Conversation Additions

Contents Conversation 1. On Holy Pentecost Conversation 2. About the repentance of the Ninevites Conversation 3. About alms, and about the rich man, and about Lazarus Conversation 4. About ten thousand talents and ten denarii and about forgivingness Conversation 5. To those who highly value real blessings and in vain strive for worldly luxury Conversation 6. About prayer Conversation 7. On the words: “Every sin that a man commits is outside the body” (1 Cor. 6:18) Conversation 8. On the fact that a virtuous soul is more precious than all things Conversation 9. On the words: “Keep in mind the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to Him who appointed Him” (Heb. 3:1–2) Conversation 1. On Holy Pentecost 1. The grace that divided languages ​​on this day does not allow me to fear for the poverty of words - the grace that made the unlearned teachers of the world, the fishermen made heralds of unartificial wisdom, and conquered the wise of the world. Why did so many people who suffered from idolatry turn to piety differently? Why did they reject the dominant service of demons? How could not many disciples fight against many people and demons if they were not armed with the power of divine fire? Today the source of the blessed fire poured out and the spreading flame gave way to the winds of the Spirit. Preaching the gospel of this grace, Christ said: “I will not leave you orphans; the Father will send you another Comforter” (John 14:18,16). The Ascension of the Lord into heaven serves as a guarantee of the descent of the Spirit. Those who accepted Jesus had to accept the descent of the Spirit so that the teaching of the knowledge of God would follow the most perfect path. By taking on human nature and human image, Jesus prepared people to receive the Spirit. “I have a lot more to tell you,” he says; but you can't fit 3 . But when the Comforter 4, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth” (John 16:12–13): He will come after Me who is equal to Me in dignity. So, what we received the good news about in words, we learned in action; what was promised was experienced when the day of Pentecost was fulfilled. A little time passed after the ascension and the descent of the Spirit took place; the Savior's promise was fulfilled. 2. The host of the apostles, holding on to the Master's promise as an anchor, awaited the descent of the Spirit. When the number of days reached fifty, when the circle of seven weeks established by law between one and another holiday 5 ended, then the descent of the Spirit took place. But (He appeared) not in the flesh that the Son took, and not in human form, and not in the form of a dove, as in the waters of the Jordan, He revealed the presence of the Spirit. Master being 6 appears according to his will. Thunder sounded from the sky (like) a trumpet sound, its peals surpassing all noise; the spreading flame gave birth to tongues of fire; from the division of the fire tongues appeared; tongues successively sat on the heads of the disciples. This is the image of the descent of the Spirit. 3. Selects a day, bypassing other days. It is not without reason that he descends, not before the holiday, and not after this day. Why? The Jews had only three national holidays. The first was the Easter holiday, on which, when they slaughtered the lamb, they did not know the true Lamb; while honoring the image, they acted unlawfully with the prototype; They did not honor the presence of Him whose shadow they worshiped. The second holiday after this was called Pentecost, the interval (before the descent) of the Spirit. In addition to these (holidays) there is also the Canopy (Tabernacles), an imitation of the desert. On these holidays it was necessary for all Jews to gather in one place. Since on the first feast the cross was erected, suffering was lifted up 7 , the spectators of which were the entire Jewish people, and the miracle of the resurrection themselves did not want to know, did not believe, hid, slandered, therefore, on the feast following the first, on which all the tribes of the Jews, as required by the law, gathered together, at the appropriate time grace is poured out on the disciples and attracts the eyes and ears of all, so that the gift sent to the disciples of Christ would testify to His resurrection. Those who do not believe in the resurrection see Him sending down gifts; those who seal the tomb become spectators of heavenly visions. Thus, thunderclaps, fire from heaven and the power that rested on the disciples confirmed the descent of the Spirit. 4. So once upon a time a flame shone at Mount Sinai, and Moses learned the law in the midst of the fire. But now the flames that descended from heavenly fire flew down onto the heads of the apostles. Who then prompted Moses to issue a law for the Jews (cares) 8 about the salvation of the nations. Therefore, the memory of the ancients is added to new miracles, and with a similar (former) spectacle, the medium of fire is used to certify those present that it is the same God. And (grace) is depicted as being divided into tongues in order to reveal them as receiving (it), so that, walking in fire (i.e., in the power of the Holy Fire), they become teachers of the universe. What was in ancient times one speech and one language was divided by the ancient daring pandemonium, and the beginning of the struggle of languages ​​stopped the war with heaven. Countless languages ​​amazed with countless variety of sounds, but did not find listeners who understood what they heard; a divided tongue divided thoughts; the untied tongue tied the hands. Now grace united the divided tongues of separate people together in the mouth of one, expanding the scope of the preaching (of the apostles) and opening many ways (of the spread of) the faith. 5. Wonderful things! The Apostle spoke and the Hindu learned. The Jew spoke and the barbarian came to his senses. Grace spoke and the ear received the word. The Goths understood speech and the Ethiopians understood language. The Persians were amazed at the speaker and the barbarian peoples learned one language. As many nations as nature has formed, grace has been so rich in languages. The nature of fire, being shared, acquires greater strength; the wealth of grace is like a source of light. The power of fire, moving to another object, does not decrease at all; here transfer is multiplication. So grace, pouring out, increases the flow. From one lamp many others are lit, and all of them are luminous, and the power of light does not weaken. So the grace of the Spirit, passing from one to another, fulfills the latter, as well as those from whom it passes. First, grace descends on the apostles and, embracing them like a fortress, and through them passing on to the believers, fills everyone; and the flow of grace does not stop there. Thus the fiery tongue descended; each student accepted many languages; they taught those present, fulfilling the duty of teachers, and served as an object of surprise; the multitude of listeners, unequal in origin, did not decrease, since the apostolic language taught in understandable words. Under the influence of the touch of fire, as if some immersion in water, listening to the speeches (of the apostles), they learned the eternal teaching; faith spread, grace astonished, God was known. 6. But the Jew laughed; attributed the miracle to intoxication; He called the sacrament of grace a work of sweet wine: “with wine,” he says, “the essence is fulfilled” (Acts 2:13). Oh, inveterate Jewish hard-heartedness! Think, Jew, about the time and hold back your slandering tongue. When is sweet wine available? When summer passes. Is there really sweet wine during spring? Remember the season and curb your tongue. What about Peter, preeminent in the Spirit and filled with grace? Filled with fire, he turns his tongue to protect tongues. “They are not drunk as you think, for it is now the third hour of the day; but this is what was foretold by the prophet Joel 9: I will pour out from My Spirit a sea of ​​grace” 10. (Acts 2:15–17). The prophet preaches: “I will pour out,” he says, “of My Spirit.” But didn’t the flow of grace stop there? Was this gift only reserved for the Jews? No. “I will pour out,” he says, “on all flesh.” Knowing the prophecy, look at the fulfillment. The language of the Spirit is superior to prophetic language. Let us ask for at least a drop of this grace to be sent down to us, so that, while keeping miracles in memory, we can enjoy the fruits of grace. A gift is easily given if it finds favor. God Himself accomplishes everything in everything. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Conversation 2. About the repentance of the Ninevites Seeing how the days passed without the necessary teaching, when illness forced me to remain silent, I was sad and grieved, like a wrestler who is prevented by those present at the lists from entering the place of competition. I saw that you were hungry for spiritual food and that I was unable to give it to you. I saw the time of purchase and could not offer any product. I saw a lot of prey, and the hunter could not go out hunting, but greatly grieving about this, I decided that it was best to leave my work for a while, so that later I could come to church every day and participate in divine services with you, than, having worked hard for two, many three days, go back to bed and be separated from you again. Therefore, after a break in daily conversations, again, by the grace of the Lord, I begin to fulfill my duty towards you. Although different advice is useful to different people, I think everyone needs the medicine of repentance. Since no one is free from sin, he obviously has a need for repentance. For those who need it, an example of those saved through repentance is needed, showing that they too will achieve salvation in the same way. So, let's look at those who, having left an ungodly life, became famous for virtue. Let us see how those who became like beasts entered the rank of angels. Let's look at those who, having brought the city to destruction, erected it with wisdom. Let's look at those who, from enemies of God, became His friends, in relation to whom the Lord turned from a punishing Judge into a defender. Let's look at those who, after pronouncing a sentence on them, compete with the Judge and the sentence is not carried out. Let's see how God, out of love for mankind, acted contrary to His word. Let us first hear how the prophet preached, but the city was in turmoil and, just as a strong wind creates disturbances in the sea, so the voice of Jonah, heard among the Nineveh people, leads everything to strong movement and confusion. Let us listen to how the city, believing the sermon, did not fall into despair, but hastened to repentance and, not relying on its safety, tried to honor and appease God. What was done for this propitiation? This is partly said. It is, however, necessary to convey everything that was said: “And they declared a fast, and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them” 11 (John 3:5). Oh, an amazing miracle, terrible for people, but desired by angels! Imagine with me a great multitude of husbands and wives and children, clothed in sackcloth, gathered together, leaving ordinary occupations and human affairs; (imagine) that no one does anything, but everyone together sends up prayers, weeping and crying to heaven. Imagine that the inequality between masters and servants, between superiors and subordinates has disappeared; imagine a king, in the same attire, among the people and performing service to God, like any state business. “This word came,” he says, “to the king of Nineveh, and he rose from his throne, and took off his royal vestments, and put on sackcloth, and sat on ashes” (John 3:6). O wise king! He himself sets an example of repentance in order to inspire zeal in the entire city. Who, seeing the king himself, concerned about salvation, could neglect repentance? He heals purple wounds with sackcloth; the sins of the throne are cleansed by sitting on ashes; the disease of pride is healed by modesty of clothing, and the wounds of luxury are healed by fasting. And having shown this in action, he encourages everyone to the same zeal through a special announcement. “And he commanded to proclaim...: “That neither men, nor cattle, nor oxen, nor sheep should eat anything, nor go to pasture, nor drink water” (Jon. 3:7). The new royal law: as a doctor, he prescribes abstinence from food for the sick, and better yet, this luxurious legislator imitates the apostolic decrees on pious fasting, commanding the dumb to participate in the fast of people in order, through innocent nature, to acquire the greater mercy of God. “And that men and cattle should be covered with sackcloth” (John 3:8). O heavenly formation! O army that terrifies the demons! The devil became bitter when he saw his entire army turning to God and fighting with demons, when both children and wives, young children and adults, entered this fight, when dumb animals were brought into the military formation as comrades. And the devil saw a new sight: the cattle helped people in (achieving) righteousness and fasted for the salvation of their owners. “So that neither people, nor cattle, nor oxen, nor sheep should eat anything, nor go to pasture.” Having removed the signs of authority, the king stood in the row of priests; addressed the people with a speech, teaching the Ninevites wisdom. Hard, friends, he says, are real disasters; having taken possession of the entire universe, we, as worthless, are doomed to death by divine sentence; commanding all people, we, as the worst of all, are sentenced to an extraordinary form of death; the happiest of all the others, we will then find ourselves the most unhappy of all, we will become a byword among all people and the subject of legends, since our former glory does not make it possible to hide our misfortunes. Having won victories in many wars, with all the more valor, O Ninevites, will we now fight for our own salvation; in former times we did everything to gain dominance over others, now our reward will be not to perish completely along with our wives and children. When a special war comes, we will fight in a special way: we will turn our chants to the sky; instead of spears, let us direct psalms there; Let us offer prayers to God; with incessant tears we will appease His wrath; let us break the network of evil deeds; let us destroy the stronghold of evil; let us fight with the weapons of virtue; the armor of righteousness cannot be pierced by an arrow; the shield of faith is not harmed by lightning; God does not allow the helmet of hope to be broken; the wrath from above does not rend the robe of humility; the threat of death cannot destroy the wall of confession; the sentence of condemnation, seeing real repentance, immediately dissipates like smoke. If this is so, oh friends, and we fight with such weapons, we will be strong both on earth and in heaven. Dare, O Ninevites, dare! The philanthropic King is at war with us; Only by defeating his stubborn enemies does He, abandoning anger, become their benefactor. With such admonitions the king encouraged the people to repent. The Ninevites readily carried out the orders: “they were covered,” it says, “in sackcloth, people and cattle, and they cried out loudly to God” (Jon. 3:8). And it was not so that the word was ready, but the mind was occupied with something else, the tongue pronounced words, but thought did not participate in them, the sounds of the voice were heard, and the spiritual disposition was not united with them, but - in such a way that both strongly implored God. The approaching night, which increased fear, drove away sleep and raised the hymn all the more zealously. The day, which again showed the sky gloomy, with continuous lightning and thunder, brought everyone into extraordinary fear and aroused the greatest cry. The shaking of the earth led souls into great confusion. All small children, out of fear, falling to the breasts of their mothers and crying in their arms, cause tears and grief in those who watch this. Herds of oxen, sheep and all livestock, deprived of food and drink, shudder the strongest people with their varied roars. Despite, however, the fact that everything took on a threatening appearance and inspired fear, good hope did not leave them. “Who knows, maybe God will have mercy 12 and turn away His burning anger from us, and we will not perish” (John 3:9)? From the depths of their hearts they cried out to God: King, Lord of life and death, we are worthy of the pronounced sentence and deserve all punishment, not knowing You, the true God, and leading a corrupt life. According to Your immeasurable mercy, stop the punishment determined for us, defeat impartial justice with kindness, and our ignorance with philanthropy. If execution were suddenly brought, the word would contain punishment 13, strangers (that is, those who did not confess the true God) and the wicked would be struck. And now, having appointed a certain period of time out of goodness, 14 will you strike those who have converted, will you destroy not strangers, but your own? You have preserved the wicked; will you destroy those who have become believers? When we were wicked, you saved us; will you destroy those who do good? The city that served idols has exalted and erected a kingdom - will you overthrow it when it has become Yours? Without knowing You, through You we took possession of the universe, and by worshiping You now we will lose our very life? Take care of Your name, O King, so that when punishing the Ninevites, you do not make piety into something that must be avoided as useless, so that, by subjecting us to deserved punishment, you do not close the doors of repentance for people. If we, having a legislator and teachers, are mired in many vices, subject us to inevitable destruction; do not show mercy to those who beg; bring punishment more severe than what you threatened. And if, unlearned and uninstructed, we live badly and wickedly, do not punish our ignorance like that, O King. It is right that in ancient times You destroyed people with a flood, because they did not heed the instructions of Noah. You announced destruction in advance, but they did not forsake sin. You deservedly destroyed the Sodomites with fire, because they did not want to listen to Lot’s advice. The Egyptians, who died at sea with Pharaoh, suffered due punishment, because they did not believe the words of Moses, undergoing many executions and experiencing the actions of Your right hand. Did we dare to contradict anything? He sent only one to us, and not a teacher, but a herald of disasters; We believed him and publicly serve You with honor. He assigned us a short period of time and during the course of it we showed a very big change. When death was announced to us, we did not doubt Your love for mankind. When the prophet predicted the destruction of the city, we retained hope in Your mercy. Do not disgrace, O Blessed One, hopes. Do not take away the tongues that want to praise Your good deeds. Do not kill men who are fully striving to proclaim Your goodness. Do not deprive us of the opportunity to become teachers of piety for all of us. Do not remain under the same limitation of 15 in relation to those who have not remained the same. We have changed, so will you. Abandon anger as we do delusion. Stop the punishment as we are evil. You have taught us enough with fear, give us time to show our love for You. Spare the cattle roaring from hunger. Spare the innocent children, exhausted by sobs. Spare minors weakened by fasting. Do not destroy the innocent along with the guilty. Have mercy on the mothers who, as a result of Your anger, do not give milk to those most dear to them (i.e., children). Their parents denied them mercy in order to receive mercy from You. All people adhere to the same bad customs as we do. If you do not accept our repentance, you will destroy the hopes of the whole world. The Ninevites probably heard such instructions from their leaders. The words were followed by corresponding deeds: fasting, sackcloth, fervent prayer, tears, moving away from evil. “They cried out diligently to God,” he says, “and each one turned from his evil way and from the iniquity that was in their hands” (John 3:8). They turn to wisdom, to the highest questions of philosophy, and make the crown of virtue the foundation of virtue. Everyone tried to do every good deed that was most pleasing to God. They saw the war between heaven and them that had begun, and they strengthened themselves with good deeds, like a wall. They contrasted the lightning flashing above with prayers and petitions below; thunderclaps - the sounds of chants. The post became a strong tower for them. Streams of tears washed away many sins. Enemies were made friends in order to be reconciled with God. They themselves left their anger at those who insulted them in order to stop the Lord’s anger against them. The book of debts was torn up here in order to receive remission of sins there. They gave slaves freedom so that they themselves could be freed from punishment. They shared property with the poor to make their property safe. Having abandoned luxury, they maintained abstinence. Avoiding self-will, they fell in love with modesty. Having hated arrogance, everyone assumed a modest and sad appearance. Those who were engaged in trade, contracts and all sorts of affairs served God. The villains themselves, without any coercion, confessed to their robberies. The judges did not punish these confessors. Everyone, as if they were losing their lives, told their bad deeds. The wealth remained unguarded and there were no thieves anywhere. Gold was distributed to those in need; Everyone avoided the acquisition as a loss. Everyone had one thing to worry about - salvation. Everyone - rich and poor - strived and worried about one thing - about (preserving) life. Everything not related to this was left as useless and bad. Salvation was unknown and, as desired, was the subject of a diligent search. They did not hope for the success of repentance and, as those who wanted to live, they completely devoted themselves to every good deed. Oh, barbarian philosophers! O wise ignoramuses! Without teaching, they understood what was needed; without a legislator they changed their lives for the better; without teachers they corrected themselves, from the abyss of evil they turned to heavenly life. "Here... changing the right hand of the Most High” (Ps. 76:11). One threatening cloud, and the Ninevites produced countless good fruits. Melted down like some ancient statue. They changed as a result of repentance, from sinners they became righteous, dear to the angels, pleasing to God. They established the shaking city, raised the fallen one, strengthened the shaken one. They were converted and did not pervert; changed and did not die. “And God saw,” he says, “their works, that they turned from their evil way, and God regretted the disaster that he said he would bring on them, but did not bring” (John 3:10). Wonderful thing! The judge reversed the decision, overturned the death sentence and ruled acquittal. The Ninevites repented and God repented. Repentance canceled the terrible command. They rejected evil, God rejected the sentence. O almighty repentance! It is accomplished on earth and makes a difference in heaven. So we, beloved, will repent; so we too will fast; let us add good deeds to fasting; Let us not do evil, let us fear the threat of Gehenna; through repentance we will strive to receive salvation from God. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen. Conversation 3. About alms, and about the rich man, and about Lazarus 1. Great is the benefit of charity. Nothing else equals mercy. No (other) virtue can atone for sins like that. Therefore, the Divine Scripture says: “He who does good to the poor lends to the Lord” (Proverbs 19:17). If you lend gold to a person, he will burden (you) with troubles and letters. But with God it’s not like that. If you give to the martyrs, the poor, God will call you to repay the debt. What you gave to the poor, (He) hastens to redeem and not just gives, but with great blessing, saying: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). If you lend something to a person, sometimes it happens that he will not repay the debt and will not even want to see you. And God, having received a loan from those who were with the martyrs and the poor, not only repays and returns the debt, but also makes the lenders joint heirs, saying: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.” When did the Lord prepare? When? When you did good in the churches and churches of the martyrs, when you celebrated the memory of the saints, when you distributed bread to the poor, when you welcomed the poor into your home, when you provided the poor with clothing, when you visited the sick and those in prison, then I prepared the Kingdom. 2. And look at the greatness of mercy: no virtue is valued as much as it. He didn’t say that they kept their virginity for My sake; didn't say anything like that 16. “For I was hungry, and you gave me food” (Matthew 25:35). Virginity, fasting, and other virtues are great, but they are less than mercy. The foolish five virgins also observed virginity, but since they had no mercy, they remained outside the bridal chamber. The five wise men, along with virginity, also had mercy, so they entered the bridal chamber. And the five foolish ones retained only virginity, hoping through it to enter the kingdom of heaven, but they did not acquire any other virtue, nor mercy, nor anything else, therefore the Lord says to them: depart from Me, “I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12). That is why they were called foolish, because they retained only virginity and had no mercy. 3. Just as a lamp goes out if someone lights it and does not pour oil, so the one who observes virginity but does not give the poor oil of mercy does not receive any benefit! If you want to buy clothes or oxen, you make expenses, spend gold, go to the market, be exposed to heat, and sometimes suffer hunger and thirst; and being exposed to all this, you barely manage to achieve your goal; and when you achieve it, the seller gives not as you want, but as he pleases. You swear: I won’t buy it for that much; He also swears: I won’t sell it for that much. And the first sin is committed among you, as Solomon said: “in the midst of buying and selling, sin invades” (Sir.27:2). It is sometimes necessary to swear in vain to one or both, because simple words are often not believed by either the buyer or the seller 17 . And after such troubles, you are not sure that you have what you wanted; often (it happens that) before you come home, it either dies, or disappears, or turns out to be worthless, and you suffer double grief. But regarding the kingdom of God you will not experience anything like that, neither the difficulty of the path, nor the exhausting summer heat, nor the grief of failure - nothing like that. When you are sitting at home, a beggar selling paradise comes and says: give bread and get paradise; give used clothes and receive the kingdom of heaven; and I do not tell you how much (to give) so that you do not hesitate, citing (your) shortcomings. For as much as you want, buy paradise: give bread; If you don’t have bread, give an ovol 18, give a cup of cold water; give what you want, what you have; I accept everything; just buy paradise. Imitate that amazing widow who gave a handful of wheat flour (1 Kings 17:12) and inherited the kingdom of heaven. The Gospel also mentions another widow who had nothing more than two mites; and she put them in the treasury and bought paradise (Mark 12:42; Luke 21:2). 4. The selling paradise is not looking for profit, but for a compassionate soul and a well-intentioned heart. Give to the poor and make God a debtor. “He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord.” And when, they say, will the borrower pay back? When? Then, when he who left wealth, houses, gold, clothes and everything else goes away naked, deprived of everything; then the borrower will repay with gratitude. Send your property there first and then go too. Don't take care of gold, you won't save it. Unknown (life expectancy); you don't know when you will die. “Like a thief in the night, death will come” (2 Peter 3:10; 1 Thess 5:2). It will come when you don’t think or expect; your wealth will remain here, and you will want a drop of water there to cool your lips, while others here will share your property. 5. So the rich man also wanted a drop of water, being in the flame, and begged Abraham, saying: “Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus” so that he may water my lips with his small finger 19, “for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). This rich man, when he lived on earth, dressed in purple, fine linen and silk; rode a chariot; His horses were beautiful, decorated with gold and silver; their feet are fortified with 20 pieces of gold; slaves ran ahead and behind. He put on gold necklaces, wrists and (various) jewelry; In general, he surrounded himself with great luxury. His dining table shone with a lot of gold and countless silver; (there was) expensive wine, pheasants, geese, waders, partridges, pigeons, chickens, hares, lambs, kids; There were a lot of cooks bustling around. They waved fans so that not a speck of dust would fall on his head, others held silver basins and clean towels to wash the ends of his fingers as he reclined. But look at the inhumanity and shame. 6. Everyone worked; so much hard work, so much trouble to satiate the belly of this one rich man. When it is filled with exquisite dishes, ivory beds, down jackets, and clean and luxurious linens are prepared for it. And if he cannot sleep due to pain in his head, some scratch his feet, others take care of the house, guard the gates and doors so that no one’s voice, noise, or (anything) like that wakes him up. Such was the luxury of this rich man. 7. There was a certain “beggar named Lazarus, who lay at the rich man’s gate covered with scabs and wanted to be fed with the crumbs falling from the rich man’s table” (Luke 16:20–21), and no one gave it to him. The rich man saw him and turned away, disdained him, spat on him, walked past him, and even treated him with hostility. This unfortunate man did not say (about the rich man) that he was the same person as me, that the same hand created us both, that he was of the same tribe and clan as me. (And the rich man) did not think of this; compassion did not awaken in him; he did not regret being abandoned in such helplessness at his gates. Seeing him in this position and the pus flowing from the members of his body, the dogs showed great compassion; running up, they cleaned this pus with their tongue, as if with a sponge, licking the wounds like skilled doctors and carefully opening their mouths so that the poison did not escape from the teeth and harm the righteous. Dogs, who do not know God and do not expect the resurrection, used the art of medicine, wanting to help the suffering poor man. And the rich man, who expected that he would appear at the Last Judgment, did not spare the poor man. 8. Do you see from here the nobility and luxury of the rich? Do you see the complete insignificance of the poor, the lack of means of subsistence? This one is glorious, this one is dishonest; he lives in luxury, this one is in a helpless state. This one, surrounded by wealth, did not remember God; this one, being in such a difficult situation, did not blaspheme. Now let's look at the fate of both in the next world. 9. It happened, it is said, that the rich man died and was carried away to eternal torment. Lazarus also died and was carried by the angels “to Abraham’s bosom” (Luke 16:22). While on fire, the rich man saw Lazarus resting in Abraham's bosom and recognized him. And he exclaimed, saying: “Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus so that he may water my lips with a small finger, “for... I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24). Where is the wealth, where is the gold, where is the silver? Where is the silver roof? Where are the many servants? Where is the spilled wine (if) it seeks and desires a drop of water? “Father Abraham! have mercy on me." Oh, poor rich man! When Lazarus lay at your gates, you did not want to know him, and now you call on Lazarus for help? “Have mercy on me.” Your request is useless. The time for mercy has passed. There is no mercy there. “For judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy” (James 2:13). Why do you ask for mercy that you yourself did not show on earth? “Father Abraham! have mercy on me and send Lazarus so that he may water my lips with a small finger, “for... I am tormented in this flame.” What finger, rich man? Whom did you not allow to participate in the meal? Then you did not want to think about hands, you abhorred (them); and now you ask me to touch your tongue? “Father Abraham! have mercy on me." How do you call him father without doing what a son should do? He is the father of those who walk in the light. There is no communication between light and darkness. Don't call him father. You are, by your cruel disposition, the son of darkness and hell. How can you call him father without having mercy on his son Lazarus? 10. The Great Patriarch did not crush him with grief, did not intensify the torment, did not strike him with words, did not reject human nature. He answered in a meek voice and with a bright face with the words: “the child... has already received good things” on earth, 22 “but Lazarus received evil things.” Therefore, “he is comforted here, but you suffer” 23. Moreover, 24 “the great chasm” is 25 “between us and you” and no one 26 among us can cross it (Luke 16:25–26). 11. Do you see the end of the rich man? Do you see the transience of luxury? Do not stop giving to the poor from what you have; never put it off until tomorrow, for “you do not know 27 what that day will bring forth” (Prov. 27:1). Why are you accumulating wealth, which, after a short time, you involuntarily leave and go mourning? You will want a drop of water there, and others here will share your wealth, not remembering your name. Often your heirs dig up your bones, cursing you. Send your property in advance there, into an endless age. The local Lord delivers your property there for free. Here, if you want to transport your wealth from one city to another, you must hire carts, hired camels, mules, and armed guards so that any worthless people who attack along the way do not plunder your wealth. And if you want to transport your wealth to the next world, you don’t have to worry, don’t make expenses, don’t be subjected to violence, don’t even leave your house. You sit in the city in complete peace; a beggar comes to your door, wanting to transfer your wealth to that never-ending age. And you don’t have the disposition to give him even one obol? Come to your senses, man, if you want to have lasting wealth. Give it into the hands of the poor and you will find a warm welcome there. Do not be afraid that beggars are unreliable; the rich and well-meaning serve as a guarantee. “He who gives to the poor lends to the Lord.” 12. Let us fear the day on which the Master of the House will call laborers to gather grain and put the grain in barns and burn the straw in unquenchable fire. The Lord is the Lord, the workers are His angels, gathering the whole world for judgment at that hour and that day. They will gather the righteous into eternal villages, which the ascended Lord has prepared, and sinners - for eternal fire. Let us therefore, through works of mercy, become ripe wheat in order to enter the eternal mansions (according to the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ 28, with whom to the Father and the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor and worship forever and ever. Amen. Conversation 4. About ten thousand talents and ten denarii and about forbearance Bless, father! The blessed Apostle Paul, the vessel of election, who had Christ speaking within him, in his letter to the Romans said: “The night is past, but the day of salvation is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness and put on the weapons of light. Let us conduct ourselves decently as in the day" (Rom. 13:12-13). Therefore, we, brethren, will make an effort, offer up fervent prayers to the Lord, shed hot tears, constantly condemn what we have done (of course, the bad), present our wounds as to a doctor, show spiritual ulcers, seek healing from him, curb and eradicate the passions that darken the mind, so as not to be overwhelmed by the desire for wealth, not to bear a grudge against our neighbor and not have a hostile disposition towards other people. God does not disdain and turn away from anything so much as a vindictive person who constantly carries in his soul enmity towards his neighbor. Such is the destructiveness of this sin that it also removes God’s love for mankind. And so that you understand this, I want to remind you of the parable in the Gospel about the servant who received the forgiveness of ten thousand talents from the landlord, when he fell at his feet and persistently asked (Matthew 18:26). “The sovereign, having mercy on that servant, left him 29 and forgave him the debt” 30 (Matthew 18:27). Do you see the Lord’s mercy? Falling down, he asked for a deferment of his debt. “Be patient,” he says, “and I will give you everything” (Matthew 18:26). But the gracious Master, caring and humane, touched by the requests, did for the slave not only what he asked, but also what he did not think about. This is His usual way of acting - to always overcome and forestall our requests. While he asked for a reprieve and promised to pay the entire debt, which overcomes our sins through goodness, having mercy, “let him go and forgave him the debt” (Matthew 18:27). Do you see what the slave asked for and how much the Master gave him? Pay attention to the great cruelty of that. After such philanthropy and unspeakable good deeds were shown to him, he should have become more compassionate towards others; and yet he discovered the opposite of this. “Having come out,” it is said, the one who was forgiven ten thousand talents... Listen, please, carefully, since what happened to him can be repeated with us and will dispose us to remove this disastrous mood from our souls. So he “went out and found one of his companions 31 who owed him a hundred denarii” (Matthew 18:28). Look what a difference it makes. Here the debtor is a fellow servant and (he owes) one hundred denarii 32 . There is both the Lord and ten thousand talents 33; and yet, hearing requests and pleas, he forgave. And he, “grabbing him, strangled him, saying: give me what you owe.” And what? “Then his companion fell at his feet, 34 begging him and speaking” (Matthew 18:28–29). Look how the evangelist repeats the same word: “his fellow servant” not without intention, but so that we can see from this that there was no difference between them, and at the same time he used the same request as he did in relation to the Master, saying: “Have patience with me, and I will give you everything. But he, it is said, went away and put him in prison until he repaid the debt” (Matthew 18:29-30). What great cruelty! Having such a good deed fresh in his memory, he did not rise to the thought of compassion, but first “strangled” him, and then “put him in prison.” But look what happens. “His comrades,” it is said, “seeing what had happened, were very upset and, when they came, they told their sovereign everything that had happened” (Matthew 18:31). Not the one (said) who suffered - how could he (speak) being imprisoned? - but the fellow servants, who had not suffered any offense, became sad, as if offended, and went and reported everything. Look then at the indignation. “Then calling him,” it is said, “he says to him: “You are an evil servant.” From this it is undoubtedly clear how disastrous rancor is. When he was arraigning the ten thousand talents, he did not call him evil, but now, when he turned out to be cruel to his fellow servant, he says: “I forgave you all that debt, because you begged me” (Matthew 18:32). See how his excessive anger shows. Didn't he say you received more? Was it not after your naked words that I, heeding your request, forgave all that large and excessive debt. Shouldn't you also have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had mercy on you? What kind of leniency, he says, can you deserve? I forgave, he says, such a large debt as a result of a simple verbal request, but you did not have mercy on a slave like you, did not move, did not remember what I had done for you, did not show compassion for him, but appeared merciless and cruel, did not want to have mercy on a fellow servant. Now find out in practice what harm you have caused to yourself. “And his sovereign became angry and handed him over to the torturers” (Matthew 18:34) Look how he gets angry for being cruel to his neighbor and betrays him to the torturers; What he did not do before, when he was subject to liability for such a debt, he orders to do. “He gave him over to the torturers until he paid him back the entire debt,” until he returned the ten thousand talents that had already been forgiven him. Great and unspeakably God’s love for mankind! When He carried out the proceedings, He forgave, since (he) made a request. And when he saw that he was cruel and inhumane in relation to his fellow servant, he took back his good deed, showing him by his very deed that he had harmed not so much him as himself. And just as he threw him into prison until he paid off his debt, so He handed him over to the tormentors until he returned everything he owed. This, brethren, is not about talents and denarii, but about the fact that we, guilty before the Master for many sins, receive forgiveness from Him because of His inexpressible love for mankind. And if in relation to fellow slaves who have the same origin and the same nature, we turn out to be cruel and inhumane, we do not forgive the insults inflicted on us, but demand punishment for these unimportant offenses, then we arouse the wrath of the Master and are punished for the debt that was previously forgiven to us. As far as one hundred denarii is from ten thousand talents, so great is the difference between our sins before God and the misdeeds of our neighbors towards us. And so that we know for sure that the Master brought this parable for our spiritual benefit, listen to what He added next: “So also My Heavenly Father will do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins” (Matthew 18:35). The benefit of the parable is great if we are careful. What can we let go of to the extent that the Master lets us go? And we release slaves like us if we want to fulfill this, and we ourselves receive forgiveness from the Master. Pay attention to accuracy in words. He didn’t say: “if you don’t forgive people’s sins”; And what? “If each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart his sins.” See how He wants our very heart to have peace and tranquility, so that our mind is not darkened, but free from passion, so that we show great kindness towards our neighbors. The same thing is said in another place: “For if you forgive people their trespasses, your Heavenly Father will also forgive you” (Matthew 6:14). Let us therefore not think, when we do this, that we are benefiting another or that we are showing him great mercy: we ourselves benefit from the benefit and derive great benefit from it for ourselves; just as, if we don’t do it, we will not cause much harm to others, but we will prepare a terrible punishment for ourselves in Gehenna. Thinking about this, let us therefore, I earnestly ask you, not bear any grudge or harbor hostility towards those who have caused us sadness or inflicted some kind of offense. Remembering what kind of benefit the Master brings to us in reconciliation with those who have offended us, that first of all it leads to the forgiveness of our sins, let us hasten and force ourselves, with this benefit in mind, to show the same kindness to those who have offended us as to true benefactors. If we think sensibly, then those who are truly disposed towards us and try to serve us in every possible way can bring us not so much benefit as caring for those (i.e., those who offend us), which makes us worthy of the highest grace and eases the severity of our sins. Consider, beloved, how great this virtue is, on the basis of the rewards that God of all kinds promised to those who acquired it. Having said: “love your enemies, bless... those who persecute you, pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:44; Luke 6:28), He, in view of the greatness of this commandment, reaching the very pinnacle (perfection), added: “that you may be like your Father in heaven, for He commands His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). If, to the best of human ability, a merciful person who not only does not take revenge on those who offend him, but also tries to pray for them, becomes like God, then what benefits will he not receive? Let us not, through negligence, deprive ourselves of these gifts and unspeakable rewards, but let us make every effort to fulfill this and, curbing our thoughts, learn to follow the commandments of God. For this reason, I gave you this admonition and set out a parable, showed the greatness of this matter and the benefits arising from it for us, so that each of us who currently has a hostile feeling would try to replace it with a good disposition. And let no one say that I tried once or twice (towards reconciliation), but was not successful. If we do this sincerely, we will continue until, through long-term efforts, we defeat (the enemy) and attract him to ourselves. It is not to him that we show any kindness; we receive the fruit of a good deed; We attract God's favor and through this we acquire great boldness before the Master. If we fulfill this, then with a clear conscience we will be able to pronounce the words of prayer during (the performance of) the terrible sacrament: “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). If we neglect this, then how will this not serve as a reason for condemnation for us who act contrary to the words (of the Lord)? To dare in vain and to utter the words of prayer in vain does not mean to increase the flame for ourselves and arouse the wrath of the Lord? I rejoice and am glad, seeing with pleasure that you listen to the teaching and by applauding you show your readiness to fulfill the Lord’s commandment by deed. This is medicine for your souls; this is medicine for your wounds; this is the best way; This is the greatest indicator of a God-loving soul to arrange everything according to the law of the Lord, and not to retreat back at the suggestion of weak thoughts, but to become above passions. Therefore, let everyone do this worthy deed; let him take care of the greatest treasure and do not miss the opportunity (to acquire it), even if he had to work, search, even if he had to go a long way, even if he encountered any difficulties: overcoming all such obstacles, let him strive for one thing: how to fulfill what God has commanded and receive a reward for obedience. I know that it is difficult and difficult to go to someone who is completely hostile, to be with him and have a conversation; but if you think about the dignity of the Commander, and about the greatness of the reward, and about the fact that the fruit of a good deed does not go to him, then everything will become easy and convenient. Having all this in our thoughts, let us overcome our usual disposition (toward our enemies) and, out of a sense of piety, let us become fulfillers of Christ’s commandments in order to receive rewards from Him, by the grace and love of our Lord Jesus Christ, with whom to the Father with the Holy Spirit be glory, power, honor and worship, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Conversation 5. To those who highly value real blessings and strive in vain for worldly luxury For angels, heaven is a place of joy, and for believers, instead of heaven, there is one corresponding refuge - the Church, which gives joy to souls in listening to sacred chants. Mary, who clung to such hearing, was pleased by the one who bestowed (us) blessedness: “Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:42). One pious teaching serves as a good refuge for us during life and as a guide to the Judge after death; and the acquisition of everything else is unreliable not only because it ceases with death, but also because even before death there are countless everyday ruins. Like the sea we swim across real life, which is overwhelmed by the strongest blows of the waves. Wealth does not enjoy complete tranquility; being often carried along with its owners by a favorable wind, it dies from a sudden storm of (various) misfortunes. The throne does not represent an unshakable height of power; Suddenly, dangerous hurricanes break out and completely destroy prosperity. And health is not an immutable gift; he is at risk of harm from unexpected illnesses. The happy state is destroyed in various ways; a person (in this respect) is like a tree: today he has an attractive, blooming appearance, and tomorrow he is deprived of it, like a tree bare of leaves. When you examine what has a flourishing life, you will not find anything that does not contain the germ of destruction. This is how the Creator arranged our life, weakening (through this) the desire of those who are devoted to earthly things; He combined the brilliance of life with weakness, so that when you are captivated by the beauty of earthly objects, He will destroy the expected happiness. In the present age you are made a traveler, not a master; we walk through this world, use it as a hotel. Just as travelers, having rested for a short time in an inn, set off on a further journey, so while making a journey in this life, having not lived long, as in an inn, we leave our local home. God has prepared another life for us, and He has arranged this life as a path leading to this (future) life, appointing the use of creatures as a means for completing this path. When we go through this path, the wealth of everything created does not accompany us, because of what we had, we had nothing of our own. Firstly, the clothing that we wear as our own was (acquired) by us through the sacrifice of sheep 35; the shoes with which we cover our feet were made from the skin of livestock; what constitutes food and drink we get from the bowels of the earth; hence the gold that we hide as our own; Kings also take pearls out of shells. We live and grow rich from the gifts of others. Give the sheep a wave, and there will be nothing to cover the body with; give the skin to the cattle, and you will not have proper covering for your feet; return the silk threads to the worms, and you will not wear your silk clothes. You will not have anything of your own, even the smallest, if you do not acquire it from the nurse-earth in the ways that please her. Pointing to this, Christ said: “And if you have not been faithful in what belongs to others, who will give you what is yours” (Luke 16:12)? When acquiring wealth from livestock and land, do not be proud of what is not yours as if it were your own. You are the owner of only one property - piety; death will not take it away from you; you will lose everything else, even if you didn’t want it; Only to support life do we all receive property and, moreover, only the use of it; everyone, having collected the fruits, leaves, taking away a short memory from life. This is the end of all prosperity; This is the conclusion (of using) worldly goods. After various possessions and many talents of gold, we inherit a cramped and stinking tomb. Indeed, “For all flesh is like grass, and all the glory of men is like the flower of the grass” (Is. 40:6; 1 Pet. 1:24). A slight fever will occur and upset your flourishing health; from the art side medicines are offered; entering invisibly into the fight against them, death gradually intensifies and takes possession of the patient; seeing in front of him an inexorable executioner and a soul forced to leave, with a groan he turns his head this way and that, looking around (around) with tear-stained eyes, but from nowhere (there is no) strong help: neither the servants surrounding the bed save the sick person, nor the tears of friends do not appease death, nor gold cancels the call to the Judge. Death is an incorruptible executioner; does not have hands obedient to gold; does not sell the dead for a high price; she guards all (them) in coffins, as in dungeons. If you look at the remaining bones, you will mourn the vanity of life with even more bitter tears. The face turned to ash, blacker than soot; the eyes sank, rotting; the mouth is open and often serves as a passage for reptiles. But why stop at each member? As a result of damage, worms take over the entire body, like some kind of enemy, and diligently explore the flesh, nerves and veins. It is not in vain that a child, when born, begins to cry, and not laugh, as if complaining about life, which it begins by partaking of mortal gifts. As soon as he is born, his hands and feet are swaddled; swaddled, it receives the breast, as if the beginning of life were the harbinger of death. As soon as the child comes of age, the clothes of the dead are immediately brought to him 36 . Nature reminds those born of the end. That’s why what was born cries, with tears as if saying to the mother: why, oh, mother, did she give birth to me for this life, in which the further you live, the closer you are to death? What did not bring me into this troubled age unborn 37 . What (points) to me the beginning, which is the swaddling cloth? Why did you bring me to a life in which pitiful youth fades before old age and old age is avoided as leading to death? Terrible, oh mother, is the field of life, for those traveling along which death is the turning point. The path of life is difficult for travelers, where they find refuge in a coffin. We are sailing on the cruel sea of ​​life, on which hell operates like a thief. But am I portraying life as evil? This would be a disease similar to madness; I only testify that there is no need to become attached to this life as if it were temporary. Pointing to this misery of life, Paul also depicted the nature of the creature as sighing. “For we know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now” (Rom. 8:22). The whole creation is filled with sadness; If you make a thorough examination of everything, you will find groaning in every creation. First of all, a groan arises from people bearing the grave consequences of damage. Together with the people, the earth, which has received a curse because of us, groans. The sea is crying, created by God at first beautiful, and after sin became a grave for many. The sun also has a sad appearance, illuminating those who do not see its Creator. The stars and the moon groan, because they, showing with their consonant movements the Creator of this consent, do not convince people (of this). Livestock is not left without lamentation, which not only suffers in inexorable slavery to us, but in hidden places is slain in vain for the demons. General crying from everywhere (depicts) the state of real sad life; The prophet appropriately called him a ghost: “Indeed, all is vanity,” he says, “every man who lives, a man walks like a ghost” (Ps 39:6–7). And see the truth of this saying by carefully considering human life. Just as in a picture the king (is represented) sitting on a throne decorated with gold, the cities present (him) multi-colored gifts, the hand of the king accepts what is offered, but all this, which appears to the eye, is a shadow and only appearance and, as soon as the canvas is torn, turns out to be a ghost - in the same way, human nature sits in life: as in a picture, like some king, and accepts the offerings of the sea and land, as gifts from the cities, and when her life is torn apart, like a canvas, all the beauty of the life that she had will disappear. One of all human blessings, the greatest, is the humility of a contrite heart, always thinking about the day of death, on which we, emerging naked from this worldly sea, will see monuments proclaiming the creatures’ exploits. If you like, I'll give an example of this. Some people sailed on the same ship and, sailing together on the sea, committed various thefts from each other. Seeing this clearly, the helmsman did not yet investigate this theft; but when he saw that the ship was approaching the pier, he ordered that all the people leave the ship undressed, and then he found everyone’s stolen item lying in the ship. This example applies, in my opinion, to life. Instead of the sea, life is before us; the ship for sailing forms the creation; He has God as his pilot and accepts all kinds of goods consisting of (human) affairs. If anyone traded worthless things, they will be put on the ship of peace; and if you led a well-ordered life, then what you have done will be kept until the day of judgment. Then, when the dock of death approaches, the helmsman takes us out of the earthly ship, and a solemn judgment awaits everyone’s deeds. Therefore, let us sail blamelessly on the sea of ​​life; Let us gain as a testimony the doing of good deeds; let us reject the shadow-like shine of the present; let us free our hearts from the pleasures peculiar to mortals; Let us avoid activities that lead to death; Let us not bind our souls with earthly ties; let us despise the fleeting glory of mortals; like a flower that quickly fades, let us not become attached to temporary well-being; As we complete our life’s journey, we will lead a life leading to heaven, inspired by prayer, and we will be worthy of the “honor of the high calling of God in Christ” (Phil. 3:14), to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Having previously offered you a conversation about fasting and explained to the best of our ability its benefits, and again in a conversation about baptism we have tested your love of listening, today we want to talk about prayer and explain what its power and benefits are for those who perform it. I ask you to listen intelligently and fearing God, giving the words the correct meaning. (The commandment of prayer) is truly the greatest and most ancient; she became the mother of all commandments, giving birth to all divine commandments. Can a person praying despise his neighbor - the poor - in order to make his prayer work useless? Who (among those who pray) can be so attached to wealth and property that he only causes his body vain labor, leaving his heart somewhere in captivity? The disease of covetousness is similar to that incurable and criminal (disease) that does not lead to quick death and does not give complete health, but little by little deprives the body of its strength until it, exhausted by the wounds that appear inside, after countless sufferings, is given over to the common sad fate of death. Who who loves prayer can neglect fasting, knowing from Scripture itself that fasting and prayer deliver from death (Tov.12:8-9)? And it is especially impossible to sincerely call on the Lord for someone who is devoted to overeating and drunkenness. “Be careful, 38,” he says, “so that your hearts are not burdened with gluttony and drunkenness” (Luke 21:34), because the evaporation of too much food, (acting) on ​​the brain area, darkens the ability to think, leading the heart into confusion. Thus, prayer is truly the initial beginning of all commandments, from which each of them rushes to the corresponding action. The greatest good is prayer and conversation with God; it is communion and union with God. Just as the bodily eyes, seeing the light, are illuminated, so the soul, rushing towards God, is illuminated by His ineffable, shining light. This is a prayer not only in appearance, but sent from the heart, not determined by certain times and number of hours, but performed incessantly, night and day. It is not only those who retire for prayer that need to intensely direct their thoughts towards God; and those engaged in any business or care for the poor, or other necessary items, or useful charity, should add to this the desire and remembrance of God, so that, being dissolved with love for God, like salt, they become the most acceptable bread to the Lord of all. We can gain lifelong benefits from it by devoting most of our time to it. Prayer is the light of the soul, true knowledge of God, a mediator between God and people, a doctor of passions, a medicine against illnesses, peace of the soul, a heavenly guide, not revolving around the earth, but going to the very vault of heaven. She rushes above creatures, spiritually cuts the air, goes above the air, passes through hosts of stars, opens the gates of heaven, ascends above angels, passes by thrones and dominions, goes further than cherubim and, rising above all creation, approaches the impregnable Trinity. There he worships the Divine, there he is honored to be an interlocutor with the heavenly King. Through it, the soul, having ascended to heaven, embraces the Lord with inexpressible embraces, like a child with its mother, it prays with tears, asking for divine nourishment, expresses its desires and receives gifts that are superior to all visible nature. Prayer is the sacred messenger; it cheers the heart, calms the soul, arouses the fear of punishment and the desire for the heavenly kingdom, teaches humility, brings knowledge of sin; in a word, it adorns a person with everything good, covering the soul with various virtues, like a multi-colored veil. She also gave Samuel to Anna (1 Samuel 1:11) and made him the prophet of the Lord. She also made Elijah a zealot for the Lord (1 Kings 18:36–37); through the heavenly fire sent down on the sacrifice, he became the leader (of his people). After the priests of Baal had been calling on the idol all day, he, calling out from a pure heart, calling out with his heart and lips, brought down fire from heaven. (Here is) evidence of true prayer! Like an eagle, descending on the victim, he absorbed everything with invisible force. This was done by the great servant of God and zealot Elijah, leading us through what was then to spiritual (understanding), so that we, crying out to God from the heart, would ask for the ineffable fire of the Spirit on the altar of our soul and through this become a perfect sacrifice to the Lord. Prayer gave Israel Moses a lawgiver-intercessor before God and erected monuments for the Israelites of victories over their enemies (Ex. 17:11-15). Through prayer, Joshua, the son of Nun, stopped the greatest and most brilliant star in the sky, the sun, which was already in the middle of the firmament, in the same place throughout the day (Joshua 10:12-13). And the Lord showed the seniority of this commandment over others by the fact that, moving away from cities, villages and from his own disciples, he remained for the sake of prayer in deserted places (Luke 5:16, 9:10), so that, beyond the noise and human confusion, in silence he would engage in it with complete animation, at the same time teaching us that the one who preaches the gospel of this kingdom needs to choose deserted places, doing this in solitude. Through prayer, the great host of the apostles was also honored to receive the Comforter on this day (Acts 2:4), as a result of which a conversation about it is offered to you today. While the body remains on earth, prayer carries the soul to a heavenly source and, by drinking from it, opens in the soul “a fountain of water flowing into eternal life” (John 4:14). It gives true assurance of the future, bringing better than faith knowledge of the blessings prepared there, reveals hidden, invisible, secret treasures, shows you the enemy, defeats the ranks of opponents, destroys enemy forces and leads to the King himself. When I speak, do not understand only the words (prayers). This is a desire for God, unspeakable love; it is accomplished not by human forces alone, but by divine grace, as the apostle says: “For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings that cannot be expressed” (Rom. 8:26). If the Lord gives such a prayer to someone, then this is an inalienable wealth and heavenly food that satiates the soul; whoever tasted this food acquired eternal love for the Lord, (having accepted) as if a strong flame warming his heart. Performing it in accordance with the prototype, decorate your house with meekness and humility, illuminate it with the light of justice; make your home glorious with good deeds, as a sign of honor; instead of walls and stone, let him flaunt faith and generosity. And especially when building a house, add prayer, like a roof, to make your house completely ready for the Master and to receive the Lord, as in a glorious royal house, and, like a precious treasure, to have Him in the church of the soul, according to His grace, because to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. Conversation 7. In response to the words: “every sin that a person commits is outside the body” (1 Cor. 6:18) The terrible trumpet of the apostolic teaching, in many other respects appropriately arranging the battle order of a pious life, especially warns against disastrous carnal lust and in conclusion establishes the following military rule: “flee,” he says, “fornication; Every sin that a man commits is outside the body” (1 Cor. 6:18). In ordinary wars, warriors arrange their battle formation in such a way that they either advance directly (towards the enemy) or deviate to the side. And spiritual warfare is also fought through opposition and sidestepping. Knowing this, Paul, a leader in the matter of piety, leads the army using both methods. He either advises standing still, saying: “Stand therefore, having your loins girded with truth” (Eph. 6:14), then he advises using flight as a way of waging war: “flee fornication.” If there is a war with unbelief, it is useful to come out with a refutation. If the attack of deceit threatens, careful observation is useful in combating it. If the attack is slander, confronting the lie directly is appropriate. And if a prodigal image attacks, it is good to show your rear and turn your face in the other direction, because fornication especially acts through the eyes and (therefore) you need to remember the leader’s instruction: “flee fornication.” Compared to other bad deeds, it contains something especially intolerant. Other types of sin do not seem to affect the body of those who do them, and what is done is limited to those who are affected. Thus, during thefts, harm is caused only to those who are robbed; with strong envy, suffering falls on those who are envied; with slander, if it finds faith, danger threatens equally those who are slandered; with daring murders, misfortune befalls the one who was subjected to this. If anyone examines the commission of all lawless deeds, he will find that those who commit them receive benefit, and those on whom they are committed suffer a loss. Fornication does not know this distinction, does not separate the actions of the sufferer from the performer, but exposes them to common reproach, uniting them with bonds of filth. Selfish people, causing damage to another, do not themselves suffer a loss, but fornicators who defile the body cannot help but become defiled along with the desecrated. Murderers who commit murder are not killed along with those killed, and fornicators who corrupt the flesh are not clean from filth. And pay attention with me to Paul’s wise word: “flee fornication.” Why? “Every sin that a person commits is outside the body,” that is, it does not harm the nature of the body, does not violate the mutual relationship of its members, is not associated with desecration of the body, and is committed without harm to the body that committed it. “But a fornicator sins against his own body,” not like a murderer, who, by injuring the body of another, preserves his own body intact; not like a covetous man, who, while injuring another, does not harm his own body. In spite of this, the fornicator destroys himself, piercing himself with the arrow of reproach. A thief decides to sin in order to feed his body, and a fornicator commits robbery on his own flesh. A covetous person is attracted to someone else's thirst for profit, and fornication is a loss of purity of the body. The slanderer is aroused by passion for the glory of another, and the fornicator himself becomes the author of dishonor. What is more inglorious than the burden of fornication? Although all sinful slavery is inglorious, dishonors the nobility of the soul, the fornicator is the most dishonest slave of sin, who is ordered to scoop up dirt, collect sewage in a heap, serve a dirty business, wallow in the mire of pleasure, engage in shamelessness, and have a body no different from a rag. Is there any difference between a wimp and a fornicator? He broke away from piety in its totality. In the paths of sin he is subjected to daily rot; like a useless rag, discarded; he lies trampled upon by all demons; the devil pours his rottenness into him. No less than this internal state of the fornicator is his unfortunately well-known open position: he is avoided in houses, he is shunned at meetings; for loved ones it is a disgrace, for enemies a subject of reproach, for relatives a shame, for those living together a subject of a curse, for parents a dishonor, for servants a funny sight, for neighbors a subject of conversation; when he wants to get married, he is refused; after marriage he becomes a suspicious spouse, a father hated by his children, a despised adviser, unpleasant when he gives (to others), even more unpleasant when he asks; seen from afar, it becomes a burden; when he is sick, he is even more unhappy; when he dies, he is even more dishonest. Seeing in fornication the source of so much evil and pointing out the victorious remedy against it in flight, Paul rightly exclaimed: “flee fornication.” This appeal of Paul reminded me today of the wise youth who triumphed over Egyptian fornication through flight, although many things inclined the youth to this: age, prone to pleasure, the yoke of slavery, the loving caresses of his mistress, constant conversation, a secret voluptuous invitation to union. “It happened 39 one day that Joseph entered the house to do his work, and none of the household was there in the house; she grabbed him by the robe 40 his mistress 41 and said, “Lie with me” (Gen. 39:11-12). The great virtue of chastity. The slave made the mistress a slave; a request was addressed to him, and this one asked: “lie with me.” The arrow of fornication blazed, but did not find a ready victim in the soul; She hit the clothes, holding which the shameless whore said: “Lie with me.” It roars with the dissatisfaction of carnal lust, but (with this) it rather closes the ears of the chaste. She said: “lie with me,” and chastity, contrary to this, said to the young man: stay awake with me; and in fact he showed vigilance: firmness did not bow to temptation, seductive speech did not lull the mind; the sobriety of chastity did not weaken, did not faint before the attack, was not caught by the beauty of the view, was not crushed by the caressing words of love; the voice of the caressing mistress was heavier for him than scolding: “lie with me.” The devil stood ready as a matchmaker for fornication and kept the clothes with the fornicator and participated in the attacks she made; he did not know that he was fighting with a skilled chastity fighter, skillfully repelling attacks. “Leaving,” it says, “his clothes in her hands 42, he ran and ran out naked 43” (Gen. 39:12). O nakedness, most holy garment! What (does) the fury of Egyptian unbridledness? She attributes her evil deed to Joseph and, having come to her husband, says: “The Hebrew servant, whom you brought to us, came to me to mock me [and said to me, your wife, who has chastely guarded your bed until now: I will lie with you], but when [he heard that] I raised a cry and screamed, he left his clothes with me and ran away” (Gen. 39:17-18 ). Again he is being slandered because of his clothes. In the past, the brothers, having taken his tunic, maliciously said that he had been eaten by a beast; Now, having grabbed the tunic herself, she slandered him as a fornicator. The voice of the Master befits Joseph: “They divide My garments among themselves and cast lots for My clothing” (Ps. 21:19). The history of chastity is pleasant for the host of chaste people, but difficult for bodily weakness. God justly gave Joseph power. Before the temptations, he did not glorify Joseph, but showed the future through dreams, teaching that he was preparing glory for the righteous in advance, and allowed temptations to test the young man, stopping the mouths of those who blamed him. If Joseph had not presented evidence, those who love to blame could have said: this happened due to blind chance. And did Joseph rule the Egyptians? Did the young man own the barbarians? What virtue was he distinguished by? Why did he get this? So that they do not say this about the righteous, God, warning this, subjects him to tests, so that this will serve as a testimony to the righteous and to stop the mouths of those who slander. Therefore, let us avoid the wounds caused by prodigal beauty, let us close our eyes to what arouses voluptuous desires; let all disorderly pleasures be consigned to shame; let chastity protect the flesh, let purity live in the members; Let us attune ourselves to noble thoughts, let us shine with the deeds of the world, let us adorn ourselves with a pure life; Let us keep the body clean, the church of the Spirit’s habitation; We will make an inscription on it containing a terrible threat to the dissolute: “If anyone destroys the church of God, God will punish him” (1 Cor. 3:17). I would not want to be separated from you even for a short time. What is more pleasant for a father than to be with his beloved sons? But since the word of piety calls for struggle, then, sending out prayers for help, it is necessary to go to the church arena 44. But I ask your love for one thing: maintain church decorum; overcome confusion with generosity; After a short time, order will be restored; do not be troubled by rumors, do not believe rantings, accompany us with prayers, so that, being strengthened by your prayers, we can, aided by the power of God, say: “I can do all things through Jesus Christ who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13), to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. Conversation 8. That a virtuous soul is most precious Repeatedly reflecting on the blessings of life that I have, finding creation everywhere filled with many blessings, reflecting on the countless blessings given to the (human) race, I do not find a higher good than the beauty of the soul - nothing else more consistent with human nature. What wealth is so becoming to humanity as the wealth of pious hopes? Who can be so famous for power as for reason, which has honor with the Lord of all? What pleasure from luxury can compare with that given by a consciousness nourished by life-giving knowledge? Whatever good you point to, you will not find one that glorifies man so much as divinely inspired reason. The dumb also participate with us in all other benefits; Thus, the pleasure of the sun's ray is pleasant, but it is also characteristic of cattle; distributing food gives pleasure, but it is not alien to those; the gifts of beauty are kind, but you will find that birds also shine with beauty; the gift of strength is glorious, but this advantage also belongs to oxen; collecting wealth is desirable for many, but it is known that shells are also rich in pearl treasures. Not one of our physical virtues is alien to the nature of the dumb, not one of our bodily properties is worse than theirs. In one thing only they are inferior to us, in one thing only we defeat them. Which one exactly? The virtue of reason: through it a person becomes close to God, through the mind (he is close) to the Lord of existence; with his thinking power he disposes of what has been created; the ability of observation explores the sky; subjugates with understanding; with wisdom he overcomes the dangers of the stormy sea; with forethought it maintains the existing order, with knowledge it indicates (the meaning of) phenomena; owns the beauty of the existing, like the Creator. Pointing to this at the beginning, God said about us: “Let us make man in our image” (Gen. 1:26). The honor of the image is both terrible and humane: terrible because it is the image of a striking Prototype - the danger is not small, lest someone stain the image with the impurity of sin; but philanthropic, as a great and undeserved gift that the Creator prepared for us before our origin. So, “let us create,” he says, “in our image.” We are given honor before creation. Giving existence to each of the existing (creations, God) used the power of the commander, he created all visible nature through commands, saying commandingly to the non-existent: “let there be light...; let there be firmament...; let there be lights in the firmament of heaven [to illuminate the earth and]...; let the water bring forth living things, living creatures...; let the earth produce living creatures according to their kinds, livestock and creeping things and wild beasts of the earth according to their kinds” (Gen. 1:3, 6, 14, 20, 24). When man was about to be created, (God) appeared not commanding, but self-acting, did not allow what was created to happen without His special participation, but observed the origin of man; He did not say to the earth: destroy man. As if he could not create man alone, he called for partners in this creation and, as if in need of helpers, exclaimed: “Let us create.” God did not need to think about the method of creation and did not use assistants in creation, but by the way of reflection and assistance he shows that he creates an expensive and very important race (of creatures). In this honor there is hidden for (our) race some guidance towards piety. He deprived all creation of the idolatry 45 which he had bestowed on the image of His dominion, since everything that has the image of a king is considered great. Let us repeat (God said): “Let us make man in our image”; and foreseeing ingratitude, he did not weaken his love: the sun should not have stopped shining for the sake of the blind who do not see the sunlight. Therefore, foreseeing the fall, he showed philanthropy; seeing the future, he did not take away the honor; while providing for self-will, he did not deprive him of grace, so that when time had weaned him from insatiability, this would serve God as the basis for a second, initially eternal gift. To correct gluttony, death is a threat. To the one who goes to the grave in a short time, what is the use of the vast creation? For those who pass through life as a path, it is foolish to burden oneself with immeasurable weight. Indeed, we have life as a path, and not as a fatherland, as the Lord called it in the Gospel: “Make peace with your adversary quickly, while you are still on the way with him” (Matthew 5:25). It is fair to call life a path: life, like the path, is measured by distances; it is a temporary hotel for rich and poor, a short-term rest for those passing through. “Our days are passing away like a shadow” (Job 8:9, 1 Chronicles 29:15). Where are the first years of our life? Gone like a passing shadow; we passed quickly, like some ghost. How much longer do we have to live? Imagine the desired many years, a hundred-year life; if you want, multiply the years three times, and still you will not find immutability in anything related to this life, even if it were distinguished by wealth, surrounded by luxury, even if it shone with the height of a throne, even if it was accompanied by some other everyday splendor. Everything is like the withering of flowers, everything gives way to crying, being perishable, and blooms only for a while, as it is in a constant struggle with dangers. Wealth is threatened by robbery; luxury is endangered by disease, power by revolutions; and struggling with various dangers, exhausted by countless worries, awaits death - an indestructible enemy, not connected with a place, not tempted by gifts, inexorable with tears, a sudden predator: who yesterday (lived) in wealth, today suddenly - in a coffin; whoever was at a luxurious feast yesterday is on the list of the dead today; who was on the throne yesterday, the next day - in burial shrouds; who yesterday (was surrounded) by flatterers, not long later - by worms. Where is the joy from the number of wallets (with gold)? Where is the boasting about the income received? Where is the difference between rich and poor after death? Where is the difference between a king and a beggar? The successor of both is death; the end of both is death; except for funeral clothes, no one (nothing) accompanies. “It is a great gain,” he says, “to be pious and content. For we have brought nothing into the world; It is clear that we cannot take anything out of it” (1 Tim. 6:6–7). The reasoning of a satisfied person is undeniable that nothing acquired will go with the owners: “we can’t bear anything,” he says. What, he says, will you take with you that you didn’t bring? Why do you hold back what is not in your power? What goes beyond “contentment” is of no use to those who have acquired it. What a man gathers will be used for clothing and for his food, and the rest will be inherited by those who live. We die, owners with wills, refusing according to them what we are not able to take; what cannot be kept, we think to leave, so, however, that if it is possible to keep, then we do not yield to another. This meaning of the will shows its beginning: if, it says, I am alive, then I will own my property. He writes a will, saying a prayer and transferring (his property), and prays to God so that what is said in the will does not happen: and if I am alive, I will own my (property). And when we give up the ghost, we do not abandon our attachment to property. And if, as they say, the usual fate of people befalls me, then I wish there were heirs. There will be an heir, even if you don’t want it; nature forced you, even against your will, to have heirs. Even if you did not appoint heirs to your property, the property will find heirs; If you didn’t leave it to anyone, you cannot take away what you have acquired. I’m not saying that making a will is a bad thing - and the prophet inspires a person: “Make a will for your house, for you will die and not recover” (Is. 38:1), but I condemn our orders about earthly things because we consider the property transferred by one to another to be more valuable than the non-transferable. It is absolutely “a great acquisition to be pious”: it is not subject to succession by death, is not distributed by written wills, does not leave the one who acquired it, and is not inherited by others. The God-fearing one is his own ark, he himself is the heir of his own wealth, departs with the treasure of piety, is carried with the wealth of hopes, carries acquired virtues while traveling, finds heaven (his) home, joins the host of the righteous, enjoys the eternal glory of the kingdom and comes boldly to the King, crying: You have restored to me my inheritance! This is what Christians strive for; to be born is a great bliss because someone will be rewarded with a divine spectacle that surpasses imagination: a sudden resurrection of the dead, an extraordinary change in the earth, trumpets awakening those who have died for centuries, the righteous flying through the air, truly angelic rejoicings, the descent of the Lord to earth in the face of the universe. Oh, how extraordinary will be the cry of those who passionately loved Him when they come out to meet Him: remember, Lord, how we walked before You in truth and did what was pleasing to You, and when they cry out, they will immediately hear the voice: “I know those who are Mine, and those who are Mine know Me” (John 10:14). Therefore, let us leave our great concern for everyday things, lighten our souls from earthly burdens, turn our thoughts to the future, preserve the dignity of the royal image under the precious cover of virtue; appointed to rule over everyday things, we will not turn royal power into slavery; Before all wealth, let us seek the Giver of wealth, since “the rich are poor and hungry, but those who seek the Lord will not be deprived of any good” (Ps. 33:11). To him be glory forever and ever. Amen. Conversation 9. In response to the words: “Keep in mind the Apostle 46 and the High Priest 47 of our confession, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to Him who 48 appointed Him” (Heb. 3:1-2) Every time I intend to turn to the teaching of piety, realizing the great importance of the subject, I justify myself before the Lord of piety so that the word about the high truths of piety does not turn out to be inappropriate to this height, so as not to diminish the greatness of God before people. After all, what in the language of people is very high turns out to be pitiful, not serving the glory of God, since some hymns to God, in the opinion of people are very high, are low in comparison with the greatness of this glory. The Sovereign of the universe is pleased with a presentation of theology that is determined by the powers of those who make the offering, and not by His high glory. But heretics, imagining that they have a special merit for theology, or suspecting that high teaching is higher than divine glory, disagree with us regarding the honor of the Ruler of the universe, as if increased by us to a higher degree than what belongs to Him. Examining the Scriptures as documents of the enemy, on the basis of them they arrange a trial for God and expose the theologian Paul as testifying to the slave state of God the Word and proclaiming His grace in Him to all people: “Keep in mind the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to Him who appointed (Created) Him” (Heb. 3:1-2). This, they say, is unequivocal evidence that the Son was created. It is not surprising that heretics stumble over words that are very clear, as if they were unclear, since for weak eyes even the clear becomes dark and the shining ray of the sun is faintly visible. This happened to heretics regarding such a clear meaning of the words given. Hearing the name: “apostle,” they mean by apostle God the Word; reading the name: “bishop” (“High Priest”), they imagine that the bishop is the Divine. Strange delusion! Who, reading the title: “apostle,” does not immediately understand that it serves as a designation for a person? Who, hearing the word “bishop,” can think that “bishop” means the being of the Divine? If the bishop is Divine, then who is the one to whom the bishop serves? If God is the bringer, then there is no one to whom the offering is made, since what is greater than the Deity so that it, as the lower, could make an offering to the higher? What, the heretic, made him make the offering? The bishop was forced to make offerings by the fact that he himself needed purification through the offerings he made, according to Paul: “For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed for the service of God to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins, able to bear with the ignorant and erring, because he himself is covered with infirmities, and therefore he must offer sacrifices for sins both for the people and for himself” ( Hebrews 5:1–3). The nature of the Divine has no need of purification through grace. Where did they get the idea that God the Word, who has no need for sacrifice for his own prosperity, is called a bishop? The Lord of the Divinity, not received from people, (who) “is supplied for people to serve God,” is not recognized by anyone from those words that are attributed to him by Arius. If you take the words (of the apostle) a little higher, you will see that all of them in their sequence do not indicate what they say about God. “For He does not receive angels, but He receives the seed of Abraham. Therefore, He had to be like the brethren in everything in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God 49: just as He Himself endured being tempted, He can help those who are tempted. Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to Him who ordained Him” (Heb. 2:16–18, 3:1–2). By dividing these closely related words, heretics act cunningly. But if they like to read in parts, then we will present you with the clearest proof that they distort their meaning. “He does not receive from the angel,” he says, “but from the seed of Abraham.” Is the Godhead the seed of Abraham? Listen to the following words. “Therefore He had to become like the brethren in everything.” Did God the Word have brothers similar to himself in divinity? Pay attention to what is directly attached to these words: “in order to be merciful,” it is said, “and a faithful high priest before God: just as He Himself suffered, being tempted, He can also help those who are tempted.” It is not the one who suffered who is the merciful high priest, but the church that suffers; not the life-giving God of the sufferer is the seed of Abraham, who is “yesterday and today” according to the word of Paul (Heb. 13:8); not the One who says: “before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58), is like all the brethren, having accepted brotherhood in human soul and flesh; who did not say: “He who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). There is an apostle like us who proclaims what was told to the captives, an apostle who clearly spoke to the Jews: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; for He has anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor” (Luke 4:18): humanity, not the Divinity, is anointed, heretic; this is “the high priest faithful to God” (Heb. 2:17). He appeared in time, and was not from eternity; He is, (I tell you), oh, a heretic, who after a short time reached the 51st rank of high priest. Listen to the words that tell you more clearly about this: “In the 52 days of His flesh, with a strong cry and with tears, I offered prayers and supplications to Him who was able to save Him from death; and was heard for His reverence; Although He was the Son, He learned obedience through His sufferings, and, having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation for all who obey Him” (Heb. 5:7-9). He who succeeds little by little is accomplished. The Evangelist Luke speaks about this in the Gospel: “Jesus increased in wisdom and stature and in favor with God and men” (Luke 2:52). According to this, Paul also says: “having been perfected, he became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, being called by God High Priest after the order of Melchizedek” (Heb. 5:9-10). He, represented, however, in the image of the military rank, is the one who is called the seed of Abraham, who is similar in every way to his brothers, is a high priest appointed in time, perfected through suffering, tempted in what he has endured, able to help those who are tempted; He is the high priest, ordained according to the order of Melchizedek. What do you, contrary to Paul, talk about God the Word, who is not involved in suffering, mixing it with earthly likeness and making (Him) a high priest subject to suffering? Why are you shamelessly acting against the clear words and purpose for which they were spoken? The inconsistency (of the teachings of the heretics) with the words (of the apostle) taken in connection is shown. Let us also look at the purpose of the words, which does not correspond to the fables of the heretics. When the (evangelical) preaching prevailed everywhere and the very sanctuary of the law was illuminated by Christianity, the envy that arose for the salvation of the Jews caused them to return to the law again from grace, and the deception hidden in the glorification through Christ opened the door very widely to those who deceived. Indeed, those who had come to Christ were not immediately turned away from faith in Him, so that by open enmity towards the Beloved they would not arouse those who were being seduced into moving away from the latter, but were attracted by acceptable words: great, says (the seducer), Christ, whose name deserves veneration for his sufferings; who can despise your faith in Him? But it is necessary to be careful not to consider it unnecessary to fulfill the law, so as not to prefer another life according to it, not expecting another place of blessed rewards other than the heritage of Palestine, or not to give preference to those who have another priesthood besides the Levitical one, but, remaining devoted to Christ, to invariably observe the provisions of the law. When in this way the believers were enticed by the Jews to (observe) the law, Paul, grieving over this deception, shows that the decrees of the law were changed by Christ. Refuting the objection regarding the priesthood, he reveals the meaning of the mystery of the incarnation: “He does not receive angels,” he says, “but He receives the seed of Abraham” (Heb. 2:16). The descent of the Lord Christ in human flesh took place for the sake of human nature; they confirmed the ancient promise of blessing to the (human) race. The patriarch received the promise that in his seed all nations would be blessed (Gen. 22:18). After the promise, time passed; the offspring of the seed multiplied, the number of years increased; and among the peoples there was no appeal to piety anywhere, no blessing was visible on them. And the very descendants of the patriarch subsequently fell into disastrous idolatry, led an ungodly life in Egypt, desecrated Palestine, and worshiped idols among the Persians. How was the promise fulfilled? How did the divine word turn out to be true? Who contributed to the fulfillment of this promise? Moses the Lawgiver? He is great as a true prophet and the head of all prophets; but he soon (turned out to be) cowardly, as a mediator between God and earthly freedom, and cowardly expressed in an appeal to God: “Lord! send another whom you can send” (Ex. 4:13). But was Aaron not able to serve to fulfill the promise? He was a glorious priest and the foundation of the legal priesthood, but he was not resistant to the wickedness of the people, as the construction of the calf showed. Elijah is also famous, who showed fiery zeal, but he was hated by sinners. Nowhere were there any intermediaries of the promised blessing, when the pagans served idols, the Jews acted wickedly with them, when the prophets cried out: “Lord! send someone else whom you can send,” when the priests either indulged sinners or punished mercilessly. Therefore, to mediate the blessing, a high priest was needed, who by nature came from the line of Abraham, and in dignity was higher than the prophets, sinless and meek, able to endure suffering, and in danger, able to cry out to God: “but 54 not what I want, but what You want” (Mark 14:36). For this Christ is born, taking not an angelic nature, since God promised people blessings not from the angelic race, but from the seed of Abraham, similar to those who received the promise. Now Paul had to show those who considered the priesthood according to Christ unnecessary, that without Him the promise of blessing remained unfulfilled. That this explanation was not invented by me, you will see from the sequence of words if you carefully delve into their meaning. I want to accustom you to a more thorough (understanding) of teaching, so that you become a people-teacher, well instructed in divine (teaching). “He will not receive angels,” he says, “but He will receive the seed of Abraham.” It was not the angels, he says, that the Lord of the universe came to look after, but the race of Abraham, who was in danger of losing the ancient blessing. But how does this relate, Paul, to what we are talking about? “Therefore He had to,” he says, “become in all things like the brethren, in order to be a merciful and faithful high priest before God” (Heb. 2:16-17). Since (since) he came, he says, the Savior of the race of Abraham, who received the promise of blessing, but needed for this a sinless and compassionate high priest, then he comes in the flesh from the race of Abraham and takes on a common nature in the race of Abraham in order to, having shown in himself a nature free from sin, to be by nature and a compassionate mediator of blessing through communion with nature, subject to suffering, and a completely powerful assistant in the matter of intercession through a sinless and forever remaining affinity. Could death be necessary for someone who is pure from all sin and will soon be resurrected? “Because He Himself,” He says, “has endured being tempted, He is able to help those who are tempted” (Heb. 2:18). Most, he says, the experience of suffering in a sinless body gives him some power over his loved ones, (serves) as an invincible right, like victory over the power of the devil, who unfairly strives 55 to ensure that the sinless person 56 in them does not pass through without experiencing an attack from him (i.e., from the devil). “Therefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our confession, Jesus Christ, who is faithful to Him who appointed Him” (Heb. 3:1–2). Since He, he says, is the only saint for us, compassionate, kindred and strong, then do not fall away from faith in Him. He is the sent saint of the blessing announced to you from the seed of Abraham, as he who offered the sacrifice of the body for him and his descendants; He is the mediator of the faith that you confessed, as having reconciled nature with God through the sinless nature in Him. Then, in order not to seem strange to those preaching to the Jews, something not perfected by God, Paul adds: “as did Moses in all His house” (Heb. 3:2). It is not strange, he says, that man serves as a mediator between God and man in the matter of divine promises, since previously there was an image of this mediation in the person of Moses, who interceded before God for his own people. Be ashamed, heretic, of these words: Jesus is faithful, he says, “like Moses.” Well, heir to Ariev's madness, do you really think that Paul equates Moses to God the Word? But John cries out about the shoes of the flesh: “I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals” (Mark 1:7). John testifies that he is not worthy of the sandal strap of the Lord's flesh - John, “the greatest of whom was not born of women rebelled” (Matthew 11:11). And you slander Paul in that he ascribes to the Creator of all things the same dignity as Moses, while he does not consider it fair to equate Jesus with Moses and in the order of humanity due to his union with the deity. He indicates this in the words that follow. Having said: Jesus is faithful, “like Moses in all His house,” he then added: “For He is worthy... of greater glory than Moses” (Heb. 3:3). Although, paying attention to the contrast of words, agree, heretic, with the truth: Jesus is faithful, he says, like “Moses,” then: “For He is worthy of all the more glory before Moses.” The contrast of some words with others shows that the images of similarity, and not equality of merits of Moses and Jesus are being compared; and the heretic is not afraid to bring down the height of the Divinity to the level of the mortal nature of Moses. I said this about the violence that is perpetrated against the apostolic words. I would like to briefly outline your sin in order to encourage you to correct what you have done: you have appeared wild 57 in relation to what is good. What exactly is sin? In recent times, the believers were offered the sacrament, like soldiers were offered a royal salary, but there was no army of believers; they, along with the catechumens, were scattered like chaff by the wind of frivolity. Christ is crucified according to the order, slain with the sword of priestly prayer, and finds his disciples, as before on the cross, running away. A great sin is betrayal of Christ when there is no persecution; the abandonment of the body of Christ by believers when there is no war. What was the reason for this abandonment? Necessary things. But what kind of activity is more necessary than the activity of the divine and, at that, a short one? Fear for sins. But what cleansed that blessed harlot, flight or resort to the body of the Master? Let us be ashamed, not having the contrition of this harlot, let us fear the word of the Lord, adjuring us: “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the Flesh of the Son of Man and drink His Blood, you will not have life in you.” (John 6:53). Let us be afraid that He might also say to us reproachfully from heaven: “Couldn’t you have kept watch with Me for one hour?” (Matthew 26:40). Let us also be afraid that we will join the blasphemy of the heretics against Him. Let us be attentive to Paul's words about the incarnation; Let us not combine that which is characteristic of humanity with that which belongs to the incorporeal deity, and that which is characteristic of the deity, we will not confuse with the sufferings pertaining to human nature, distinguishing the properties of natures. Let us add to this the great significance of unity: let us not call God the Word a church instead of the indwelling one, let us not consider the church to be the indwelling one instead of the inhabited one. Let us remember the words pointing to both of His natures: “destroy this church,” that is, that which is capable of destruction, “and I will raise it up in three days” (John 2:19), that is, God united mysteriously with mortals. To him be glory forever. Amen. Ουκ εασω instead of ουκ αφησω in other copies of the New Testament text. αρτι = "now" is missing. ο ο Παρακλητος vm. εκεινος = "he" That is, between Easter and Pentecost. πάθος υψωθη, that is, the suffering Christ was lifted up to the cross. In Min's edition the text here is not complete. Παρα του προφητου Ιωηλ instead of: δια του προφητου Ιωηλ, as read in other lists. Πελαγος χαρισματον. These words are not in the Synodal translation. According to Alexandrian and Marshallese Greek lists, instead of: απο μεγάλου αυτων εως μικρου αυτων = “from their greatness even to their smallest,” as read in the Hebrew text, the ancient Vatican and some other lists. Read then in Slavs. B. the expression: “and he will be begged” has no corresponding one in the text of Chrysostom and in the uncial Greek. lists. Here it reads in Min's edition: λόγος τά της κολάσεως ειχε; if instead of λόγος there had been λόγον, these words would have a meaning more consistent with the context of the saint’s speech: “the punishment would be understandable.” Of course Jonah 3:4: “Three more days and Nineveh will be transformed.” In the synod: “another forty days and Nineveh will be destroyed.” In Minya's edition it reads: αυτοις διαμείναντες. It should probably be read οργιζόμενος, i.e. “with the same anger.” Here it’s either an inaccurate pass or an omission. And here, one must think, there is also a pass. Ovol is a copper coin that costs 4–5 kopecks in our money. Ίνα τω μικρω δακτυλω αυτου βρεξη μου τα χειλη instead of the usually read: ίνα βαψη το ακρον του Let him dip the tip of his finger in water and make my tongue cold.” To εμπεπηγμένοι in Min’s edition there is a variant: εσκεπασμένοι = “protected”. Instead of ζόφοι και τουτο, the option is indicated there: ψόφοι και δουποι = “noise and crackling.” Επι της γης vm. εν ζωη σου. Δια τουτο ουτος ενταυθα αναπαύεται και συ οδυνασαι vm. νυν δε ωδε παρακαλειται, συ δε οδυνασαι. Ομως vm. επι πασιν τουτοις. Και ουδεις δύναται αυτό περάσαι εξ ημων. Ου γαρ οιδας vm. ου γαρ γινώσκεις In the text of the Patrology, after the words: εις τας αιωνίους σκηνας it follows: Μεθ ου, from which it is clear that several words are missing from the lists, which have been filled in. Αφηκεν αυτψ vm. read in the Gospel απέλυσεν αυτόν. ενα των συνδούλων, literally = "one of the fellow slaves" One hundred denarii – about 20 rubles. The talent cost about 2,600 rubles. ο σύνδουλος αυτου = “his fellow servant” ... την των προβάτων εξεθύσαμεν φύσιν. An explanation for this expression can be the understanding (Gen. 3:21) that the first clothing was made from the skin of animals that were sacrificed to God. See Notes on the Book of Genesis. νεκρων ... στολισμος . Of course, you have to think, the above clothes are made from animal skin. ου’ τεχθέν . This can be explained by the words of Job in (Job 3:11, 16). Βλέπετε instead of προσέχετε δε έαυτοις = “take heed to yourself.” ’Εγένετο γαρ instead of – δε. των ιματίων αυτου with the omission of αυτον before these words, usually read in Greek. lists. η δέσποινα αυτου are not included in the lists. Εις τας χειρας αυτης are read from the uncial Greek lists in the Cottonian (’Εν ταις χερσιν αυτης); of others - in Lukian, in accordance with the Hebrew text. Γυμνός in Greek. sp. and ev. missing text. προς τα σκάμματα της Ἐκκλησίας . Arena - σκάμμα - was the name among the Greeks for a special place designated for wrestling competitions. Here this word is used in a different sense to mean the struggle against the enemies of the Church. What kind of event here forced the saint to leave the city for a while and stop his conversations is unknown. θεοποιίας εξέβαλεν. That is, he deprived him of the honor of being created by direct creative action, like a person. τον αποστολον = "apostle" The literal meaning will not be “to the one who placed”, but to “to the one who created”. – I.N. Further words: “to cleanse the sins of men” are absent in the text of the Patrology. The preceding ος = “like” is not read in the texts of Patrology. The immediately following words: αφ ων επαθεν = “from these who suffered” is not read in the text of Patrology. Πλήν instead of the usual αλλ’ in editions. Instead of the words read here: αδίκου πολεμουμένων, the publishers of Patrology propose to read: αδίκου πολεμουμένου, or to admit that several words are missing here, which is probably why this place in the conversation is unclear. You might be interested in: