Слово 31. О смерти

Our spirit, beloved, prompts us to understand many things and to know many things, but most of all the time of death. Therefore, Paul, denouncing those obsessed with this untimely curiosity, says: “But there is no need to write to you about times and seasons,” (1 Thess. 5:1) And what, tell me, is the benefit of this? If we say that death will follow after twenty, thirty, after a hundred years, what is in it for us? For each of us, isn’t his own death the limit of his life? Why are you fussing and worrying about the general demise? But just as in other cases, having left our own affairs, we take care of common affairs, and care about everything more than about our own, so here, each leaving concern for his own end, we wish to receive teaching about the common end. If you want to know why the end is hidden from us, and why it will come like a thief in the night, I will say: in my opinion, this is good. No one, if he knew his final end, would care about virtue throughout his entire life; but, knowing his last day, everyone would die, having committed countless crimes in advance and only then having come to repentance. If even now, when the fear of the unknown makes the souls of everyone tremble, they still spend their entire previous lives in evil and only at their last breaths indulge in repentance, then would anyone care about virtue in the case when they had reliable knowledge of the end? Then, if everyone knew that tomorrow he would certainly die, he would have no incentive to restrain himself before that day, but he would kill whomever he wanted; taking revenge on his enemies, he would reconcile with himself again and accept his death, having calmed his soul in advance. In addition, the valiant men themselves, ready for anything, despite misfortunes, would not have a reward, because they would be courageous, but not in the face of death: after all, even the laziest person would go into the fire if he found a reliable guarantor of his safety. Whoever thinks that he will die from any danger, and, on the contrary, is sure that he will remain alive if he does not take risks - if, having decided on this, he accepts death - such a person will show the greatest proof of his jealousy and contempt for this life. He who examines the present and strives towards the hopes of the future will not consider death for death; and, seeing the deceased lying before his eyes, he will not, like the crowd, suffer, thinking about retribution. And just as a farmer, seeing bread being scattered, does not lose heart and does not become sad, so a righteous man, adorned with virtues and daily expecting the Kingdom when he sees death lying before his eyes, does not worry like the crowd, does not tremble and is not indignant, because he knows that death for those who lived righteously is a change for the better, a removal to something more excellent, a striving for reward. Therefore there are graves in front of cities, graves in front of fields; and everywhere the teaching of our humility is offered, so that we are constantly mindful of our own weakness. Just as someone, hastening to enter a royal city, adorned with wealth, power and other advantages, before he sees what he imagines, sees first what is, so we first learn what we turn into, and only then learn to see internal images. And not only this, but it also often happens that a husband, when he wants to take a wife, acts according to the law, writes an obligation regarding the dowry - and then, although the marriage has not yet been concluded, he writes about death. He has not yet lived with his wife, but he already submits in advance to the decision of death against him and against her and writes the following: if the husband dies before the wife; if the wife dies before her husband, then such and such will happen. And it is not only about the existing and the living that the decisions of death are taken into account, but also about what has not yet come into being. In fact, what does it mean: if a “born” child dies? There is no fruit yet, but the decision has been made. Then someone studies nature from the tablets; but if he had to experience something that happens to a person, or his wife died, he forgets what he wrote and begins to call out these and other tragic words: “This is what,” he says, “I happened to experience!” Did I think that this would happen to me and I would lose my wife?” What are you saying? You were beyond misfortune - and then you knew the limits of nature; and when you fell into misfortune, did you forget about its laws? So, when you see someone close to you leaving here, don’t be indignant, come to your senses, examine your conscience, see: a little later you will face the same fate. But the deceased, they say, decays, becomes dust and ashes. This is exactly what we should be especially happy about. After all, when someone intends to rebuild an old house that has fallen into disrepair, he first evicts those living in it and only then builds a more magnificent one. And this does not upset those evicted, but, on the contrary, makes them happy, because they do not pay attention to the visible destruction, but imagine in their imagination a future structure that they have not yet seen. It is exactly the same in the actions of God: having to destroy our body, He first removes the soul that dwells in it, as if from a dwelling, so that, having built a more magnificent one, He will bring it back into it with greater glory. And Adam, at creation, did not see that he was taken from the earth. God did not create the soul before the body, so that he would not see the creation, and therefore would not know about his insignificance; but when he rises in the resurrection, he will certainly know that he rises, freed from the dust. If a dead person does not see himself, he has seen the one who became dust before him and learns by vision. Have you not seen brave and proud men, how they were humiliated in death? Death is announced, and everyone's heart trembles. Near the monuments we philosophize about what will happen to us and talk idle talk; but as soon as they left the tombs they forgot about the humiliation. In the tomb, everyone turns to his neighbor with the following exclamations: “Oh, disaster! Oh, our miserable life! What will happen to us! But what is it - we make exclamations, but continue to rob and bear grudges? And everyone reasons with such an appearance as if he immediately intends to renounce all vices, but he reasons only in his internal thoughts, while in external deeds he opposes God. But let's return to the subject. Why, tell me, do you cry so much for the dead? That he was stupid? But here one should be grateful, because his vices have been stopped. Was he generous and reasonable? But even in this case one should be grateful that he was quickly taken, and before evil changed his mind. But was he young? And for this give thanks and glorify the One who took it. Just as many people see off those called to power with prayers, so the deceased saints, as those called to greater honor, should be seen off with intense prayers. I certainly don't want to say that you shouldn't mourn the dead, but you shouldn't do it immoderately. If we think that the deceased is dead and that God has abandoned him, we will not receive sufficient consolation. To be indignant at this is the property of those who seek by nature that which is higher than it. Man is born and mortal: so, why do you grieve over what has happened in accordance with nature? After all, you don’t grieve that you eat by eating? Do you want to live without food? The same applies to death: do not seek immortality by being born mortal. This is once defined and legitimized. But when God calls and wants to take something from us, let us not, like ungrateful slaves, abandon the Master. If He took money, honor and glory, the body, even the very soul, He would take His own; if he had taken your son, he would have taken not your son, but his servant. If we are not our own, how can that which is His be ours? If the soul is not yours, how can money be yours? If they are not yours, how can you waste something that does not belong to you? Don’t say that I spend what’s mine and get luxurious from what I have. Not from yours, but from someone else's. I say: “from someone else” - you yourself want it - because God wants that what is entrusted to you on behalf of the poor should be yours. Someone else's things become yours if you spend it on them; if you spend on yourself, then what is yours becomes someone else's. Don't you see that in our body the hands serve, the mouth grinds food, the stomach receives it? After all, the stomach doesn’t say: since I took it, I must keep everything? It’s the same with the eye: although it receives all the light, does it alone hold it on this basis, and doesn’t it give light to the whole body? And only their legs walk, but do they only move themselves? Isn't the whole body rearranged by them? Each of those who has any necessary work, if he did not want to convey to another something useful from his art, would destroy not only others, but also himself. If the poor began to take revenge for your depravity, which is characteristic of stingy and rich people, they would soon make you poor if they did not want to share what they have with the needy. But I, he says, lost my only son, brought up among great wealth, who showed wonderful hopes, a son who should have been my successor by inheritance. So what? Do not groan, but give thanks to God and glorify Him who took him away - and this will be in no way lower than Abraham: just as he gave his son at the command of God, so you did not complain when God took him. If you, seeing your son dead, thank God, you will receive a reward no less than the one who brought his son and gave him as a sacrifice. And if you stop the sobs and lamentations, and begin to encourage everyone to praise, you will receive countless rewards both from above and from earth: people will be surprised at you, Angels will applaud you, God will reward you. But how is it possible, someone will say, not to cry for someone from whom I will no longer hear the name “father.” What are you saying? Have you lost a child, have you lost your son? No, you only acquired it and mastered it more firmly. And you have not lost your father’s name, but have gained the right to a better name, because in the future you will receive your father’s name not from a mortal son, but from an immortal son. Even though your son is gone, don’t think that you have lost him; but, as if he had gone away on a journey, he did not even leave you with his body because of his kinship. He is not the child lying before you, but the one who was separated and ascended to heaven. So, when you see eyes closed and lips closed and a body motionless, do not think that these lips no longer make a sound, these eyes no longer see, these legs no longer walk; but think that this mouth will speak better, the eyes will see better, your feet will be lifted up on the clouds, and that this corruptible body will be clothed with immortality, and that you will receive a most excellent son. Remember the patriarch Abraham, who did not see Isaac die, but, what is much harder and more painful, received the order to sacrifice him himself. However, he did not resist the order, did not weep or exclaim something like the following: “Did you make me a father so that you could become my son’s murderer? It would be better not to give it at all, than, having given it, to take it back. Do you want to take it? But why do you order me to kill him, to desecrate my own right hand? Was it not through this son that You promised me to fill the universe with offspring? How can You give fruit when you pull out the root? Who has seen or heard something like this? I was wrong, I was deceived! He did not say anything like that, did not think, did not resist the Commander, did not demand arguments, but when he heard: “Take your son, your only son, whom you love, Isaac; and... offer him as a burnt offering on one of the mountains about which I will tell you” (Gen. 22:2), fulfilled the command with such zeal that he did even more than was ordered. He hid this from his wife and kept it from his slaves, leaving them to wait at the bottom of the mountain. Now just think, what was it like for him to talk to his son alone, when no one else was there, and because of this his heart flared up even stronger, and his love became more fiery? What word can adequately express this? He took the boy up the mountain, tied his legs, put him on firewood and raised a knife, preparing to stab him. I don’t know how to tell this, in what words. He alone knew who did it. No words can express this. How was his hand not lost? How did your nerves withstand the tension? How could he not be deterred by the sight of a boy filled with melancholy? It was given here to see everything together - how the father became a priest, how the sacrifice was made without blood, the burnt offering was performed without fire. He both killed his son and did not kill him; He did not stabbed with his hand, but stabbed with the intention of teaching everyone in the future that one should honor the commandments of God above children, and nature, all things, and even above the soul itself. Imagine the valor of a man when he received the order to stab his only begotten son, given to him beyond all expectations - how many thoughts arose in him! But he subdued them all, they were all in awe of him, more than spearmen before the king. With one glance he pacified them, and not one of them dared to raise his voice, but they were all in such agreement that they rather adorned Abraham himself than inspired him with fear. Look also at his hardness. Nature used her weapon to bend him to the ground, but he stood with his hand raised; in it was not a wreath, but a knife, which is better than any wreath. Hosts of Angels greeted him, and God announced his triumph from Heaven. Could there be anything equal to this trophy? If, after the victory of an athlete, not a messenger from below, but a king from above, declared him the winner of the Olympic Games, would he not think that this was more precious than wreaths? And wouldn't that attract the attention of the entire theater? When it is not the human king, but God Himself, and not in the theater, but in front of the universe, in the presence of hosts of Angels and Archangels, who declares him the winner, proclaiming this from above with a loud voice, where, tell me, shall we place such a saint? If it is not easy for parents to express contempt even for bad children, but they even feel sorry for such children, then can one be afraid of exaggerations of eloquence in such a case, when the son was blood, the only one, beloved, and when he had to accept the slaughter from the father himself? Oh, blessed right hand, what a sword she was honored with! O praiseworthy sword, what right hand has he been awarded! Oh, praiseworthy sword, for what use it was prepared, and what service it received, what image it served, how, stained with blood, it was not stained with it! I truly don’t know what I’m saying, it was such an amazing sight! He did not touch the youth’s neck and did not pass through the saint’s throat, he was not stained with the blood of the righteous, but he more than touched, passed, and was stained; he who was sprinkled with blood was not washed with it. Perhaps you think that I am beside myself with such contradictions; True, I am beside myself when I imagine the amazing sight of the righteous, but I do not express contradictions. The hand of the righteous thrust a knife into the boy’s throat, but the hand of God did not allow it, ready to strike, to be defiled by the boy’s blood. Truly, it was not only Abraham who held the knife, but God Himself. God in Abraham's thoughts urged him, but restrained him through the word. Look, He said, “slaughter,” and Abraham immediately prepared a knife; said: “Don’t temper it,” and he lowers the knife with the same haste. He considered it best not to be called a father at all, just to show himself as a faithful slave. And since he abandoned his own for the sake of God, then God, returning what belonged to him, in addition showed him His mercy. As there was jealousy, there was also a command. Do not say that he only built the altar and laid the wood, but remember also the voice of the boy; think about what a whirlwind of thoughts captured him, how they, like fiery spears, pierced and tormented him, at the time when he heard the words of the boy: “father... where is the lamb?” (Gen.22:7). If many, even now, even without being parents, are unable to withstand this, what should he have experienced? He, who gave birth and raised the boy, received him in his old age, and only his only one; who saw him, listened, and soon intended to stab him? But in all this nothing shook this adamant or crushed it. He did not say: what do you call the father of someone who a little later will no longer be your father, who will lose this honor? But what did he say? “God will provide for himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Gen. 22:8). Both call each other by natural names - one says: “father”, this one says “son”. A difficult struggle began on both sides; a great storm was coming, but there was no shipwreck anywhere. Isaac, after hearing about God, said nothing more and did not offer any more questions: the child was so wise at such a young age! Haven't you all been kindled in spirit? Doesn’t each of you mentally embrace the boy, love him, marvel at his understanding, and pay tribute to his purity? Even tied up and laid on the firewood, he did not go into a frenzy of horror, did not try to jump, did not revile his father as crazy, but was bound, lifted up, laid down and endured everything in silence, like a kind of lamb, even more, like the Lord common to all, to whom he was likened in meekness and to whom he was an image: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter, and like a lamb before his shearers.” voiceless” (Is. 53:7). Let them not tell me that Abraham did not grieve and did not experience the feeling characteristic of parents; wanting to portray him as a philosopher beyond measure, let them not deprive him of the crown of praise. If we, unexpectedly seeing people in the square who are being led to death, become despondent, grieve, and often even cry, even if these people gave themselves up to vices and led such a life for a long time, even if they were unfamiliar with us, and we had never seen them, then how did he not experience grief, which is heavier than any punishment and suffering, the one who received the order to kill with his own hands and bring as a burnt offering his own son, blood, the only one born contrary to expectations, after that How did so much time pass, at a ripe old age and already grown up? If it had been stone, iron, adamant itself, wouldn’t he have given way, wouldn’t he have been touched by the appearance of the boy, the rationality of his words, the purity of his soul? He heard that “God will provide for Himself a lamb for a burnt offering, my son” (Gen. 22:8), and asked no more; he saw his father tying him up and did not resist; it was placed on the firewood and did not come off; he saw the knife raised above him and was not horrified. What could be purer than this soul? So, will they still dare to say that all this did not cause Abraham any suffering? If someone intended to kill his enemy, the enemy; even if it were a beast, would he really do it without grief? No no. Therefore, I ask and implore you: if you have lost a son or daughter, do not cry so obscenely and do not torment yourself, but think that Abraham stabbed his own son and did not cry, did not say a bitter word. And Job grieved, as much as a father who loves children should grieve. But what we do now is rather the work of enemies and opponents. If you had begun to grieve and cry at the time when someone was taken into the palace and there they began to crown him king, I would not have called you a friend of the crowned one, but an enemy and adversary. But I don’t know, you say, where did he go? Why don't you know, tell me? Whether he lived well or poorly, it is clear where he will go. Because, they will say, I grieve because he passed away a sinner. But even in this case, one should rejoice that sins have been stopped, and he has not yet increased them; to help him, as much as possible, should be done not with tears, but with prayers, propitiations, alms and offerings, because it was not in vain that this was invented, and it is not in vain that the one standing before the altar, during the performance of the terrible Sacraments, exclaims: for all who have received peace in Christ, and for those who create a memory of them - this is done according to the establishment of the Holy Spirit. After all, if the children of Job were cleansed by the sacrifice of their father, is it surprising if the dead are given some peace when we make offerings for them? So, let us not recklessly mourn the dead, but let us cry for those of them who died in wealth and were unable to receive anything from wealth that would ease the fate of their souls; about those who had the opportunity to be cleansed of sins and did not want to take advantage of it. We will cry for these people, each alone and all together, and not just one day, not two, but our entire lives, and we will help them to the best of our ability. We’ll come up with something to help them: at least a little, but we’ll help. How and in what ways? Praying themselves, convincing others to pray for them, constantly giving alms to the poor for them. What price does this business have? Listen to what God says: “I will guard this city... for Myself and for the sake of David My servant” (2 Kings 19:34). But if the mere memory of the righteous has such significance, what value will it have when deeds are done for his sake? It was not in vain that the apostles legitimized the creation of memory of those who died during the performance of terrible Sacraments. They knew that there would be great benefit for the dead, that they would receive much benefit from this. When all the people stand with outstretched hands, and a host of priests with them; when a terrible sacrifice is presented, how can we not appease God by praying for those people? But we are talking about those people who accepted death in faith; those announced are not worthy to receive this consolation; they are deprived of any such help, except for one means of helping them. Which one? You can tirelessly give to the poor for them, and this will give them some peace. Thus, it is not death that is evil, but death in sins. Would you like me to tell your love where the fear of death comes from in us? Love for the Kingdom of Heaven did not strike us, the desire for future rewards did not kindle in us - because then we would have despised everything present. He who is always afraid of Gehenna will not be afraid of death. Allow me, brothers, to tell you at the right time: do not be children in your mind, but belittle yourselves in evil. Small children are afraid of a mask, but are not afraid of fire, and if they are accidentally brought to a lit lamp, they carelessly reach out to the lamp and the fire: they are afraid of an empty mask and are not afraid of a truly terrible fire. Do you want me to tell you another reason why we are not afraid of death? We do not lead a strict life, we do not have a good conscience. If it were, nothing would frighten us, not death, not loss of property, nothing like that. Give me confidence that I will receive the Kingdom of Heaven, and then kill me, if you want, even today: I will be grateful to you for this, because you speed up the enjoyment of those benefits for me. But am I afraid, someone will say, of dying an unjust death? What are you saying, tell me? Are you afraid of an unfair death, but do you want a fair one? But who is this unfortunate and pitiful person who prefers a fair death when he can die unjustly? If we should be afraid of death, then, of course, it is one that befalls us according to our deserts, because the one who has accepted an unjust death through this very thing enters into communion with all the saints. Most of those who were pleasing to God met an unjust death, and the first was Abel. He did not sin against Cain, did not offend him, but was killed because he honored God. Did God allow this - by loving him or hating him? Obviously, he allowed it because he loved it and wanted to give him a big reward for this unjust murder. Don’t you see from here that one should be afraid not of an unjust death, but of dying in sins? Abel died unjustly, Cain lived groaning and trembling. Who, tell me, is more blessed? The one who has received righteous peace, or the one living in sins? The one who died unjustly or the one who received righteous punishment? What, tell me, is more criminal than murder? However, the one who made it could once reveal the truth. Listen to how it happened. Once upon a time, the Midianites, wanting to bring the wrath of God upon the Jews and hoping to triumph over them by depriving them of the Lord’s favor, dressed the girls in elegant clothes and, putting the troops in sight, deceived the Jews, leading them into lewdness. Seeing this, Phinehas pulled out a sword and struck two who had defiled themselves - he killed both of them in their very sin - he killed not because he hated those killed, but so that others would not die. The murder was committed, but a happy ending followed - the salvation of all those who were dying: he killed two, and saved countless numbers. And just as doctors, cutting off rotten members, save the whole body, so he did, and this was credited to him as truth. So, let us not mourn the dead recklessly; Let us weep for those who died in sins: these are worthy of weeping, cries and tears. What hope, tell me, remains for someone who has gone in sin to a place where it is impossible to lay aside their sins? While they were here, there was perhaps a great hope that they would repent and reform. But after they have descended into hell, where it is impossible to gain anything by repentance (“in the grave,” it is said, “who will praise You?” (Ps. 6:6)), are they not worthy of tears? So, let's cry for the dying like this - I don't interfere. Let us cry, but not unruly - without tearing out our hair, without baring our shoulders, without scratching our faces, but with a quiet soul, shedding small tears. This will benefit us, because the one who mourns the deceased in this way will take much better care that the same thing does not happen to him. And also - when you see such a picture: a dead man is being carried along the street, orphaned children are following him, a widowed wife is crying, servants are crying, friends are sad - then remember the vanity of everything that exists and that it is no different from shadows and dreams. Think of the palaces of great and glorious men and how they are now razed to the ground; Imagine how strong these people were, and now even the very memory of them has disappeared. “Many of the rulers sat on the ground, but the one whom they did not think about wore a crown” (Sir.11:5). Is this not enough for you? Think then about what could happen to you even before death, while you are sleeping: would not even an insignificant beast be able to kill you then? It has often happened to many that a small animal falling from a roof will injure an eye or cause some other danger. Think about this and do not be surprised at the brilliant appearance of people, do not be amazed at the smugly thrown back head, at the smart dress, at the horses and servants. Think about how this will all end. If you marvel at what is seen, I will show you in painting much better than this. But no matter how much we are surprised when we see the essence of what is depicted in painting, because it is nothing but dirt, so it is. And that is also dirt, or better: it is like that before it collapses and turns to dust. Show me an arrogant man when he is in a fever and has lost his self-control, and then I will talk to you and tell you: where are now those who, accompanied by a crowd of servants, vainly performed in the street? Where are those dressed in silk clothes, scented with fragrant ointments, keeping hangers-on, not leaving the theater? Where are those luxurious feasts, crowds of musicians, the helpfulness of flatterers, endless laughter, peace of mind, broad plans, a pampered, idle and luxurious life? Everything has passed, everything has disappeared. And what happened to the body, on which so much care was spent, about the purity of which they cared so much? Go to the tomb, look at the dust, at the ashes, at the worms, at the disgusting appearance of the place: look and weep bitterly. And if only the punishment were limited to ashes! But now, from this coffin and from these worms, your thoughts are transported to that immortal worm, to the gnashing of teeth, to pitch darkness, to the unquenchable fire, to those terrible unbearable torments, to endless life. Here both blessings and suffering have their end - the end is very close - and there both continue forever, but in quality they differ so much from present blessings and misfortunes that it is impossible to express it. What happened to the numerous decorations? Where did the effeminacy, the obsequiousness of servants, the abundance of property and possessions go? What wind rushed in and swept it all away? Why expensive and unnecessary funeral expenses - expenses that bring significant damage to the burying people and no benefit to the deceased. When you hear that the Lord has risen from the dead without clothing, leave behind crazy worries about burial for this. Christ, when he said: “Because you saw me hungry and fed me, thirsty and gave me something to drink, naked and clothed me,” He did not add: “dead and buried.” If He even commands the living to have nothing more than a veil, much more so to the dead. How do we justify ourselves when we adorn the body, which is given over to rot and worms, but do not care about Christ, the hungry, thirsty, naked and stranger? But the deceased, lying on his bed, they say, wears the signs of his rank and wealth, when he is dressed in shiny clothes, when the poor and the rich see him off, when the people observe reverent silence. This is especially worthy of ridicule; Yes, it will soon be exposed, like a falling flower. As soon as we cross the threshold of the city gates and, having given up our bodies to worms, return back, where will there be, I ask you again, that large gathering? What will happen to the screams, to the excitement? Where are the lamps, where are the choirs of women? Isn't this all a dream? And what about those screams? Where did the numerous mouths go that cried out and urged people to be courageous, because no one is immortal? This was not the time to say it when he couldn’t hear; but at a time when he was predatory, when he was selfish, then it should have been said, changing it a little: it is not good to be fearless - no one is immortal. If they built a house for you where you had no intention of staying, you would consider this business unprofitable for yourself. But truly, you want to get rich where you often have to leave before evening comes. Refrain from madness, tame desire. The same thing should be said: “take courage!” - to someone who suffers misfortune. If this is useless for someone who has already passed the lists, let those who suffer from the same illnesses as him and who are going to the same end hear this. Since they, intoxicated by money, have not thought about anything like this before, let them come to their senses at least at this time, when the very sight of the person lying confirms the words; let them be taught, thinking that a little later those who mourn them will be taken to that Last Judgment and to receive retribution for the fact that they acted badly here. So, so that we do not suffer the same thing together with those, let us try to change as much as is in our power and correct ourselves, so that we can be partakers of future blessings in Christ Jesus our Lord, to whom be glory and power with the Father and the Life-giving Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages. Amen. Ἐκλογαί άπό διαφόρων λόγων . Under this name are known collections of conversations compiled by various persons after the death of Chrysostom on certain topics, from those related to the topics and especially liked by the compilers of the works of the saint. The passages are given partly in a literal presentation, partly in a free retelling and are borrowed both from the original works of Chrysostom, and from works only attributed to Chrysostom, which have not only survived to this day, but have also been lost. These Eclogues (selections) were widespread and were used by both private individuals and kings. Known, for example, is the luxurious collection of Eclogues, owned by the Byzantine emperor Nikephoros Botaniatus (1078–1081), registered among the codices of the Koalene Library under No. LXXIX. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: