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Question Like bl. Tikhon talks about Generosity and patience?
Rep. Book 6. Ch. 6. §213. Patience and generosity are a virtue that, in any opposition, sadness and sorrow that occurs, surrenders to the will of God and deigns to endure and endure everything better than to sin before God. Or generosity is a virtue that strengthens the heart in the feat of the cross, and preserves it from indignation and grumbling, and teaches one to rely on the will of God in everything; and there is nothing else but faith itself, struggling against the self-love of the flesh and subduing it into obedience to the will of God. And although the faithful, convinced by the weakness of the flesh, prays and asks for deliverance from sorrow: for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41); however, following the author of faith and the perfecter of Jesus the Son of God, he adds the word: not my will, but Yours be done, Father (Luke 22:42)! So David, the Holy forefather of Christ according to the flesh, in his persecution and sorrow cried out: if I find grace before the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me back and show me Him (the ark of God) and His beauty. And if he says this: I have not pleased you: behold, I am, let him do what is good for me in his sight (2 Samuel 15:25, 26).
The reasons that inspire generous patience are these: 1) everything that happens happens according to God’s providence: good and evil, life and death, poverty and wealth are from the Lord (Sir. 11:14). With this we must calm down and strengthen ourselves in patience, that everything comes from the Lord, and in troubles we must cry out with Job: if we receive good things from the hand of the Lord, will we not endure the evil ones (Job 2:10)? Although to our carnal reasoning disaster seems evil, but since it is sent from the good God for our benefit, it is, without a doubt, good: for its purpose is to make us spiritually prosperous. 2) Our sins, by which we offended God, far exceed God’s punishment, whatever it may be: for God always punishes us less than we deserve. 3) Punishment that comes through troubles and misfortunes is a sign of God’s mercy towards us: for the Lord loves him and punishes him (Heb. 12:6). 4) God, out of his richness of kindness, meekness and long-suffering, leading us to repentance, is patient with us, waiting for us to repent (Rom.
2:4): for we too must endure when He punishes us for our sins, and thank Him for our fatherly punishment; because through this punishment seeks our salvation. 5) If someone promised you great wealth and glory in this world, and commanded you to endure everything, no matter what sorrowful things happen: I hope that you will endure everything patiently and generously, wanting to receive what was promised. God promises us not temporary wealth, but eternal wealth, not earthly glory, but heavenly glory, and he does not promise falsely, and commands us to endure what happens: how can we not endure it if we want to receive what is promised (Ps. 126:5, 6)? God's honor requires that we endure every disaster that happens for its sake, following the example of the three youths in Babylon and St. martyrs of new grace. And this is denying yourself and your soul (Matthew 16:24; John 12:25). 7) This Christ, the Son of God, requires love for us, so that we, for the sake of His love, endure the disaster that happens without complaint, or, moreover, with joy. 8) God’s truth requires that sinners be punished for their sins. Here God punishes and consoles, but there there is no consolation. Here the punishment is light, fatherly; there is cruelty.
Here it is short-lived, there it is eternal. 9) To endure or not to endure suffering, however, you cannot avoid it, and with impatience you cannot avert the suffering that God’s providence has determined for us. 10) Impatience and grumbling in adversity is nothing other than blasphemy against the goodness and truth of God, which is very contrary and offensive. 11) This world is like a sea. The sea is always agitated by the wind: our life is always troubled by troubles. At sea, wave after wave follows: in our life, misfortune follows misfortune. Patience is like an anchor, cast into the depths of God’s mercy with hope and not allowing our ship to be destroyed, or like a quiet refuge... 12) The essence and strength of Christian achievement lies in nothing other than constant patience with temptations and troubles... 13) Patience makes a person courageous and invincible... Its strength is not physical, but spiritual; conquered by the body, but invincible by the spirit; accepts wounds on the body, is imprisoned in the body, but is free in spirit. An example is the holy martyrs.
14) Christ, the Son of God, sinless, innocently for our sake endured terrible, incomprehensible suffering, and presents Himself to all of us as an image (Matthew 16:24). The prophets looked at this image by faith from afar and deigned to suffer rather than to have the sweetness of temporary sin (Heb. 11:25). This was followed by the martyrs and all the saints, who passed through the fire and water of all temptations and entered into eternal rest (Ps. 65:12). In the same way, Mother Church prays to us, having so much as a cloud of witnesses, putting aside all pride, and making it easy to commit sin, let us persevere with patience to the task set before us, looking to Jesus, the author of our faith and perfecter of our faith (Heb. 12:1, 2).
Blessed Tikhon asks: what great things should Christians offer in this world?
Responsible in the book. 8: The sons of this age consider wealth, glory, luxury to be great things, and they regard these as the triple God. Christians should regard all this as small, or, more importantly, as nothing... For all these great things pass by (1 John 2:15, 17). Christians should consider as great: 1) to have communion with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3), and to call God their Father, and to have and be His children... This is truly great and incomprehensible to the human mind! . Sitsev has the promise - to have God as our Father and to be His sons, we will cleanse ourselves from all filth, etc. (2 Cor. 7:1). 2) Christian greatness is not to be strangers and strangers, but to be fellow saints and close to God (Eph. 2:19); to be a living member of the body of Christ (1 Cor. 12:27); true son of the holy Church.
People consider it a great thing to be in the family name of a king and an earthly prince and to live in the royal court: since it is the highest and most excellent dignity to be in the family name of the heavenly King and to live in His holy house, which is the living Church of God... Come to Mount Zion, and to the city of the Living God, to the darkness of the Angels, to the triumph and Church of the firstborn, written in heaven (1 Tim. 3:15; Heb. 12:22, 23). Let us take care to be worthy and capable of this. 3) The mystical communion of the Body and Blood of Christ should be revered as great and sublime among Christians. But let us heed this (1 Cor. 1:22, 28). 4) A great thing is true prayer... People consider it a great thing to converse with some high earthly person: what a supreme honor is to converse (in prayer) with God!.. But let everyone depart from unrighteousness, calling the name of the Lord (2 Tim. 2:19). For read (Ps. 5:5, 6). 5) The great thing is the praise of God. For praising God is the work of angels. The angels of God continually praise and sing to God and cry out: Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts (Isa. 6:3).
The person who praises and sings from the heart of God is likened to angels, and still tastes the sweetness of eternal joy on earth... But when we want to open our mouth to the praise of God; then they must also have a heart that agrees with them, according to the word of the Apostle (Eph. 5:19). 6) Our true greatness lies in serving the great God. Honor and glory - to serve the king, or prince, or other high person; It is an honor and joy to serve a good and merciful master. Who is greater than God? and who is better, who is more merciful and just than the Lord? He is the only highest, the only great Lord, and the great King of all the earth... (Ps. 95:3, 4). But when we want to serve God, let us reject the service and work of sin (Matthew 6:24). Finally 7) True greatness is to win and conquer yourself. Many have defeated thousands of people; many conquered cities and states, but they could not conquer themselves; because they had no war with themselves, without which there can be no victory.
Fighting between people happens when some rebel, and others resist: so a fight happens within a person with himself when lust and passion rise up, but he resists it: he resists pride with humility, anger with patience, anger with meekness, envy with love, impurity with chastity... This is a glorious victory. This is the nobility, dignity and advantage of a Christian: oneself, that is, one’s corrupted nature, evil nature and the desire to overcome one’s evil desire. This is our courage, strength, greatness and bravery. A man who is long-suffering is better than a strong man, but he who holds back his anger is better than one who takes hail (Prov. 16:32). Let us honor this as truly great in this world, and not honor, glory, or luxury. We desire this victory, let us seek and acquire it by our efforts with the help of God. With the help, I say, of God. For to overcome oneself requires not one’s own and natural power, but a higher one, more than one’s own power, that is, God’s, which makes new out of old, and good out of evil, and makes everything out of nothing. For this victory an imperishable crown will be given, not in the kingdom of earth, but in heaven!
Question What did Blessed Tikhon say about the Secret Supper?
Rep. (Part 12. fox. 58 et al.) We see in the Holy Gospel that Christ our Lord, wanting to show us the most perfect image of humility, washed the feet of His disciples and Apostles. Beloved Christian, let us now ascend with our minds to that upper room in which the Last Supper took place, and we will see there a glorious miracle. She will show us how the Lord of glory rises from the supper, how he puts aside his vestments, how he takes the lention and girdles himself, how he pours water into the laver, how he kneels and begins to wash their feet, and bows down and washes their feet, and wipes them with the lenthion, with which he is girded (John 21:7), and from one to another and from another to the third, and so successively to all he approaches, and bows down, and receives everyone’s feet into His holy hands, and washes them with water, and wipes them with linen, and performs a base, servile work—God, who appeared in human form (John 15:4–15). We see here, Christians: 1) how great and high is Christ our Lord, so great and high is His humility. His highness and majesty are incomprehensible: His humility is also incomprehensible. Nikolai, this was the case on earth.
Nowhere do we hear that the king washed the feet of his slaves. God, the Heavenly King, appeared in human form and did this work on earth, so that he would show everyone the image of humility. Hear this, all the nations, inspire all who live in the universe! (Ps. 48:2). The Heavenly King and Lord of glory has washed the feet of His servants!.. All your works are wonderful, Lord Jesus Christ our God! Wonderful is heaven and earth with their fulfillment! But this is the most wonderful thing that You have created for us! There we see Your omnipotence; Here we are amazed at Your condescension! 2) Honorable kings, princes, nobles, gentlemen! Look into this mirror of purest humility, and if you see the opposite vice on your souls, wipe it away. The Son of God and the Heavenly King washed the feet of his servants: you, earthly rulers, do the same with your earthly slaves and subjects. Hope that from this you will not decrease, but rather will be exalted; you will not be humbled, but rather will be exalted; Do not be put to shame, but rather be glorified: for everyone who humbles himself will be exalted (Luke 18:14).
3) Shepherds look at this living image of humility, and set an example of your humility to your people, so that they see the humility of Christ in you, and know that you are shepherds sent to them from the Chief Shepherd Jesus Christ. 4) Look, all Christians, and imitate your Lord. He was not ashamed to serve men: do not be ashamed to serve one another and wash your feet. By this you will show that you are Christ’s. Listen, too, my soul, and love the humility of Christ above all else. 5) Society is like the composition of the human body. The members of the human body do not despise each other; but they serve each other, and thus preserve the integrity of the whole body. The head is with the mind, the eyes are with vision, the ears are with hearing, the nostrils are with smell, the lips and tongue are with taste and speech, the hands are with doing, the legs are with walking, the belly is with cooking food for the whole body, they mutually serve each other. So in society, bosses serve as subordinates (orders), instruction and care for them; subordinates serve their superiors with work, service, food, clothing and other needs.
The condition of subordinates without superiors is bad and unfavorable. But what can a boss do without the service of his subordinates? What is the head without the other members? Nothing! What is a military leader without officers and soldiers? Like a simple soldier. What is a prince, a nobleman without servants and peasants? The same is a simple person. Cities rise above villages and villages. But what are cities without villages and towns? Nothing! Villages and villages serve the cities with bread and other supplies: cities will disappear when villages and villages do not give them their bread. This is not presented so that the leaders and subordinates will be despised: let it not be! They must be given the honor they deserve, according to Scripture (Rom. 13:7). But so that those who imagine themselves to be the most honest should not despise those below them, and should not be proud of their titles and titles. Why should an equal despise an equal... and humiliate? Why is the earth and ashes proud? (Sir. 10:9). Look at the humility of Christ. Hear, Christians, Christ speaking at the Last Supper: you proclaim Me, the Teacher and the Lord: you say well: I am. If I have washed your noses, Lord and Teacher, you too must wash each other’s noses.
I gave you an image, so that as I created for you, you also create. Amen, amen, I say to you: there is no sick servant of his Lord, nor a sick messenger of him who sent him. If you know this, you are blessed if you do (John 13:13–17).
I worship Your Mystery Supper, at which You gave Yourself as food to the faithful, Son of God, and the Imam of Your eternal life partakes of Your Body and Blood. I magnify Your deep humility, revealed in washing the feet of your disciples: humble my exalted pride.
Question How can a vision or eye teach lessons of edification in simple cases?
Rep. Here are a few examples: You see that a little boy always, in all his needs, resorts to his mother, and although he receives a beating or some kind of punishment from his mother, he does not separate from her, but sticks with her and cleaves tightly to her... Such is the Christian faith, which recognizes and has God as the Father. She leaves behind everything that is not from God and resorts to Him alone in all needs, saying with the Prophet: You are my hope, you are my part in the land of the living (Ps. 142:6)... Does she receive what she asks? Thanks. Not getting it? does not despair, but waits patiently. You see that the gardener is clearing a tree - an apple or a pear tree; This is how it becomes for a Christian to circumcise his heart and evil thoughts and desires. You see that the poor and wretched come running to a rich and generous person: from this case, raise your mind to God, rich in mercy and bounty.
You see that the Father of a defective son is denied and spews out many admonitions: this is what God does with Christians: he admonishes the defective both internally - in conscience, and externally - through the Prophetic and Apostolic writings, and through the sermons of teachers and shepherds; and whoever does not stop sinning, He rejects him and deprives him of the eternal life inheritance. You see that during spring the water flows and flows with great aspiration and noise: this is exactly the state of proud and wicked people: like spring water, flowing by (Ps. 57:8). You see that a person, having lost his treasure - gold, silver, a precious stone, searches for it with all diligence: from this case and the example of the sons of this age, Christians must learn to look for the Christian treasure, which is God!.. You see that when we go towards the sun, a shadow follows us; and the more we run away from the shadow towards the sun; especially since the shadow runs after us. The same thing happens to pious people: they draw closer to God, glory and grace will follow them.
You see that the shadow has nothing in itself, neither life nor body, but only the likeness of a body, and immediately it disappears when the sun disappears: so man without God is nothing. May we learn from this our insignificance! This is how we can learn soulful lessons from seeing simple cases. But vision also sometimes darkens and defiles the soul.
Question How does Blessed Tikhon talk about power and its origin?
Rep. You see, to say that in a Christian society there is a dual power - civil and spiritual. Civil authority governs external affairs: spiritual authority oversees what concerns the internal, spiritual state... Civil governs through civil laws: spiritual authority corrects through the word of God... The end of both authorities - civil and spiritual - should be no other than the good state of those governed and the glory of the name of God.
Question Where does power come from?
Rep. All power, great and small, is from God: there is no power except from God (Rom. 13:1). The power was instituted by God for a good end: 1) to avert any trouble that may occur in society; 2) to pacify the outrage, impudence and violence of insolent people, to protect the innocence and gentleness of good people: princes, says the apostle. Peter, sent from the king for vengeance on evildoers, and for praise as a doer of good (1 Pet. 2:14). Princes are not afraid of good deeds, but of evil... For God’s servant is for your good; If you do evil, be afraid; It’s not like he’s crazy about (in vain) carrying a sword. God's servant is an avenger of anger against those who do evil (Rom. 13:3, 4); 3) to the establishment and preservation of all well-being, both physical and mental. “God,” says St. Chrysostom, the authorities did things for the common benefit” (Demon 6, on 1 Tim.).
Question How does Blessed Tikhon talk about the rights and duties of the supreme and all authorities?
Rep. Every power in the state and in its society is like the head in the human body... For every society is like a living person... The head in a person, like the seat of the mind and reasoning, governs all members and provides for them all: so the authorities must govern and provide for all of their subjects... And just as the head cares about the good condition of the entire body of the body: so it is fitting for the authorities to care and try for every well-being entrusted to it from God of society, as it was created by God for this purpose. (Rom. 13:1). Every godly ruler, civil and spiritual, must be subordinate to himself, just as a father is to his children. A prudent father keeps his children in fear and has mercy on them: the authorities should do the same with their subjects, imitating the highest and beginningless power, that is, the heavenly Father himself, who punishes and has mercy on us who sin, beats and does not deprive us of mercy, hurts and heals, saddens and comforts. The authorities must take the middle path.
Question What are the qualities of a true and useful ruler?
Rep. 1) Only a virtuous and reasonable person can be a true and useful ruler. For an evil ruler, although reasonable, will act unscrupulously towards his subordinates and will not care about them; caring about himself, and not about them, - seeking his own self-interest, and not their benefit - and thus, instead of general well-being, he will cause misfortune to society. Also, a conscientious, but without reason, ruler will achieve little. For although he will be concerned about the common good, due to impoverishment of the mind he will often do the wrong thing, to whom, and when he should do it, and therefore, although he will act for a good end, it will often be to the detriment of society. However, a good ruler without wisdom is safer and more useful for society than an evil one with wisdom and cunning.
2) How those authorities act badly who punish their subordinates immoderately and not according to their deeds; so are those who leave criminals of the law without punishment. Unpunished lawlessness is nothing more than a door to other lawlessness. Leaving a criminal without punishment is not mercy, but inhumanity and outrage... Moderation is everywhere commendable: both punishment with mercy, and mercy with justice and punishment are required from a pious ruler. This is clearly visible in nature: in it, both excessive frost and extreme heat are harmful; but warmth - coolness and a bucket of rain dissolved are beneficial.
3) Those who, through all sorts of machinations, or through the intercession of others, or through bribes, or in any other way, gain honor, act badly and un-Christianly. By their very search and solicitation they show themselves unworthy of power. For all power for a Christian is not peace and honor, but a great cross, burdened with great and many labors, care and constant patience: no one will desire this. Therefore, everyone must do and prepare himself to be worthy of honor and to expect the calling of God, which is accomplished through the election of the highest and most dominant authorities.
Question What are the responsibilities of those subject to the authorities?
Rep. The duty of their subordinates to the authorities is as follows:
1) That those who are subject to their authorities should obey the Lord for the sake of the Lord (1 Pet. 2:13). God established them: for God’s sake we must obey them. Who obeys the authorities; he obeys God (Rom. 13:2). And what the authorities command according to God’s Law is God’s command, not man’s.
2) We must lovingly honor the authorities as our fathers and providences... We love and honor our fathers in the flesh, as they gave birth to us and provide for us: how much more so - the pious authorities, who care and provide for us and for our fathers... They are God's servants, God's messengers, and, as it were, the earthly heirs of God living in heaven.
3) We must pray to God for them, to keep them safe and strengthen them, to keep them from the enemy’s slander, to enlighten them and make them wise for the common benefit... The common well-being depends on good and reasonable authorities (1 Tim. 2:14)...
Question What should one do if the authorities act unjustly?
Rep. 1) If they do something wrong, what about you? Do your thing and act according to your position. For their unrighteousness, they will give an answer to the righteous God, who will exhaust their deeds and thoughts and test them: for the tears that exist, His kingdom was not judged rightly, etc. (Wis. 6:3, 4).
2) If they command something that is not contrary to the law of God, listen and do it; otherwise, do not listen; for it is more fitting to obey God than man (Acts 5:29). This is what the holy martyrs did. - The wicked authorities commanded them to dig the ground, - they dug; wear a stone - wear; to go to prison and exile - they went; to bow their heads under the sword - they bowed them down... They commanded him to renounce Christ, and other ungodly deeds: they did not listen. So do you: the master orders you to send all work (at any time?): send it; tells you to do lies: to lie, to steal, to offend - do not listen; threatens execution for this: - Do not be afraid: for it is fitting to fear God more, who has both soul and body to destroy in Gehenna, than man, who kills only the body, but is not able to kill the soul (Matthew 10:28).
Question What does Blessed Tikhon say about those who do not respect authority?
Rep. It is obvious that such people do not know what the essence is, from whom the authorities were imposed, and to what end. – They do not know and do not feel where the general well-being comes from, in which their own lies. And even more so, those who act shamelessly and wickedly are those who concoct evil intentions and rebel against their lawfully established authorities; and they are nothing more than pernicious sons and enemies of the fatherland and general well-being. They need to fear this terrible judgment of God, which befell Korel, Dathan and Abiron, whom the earth devoured for opposing the living (Num. 16:25–32).
You ask, says bl. Tikhon in the 9th letter to his benefactors, what does this word mean: pay attention to yourself?
Rep. You call yourself a Christian; but are you doing things that are proper for a Christian? pay attention to yourself. You confess God, but do you honor God with a good conscience? pay attention to yourself. In holy baptism you renounced Satan, but have you not followed suit with his evil and corrupt life? pay attention to yourself. You promised to serve Christ the Son of God with faith and truth; but do you remember and keep your vows? pay attention to yourself. You hear from God’s word that God is in every place and sees every deed and thought, undertaking and intention: Your eyes, O Lord, are open to all the ways of the sons of men (Jer. 32:19; Proverbs 15:3; Heb. 4:13). I confess, Lord, the bl. confesses. Augustine, “Whatever I do, I do it before You; and that whatever I do, You see better than what I do. You are equally always present, as the ever-present overseer of all my thoughts, intentions, movements and deeds (Soli Iigu. cap. 14). And what does Augustine admit about himself; This is something everyone should admit about themselves. But do you give respect to God through your actions, as children do to a present father, and slaves to a present master? pay attention to yourself.
Raise your heart to God in prayer; but do you not defile your heart with evil and nasty thoughts, and do you not hold anger against your neighbor? pay attention to yourself. You receive food, drink, clothing, a house and other good things from God; but do you remember the Benefactor? do you thank Him from your heart? Aren't you insulting Him? pay attention to yourself, and know for sure, friend, that it is better to die several times than to offend God, the eternal goodness, although it is easy. You know that Christ, the Son of God, redeemed you from the devil, hell, eternal death, not with silver and gold, but with His honest blood: do you understand this great and incomprehensible work of Him? pay attention to yourself. He did not spare His blood for your sake: do you not take revenge for the defamatory and blasphemous word to your neighbor? pay attention to yourself. He bore the heavy cross, burdened with your sins and the sins of the whole world. Do you also bear the cross that God laid on you, without grumbling and indignation, and will you follow Him? pay attention to yourself. Are you the boss? How do you manage the people of God, your brothers? Are you concerned about their common benefit? Do you eradicate untruth?
Do you restrain the willfulness of the lawless and protect the innocent? pay attention to yourself. Are you a subordinate? Do you honor your superior and obey him for God's sake? pay attention to yourself. In a word: every Christian, pay attention to how you act before the all-seeing God: how you speak; how do you think; with what kind of heart do you treat your neighbor; How and with what do you spend the time given to you by God for repentance?.. You too, my soul, remember what you advise your neighbor, and whether you act according to this: pay attention to yourself. Here's your word: pay attention! Remember it, reason and listen to yourself, so that you may be saved in Christ.
Question What constitutes the beginning, the foundation, the soul of inner life?
Rep. Faith. By faith, says the Apostle, I live the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me (Gal. 2:20). This life-giving faith within our inner man attracts and appropriates all the good deeds of God, shown to the whole world by God. She teaches the believer to say from the heart: I believe in one God the Father, who created me from nothing, soul and body, life and breath; He sought me who sinned and perished through His only begotten Son. I believe in my one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, Who found me when I was lost, who saved me from sins, oaths, death, hell and the devil; He delivered not with silver, not with gold, but with His honest blood, and I, removed and rejected from the face of God, appropriated and brought into His Kingdom... I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Life-Giving Lord, Who through the washing of rebirth gave birth to me and renewed me to serve God in honor and righteousness before Him all the days of my life (Luke 1:75).
This Holy Spirit revives me spiritually, enlightens me, guides me on the right path, gives me grace-filled movements in my heart, helps me in my struggle against sin and the devil, leads me away from sin and teaches me to live worthy of the calling of Christ.
Question How is inner life preserved and strengthened - life by faith?
Rep. 1) By diligently reading or listening to the word of God. For just as faith comes from hearing, and hearing is the word of God (Rom. 10:17), so life by faith is strengthened and grows by constant teaching in God’s word (2 Tim. 3:16). Therefore, he is blessed who studies the law of the Lord day and night (Ps. 1:2). 2) By thinking about God’s wonderful deeds, about His great promises, and about His boundless perfections - holiness, truth, goodness, and first and most of all, about Him as the Redeemer and Savior of the world, about His earthly life, His redemptive suffering and death... 3) Through fervent and frequent prayer, which is like breathing in the outer man, both the beginning and the a sign of inner life. 4) Inner life is strengthened and preserved by communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. For he who cleaves to the Lord is one spirit with the Lord, says the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 6:17), and Christ Himself: he who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him (John 6:56). Whoever is in Me and I in him will produce much fruit (John 15:5).
Our external, bodily life is preserved by natural food; so internal, spiritual - the mysterious food of the most holy body and blood of Christ. For the body and blood of Christ are life-giving, and therefore whoever partakes of them worthily is spiritually revived and healed of spiritual infirmities. 5) The inner life is protected from infirmities and injuries by removing oneself from conversations and dealings with the evil and corrupt. For good customs are corrupted by evil conversations (1 Cor. 15:33) (Book 7).
Here you go, L. b., Tikhonov’s spiritual sighs (oh, if only they would become ours, by the grace of God)!
I. Sighing for God’s persistent help: do not leave me, O Lord my God; do not depart from me: attend to my help, O Lord of my salvation (Ps. 37:22, 23).
II. Sighing in sorrow: you are my refuge from sorrow, you who support me: my joy, deliver me from those who have passed me by (Ps. 31:7).
III. For the remission of the sins of youth: remember Thy mercies, O Lord, and Thy mercies, as they have been from time immemorial. Do not remember the sin of my youth and ignorance: according to Your mercy, remember me, for the sake of Your goodness (Ps. 25:6, 7).
IV. About the cleansing of secret sins that we do not see in our conscience: who understands the Fall? Cleanse me from my secrets, and from strangers spare Thy servant (Ps. 18:13, 14).
V. When the fear of God’s judgment, hell and despair troubles the soul: Lord, do not reprove me with Your wrath, nor punish me with Your wrath (Ps. 6, all the way to the end).
VI. About the enlightenment of spiritual eyes: open my eyes, O Lord, and I will understand the wonders of Your law (Ps. 119:18).
VII. About the instruction in the law of the Lord: look upon me and have mercy on me, according to the judgment of those who love Your name. Direct my steps according to Thy word, and let not all iniquity possess me (Ps. 119:132, 133).
VIII. Sighing of thanksgiving to the Lord God for His mercies: I will confess to You, O Lord my God, with all my heart: and I will glorify Your name forever: for Your great mercy is upon me and You have delivered my soul from the lowest hell (Ps. 86:12, 13).
IX. Last prayer before going to bed: remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom, as you remembered the thief who let out this voice.
X. Song to God the Helper: Thou art my helper, I sing to Thee: For thou art my God, my protector, my God, my mercy (Ps. 58:18).
XI. About common salvation: 1) Lord God of hosts! turn us, and make Your face shine, and we will be saved (Ps. 79:20).
2) God, be gracious to us and bless us, enlighten Your face on us and have mercy on us. Let know Your way on earth; Your salvation is on all nations (Ps. 67:2, 3).
3) Hear us, God, our Savior, the hope of all the ends of the earth and those who are in the sea far away (Ps. 65:6).
The sighs of this bl. Tikhon concludes this way: read the Psalter and reason every day, morning, evening and day. Read the doxology with attention: glory to God in the highest, etc.
Note In addition to this, read L. b., in the book. Chapter 7 5th with §335 prayers, or sighs of the penitent 1st and 2nd; feeling the wrath of God 3rd; in various temptations 4th; when thoughts confuse the 5th soul; in all tribulation and distress 8th; on the storage of language 11th; common prayer and confession of the faithful 15th. They are all from the Psalms. There, read the sighs and prayers taken from St. Gospels – §336.
Rebirth is an action of God's grace; but in order for a person to be worthy of being a receptacle of grace, he must cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit.
It is impossible for us to become capable of accepting Divine grace without expelling from ourselves the vicious passions that have taken possession of our souls. I have seen that doctors do not give healing medicines until, through vomiting, they have cleared away the pathogenic substance that incontinent people have accumulated in themselves through bad behavior. And they do not pour myrrh into a vessel that has been filled with some foul-smelling liquid without washing it. Therefore, what was previously placed must be poured out, so that what is poured in again can be contained (Tvor. Vas. Vel. in Russian translation, part 1, pp. 391 and 392).
Question Like bl. Tikhon talks about revival?
Rep. Through holy baptism a person is born again, or reborn not by nature (for by nature the same person remains, the same body, the same soul, feelings, breathing and other natural forces and actions), but according to the inner heart, mind, thought, will, desire - renewal and enlightenment. Therefore the baptism of St. is called the washing of regeneration (Tit. 3:5), and the one who is baptized is called a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17). And so a person who has received the Christian faith and baptism has a twofold birth: the first is carnal, in which it is conceived in iniquities and is born in sins, and according to this birth everyone is born a child of wrath (Ps. 50:7; Eph. 2:3); and this birth comes from the old Adam, by which birth we are all called, our fathers and we, sons of Adam. The second birth, or regeneration, is baptism, which is accomplished by water and the Spirit, and is spiritual, holy, blessed, blessed, gracious, and comes from Christ. And just as the old Adam is our father according to the flesh; so Christ is our father according to this spiritual birth, the eternal Father, the Father of the age to come (Isa. 9:6).
Question How is spiritual birth or rebirth accomplished?
Rep. 1) By faith in Christ, as the Apostle says: everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God (1 John 5:1)
2) By the Holy Spirit: unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5).
3) By holy baptism: go and teach all languages, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit (Matthew 28:19).
4) Those of age need instruction from the word of God before baptism. For faith comes from hearing, and hearing is the word of God (Rom. 10:17), and St. Peter speaks to the faithful: born not from seed, corrupted, but uncorrupted by the Word of the living God (1 Pet. 1:23). Therefore, those of age need instruction before baptism, and baptized infants - as soon as they begin to reach age and understand the teaching. (See Rom. 8:12; 1 Pet. 2:9; 1 Cor. 6:15–20, 13:4–10 and many others.)
Saint Tikhon depicts a reborn man in the article of his spiritual treasure: “Father and Sons.” Children are born from the father: so Christians, people of renewal and sons of God by grace, are born from God: if they received Him (Christ Jesus), He gave them the realm to become children of God, believing in His name. Who was not born of blood, nor of carnal lust, nor of manly lust, but was born of God (John 1:12, 13). Children are born from the seed of a father: Christians are born by water and the Spirit, the word of God and faith (James 1:18; 1 Pet. 1:23). Children are born from a father according to the flesh, Christians are born from God according to the spirit (John 3:6). In children, the property and likeness of the Father are noticed, so in Christians there should be the property and likeness of the Heavenly Father: they too should be holy, good, merciful, meek, patient, etc. (1 Pet. 1:15). Children please their father, and Christians must please God, their Father. The father with the children, and the children with the father lovingly rant: so God is with the faithful souls lovingly in St. The Scriptures converse, and children - faithful souls - converse kindly with God in prayer and praise.
Beloved, we are now children of God, not having appeared what we shall be (1 John 3:2).
Question Like bl. Tikhon in another place (book 7) depicts a man reborn by grace?
Rep. For this purpose, he explains the various properties, actions and various ends of carnal wisdom, characteristic of an unregenerate person, and spiritual wisdom, which belongs to the regenerate. From the properties and movements of carnal and spiritual birth comes a double wisdom: carnal and spiritual. Whoever follows the natural birth, or the old, unregenerate man, and does his will; he who is carnal wiseth, he who does the works of the flesh. And the one who is reborn and renewed by grace mortifies carnal deeds, becomes wiser in the spiritual, and reveals the fruits of a new birth. What fruits? The spiritual fruit produced by the regenerate is: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23). And the works characteristic of the unregenerate are carnal. Which? The essence of the deeds of the flesh has been revealed, the essence of which is: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, adultery, enmity, zeal, envy, rage, heresy, etc. (Gal. 5:19, 20).
Question What is the end of carnal and spiritual wisdom?
Rep. The word of God clearly shows it: if you live according to the flesh, you are about to die (Rom. 8:13), that is, eternal death; for for a time all things, carnal and spiritual, regenerate and unregenerate, die. The end of spiritual, that is, regenerated, wisdom: there is not a single condemnation now for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not in the flesh, but in the Spirit (Rom. 8:1). And below: if by the spirit you put to death the deeds of the flesh, you will live (Rom. 8:13). The end of slaughter, to which carnal wisdom leads, is eternal death and torment; the end of spiritual wisdom is eternal life (Rom. 6:2, 3). And so for Christians who are faulty, internally unregenerate, or who have lost the grace that revived them, baptism and the content of Orthodox dogmas do not benefit anything while they remain faulty and outside the grace of rebirth, in their natural damage.
Question How does Blessed Tikhon reveal the fruits and actions of grace-filled rebirth in the soul?
Rep. In order for you, a Christian, to better understand what a new birth is, first of all, I suggest to you about a threefold death. Death is threefold: physical, spiritual and eternal. Corporal death consists of the separation of the soul from the body. This death is common to all, righteous and sinful, and inevitable to no one (Heb. 9:27). The second death is eternal, by which sinners condemned will die forever, but can never die; they will want to turn into nothing for the sake of fierce torment, but cannot (For this death, see Rev. 20:8). The third death is spiritual, by which all who do not believe in Christ, unregenerate, are dead. Christians who confess Christ the Son of God, but live lawlessly, are also dead by this spiritual death. As the soul is to the human body, so is God’s grace to the soul. Just as a body is dead when there is no soul in it; so the soul is dead when it does not have God’s grace to revive it. To such a dead man, God's grace, both through the outward word of God and crying out to him inwardly in his conscience, strikes him: arise from sleep, and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light (Eph.
5:14.) This spiritual death is all the more miserable because it leads to the most miserable eternal death.
Secondly: just as death is threefold; so the stomach is threefold: the first is bodily, when the soul and the body abides together. This life, just like bodily death, is common to all righteous and sinners. The second belly is spiritual, which is created by God’s grace living in man. Just as sin defiles a person and separates him from the holy God (Isa. 59:2) and thus kills him: so faith and God’s grace cleanses a person, unites him with God and revives him. Sensual things, towards the light, eg. Those who approach the sun or a lamp receive light into themselves and are illuminated: so the soul, drawn closer to God by faith, receives light from Him and life, and so is enlightened and enlivened by the ever-present light and life. The third life is eternal, to which the threshold is spiritual life. For no one will enter into eternal life unless he now rises from dead works (Apoc. 22:15).
Question How and through what can we rise from dead works?
Rep. Just as in carnal birth we are all born spiritually dead; because we are conceived in iniquities and born in sins: so in spiritual birth, or baptism, which is by water and the Spirit, we rise spiritually from the dead. For through baptism we are conformed to the death and resurrection of Christ. Just as Christ died for our sins and rose again in the flesh, so in baptism we die to the sin by which we were spiritually put to death, rose spiritually and begin to live to God. Christ died: our sin also died. Christ rose from the dead, and our death was also put to death, as the Church sings on the day of Holy Pascha: we celebrate the mortification of death, and now a spiritual uprising has been granted to us from the death of sin; On the last day there will be a bodily and all-perfect renewal of our entire composition. Then there will be a word written in Hosea (Hos. 13:14). For when we believe in Christ, who died and rose again, and are baptized; Our sin is also put to death. When sin is put to death; then our death is also put to death; for death is from sin.
Therefore, when sin is put to death, death is also put to death; and when death is put to death, we rise from the dead; and when we rise from the dead, we begin to live again.
Our baptism is our spiritual rebellion and resurrection... Our baptism put us to death to sin and revived us to God, and renewed us, gave birth to us, and made us a new creature (2 Cor. 5:17)... Holy baptism is a new, spiritual, holy and second birth, or rebirth; for in it we are born again, renewed, by the renewing of the Holy Spirit (Tit. 3:5), the second we are born, or reborn to a new, better, heavenly, holy, godly life.
Question Like bl. Tikhon explains the fruits of rebirth - in reason, in conscience, in will?
Rep. 1) If we die - through grace-filled rebirth - to sin, how much longer will we live in it - in sin (Rom. 6:2)? This is the first fruit of revival! The only way to die is to not listen to him and not do what he wants. Just as a dead man does not listen and does nothing that he is neither told nor commanded: so Christians, as having died to sin, should not listen to him in anything, no matter what he tempts... “Baptism to sin has killed us,” says St. Chrysostom; The rest is worthy of our diligence to correct this, so that even if countless people command, we no longer listen to him, but remain motionless, like a dead man (Demon 10 on the last to Romans).” A Christian, according to the power of rebirth, must be both dead and alive: dead to sin and the devil, the inventor of sin, but alive to God... He who lives by sin cannot live for God.
2) Spiritual and new birth requires new activity from the reborn. Both carnal and spiritual birth have their own fruits. Natural or external man, as long as he lives, is not idle, but shows signs of his life - he feels, sees, hears, speaks: so the new man, the internal one, should show signs of life, spiritual birth and spiritual new life. Which? The signs and actions of an inner, spiritually living person, or a new person, are: true piety and fear of God, love for God and neighbor. Just as the signs of the old, or spiritually dead, person are unrepentant living and dead deeds, sins and iniquities: so the signs and actions of the new, born and spiritually living person are true Christian virtues, with which the inner and new person, like a good tree, is decorated with good fruits. Otherwise, he would not be alive, but dead, and the birth would not be real, but dreamy...
Hence you see in the book of the Acts of the Apostles and in Church history that those who truly turned to God, and were born again by faith and spirit, showed in themselves everything different, contrary to what they had before their conversion: other plans, other undertakings, other intentions, desires, words...
Here you go, L. b., and the prayer of Blessed Tikhon for spiritual renewal, or for rebirth in the mind, in conscience, in the will and in the whole being (Part. 7, Chapter 59):
“Jesus, the Son of God, the Savior and renewer of the world, made dilapidated by the malice of sin! Renew me with the grace of Your life-giving Spirit! Give me the mind to understand the power of Your saving coming; give me a heart to love You - eternal love, consolation and joy of the Saints; give me eyes to continually see Your passions; give me ears to hear Your holy word; give me lips to speak words pleasing to You, useful to me and my neighbor; give me a nose - to walk in the footsteps of Your commandments and everything that is mine, I pray to You, take it away and give it Yours: for You are the One who created everything; Without You we cannot do anything (John 15:5). For blessed art thou forever. Amen".
Many passages of Scripture testify to the inner, grace-filled unity of a reborn person with God, for example:
I am with you always, even to the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word: and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23).
You are the living Church of God, as God said: I will dwell in them and walk around (2 Cor. 6:16).
The kingdom of God will not come with observance (in a visible way): below they say, here, or here; Behold, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20, 21).
And I pray the Father, and another, the Comforter, that the Spirit of truth may be with you forever, but the world cannot receive Him, for it does not see Him, nor does it know Him: but you know Him, for He abides in you and will be in you (John 14:16, 17).
Be in Me, and I in you. Just as the rod cannot produce fruit for itself unless it is on the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, and you are the birth (John 15:4, 5).
He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me and I in him (John 6:56).
I am in them, and You are in Me, that they may be perfect in one... And I told them Your name, and I will say, Yes, by the love with which You have loved Me, it will be in them, and I in them (John 17:23, 26).
“I will open my heart to the Spirit of God,” says the Theologian of the fourth century, I will strive towards the heavenly light, and I will have the Spirit of God as the model and rule of my life. Then, having Christ as a helper, companion and guide, I will be exalted from the earth and will achieve a bright and immortal life. Here God no longer shines through sensual things, not through the letters of Scripture, but with the oil of joy, the oil of the Holy Spirit, with which, having been doused, so to speak, the heart in all its bends and abilities, it becomes light for itself: and you have the anointing of the Holy One, and you know everything, and do not demand, but who teaches you, but the anointing itself teaches you about all things (1 John 2:20, 27. Christ. read 1827, part 25, p. 235).
Question How does Saint Tikhon explain the image of the unity of the reborn with God?
Rep. About this sacred and secret subject, blessed. Tikhon talks, by the way, in two of his articles: 1) the vine and the rods and 2) the head and the body. 1) As the vine and the rods (i.e. branches) are to each other, so are Christ and Christians to each other. The rods from the vine receive juice and fruit: thus Christians receive from Christ the life-giving power of good morals and virtues. The rods by themselves cannot create fruit; So Christians are without Christ... A withered rod is good for nothing but burning: so a Christian, who has been cut off from Christ and has dried up, will be given over to eternal fire (John 15:6). 2) What the head and the body are to each other, then are Christ and Christians. The body is united with the head: thus Christians are spiritually united with Christ. The head rules the body: this is how Christ rules his spiritual body - His holy Church. The chapter provides for the benefit and integrity of the whole body: thus Christ cares about the benefit and salvation of His Church or the faithful...
The bodily members are the instruments of the head, which does everything through them: sees, hears, etc.: so Christians are the instruments of the head of Christ, who through them and in them performs good deeds, so that the actions of the bodily members are to the head, and the (good) actions of Christians are attributed to Christ... You see, since the close union and unity of Christians is with Christ, to whom be glory forever!
The will of God is set out and convincingly introduced to us by Saint Tikhon in the spiritual treasure, under the article: “pleasing.” We see, he talks in his Zadonsk solitude, that people please people. Subjects please kings, subjects please authorities, slaves please masters, children please parents. Most of all, O Christians, we must please God. Our faith and confession demand this from us. For faith should not be idle and vain, but fruitful, promoted by love and good deeds (James 2:18). Our promise, which we made to God under St., requires this from us. baptism... Natural reason itself convinces us of this and conscience. People please their kings. God is our King and the eternal King, the King of kings and the universe. One must therefore please Him as the King. People please authorities and bosses. God is our supreme Ruler and Ruler, whose power and authority are eternal. People please their masters. God is our Most High Lord, and is the Lord of lords. People please their benefactors and their fathers. God is our Highest benefactor, of which there is not and cannot be a greater benefactor.
He is our Father, who regenerated us by His word and the bath of spiritual baptism.
Question What should our pleasingness to God be like?
Rep. Sincere, heartfelt, and unfeigned: it must come from faith and a heartfelt foundation. For God, as a knower of hearts, tests and sees the depth of our hearts.
Question Who pleases God and who does not?
Rep. He is pleased who does His holy will; He does not please anyone who does not fulfill His holy will. And the will of God is in the Ten Commandments and in the Gospel.
Question Is it possible to please God without God himself?
Rep. We can't; for our blindness, weakness and corruption are great. Therefore, we must earnestly pray to God and sigh to Him, so that He Himself will guide us on the path pleasing to Him, and He will support us on it and lead us along it. The Psalmist prayed about this throughout Psalm 118, asking for a holy and godly life. Let us imitate him and let us cry out: teach me, O Lord, to do Thy will (Ps. 142:10).
Question In what relation is our will to the will of God?
Rep. In the opposite way, so that in order to please God, we should not do what pleases and pleases us, but what is contrary. Eg. It pleases us to live in idleness and laziness, but the will of God requires from us work, and sobriety and activity. It suits us to follow the path of extensive whims, luxury and merriment; but this is not pleasing to God: enter through the narrow gates, says Christ (Matthew 7:13). We do not want to love our enemies, bless those who curse us, and do good to those who hate us; but this pleases God: love your enemies, says Christ, bless those who curse, etc. (Matthew 5:44). Thy will be done, Our Father, Who art in heaven, and not ours (Matthew 6:10, 9).
Question Like St. Tikhon speaks about the Incarnation?
Rep. Saint Tikhon theologizes about this unspoken dogma of faith: “Our God is one Holy Trinity: Father, Son and Holy Spirit: not three Gods, but one God. There is one God by nature, but there is a Trinitarian God: God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. These three Divine persons have one being, one will, one power, kingdom, power, glory: no one greater, no one less; but equally powerful, equal, equal in honor, Trinitarian God: the Father is not begotten, the Son is begotten of the Father, and the Holy Spirit proceeds from the same Father. This mystery is incomprehensible to us. From the seed of the Holy Trinity - the second person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Son of God came for the sake of delivering the human race into the world. And since God is Spirit, He deigned to become incarnate and thus save man. We read in the Creed: I also believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only Begotten, who was born of the Father before all ages. For our sake, man and our salvation came down from heaven and became incarnate from the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary and became human.”
Question What prompted the Son of God to become incarnate?
Rep. It is known, says Saint Tikhon, from St. Scriptures that all people, no matter how much they were, and are, and will be, have sinned before God. All who have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Shut up all Scripture under sin. And it is written: Cursed is everyone who does not abide in all those things that are written in the Book of Law, according to what I have done (Gal. 3:10). Track. all people became under an oath, like criminals. And everyone should, according to the power of the oath, be given over to eternal punishment and torment. This is absolutely required by a legal oath. Christ, the Son of God, redeemed us from this oath, not with silver and gold, but with His honest blood and death (Gal. 3:13). And so the Holy Church whines to Him: You have redeemed us from the legal oath with Your honest blood, You have given immortality to man, Our Savior, glory to You! You see what prompted Christ the Son of God to become incarnate, crucify and die: it was His inexpressible love for us, and our extreme poverty and eternal destruction to which we were subject. Glory to Christ God, who saved us, to Whom I entrust myself and you into mercy and protection (Letter 6, part 15)!
Question Like bl. Tikhon talks about the resurrection of Jesus Christ?
Rep. (Part 12, p. 127) Christ, having died for our sins, on the third day rose from the dead, and after forty days he appeared to His disciples and the Apostles and His other faithful, and in various ways proved to them His rebellion and spoke about the kingdom of God (Acts 1:3). So He completed His work and, in front of all of them, obviously from the Mount of Olives ascended into heaven (Luke 24:51), from where He came and sat down at the right hand of God the Father! Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, sing praises to the Lord, who has ascended into heaven (Ps. 67:33, 34)... Christians! Let us stand here for a little while and look at the saving rising and ascension of Christ. 1) Christ rose from the dead. This is where great consolation and joy flows to us. Christ arose, and thereby showed us that He triumphed over all our enemies - the devil, sin, death and hell, as mighty in strength - and gave us victory over them. We are no longer afraid of sins, the devil, death and hell. Christ is our justification, sanctification and deliverance, who was delivered up for our transgressions and raised up for our justification (1 Cor. 1:30; Rom. 4:25). If God is for us, who is for us? (Rom.8:31). This consolation and joy is given to us by the rebellion of Christ.
Therefore, after the uprising, He said to His myrrh-bearing wives: Rejoice (Matthew 28:9). And he preached to the Apostles: peace be with you (John 20:26). As if to say: “don’t be afraid! I have cleansed your sins with My blood; God - to you and to God he reconciled you; I have made my Father your Father. I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God (John 20:17). He defeated the devil and snatched you from his power; He delivered you from death and hell, and opened the kingdom of God to you. Preach this to all the ends of the earth. And I said to them: go into the whole world, preach the Gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15). Let us all join in sowing joy and consolation. O great and most sacred Easter, Christ! About wisdom, and the Word of God, and power! Grant us the opportunity to partake of You in the unfading days of Your kingdom. 2) Christ has risen: it is necessary for us to rise with Christ, so that we may ascend into heaven with Him. Our rebellion is twofold: physical and mental. We speak about bodily uprising in the Holy Symbol: the tea of the resurrection of the dead.
Spiritual rebellion is to lag behind sins, and to turn away from the vanity of the world, and to be in true repentance and faith, to struggle against all sin and to do the will of the Heavenly Father... 3) Christ ascended into heaven; He sought and saved the lost man, and ascended and brought him to His heavenly Father and commanded His heavenly powers to rejoice: rejoice with Me, for I have found the lost sheep (Luke 15:6). Just as a shepherd, seeing a sheep separated from the flock, goes out to find it, searches for it in the mountains and deserts, and having found it, puts it on his shoulder and joyfully adds it to his flock: so the good shepherd Jesus Christ, seeing a man separated from the face of the angels... went out to find him and found him, and, placing him on his shoulder, brought him to the heavenly He numbered His Father among the angels... 4) Christ ascended into heaven before His holy disciples and showed all His faithful the way there. Christ, the head, ascended into heaven; His holy members, true Christians, will also ascend. The way there was closed for men, but by the death of Christ it was opened.
The veil of the church was rent - in the death of Christ, and the way and entrance into the kingdom of heaven was opened for the faithful... Let us not be careless about ourselves... It is written about Christ: is it not fitting for Christ to suffer and be brought into His glory (Luke 24:26)? But we also hear from the Holy Scripture: through many tribulations it is fitting for us to enter the kingdom of God (Acts 14:22). It is necessary for a Christian to live piously, holy, humbly, lovingly, meekly and patiently on earth, and thus follow Christ when he wants to enter the kingdom of God. This path is low and humble, but safe and trustworthy. 5) Just as the suffering and death of Christ, so His resurrection and ascension do not benefit those Christians who live in disarray and have not risen from spiritual death. Arise, therefore, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you (Eph. 5:14).
I worship, glorify and magnify Your descent into hell, captivity of hell, trampling of death and resurrection from the grave for three days; I pray to Thee, my Lord: my soul, captivated by sins, into Thy love is captivated, resurrect the dead and deliver from hell. I worship with my flesh the ascension to heaven, where you sit at the right hand of God the Father, see my misfortune and weakness, hear my sinful prayer, understand my thoughts from afar and weigh all my proposal: I pray to You, My Lord: lift up my mind from earthly to heavenly things; strengthen my weakness; Fill my insufficiency and poverty, and lead me to a good and saved end.
About the general resurrection, Saint Tikhon, in his Zadonsky thought of God, looking at spring, wrote the following: “spring is the image and sign of the resurrection of the dead. What we see during spring will also be in the resurrection of the dead. During spring, all the heavenly creation is renewed: so in the resurrection everything will be renewed, according to the false promise of God: I create all new hay (Apoc. 21:5); there will be a new heaven and a new earth (Isa. 65:17; 2 Pet. 3:13). During spring, all creation is revived: so at the resurrection of the dead, all human nature will be revived. During spring, every herb and potion comes from the bowels of the earth and appears in its own form: so on the last day dead people will come out of their graves and everyone will appear in his own image: for the hour is coming, in which all who are in the graves will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they will come out having done good to the resurrection of life, and having done evil to the resurrection of judgment (Jn. 5:28, 29).
During winter, trees and grass appear as if withered, but in the spring their living creatures are revealed: thus those who have died, who do not know the resurrection of the dead, appear as if they had perished; but the Holy Faith teaches us that their life will appear on the last day. During spring, naked trees and grass are clothed and decorated with leaves and flowers: thus, at the resurrection, the bodies of the pious and righteous will be transformed into a new, bright and beautiful appearance (Phil. 3:20; Matt. 13:43).
Moral teacher Christian! you see in spring an image of the resurrection of the dead, and what kind of resurrection there will be for the righteous and what kind for sinners: live then the way you want to be resurrected then. You long for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the next century: live not contrary, but worthy of it, etc. (Part 11).
Question What did the blessed one write? Tikhon (in part 9, chapter 18) about the resurrection of Christians?
Rep. Our life in heaven is like the likeness of the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humility, so that it may be conformed to the body of His glory (Phil. 3:20, 21). On these words of the Apostle Blessed. Tikhon says: “The human mind, not enlightened by faith, cannot understand the resurrection of the dead. He thinks that just as bestial bodies, rotted and crumbled into dust, do not rise, so do human ones.
From here many harmful opinions have arisen about the resurrection of the dead; because people followed their own reason, which, without enlightenment by faith, is blind.
From here, to unfaithful and carnal people, the word about the resurrection of the dead seems like a riot; from here the Sadducees say there will be no resurrection, and ask Christ about this; but they are convicted by Him of not knowing the Scriptures or the power of God (Mark 12:18–24). This is why the Athenians called Saint Paul vain when he preached the resurrection to them: what does this vain man want to say? and hearing the resurrection of the dead, he cursed (Acts 17:18, 32).
But Holy Faith complements the deficiency and impoverishment of the mind, and what the blind mind does not comprehend in itself, it enlightens it, and then by faith the enlightened mind sees this as if it had already actually happened. They explain this truth and similarities taken from nature: if a grain of wheat falls on the ground, says Christ, it will not die, but one abides; Even if he dies, he will produce much fruit (John 12:24). You are a fool, you will not live unless you die (1 Cor. 15:36). The holy faith, in the word of Christ the Son of God, which is eternal truth, affirmed, removes all doubt.
Question What does the blessed one say? Tikhon about the qualities of resurrected bodies?
Rep. The dead will be resurrected, and will be resurrected with the same bodies that rest in their tombs. Those bodies that have fallen will rise; those who sleep in the tombs will awaken (Dan. 12:2); those who are sown will rise (1 Cor. 15:37); the same bodies with which they have done either good or evil will arise, so that everyone who has done with the body will receive either good or evil (2 Cor. 5:10). For the hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God, and they will come out, having done good to the resurrection of life, and having done evil to the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28, 29). Christ rose from the dead, and rose with the body in which He also died, and became the firstfruits of those who died (1 Cor. 15:20–23; Col. 1:18). All the dead will also rise with the same bodies in which they died.
Question How the blessed one speaks about the difference in resurrection. Tikhon?
Rep. As for the wicked, this resurrection will be sad and bitter, because, having copulated with the bodies with which they were lawless and ferocious in this world, they will cast you down into hell to receive you according to their deeds: so for the pious servants of Christ it will be comforting, joyful and as much desired as a beautiful spring after winter. For just as during spring grass emerges from the bowels of the earth and is clothed in various fragrant flowers, so the bodies of the pious from their tombs, in which, crushed by the abomination of death, were hidden, at that time they will come out animated and will be clothed in a new beautiful form of immortality and eternal glory. It is sown, the Apostle of Christ teaches, into corruption, and is raised in incorruption: it is sown not in honor, it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness, it is raised in strength (1 Cor. 15:42, 43). For Christ will transform the body of our humility, so that we may be conformed to the body of His glory (Phil. 3:21). And the Apostle John says: beloved! Now we are children of God, and if we do not appear, what shall we do? We know that when He appears, we will be like Him (1 John 3:2), so that then the righteous women will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father, according to the word of Christ (Matthew 13:43).
A wonderful spring in which such flowers will appear on earth! Blessed and blessed are those whose humble bodies vegetate like this! What joy and sweetness will be in their hearts when their bodies are so adorned! Then the word that is written will be fulfilled: death was sacrificed in victory! Where is the sting, death? Where is the victory (1 Cor. 15:54, 55; Hos. 13:14)? Think about this beautiful spring, beloved, about the Christian, and strive through the grace of Christ to reach the righteous at the resurrection.
“We celebrate,” says St. John of Damascus, - the perfect rest of human nature, that is, the Sunday day on which the Lord Jesus, the head of life and the Savior, introduced us into the inheritance promised to those who serve God spiritually. Our Forerunner himself ascended into this inheritance, having risen from the dead; and when the gates of heaven were opened to Him, He sat down bodily at the right hand of the Father. Those who keep the spiritual law will also enter into the same inheritance (Izl. Pr. Vera, trans. 1844, p. 292).”
You can read something similar from St. Athanasius the Great in a conversation about the Sabbath.
“Sunday is for us a day on which we must, as much as possible, free ourselves from all earthly activities, and elevate our spirit and heart from earth to heaven, from creatures to the Creator. If we live for almost a whole week as if we were created only for this earth, only to enjoy earthly joys; then, at least on Sunday, we must remember that we were created for another, incomparably better and more blessed world...”
“On this day we must leave all worldly cares and affairs, and deal only with such subjects as are characteristic of future citizens of the heavenly fatherland. Each of us must certainly come to Church on this day, which for a Christian is, as it were, the threshold of blessed heaven... But before we go to Church, we must prepare ourselves in a worthy manner for this, that is, engage in some pious conversations, or read some Gospel story, and thereby tune our spirit to engage in divine objects of worship... Having come to church, we must listen with attention, with pray with reverence and thank God from the bottom of our hearts for His countless blessings to us... Looking at the sacred actions of the divine service, we must resurrect in our memory that infinite benefactor, who with His death redeemed us from eternal death and in His glorious resurrection showed us the image of our future resurrection into eternal life... (Christ. Read. for 1827, ch. 25, pp. 334–338 ff)".
That's how St. John Chrysostom talks on Bright Sunday, i.e. on Easter day. “Christ is risen from the dead, and with Him are many righteous people. May we celebrate this day sweetly and honorably. For truly this is the day that the Lord has made: let us rejoice and be glad in it (Ps. 118:24). Let us glorify the resurrection of God our Savior, or, more importantly, let us sing our resurrection. Let us bless the memory of this bright day; We will tell you the death of the devil, the captivity of unclean demons, the salvation of Christians, the rising of the dead. By the Resurrection of Christ the fire of Gehenna is extinguished, the never-ending worm dies; hell is in turmoil, the devil is groaning, sin is being killed; crafty spirits take flight; those who come from earth ascend to heaven, those who were in hell are freed from the bonds of the devil and, flowing to God, cry out to the adversary: where is the sting, O death? Where the hell is victory? (1 Cor. 15:55). Our Christ is the author of our true holy and luminous triumph. What shall we render to the Lord for all that He has rendered to us? (Ps. 115:3).
Being God, He deigned to become man for our sake; Having become a man, He was obedient even to the point of death, in order to deliver us from eternal death... Behold the Lordship of our venerable Easter! Behold the sacrament of Christians! that is, we celebrate the holiday of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life. Let us therefore triumph, and let us celebrate not in the brew of alcohol, nor in the brew of malice and wickedness, but in the unleavened purity and truth (1 Cor. 5:8), believing in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, in the Trinity, consubstantial and uncreated; believing in the resurrection and waiting for the Lord to come again, no longer in a humble and humiliated form, but in glory and splendor, accompanied by shining Angels, with a trumpet, with fear and joy, with joy - for the saints and the righteous, with fear - for the ungodly and sinners. May the God of peace, having found us in good deeds and in the Orthodox faith, vouchsafe us a resurrection in glory, with His holy angels.”
O great and most sacred Easter in Christ! About wisdom and the Word of God and power! Give us the opportunity to partake of You in the unfading days of Your kingdom (Song. 9).
About education as the initial source of true goodness and happiness, blessed. Tikhon, in his Zadonsk solitude, talks, looking at a small tree. “We see,” he says, that the small tree comfortably bends to every side, wherever it bends; and where it bows, there it grows. The same thing happens to young and small children... Will they learn goodness in their youth? He will be good throughout his entire life. Will he learn evil? As in youth, so it will be throughout life, and from a little boy a devil and an angel can emerge. For the rest of life depends on upbringing, just as fruits depend on a seed (see about upbringing: Parents).
Question What does Saint Tikhon say about the rising of the sun?
Rep. Before the sun rises, darkness and night remain, but as the sun rises, the darkness recedes and the light shines. Thus, before the coming of Christ, who is the righteous sun, darkness covered the entire universe and the night was deep; but as this brightest sun shone and emitted its warmest rays over the entire universe, a most favorable and sweetest day arose for our souls. Then the prophetic word was fulfilled: the people who walked in darkness saw a great light, and to those who sat in the land and the shadow of death, light came to them (Isaiah 9:2). The night has passed away, and the day has come (Rom. 13:12). Before the sun, shining upon its rise, all people walk, and the sun looks at everyone and everyone: so before God, who is omnipresent and watches over all, people walk, and what anyone does, thinks, intends, the eyes of the Lord see... When the sun has risen and shines in heaven, everything happens clearly, everyone sees the path along which to walk, recognizes one thing from another: this is what happens in the soul, which Christ, the righteous sun, will enlighten. Such a soul sees everything clearly, knows the charm and vanity of this world, good and evil, vice and virtue.
To such a soul the word of God is sweet, like God himself... When the sun sets, there is night and darkness: then people see nothing, do not recognize one thing from another, and walk like blind people. This is the state of those souls in whom the light of Christ did not shine... The rising sun warms and, as it were, revives the whole of heaven: so God, the eternal sun, with the warmth of His love warms and revives all creation, and even more so, the human race. For in Him we live, we move, and we are (Acts 17:28). Everyone looks at the rising sun and those who want to be warmed by its warmth come to it: so all the faithful look to God and are warmed by the warmth of His mercy (Ps. 144:15)... The sun never ceases from its course, but always goes from east to west, and emits its warmth and light into the heavenly places: so God never ceases from doing good... Such is His being... The sun shines and sheds her warmth on the evil and the good; So the eternal sun - God does good and evil, pious and evil. May we also imitate our Creator...
The sun equally emits its warmth on all things, but some things melt from its warmth, like wax, and others harden, like clay: thus God does good to everyone equally, and sends down the warmth of His goodness, but other people are softened by His goodness and repent; and others become embittered and perish, like Pharaoh... The closer the sun gets, the smaller the shadow is; the more one moves away, the greater the shadow becomes: thus, the more God approaches a person, the less a person becomes in himself and humbles himself, seeing his insignificance. On the contrary, the more God moves away from man, the more man rises and is proud...
It is impossible to look at the sun with a sick eye and see it: so a soul, sick with guile, vanity, pride, conceit, self-love, love of this world, is impossible to see the eternal Divinity... God, without God Himself, is impossible to know and see...
Whoever goes to the sun, the shadow will follow; whoever departs from the sun, the shadow recedes from him: so, whoever approaches Christ, the righteous sun, and follows Him with faith and love, hatred, malice and persecution of this world will follow... When the sky is covered with thick and dark clouds, and a great storm comes, it seems as if the sun leaves us; however, it always and at such times emits its subtlest rays. So, when a dark cloud and storm of temptation comes upon us and covers us: then it seems as if God had abandoned us; however, God does not abandon His faithful one even in such darkness, but with His hidden power preserves him...
Moreover, when we look at the sun, let us remember what Christ the Lord said: then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43). Let us look with the eyes of our souls at this glory and despise the charming glory of this world.
Question What kind of spiritual reasoning came to the mind of the blessed one. Tikhon at the sight of a tall tree - in the middle of a small forest?
Rep. Like a tall tree in the middle of a low forest, there is also a person of honor - among ordinary people. The tall tree is visible from afar from everyone: this is how everyone sees the honor of a sitting person. A tall tree is subject to every wind and storm, and is overwhelmed by every bad weather: so a high ruler is subject to every attempt and disaster... Not everyone finds wind on a small tree, but on a tall tree, everyone blows and shakes it from everywhere... When a tall tree, standing in the middle of a small forest, falls, then its fall can be heard far away and many small forests standing nearby will be crushed: so, when in a great sin If a shepherd or some other ruler falls, his fall will be heard far away and will tempt many. Their fall will be heard far away, like the fall of tall trees. He did this and that. Who? Bishop or priest, governor or voivode, prince or king, or some other ruler...
O beloved, whom God has seated in a high place! Beware of falling with all your might, take heart and be strong, so that you do not fall, and if you fall, you will draw many with you! into the fall.
Be sure to stand, and be guarded, lest you fall (1 Cor. 10:12) (abbreviated part 10, article 43).
Rep. Faith is that, says Saint Tikhon, which we do not see, or do not comprehend with our minds, but we believe, we acknowledge that it is so. Thus we do not see God (although from the creation of the world we have known Him), but we believe that there is God and there is one. We do not comprehend with our minds how God is one in nature, but Trinity in persons; but we believe, being instructed by the word of God. We do not see Christ, the Son of God, the eternal life, the heavenly kingdom; but we believe. We do not comprehend with our minds the resurrection of the dead, in the most holy Eucharist - the body and blood of Christ; but faith confirms us in this. In these and other mysteries of God, reason must follow faith, and not faith to reason, that is, their knowledge does not depend on reason, but on faith. Let us not test with our minds that which requires a single faith, but let us captivate our minds into the obedience of Christ. St. Chrysostom teaches: where there is faith, there is no need for torture. Torment of faith is ruinous. For the one who tortures you will not gain (Demon 1 on 1 last to Tim).
Question How do good deeds come from faith, like fruit from a tree from its roots?
Rep. A faithful man in the holy In Scripture it is likened to a tree: it will be like a tree planted when the waters come out, it will yield its fruit in its season, and its leaf will not fall off, and everything that it creates will prosper (Ps. 1:3). The root of the tree goes deep into the earth: faith in a person is established on the love of mankind and the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. The root contains the whole tree: faith contains the faithful heart. From the root a tree begins and grows: from faith a Christian is reborn and grows: without faith a Christian cannot exist, just as a tree cannot exist without a root. The more the root of a tree grows, the larger the tree becomes: thus, the more faith grows, the more successful is the faithful. As a tree has branches, leaves and fruits, so a faithful man has words, thoughts and deeds; the tree rises to the top the more it grows: so a believer, the more he grows in faith and its fruits, the more he admires heavenly and eternal blessings. When the root of the tree begins to deteriorate, the tree begins to dry out, and the fruits become scarce: so when faith begins to deteriorate, the faithful become impoverished in their deeds. Faith is the source of all good things.
Faith represents future blessings as if they were present, and invisible ones as if they were visible (Heb. 11:1); from this hope is born. Faith shows God as a philanthropic father, the father of generosity and all kinds of joy; from this comes love for God, and from love for God comes love for one’s neighbor. Faith teaches that God sends His cross to His faithful not out of anger, but out of love (Heb. 12:6), and thus gives birth to consolation and patience. Faith, showing human weakness, and the fact that we ourselves cannot bear temptation, convinces us to seek help from God, who can do everything, and promised help to those who are tempted, and through this arouses sighing and prayer in a person. Faith represents to the believer the majesty, omnipotence of God, His justice and holiness, and the insignificance and damnation of man, and through this gives birth to humility, fear of God, saving self-abasement and avoidance of sins, etc. And so faith is the root of all good deeds (From Book 9, 7).
Without faith you cannot please God. By faith, according to the testimony of the Apostle Paul, all the Old Testament righteous were saved (Heb. 11).
“Faith,” says St. John of Damascus, twofold. Faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17). By listening to divine Scripture, we believe the teaching of the Holy Spirit. This faith comes to perfection through the fulfillment of everything legitimized by Christ, that is, when we truly believe, live piously and keep the commandments of Him who renewed us. For whoever does not believe in accordance with the tradition of the Catholic Church, or communicates with the devil through evil deeds, is an infidel.
There is also faith, the revelation of things hoped for, the revelation of things unseen (Heb. 11:1), that is, firm and undoubted hope in the promises given to us from God, and in receiving what we ask for. The first faith depends on our free disposition, and the second is a gift of the Spirit.” (Exposition of the rights. Faith of St. John of Damascus, trans. 1844, p. 240).
“Without faith it is impossible to be saved. Everything is based on faith, both human and spiritual. Without faith, the farmer does not make furrows on the earth, and the merchant does not entrust his life to a small tree in the stormy depths of the sea; Without faith, marriages are not concluded, and nothing else is undertaken in life. By faith we understand that everything is brought from non-existence into existence by the power of God; By faith we accomplish all deeds, both divine and human. Faith is agreement without any inquisitiveness (Exposition of the Rules of Faith of St. John of Damascus, translation. 1844, pp. 241, 242. St. Vas. Vel. Demon. on Ps. 115).”
Faith and the merciful imputation of the death and merits of Jesus Christ to us sinners save us, l. b. The latter, i.e. imputation, is holy. Tikhon applies this to us, speaking on behalf of the Lord Himself: “You sinned, and I took your sin upon myself. You are to blame, but I accepted the execution. You are a debtor, and I have paid the debt. You are condemned to death, but I died for you. To this My love, My mercy, attracted Me. I could not bear for you to suffer in such misfortune (Tikhon’s word is here).”
What do you say? “Be with me according to this verb. Just as, according to the law of sanity, in sorrow, in deprivation and alienation from God, we suffer for the guilt of the first, earthly Adam: so, according to the same law, may we be saved and blessed by the second, heavenly Adam, Christ Jesus, I pray to Him for this, and by His grace, and in the name of the father of believers Abraham, and the mother of the entire Christian race - the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the Mother of the Lord.”
Question How does the opposite also happen according to the law of sanity?
Rep. So: I sinned, so that Adam and his descendants may cry, and You, O Son of God, took my sin upon Yourself. I am guilty and condemned, and You accepted the execution. I am a debtor, and You have paid my debt. I am sentenced to death; and You died for me. I wonder how I will repay You, O Redeemer! And I’m afraid, really afraid, lest I be left out of the small number of those being saved...
What vices are opposed to fidelity? Flattery, lies, and deceit are vices that are opposite to fidelity, both akin to each other, and own to the devil. For the devil is the father of lies and wickedness (John 8:44). These vices are possessed by those people who speak differently in their tongues and have something else in their hearts. Such people are usually called double-minded, because it is as if they have two souls - an internal and an external one: with the outer soul they treat people and deceive people, but with the inner they protect themselves... The words of these people are like honey, but the deed itself is like poison. Those who want to poison someone smear the poison with honey: so these souls, in order to more easily catch the simple-hearted, cover the poison of their malice, like honey, with soft and affectionate words. This is what Cain did, who led his brother Abel out into the field, as if for some good reason, but in his heart he intended evil. This is what Judas the traitor did, who greeted Christ with his lips: Hail Rabbi (Matthew 26:49), but with his very prophetic words he betrayed his Lord into the hands of his enemies. So now many greet us: hello, hello! but with their hearts they breathe for our destruction. The Psalmist described them correctly (Ps.
54:22 Sire. 12:15–18).
Question What happens to society from the decline of loyalty?
Rep. For any society there is no greater plague than the flatterers, the deceitful and the treacherous. For where there is no fidelity, there can be no union of society; there they will not trust each other in anything; there they will fear each other, hide from each other, consider each other as an enemy: how much evil is this? There can be no peace there, but enmity, quarrels, painful suspicion, destruction of all friendship and trust.
Question Was it not from the impoverishment of fidelity that ungodly oaths arose?
Rep. Yes; flattery and deceit seem to have led them in: they are the cause of ungodly oaths and vain invocations of the terrible name of God, such as: by God, for that God, etc.
Question How does St. Tikhon reflect on eternity?
Rep. Nothing moves a sinner to repentance more than eternity, and nothing is as useful to a Christian as memory and reasoning about eternity. Eternity keeps a person from sin, pacifies passions, turns him away from the world and all its vanity; crushes the heart, gives birth to tears of repentance, stimulates prayer. Thinking about eternity filled the deserts, dens, mountains and abysses of the earth with inhabitants. Do you know what eternity is? asks the bl. Tikhon. Eternity is a beginning without end, that is, it begins once and never ends, or always and never. It will always be and will never stop. This is what eternity is! All centuries, from the creation of the world to the end, are like the smallest point against the whole world, or like a minute against a thousand centuries, or better said, like nothing. This is what eternity is!
Question What is eternity?
Rep. Twofold: prosperous, blissful and dysfunctional, unhappy. In a prosperous eternity there will be the kingdom of God, God will be seen face to face, there will be joy and joy unspeakable; soul and body will receive complete bliss: the righteous will be enlightened like the sun (Matthew 13:43). In an unfavorable eternity there will be deprivation and removal from God, all suffering and torment in the soul and in the body. There they will wish to die and death will flee from them. Remember and have mercy on us, Lord, when You come into Your kingdom (Part 3)!