About the ancient words for Holy Pentecost

Contents In the first week of Lent, the teaching of John Chrysostom on fasting. The second week of Lent. The Legend of St. John Chrysostom, Translation I. Teaching for the first week of Lent, about fasting II. Teaching for the second week of Lent, about holy fasting. In our ancient manuscripts we find a series of teachings for the Sunday days of Great Pentecost, including the weeks preceding it, starting with the week about the publican and the Pharisee. Some of these teachings have obvious connections with each other. After the teaching for the first week of Pentecost about fasting, the preacher at the beginning of the word for the second week says: “Come, and I will tell you something else about this holy fast.” He begins the sermon for the fourth week like this: “Come now, children of the church, and I will give the usual teaching about hunger, and about prayer, and about almsgiving to your congregation.” This series of words is presented to us by two manuscripts of the Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, according to the writing dating back to the 14th century: the Golden Chain and Cathedral No. 10, both written on parchment. In the first list, some teachings are attributed to St. John Chrysostom, namely the words for the meat-eating week and for the 1st, 2nd and 5th weeks of fasting, and the word for the flower-bearing week is attributed to Antiochus of Jerusalem. In the second list, all words are assigned to St. John Chrysostom, except for the last one for the flower-bearing week, which in the inscription has the name “Cyril Mnich”, and really belongs to Cyril of Turov. But the teachings attributed to John Chrysostom in the mentioned manuscripts are by no means a translation of the conversations of this saint. Both in their brevity and simplicity of presentation they differ from his original writings. Some teachings contain interpretations of readings from the Gospel of St. Luke, Mark, such as conversations about the tax collector and the Pharisee, about the prodigal son and the 5th week of fasting: meanwhile, it is known that Chrysostom did not leave interpretations or conversations on the gospel of St. Mark and Luke. Finally, in the word for the fourth week of Lent there are quite a few borrowings from the second word of St. Basil the Great about fasting. By all these signs it is obvious that the Lenten teachings found in our manuscripts with the name of St. John Chrysostom, and unknown in the editions of his works in Greek, belong to another compiler. In some of the Lenten teachings under consideration there are signs of Russian, or generally Slavic origin, and, moreover, in times close to the beginning of Christianity among Slavic tribes. So, in his homily for the 2nd week of Lent, the preacher, having expressed the idea that the fast of Lent constitutes the tithe of the whole year, dedicated to God, and leaving it to the more reasonable to explain to themselves this relation of Lent to the whole year, he himself offers an explanation to others less familiar with Christianity, and says: “I will tell the children and the newly enlightened.” From this it is clear that the word was spoken in a country where the preacher among his listeners could have quite a few newly baptized people who needed special instructions. In the lesson for the week about the prodigal son, explaining the words of the repentant son: since my father’s hired servants are running out of bread, the preacher sees the catechumens in the mercenaries, and says: “The mercenaries are catechumens and anarchies of the church.” This interpretation, as we will see, he borrowed from Greek, but adding to the word: catechumenate, the Greek word: apagnos, which means readers, this clearly showed that he was not familiar with its meaning. You can also point out the preacher’s use of parable speech for the most convincing disclosure of his thoughts 1: a method of explanation quite often found among our ancient preachers, and corresponding to the needs of the initial mental development of the people. Recognizing the words of Lenten as the work of a Slavic preacher, we must, however, admit that he had Greek teachings and interpretations at his fingertips, and was guided by them in his words. Some of the words in question consist of the actual explanation of the Gospel readings; others contain Christian edification independent of the daily readings. Familiarity with Greek teachings is evident in both. Let us take a closer look at their content and indicate, where possible, traces of this acquaintance. In the word for the week about the publican and the Pharisee 2, the preacher reveals the meaning of the parable of the Gospel. He applies the features of both faces depicted in the parable to each of us. There are two people, he says, this is the heart and soul in which truth and sin live. And truth falls with arrogance, and sin is destroyed by humility. The humble word of a repentant sinner prevails over a sinful deed. “Give the word to deeds,” says the preacher, literally borrowing this expression from Chrysostom 3 . To present the idea of ​​the parable even more expressively, the preacher resorts to a new comparison: he presents the publican and the Pharisee as horsemen. “Two horsemen are fast, a publican and a Pharisee. The Pharisee yoke two horses, so that he may attain eternal life: one horse is virtue and prayer, fasting, almsgiving; and the other horse is pride, grandeur, condemnation. And the pride of virtue fell, and the lawful chariot crashed, and the arrogant horseman perished” 4. Such a comparison is not alien to the nature of the society among which we have the right to imagine a Slavic preacher in the first times of Christianity among us. The second word 5 contains a brief explanation of the parable of the prodigal son. The father of the two sons mentioned in the parable, says the preacher, is a humane God; two sons - righteous and sinners. The younger man's request: give me a worthy part of the estate, indicates a desire for autocracy; By property we mean all creation created for the service of man, as well as the Old Testament institutions for the salvation of man: the law and the Prophets. But the youngest son strayed to a faraway country, that is, from the Creator to creation, to caring for his body and to seductive lusts. Having squandered his property, the lost son was struck by hunger: this, says the preacher, “is not a famine of bread, but a hedgehog not to receive holy communion.” In extreme cases, he had to stick “to the only citizen of that land,” “they are demons,” adds the preacher. He sent his wasteful son to graze pigs: “that is, teach others in evil deeds”; this is a sign of deplorable success in evil. And the unfortunate man had to eat horns: “horns are sins; the taste of their bridok” (sharp, bitter). Then he remembered the happy situation of many of his father’s mercenaries: we gave an explanation of this part of the parable above. Obsessed with sins, seeing his worst self enjoying the goodness of God, and himself standing outside the Church, he comes to tenderness and turns with prayer to the Heavenly Father. The child-loving Father precedes the one who turns, “without waiting for the labor of the repentant”; commands his servants to bring first clothes, a ring, boots for the returnee, and to prepare the calf. Servants are priests; clothing - cleansing of sins; ring - betrothal of the Holy Spirit; boots of the commandments of the teachings of the gospel. Taurus is the communion of St. secrets The eldest son, returning from a village or field, and hearing about the reception of his unworthy brother, “marveled at the Father”: “the village is the law, but the righteous women do not retreat from it, patiently”; they do not envy the salvation of sinners, but are amazed at the goodness of God. This is the explanation of the Gospel parable in the word of the Slavic preacher. It is worth comparing it with a more extensive prototype of it in Greek, between the words falsely attributed to St. John Chrysostom 6, or with a conversation on the same day, placed in the so-called “teaching gospel”, which was also translated from Greek 7. All of them are based on the same explanation of the parable. The word for the meat-eating week 8 sets out the Gospel reading about the Last Judgment, with its admonitions at the beginning and at the end of the conversation. The preacher's own comments when explaining the gospel are very few: for the most part, the text of the gospel is only paraphrased. In the word for the raw food week 9, the preacher, in agreement with the reading of the Gospel, speaks first about forgiveness of offenses, then about fasting, and finally about almsgiving. In the interpretation of Chrysostom on ev. Matthew also explains this reading: but the preacher did not use it. Words for 1 and 2 weeks of fasting are offered below in full. Here we only note 10 that the idea revealed in the second word about fasting as a tithe for the whole year was probably borrowed by the preacher from St. Abba Dorotheos, or from another similar book and, due to damage to the Slavic text in manuscripts, can only be explained with this manual. “It is written in the law,” says Abba Dorotheos, that God commanded the children of Israel to give tithes every year from everything they acquired. The Holy Apostles established and handed over to us something even greater and higher - so that we would separate the tithe from the very days of our lives and dedicate it to God. They consecrated these seven weeks of the 365 days of the year to St. Pentecost. Seven weeks, excluding Saturdays and Sundays, equals 35 days; then, adding fasting on Saturdays and half of the bright and luminous night, we get thirty-six days and a half, which is exactly one tenth of the 365 days of the year. For the tenth of three hundred is thirty, the tenth of sixty is six, and the tenth of five days is half a day 11.” The Word for the 3rd week of Lent 12 is replete with simple, good instructions, although not in strict order. The preacher says: The Lord offers crowns to those who strive; we must be afraid lest we lose them through our laziness and intemperance. And the Apostle says: do not get drunk with wine, for in it there is no salvation (Eph.5:18) 13. Do not be Christians only in words, but show yourself as such in deeds. If a word comes from an earthly prince to those under him, then everyone listens to it with fear: but when the word of God is proclaimed through the mouth of the Prophets and Apostles, or, even more, when He, the Lord Himself, speaks to us through the Gospel, no one listens to him. – See God’s love for us: not being able to see us making sacrifices to demons, the Son of God Himself descended to earth and was baptized, not having the need for baptism, but to give us an image of conversion. And what sins we commit after baptism, He offers fasting to cleanse them. And so let us arm ourselves for the feat of abstinence. If we spent the first half of the post poorly, we will try to finish it better. – Next, the preacher encourages people to talk more in church, to pay attention to the church service, and to participate in it reverently with mind and heart. The whole word reveals the preacher's artlessness. Although Chrysostom in his words repeatedly points out to his listeners the attention with which they accept the royal word, and thereby tries to arouse in them even greater attention to the word of the King of the reigning 14: nevertheless, this teaching in its entirety is a properly Slavic work. In the teaching for the 4th week of Lent 15, there are quite a few borrowings from Vasily V.’s words about the second fast. But the preacher gives his thoughts his order and connects them with his reasoning. The Slavic translation of Vasiliev’s word has reached us in its entirety: but this translation differs from the one in which the Slavic preacher cites passages from Vasily V. Let's imagine an example. In ancient times, calling fasting “hunger,” the preacher says: “It is not only the putting off of food that is true greed, but the rejection of evil deeds and the resolution of every unrighteous cause. Leave your neighbor's grief and repay your debt. Not for the courts and for which you hunger. Isn't it meat, but I'm jaspering my brother with slander. You have some drink left, but you can’t restrain yourself from the quarrel. Whether you stayed for supper, you sat in conversation until late, judging everyone.” Also in the full translation of Vasiliev’s words it reads like this: “true fasting is alienated from the evil ones. Resolve every reason of untruth. Leave sadness to the sincere. Leave him the debts. Do not fast against judgments and quarrels (Is. 58:4). Whether you eat the meat, you eat your brother. You are stunned by guilt, but you cannot contain your annoyance. You wait for the evening to receive food, but spend the day in judgment” 16. The homily for week 5, week 17 explains the daily reading of the Gospel, namely the story of the Evangelist Mark about the disciples James and John, who asked the Lord that they might sit in His kingdom, one on His right hand, the other on His left. When explaining the Gospel reading, the preacher, apparently, used an abbreviated interpretation of the Gospel of Mark, known in Greek 18, or a word based on the same interpretation: but he abbreviated it even more so that sometimes for clarity it is necessary to keep in mind the full text. So, speaking about the Lord’s prediction of the suffering awaiting Him in Jerusalem (Mark 10:32 et seq.), the preacher adds: “even if the sorrowful one will tell them everything: but they name the three days of His resurrection.” The Greek interpretation reads: “The Lord speaks clearly to them about the future, and he also mentioned that he will be spat upon; I did not want to keep silent about anything that, without prediction, could confuse eyewitnesses with its suddenness: but as a remedy against this, I put the word: on the third day he will rise again." The word for the week is the same as what is known among the published words of St. Kirill Bishop of Turov. So, let us repeat, although the preacher sometimes used the words of St. John Chrysostom, Basil V., and some other fathers and interpreters of scripture, but did not completely translate his teachings from Greek. Outside the order of the Lenten words considered, in the same collection of the Trinity Lavra, there is also a word for the first week of Lent, with the following inscription: the word of St. Cyril, in the 1st week of Lent, teaching for the collection 19. According to its content, it falls into two halves: in the first, the preacher talks about fasting, in the second, about the celebration of Orthodoxy, celebrated in the first week of fasting. First revealing the importance of fasting, the preacher says: if Adam had fasted, he would not have been expelled from paradise. Moving on from example to example, he continues: “Even if the Sodomites and Gomorites had fasted, they would not have fallen into lawless sin... and God could not tolerate them, He sent fire from heaven upon her, and then not only hail, but also villages, and trees, and earth, and immersed the entire human race, like in the sea, in zheratz (in tar), not only two cities, but also other cities and villages, two lands, two kingdoms. For half a thousand years now both the earths have been burning: the smoke is smoking and the cry of man can be heard, but the torment will not cease.” Counting 4,500 years from the consumption of Sodom and Gomorrah by heavenly fire, the preacher probably had in mind the words of St. John Chrysostom, who, in his interpretation of the 1st Epistle to the Corinthians, believed 4000 years from the same era to his time 20; Moreover, the Slavic preacher, of course not strictly, believed from the time of Chrysostom to his time 500 years. From here we can form an approximate idea of ​​the time when Cyril lived, to whom this word is assigned in the manuscript. Having further pointed out examples of the fasting of the Prophet Elijah, the three youths, Daniel, John the Baptist, the preacher notes about the Apostles that they not only fasted themselves, but also gave us, like tithes, to separate the fort from the whole year for fasting - and then proceeds to depict what true fasting requires of us. In particular, he dwells on the forgiveness of grievances and debts. “Let us forgive,” he says, “those who are guilty of us, and the Heavenly Father will forgive us our sins. If we do not spare our fellow believers, what mercy do we expect to receive from God? Judgment is for him who has shown no mercy without mercy (James 2:13). I see that many, beating their squad from illegal gains, will sell themselves to the filthy Dondezh. Damn! Whom did you drive into filth, little for the sake of profit? The same person, more than a Christian. The Son of God came from heaven and shed his Divine blood, saving man: but you, resisting God, are sanctified by baptism, killing not only the body, but also the soul. If you do not cease from these acts of sotonin, then you are not worthy of entering the church until you are cleansed by repentance.” This denunciation reminds us of one of the rules of Metropolitan John of Kyiv (11th century) against those who, having bought themselves slaves from the pagans and made them partakers of “common prayers,” then again sold them to the pagans. M. John says that such people sin on a par with the persecutors of the Christian faith, who with their persecution led Christians away from the faith 21 . In his further instructions, the preacher inclines his speech to ensure that everyone prepares for the departure from this life. From this thought he moves on to the history of Orthodoxy remembered in the first week: he retells how Queen Theodora, restoring the veneration of St. icons, asked her deceased husband Theophilus for release from condemnation, and as it was revealed to the church council that henceforth such leniency would no longer be granted to anyone. From the review of the teachings we have considered, we can draw the following conclusions: 1.) Since ancient times we have had a series of teachings on Sundays. of Lent and for the weeks preceding it, compiled by the shepherds of the newly enlightened people themselves, and not translated only from the Greek language. They found the time of Lenten, especially dedicated to deeds of piety, when everyone had to come to church, the most convenient for offering Christian instructions. Taking advantage of this time, Metropolitan Nikifor wrote an instructive letter to. to Vladimir Monomakh 22, and he, feeling the need to talk with the people on the eve of Lent, but not yet familiar with our language, recognized it as necessary to offer him his teaching written, and, of course, translated by others 23. The existence of the words of Kirill of Turov for the weeks of the Colored Triodion, one might say, already presupposes the existence of his teachings for the weeks of the Lenten Triodion. 2.) Pastor preachers used the words of the saints of the Eastern Church as a guide to understanding the word of God, but in their instructions they recognized it as necessary, and tried to adapt more closely to the needs of the time and to the simple understanding of their listeners. These are all the above words. There is no sublimity, profundity, and fruitfulness of the words of Hilarion, Metropolitan of Kyiv; there is also no flowery eloquence of Cyril of Turov: but the clear requirements of the Christian law are expressed simply and intelligibly for everyone. In the first week of Lent, the teaching of John Chrysostom on fasting 24 Have you seen, in love with things themselves, I am crawling into fasting? If you are tempted to eat 25 in this week of fasting, then Bolma understands his approach to God, and for the rest of the 26 weeks he fasts. Even if you didn’t accept fasting, you don’t know if you crawled from fasting. The sweetness of more sugar and sweetmeat 27 What shall I say to those who have not tasted it? Even though I praise a lot, those who hear do not understand. You yourself see the kindness of Lenten 28, as if there is no quarrel from anywhere 29 or annoyance to each other from each other; there is silence and silence everywhere, I have stopped the evil custom in us by fasting and prayer 30. Let us also not postpone, brothers, the fast we have begun. Since the first 31 weeks have passed, we will be more cheerful for the rest of the week, as we are worthy to strive for good. Listen. Speech 32 of the blessed Apostle: the back is forgetful, but the front is extended. Think about it, my dear. There are seven weeks of holy fasting; the most honest of all is the seventh week, which is also called great; There are not many more hours than other weeks, but just as there were 33 great mysteries in it, the Lord’s Passion, I say, and these weeks are also greater than the first. It’s as if a king is a prince, and a prince is a governor, and a governor is a bolyarin, and a bolyarin is a centurion, and a centurion is a fifty-fifty, and a fifty-fifty servant. Think 34, brothers: if anyone would like to work with the king, then he will be kind 35 from the least servants to the last 36 who would promise him. If they have sinned in any way, then the bolma grieves and will be justified towards them. And we, brothers, not only want to appear to the heavenly king, but also in our hearts to accept him, through the communion of the holy mysteries, we must draw closer to God during these holy 37 weeks of fasting. I want you to say a certain parable 38. The king of a certain 39 country was very good and beneficent, and loved everyone equally, like his own children, and cared for everyone equally, 40 but also cared for their souls. And that earth was boiling with an abundance of good things 41. The king did not have to give to those who demanded it, but also laid down the commandment, that those who have should give to those who have not. Just as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles: as if the whole multitude were one soul, and distributed to everyone what anyone required: likewise was that country, and so was he the king. But that good king had seven green daughters, and a commandment to all people, and if I wanted to tempt him, he came to honor his daughters. By nature, I planted the smaller one further away, and the larger one closer 42 with me: the first one honored everyone equally, and pleased the princess, but did evil to the neti: the younger one honored the good 43, and the others, kissing them only, passed away 44. Seeing that he is a good king, he turned his mercy into anger, and commanded his servants to expel him from his presence. Not only this, but I also ordered them to be betrayed as a tormentor and to be tormented. Or did the king do this not in truth? Lyubimitsi, do you want to know who the king is? I’ve already brought my mind to a quick understanding: for the sake of many, I’m a river. The King is the good of all - God. The earth, boiling with all good things, is the Church. You all know how much good there is in it: souls from all over the world are saved in it. There is the law and the Prophets and the Lord himself, who for our sake came down and became a man like us, crucified for us, died, then sent his Apostles, thereby calling us to his kingdom. As the Evangelists always call saints: come to Me, all who labor under heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. And again: he who comes to Me I will not cast out. What more goodness is there to sow? “And the seventh of the daughters is seven weeks of holy fasting, which he commanded us to honor, especially the days of summer, with fasting and prayer and almsgiving.” Yes, even if the first week we honor the good, but the little ones, even from the father’s side, are: what other minutes do we just want 45? How do we respond to the Lord on the terrible day of judgment, and how do we refuse, since we do not want to keep the 46 days of fasting clean? I pray you, do not philosophize like this, saying that we cannot accept everyone in this way. The thin one is known and full of guilt. If from that 48 gluttony and drunkenness we spent the first week of fasting, then if we become more accustomed to good things, we will be able to accept the entire fast, and please God, and save and sanctify our souls? It is not necessary for you to fast and be vigilant more than you, but as much as anyone can 49 by strength; to become addicted to the sorrows of life, 50, incarceration, drunkenness, envy and slander, remembrance of evil, fornication and covetousness, and to riches 51 do alms more than other days, so that with a clear conscience we will reach the mysteries of Christ and the most honorable body, and you will receive the eternal life; Give thanks to the poor, who continually pray to God for everyone. This is not hard, if we want it: just let us not be lazy or discouraged, and let us not waste our labor by taking it in the first week. Glory to our God, always, now and ever. Week two of the post. The legend of St. John Chrysostom, teaching about holy fasting Come, friends and brothers, beloved flock of Christ, and I will tell you a little more about this holy fast, which has already been completed for two weeks. There is a tithe for the entire summer of this post. May it behoove us, brothers, to give the tithe of the entire summer purely to God, who gave us life and provided us with his goodness, just as they were the first men to do the work, and we truly call them saints. I glorify the Lord God throughout the whole earth, having kept his commandments. Who are they? Enoch first fasted, and was taken into heaven with his flesh, and is alive to this day. And therefore Noah fasted and was quickly saved from the universal flood with the children born from him. Abraham fasted in the same way and was called the friend of God, and became the Prophet of all, and the Patriarch of all, and the father of all, and became the father of all 52. By fasting, Moses cleansed himself and conversed with God face to face, and his face became illuminated like the sun. Prophet Elijah fasted and brought fire from heaven to sacrifice, and asked God for rain to thirsty people. And Daniel the Prophet tamed his lions by fasting, and his husband was called fast by desire. Many people, both in the new law of the Lord, were sanctified by fasting and saved, but their names will not be written down in the books of the whole world, their saints know only one God. Someone says within himself 53: The saints were strong 54, but we are weak and weak. - Yes, if we are feeble and weak, then we will give a clean tithe, but the Lord God Himself asks us for it. For the year 300 and sixty and five days were compiled, and from all of them the Lord called these fast days 55 his tithe. We ourselves know good things 56, but I will say to children and 57 newly enlightened ones: thirty and six days from three hundred and sixty days from the same we will set out Saturday and week: for these are the Lord’s holidays, a holiday of rest for the sake of the works of God, this is the resurrection of the Lord. Yes, in those places we will add another 8 days 58, so that God’s tithe does not perish from 5 days; let the afternoons of Great Saturdays count as fasting. Having considered this, the holy fathers ordered to fast until late. All these seven weeks' tithe is God's. And if we do not give them away cleanly, what do we answer to God, how will we receive the forgiveness of sins, if we always indulge in gluttony and drunkenness and delicacy with other lusts? Intemperance for the sake of crime becomes law, crime means death in the world below. For Adam did not keep the pure fast that God had commanded him, and he accepted bodily death. According to the many teachings, if we cannot 59 purely preserve all fasting days, then we will die a spiritual death - death for the soul is eternal torment 60 - as Paul said: the widow who feeds alive is dead 61. You know, since the people of Israel were miles of God, you led them through the Red Sea on dry land, and sent manna from heaven, and performed miracles in them with darkness, saying: Israel is my firstborn son. Even those 62 who did not fast had no mercy, Moses commanded them from God: fast for forty days; They only fasted for twenty minutes, and sat down to eat and drink, and got up to play, and fornicated 63; and the wrath of God came upon her, and killed two thousand thousand evil and destroyed hundreds 64, and burned the rest with fire, and carelessness 65 for the sake of hatred: what will happen to us, who have only fasted for a week, and still care about delicacies? But I pray you, brothers, do not be deceived when you see them living fearlessly for God and caring for their bodies more than their souls: for you do not work for God, but for your own belly. False verbs flatter the hearts of the gentle, but their end is destruction. By the same token, brothers, just as you fast from the first day onwards, you will also reach the Sunday of the Lord. I don’t need you to keep fasting by force, but just as anyone can through strength, don’t let yourself become weak. From now on, leave envy and slander to yourself, and do not pray to God with the sex of your body, but anger God with your sex 66 body. But having withdrawn from anger, and rage, and strife, and all unrighteousness, by enduring, you will receive your reward in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory. I. Lesson for the first week of Lent, about fasting Have you, beloved, really seen the benefits of fasting? Whoever got to know him through experience this week will understand that fasting brought him closer to God - and will continue the feat of fasting in the following weeks. And whoever has not fasted does not know the benefits of fasting. Who has never tasted sugar or bread made from the best wheat flour, how can one explain their sweetness? Even if I praise them a lot, the listener will not understand. You yourself see the dignity of fasting: there is no quarrel from anywhere, no insults to each other; there is silence and silence everywhere; fasting and prayer stopped our evil customs. So let us not put off, brethren, the fast we have begun. The first week has passed: the more cheerfully we will go through the rest, remembering that we must strive with zeal for everything good. Listen to what the blessed Apostle says: forgetting what is behind, but reaching out to what is before (Phil. 3:13), and think about this, beloved. Seven weeks of holy fasting. And the seventh week is the most venerable of all, it is called great, not because it has more hours than the others, but because great mysteries were accomplished in it, I mean the passion of the Lord. That is why this week is greater than the first: as a king is greater than a prince, a prince is a governor, a governor is a boyar, a boyar is a centurion, a centurion is a Pentecostal, a servant is a Pentecostal. Think about it, brothers: if anyone had anything to do with the king, he would first turn to his lower servants, and through them he would reach the great ones, so that they would report about him. If he is guilty of something, then he would be very concerned about how to justify himself. So we, brothers, wishing not only to appear to the heavenly King, but also to accept Him in our hearts, through the communion of St. mysteries, we must, with the help of these holy weeks of fasting, draw closer to God. At the same time, I want to tell you a parable. In one country there was a king who was very kind and generous; He loved everyone just the same, like his own children, and accepted everyone just the same, and not only provided for their bodies, but also cared for the soul of each one. And that land was seething with an abundance of blessings. The king's constant occupation was to provide for the needy; and he laid down a commandment that those who have had should give to those who have not. As it is written in the Acts of the Apostles: to the people who believed there was one soul, and it was given to anyone if anyone required it (Acts 4:32, 35): so it was in that country; and such was that king. This king had seven daughters, very beautiful; and he commanded all his subjects (wishing to test them) that they should come and honor his daughters (with gifts). He planted his daughters by birth, the youngest one away from him, and the eldest one next to him. And some honored everyone equally, and thereby pleased the king. But others acted badly: they honored the smaller one well, but they only greeted the others and passed by. Seeing this, the good king changed his mercy to anger, and ordered his servants to drive out the unworthy from his presence. This is not enough: he also ordered the tormentors to hand them over to be tortured. Did the king really do this unfairly? Do you want to know, beloved, who this king is? Soon those who thought with their minds already understood: but I’ll tell the rest. The King is the good God of all. The earth, boiling with all good things, is the Church. You all know how many blessings there are in it: the souls of the whole world are saved in it. It contains the law and the Prophets, and the Lord Himself, Who for our sake came down from heaven and became a man like us, was crucified for us, died, then sent His Apostles, calling us through them into His kingdom. For he always calls to us through the holy evangelists: come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden (Matthew 11:28), and: he who comes to me I will not cast out (John 6:37). What could be greater than such goodness? - And the seven daughters of the king are the seven weeks of holy fasting, which the Lord commanded us, before all the days of the year, to honor with fasting, prayer, and almsgiving. So, if we have well honored the first week, that is (according to the parable) the youngest daughter of the king, who sat further than the others from her father: how can we pass by all the others? What will we say to the Lord on the terrible day of judgment? What answer will we give that we do not want to keep ourselves clean on other days of fasting? – Don’t overthink it, don’t say: “We can’t spend all our days the same way.” This is a poor apology and full of guilt! – If we could spend the first week in fasting, after much overeating and drunkenness, then all the more, having become accustomed to good things, we can spend the remaining weeks in fasting, and thereby please God, and save and sanctify our souls. I do not force you to fast and watch beyond your strength, but as much as anyone can, according to his strength. Let us just reject from ourselves the cares of life, intemperance, drunkenness, envy, slander, malice, fornication and covetousness. Rich people, especially before other days, do alms, so that with a clear conscience you approach the mysteries of Christ and partake of the most honorable body, and receive eternal life; give thanks to the poor who constantly pray to God for everyone. These requirements are not difficult if we want to fulfill them: just don’t become lazy or become despondent. Let us not waste the labor we endured in the first week. Glory to our God, always, now and ever. II. Teaching for the second week of Lent, about holy fasting. Come, friends and brethren, beloved flock of Christ, I will tell you something more about the holy fast, two weeks of which have already passed. Fasting is tithing for the entire year. And we must, brethren, to God, who gave us life and watches over us according to His goodness, to give the tithe of the year in full, just as the ancient men did, whom we rightly call saints, and whom the Lord God glorified throughout the whole earth, because they kept His commandments. Who is this? First, Enoch fasted and was taken into heaven with his flesh, where he remains alive to this day. Noah fasted and was saved from the universal flood along with his children. Abraham also fasted, and was called the friend of God and became the father of prophets, patriarchs and all others. By fasting Moses cleansed himself and talked with God face to face, and his face was illuminated like the sun. The Prophet Elijah fasted and brought down fire from heaven onto the sacrifice and asked God for rain for the thirsty people. By fasting, the Prophet Daniel tamed the lions and acquired the title of “man of desires.” Many, even in the new law of the Lord, were sanctified by fasting and saved: their names cannot be contained even in the books of the whole world; God alone knows his saints. But someone will say within himself: “those saints were strong, but we are weak and weak.” – If we are feeble and weak, then at least we will give the Lord God the full tithe that He Himself demands from us. The year consists of three hundred and sixty-five days: and from all these days in tithe the Lord chose these days of fasting for himself. You yourself will disappoint: for you know this well, but I will explain it to the children and the newly enlightened. Thirty-six days are a tenth of three hundred and sixty 67 . (Lent lasts seven weeks: but) from them it is necessary to exclude Saturday days (except for Great Saturday) and weekdays: because they are the Lord's holidays, the first in memory of God's rest from work, the last for the sake of the resurrection of the Lord. And so that a tenth of the five (remaining) days of the year does not disappear, it is necessary to count the time (half a day) from Holy Saturday to the Resurrection of the Lord as fasting. That is why the holy fathers commanded to fast until late at night. Thus seven weeks constitute God's tithe. And if we don’t give it completely to God, then what answer will we give? How will we receive forgiveness of sins if we are always given over to gluttony, drunkenness, lust and other lusts? Intemperance was the cause of the transgression of the commandment, and the transgression brought death into the world. Adam did not keep the purity of the fast that God commanded him, and was sold to death according to the body. And we, after so many examples, if we do not want to observe all the days of fasting in purity, we will die a spiritual death (the death of the soul is eternal torment), as the Apostle Paul said: the widow who eats abundantly died alive (1 Tim. 5:6). You yourself know how kind the people of Israel were to God, whom He led on dry land through the Red Sea, to whom He sent manna from heaven, performed dozens of miracles for them and spoke about them: my son is the firstborn Israel (Ex. 4:22). But He did not spare him either when he did not keep the fast. Moses told the Israelites according to the command of God: fast for forty days. And they fasted only twenty 68, and then sat down to eat and drink and rose to play (Ex. 32:6). They indulged in fornication, and the wrath of God came upon them: 20,800 of them died, and the rest were consumed by fire, and they were hated by God for their lust 69 . What will happen to us who have fasted for only one week and are again concerned about sweet food? But I pray you, brethren, seeing some living without the fear of God and caring more about the body than about the soul, do not be seduced by their example: they do not work for God, but for their own belly. With false words they deceive the heart of the innocent, but their end is destruction (Phil. 3:19). As you began, brothers, to fast from the first day, so continue until the Resurrection of the Lord. I do not force you to fast on anyone by force, but, as anyone can, by strength: just do not fall into weakness. Completely remove envy and slander from yourself: otherwise, with one half, the body, you will appease God, and with the other you will anger Him. Having freed yourself from anger, rage, quarrels and all untruths, with patience achieve the reward prepared for you in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory. See below the word for the 1st week of fasting. It begins: “When you come this day, brothers, having listened to the voice of Christ, we will become wiser.” In the Sobornik l. 1. In Zlat. Chap. l. 102. Opp S. Iohannis Chrysostomi ed. Montfaucon. T. VI, p. 126. Λ ό γοι ἕ ργων περιξγένοντο. We present this place according to the Golden Chap. In the Sobornik it is somewhat damaged. It begins “in love, listen to Christ Himself teaching us about repentance.” Cathedral, l. 2. vol. Zlat. Chain l. 103. vol. Opp S. Iohannis Chrysostomi. T. VIII Spuria. r. 33. According to the publication of Moscow. 1639 l. 10. and ste Behold, brethren, the time for repentance has begun. These are the days of appreciation.” Cathedral. l. 4 rev. Zlat. Chain l. 105. It begins, “brothers, listen, the doors of the mind have been opened and the hearing of the soul has been opened.” Cathedral, l. 6. vol. Zlat. Chain l. 107. In the first word there is an idea about the meaning of the name Great Passion Week; This idea is also revealed at length in Chrysostom in the 30th conversation in the book. Genesis. Opp. T. IV p. 294. Lesson fifteen. Ave. Abba Dorotheus' teachings ed. in Moscow. 1856 p. 178. 179. It begins, “brother, now that these holy days of fasting are full, let us rejoice in soul.” Cathedral, l. 18. Zlat. chain l. 117 rev. According to the translation, which is also found in some lists of the Apostle. See Description of the handicraft Moscow. Synod. librarian Department. I. s. 308. Opp. S. Iohannis. Chr. T. IV. r. 128. 157. VIII. r. 48. It begins, “Come now, children of the church, and I will preach the usual teaching on hunger, and on prayer, and on almsgiving to your congregation.” Cathedral l. 20. Zlat. chain l. 115 rev. Rukop. Moscow. D. Academy "Lenten Solemn". No. 48. l. 57 rev. Slich. Russian translation of Vasily V.’s words in his Works, part IV. With. 15. It begins “little by little this fast wants to end, and little by little the Lord’s passions come.” Cathedral. l. 26 rev. Zlat. Chain l. 117. Catenæ in Evangelia S. Matthaci et Marci. Ed a Cramero 1810. Oxonii p. 383. The same interpretation is in the word for the same week, placed in the “teaching gospel”. l. 85 rev. It begins: “God has shown us many things that love mankind; He has appeared on earth.” Cathedral l. 141. vol. Opp. S. Iohannis Chrysostomi. T. X. r. 75. Homilia IX. Part of this conversation, which talks about 4000 years, was included in the Collection of words of John Chrysostom, known under the name “Zlatostom”, compiled by Simson, Prince of Bulgaria. Rk. Moscow. D. Academy No. 43. word 75.-In fact, less than 2500 years passed from the burial of Sodom and Gomorrah to the time of Chrysostom. That’s why in another place he talks about 2000 years. Opp. T.I.r. 89. Russian Landmarks. Part I. p. 97. Russian landmarks Part I. p. 61 Rukop. Synod. Library No. 695 and 378. Teachings of Metropolitan Nikifor on the week of cheese. “The gift of the tongue was not given to me, but to the divine Paul, as with that tongue he was entrusted to create. And for this reason, I stand silently in the midst of you and remain silent for a long time. I need the teaching now, coming for the sake of the days of the holy Great Lent, for the sake of the scripture of the teaching, I will meditate." In Novgorod, until the 17th century, it was read at vespers on the week of cheese. The words are printed according to the text of the Sobornik, as they are more accurate in the readings; but in the notes the text of the “Golden Chain” is also compared. Vm. and on to Zlat. cap yes and. You think about these things wisely. Dondezh and to the great ones, who would promise him. Acceptable, I don’t mean that I’m talking about TV, but also…. It was added, as David said, from the fruit of the wheat and wine, and his oil multiplied. And we’ll just pass by everyone else. Apparently not, but it is read, we are not so wise. From the senses, i.e. from the senses. And he was the father of all prophets and patriarchs. You were holy and strong. Find out the good news yourself. Yes, and in those places there are 12 days. Vm. death... torment, it is said only to eternal torment. And I got up to play, and fornicated, it was omitted. In the further translation, due to damage to the original text of the lists, we found ourselves forced to deviate from their letter, taking into account the above words of Abba Dorotheus. Here some fictitious circumstances were mixed into the true narrative. The Book of Exodus does not say whether Moses announced how many days God was calling him to Himself on the mountain, or how long the Israelites waited for Moses to return. Here what happened at Sinai is merged with other later events.