweets of life becomes inextricably tied to what it is attached to, and, carrying on itself the entire burden of life, like turtles and snails, as if bound by some kind of shell-like covering, it becomes clumsy for such movements. Therefore, in such a state, it is conveniently caught by persecutors, when threatened with a description of property, or when losing something else desired in this life, without resistance, it surrenders to power and becomes an assistant to the persecutor. But when “the word of God is living,” as the Apostle says, “both effective and sharper than any two-edged sword” (Heb. 4:12), penetrates into the one who has truly accepted the faith, and dissects what has grown together to harm, and dissolves the bonds of habit: then the believer, as if some kind of burden attached to the soul, having cast aside worldly pleasures from his shoulder, like some kind of walker, easily and quickly passes through the field of exploits, using the guidance of the Hero of Deed throughout his journey. For he looks not at what he has left, but at what he strives for; He does not turn his eye to the sweets that are behind, but desires the good that is set before him; does not grieve over the loss of earthly things, but admires the acquisition of heavenly things; and therefore readily accepts every type of torment, as a reason and contribution to the joy that lies ahead; readily accepts fire as cleansing from matter, the sword as breaking the ties of the mind with the material and carnal, the invention of all kinds of labor and illness, as an antidote to the harmful poison of pleasures. Just as those who are overflowing with bad juices and gall willingly drink bitter medicine in order to cleanse themselves from the disease-causing cause, so one who is persecuted by the enemy and resorts to God accepts the attack of sorrows, as something that serves to extinguish the effectiveness of voluptuousness; because it is impossible for one who is in sorrow to feel pleasure. since sin entered through pleasure, then the opposite will, without a doubt, be expelled. Therefore, those who persecute for the confession of the Lord, and invent unbearable torment, through the difficulty of this they bring some healing to souls, healing them from the disease of voluptuousness through the battles of sorrows. So Paul accepts the cross, Jacob accepts the sword, Stephen accepts stones, Blessed Peter accepts the piercing of the head with a spear; all the ascetics of the faith who came after - various types of torment, animals, abysses, fires, numbness from cold, exposure of ribs from the flesh; piercing the head with nails, gouging the eyes; the cutting off of fingers, the tearing out of parts on both sides of the body, the languor of hunger - all this and similar things, like cleansing from sin, were endured by the saints with joy, so that no trace of voluptuousness would remain in the heart after this painful and painful sensation had smoothed out all the imprints of voluptuousness in the soul. Therefore, “exile the blessedness” for My sake. And this (one can think of another reason) has the same meaning as if someone allowed health to speak, and it said: blessed are those who are removed from illness for my sake; because alienation from sorrows prepares those who were once afflicted by them to gain me. So let us listen to these words, as if life itself were proclaiming to us such bliss: blessed are those who are persecuted by death for my sake; or as if the light said: blessed are those who are driven out of darkness for my sake. Likewise, imagine that the Lord, Who is truth, and holiness, and incorruptibility, and goodness, and everything that you have an idea of, as being imagined and called best, will tell you that blessed is everyone who is removed from everything contrary to what is understood about Him, from corruption, from darkness, from sin, from untruth, from covetousness, and from anything, both in fact and in concept, that disagrees with rules of virtue. For to be placed beyond evil means to be placed in good. “If you commit sin,” says the Lord, “you are the slave of sin” (John 8:34). Therefore, he who departs from the one to whom he was a slave is free according to his dignity. And the highest form of freedom is to become autocratic; royal dignity does not have any higher authority over it. Therefore, if someone who is alien to sin is autocratic, the royal rank is characterized by autocracy and insubordination; then he who is expelled by evil is justly pleased, since expulsion from evil gives him royal dignity. And so do not grieve, brothers, who are driven out from earthly things. He who is removed from here is installed in the royal palaces in heaven. These two elements in the creation of beings are allocated for the existence of rational nature - earth and sky; earth is the abode of those who have received life through the flesh, and heaven is the abode of the disembodied. Therefore, our life, of course, needs to be somewhere. If we are not expelled from the earth, then, without a doubt, we remain on the earth. And if we leave here, we will move to heaven. Do you see where gratification takes you for something that is apparently regrettable, but serves as the reason for such a great good for you? Understanding this, the Apostle says: “For any punishment at the present time does not seem to be joy, but sorrow: after all, the fruit of peace rewards those who have learned righteousness” (Heb. 12:11). Therefore, sorrow is the color of the expected fruits. For the sake of the fruits we will reap the flowers. Let us be driven out in order to enter the current, and having entered the current, let us not flow in vain; but on the contrary, let our course be “to the honor of the highest calling” (Phil. 3:14). So let’s flow and comprehend. What is comprehended? What honor? What crown? - Whatever you imagine that you hope for, all this, it seems to me, is nothing other than the Lord Himself. For He Himself is both the champion of those who strive and the crown of those who overcome. He divides the lot; He is also a good lot. He is the good part; He also bestows the good part. It enriches; He is also wealth. He shows you the treasure; He becomes a treasure for you. He leads you into lust for beautiful beads; It is also offered to you who makes a good purchase. Therefore, in order to prevail over this, let us give up what we possess, as in the marketplace, for what we have, exchanging what we did not have. If we are persecuted, let us not grieve; It’s better to say, let us rejoice that by exile from what is dear on earth, we become driven to heavenly good, according to the promise of the Lord, that “it is blessed to be expelled for His sake: for for these is the kingdom of heaven,” by the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. To him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen. You might be interested in: