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The most precious and highest gift to us from God is God’s word, or St. Scripture. From it You grant me to know You, God and my creator. In it I see that You, O God, have done and are doing glorious and wondrous works, which no human hand and no creature can create: and from them I know that You are the same (Ps. 101:28), wonderfully and gloriously working miracles in the world created from You, and I see Your almighty power. For just as to create things out of nothing, so to change those created is the work of omnipotence: to turn rivers into blood, to drain water from stones, to enlighten the blind, and so on. In Your word, O God, I see that Your almighty right hand protects, preserves, saves those who fear, love and honor You; he humbles and punishes the self-willed and wicked; and from this I recognize Your righteousness and am moved to repentance. In Your word I see that You, God, call all those who have turned away from You, and those who have turned and come in repentance, as a Father who loves children, You lovingly accept, You show Your mercy, and You do not remember their sins: from this I know Your goodness and mercy... In Your word, O God, I see that everything you reveal to us is exactly so, and what you predict comes true, and what you promise and promise, everything comes true. Heaven and earth pass by, but Your words will not pass away (Matthew 24:35). And henceforth I will know Your truth; and I am confirmed in my faith... I see in Your word, O God, that You, as you have no beginning, have no end. All things created from You, as they began, can end; and as they were not, they may not be. You are the same from century to century, and Your years will not fail... I see in Your holy word that You are an immaterial Spirit, Whom it is impossible to see with your eye, nor to hear with your ear, nor to touch with your hands, but you are seen with the single eye of faith and the mind. The Spirit is God (John 4:24). I see in Your word that You find a way of salvation for us there, where it is not at all visible, and you lead everything to a good end; From now on I recognize Your wisdom and am amazed at it... Do You exalt me? good for me! Are you humble? good for me! Are you making me joyful? good for me! Are you sad? good for me!.. In Your word He also grants me to see that You, as the Creator, provide for all creation in such a way that even a small bird does not fall without Your will; but most of all - about man, whom You created in Your image and likeness. In Your word You grant me to see that the devil, that evil ancient serpent, who deceived my First Parents, and now, envious of our blessedness, to which You lead us by the grace of Your Son, walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). From this enemy, like all who know You, Your grace warns me and Thy right hand preserves me. Grant me in Thy word to see that Thy holy Angels, who stand before the throne of Thy glory, and who see Thy most holy face, take up arms around those who know and fear Thee and preserve them, by Thy commandment, from the evil demons, and so on and so forth. Oh, if we have been given many other things to know and see from the word of God! - And what would we be if the Lord had not given us His word? Darkness!.. Question What can you say from Saint Tikhon about miraculous gifts? Rep. Having offered an incentive to mutual love, consisting in the fact that Christians have one Father, God, from whom they are spiritually born, in whom they believe, in whom they call, thank, praise and sing; one Christ the Son of God, your Savior and Savior, your hope and hope; they have one Holy Spirit, enlightener, mentor, quickener and sanctifier; the one Trinitarian God, helper, protector, preserver and provider is revered; one St. The mysteries are communed; they begin to eat a single meal of the body and blood of Christ; they listen to the one word of God; they are called to the one eternal life for this great supper; in the one holy Church, as in the house of God, faithful Zion and the city of the Heavenly King, they live; one head, as spiritual members, they recognize Christ and are governed by it - having offered this and many other incentives to mutual love, the saint and newly-minted saint of God Tikhon speaks further about spiritual and miraculous gifts: “the miraculous gifts that we see in the Apostolic Church, such as: the gift of tongues, the gift of healing, the gift of vision and insight, without love they do not benefit us, as the Apostle teaches: if tongues I say human verbs and angelic ones, but I am not an imam of love, who were like ringing brass, or a clanging cymbal; and even if I am a prophecy, and I have all the mysteries, and all the understanding, and even if I have all the faith, even as I have left behind mountains, but I am not an imam of love, I am nothing (1 Cor. 13:1, 2, etc.). And Christ says: many people will say to Me in that day: Lord, Lord! Was it not in Your name that we prophesied, and in Your name we cast out demons, and in Your name we created many mighty powers? And then we will confess to them: for I have never known you; Depart from me, all ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:22, 23). And Saint Chrysostom says: “without love, all gifts do not benefit those who have them (conversation 32 on 1st Cor.). Love is greater than all sacrifices and offerings, and God does not accept any sacrifice without love, says the same holy universal teacher (conversation 11, on Matthew).” The Decalogue (as St. Tikhon philosophizes), in his first four commandments, teaches us our duties to the Lord God. Namely: 1) requires that we recognize with our hearts and confess with our lips that there is One God, beginningless, endless, omnipotent, omniscient, all-good, having all perfections and providing for everyone. Question Who sins against this requirement? Rep. Those who sin against this are: 1) atheists who do not recognize any God; 2) those who, although they recognize God, will distance themselves from Him by their deeds; the mouth confesses God, but the heart denies it: the speech is foolish in his heart: there is no God (Ps. 13:1); 3) polytheists, who recognize many gods, as all pagans are; 4) those who do not recognize God’s providence for creation; 5) wise men, sorcerers, charmers; 6) superstitions, who make idle notes about certain things or persons, or attribute some kind of power to them. 2) The Decalogue, in relation to God, requires that we believe everything that God revealed to us in St. His Scripture: for He is faithful in all His words (Ps. 145:13). Rep. Those who sin against this are those who either do not believe the Holy Scripture, or experience incomprehensible mysteries and repeat with the Jews: what? How can this be? (John 3:9). A clear sign of disbelief is to ask about Bose: what? 3) The Decalogue, in relation to God, demands that we fear God and honor Him with the highest respect, that is, we should walk before Him, as if He were omnipresent, and we, who are everywhere present, with fear and with all reverence, following the example we show ourselves when standing before an earthly monarch; Not only would they not do anything contrary to His will, but they would not say idle things, and they would not hold anything contrary to God in their minds and thoughts, and they would remember His name with all reverence, and then only in the most necessary cases. Question Who is acting against this? Rep. Those who, either secretly or openly, are not afraid to break His commandments and commit all sorts of outrages; those who blaspheme, raise laughter and cries, fight each other madly and lawlessly; those who use foul language and idle talk, and think evil and evil; those whose name of God, according to an unworthy custom, in all sorts of obscene conversations, are remembered, such as: God knows, God is the witness, etc. Most especially - those who openly open blasphemies against God and His holy name sin against this requirement. 4) The Decalogue, according to our duties to God, prescribes that we love the one God, as the good and highest benefactor, more than all things and more than ourselves (Matthew 22:37). Question Who sins against this? Rep. Those who immensely love themselves or some other creature and cleave to it with all their hearts, so that they cannot leave it. Such are money lovers, carnivores, etc. 5) The Decalogue, according to our position towards God, demands that we place all our trust in Him alone and seek help from Him alone. Question Who transgresses this? Rep. Those who, in opposite cases (i.e., in misfortunes), resort to people and seek help from wealth, or rely on their strength and dignity. Cursed is the man who trusts in man (Jer. 17:5): such a one casts doubt and disbelief in the Providence of God. 6) The Decalogue, instilling in us our duty to God, demands that we glorify His Holy Name, imitating the heavenly powers; and for this purpose they gathered in the Church for doxology, especially on holidays. Rep. Those who sin against this duty are those who, instead of attending Church, go hunting, or indulge in other everyday and pleasure activities; Landlords and house lords are greatly sinning when they force their peasants to work on holidays and rob them of the time they need to fulfill their highest spiritual duties and save themselves. Question What does the Divine Decalogue require of us in relation to our neighbors? Rep. All the demands of the decalogue, out of duty to our neighbors, are contained, says our father Tikhon, who is also a saint, in these short words of the Gospel: if you want, let men do it to you, and you do the same to them (Luke 6:31). That is, what we want for ourselves from our neighbors, we must do the same to them: and what we do not want for ourselves from them, we will not do to them either... In this mind, all six commandments of the decalogue about love for one’s neighbor are taught. So, for example You want, by virtue of the fifth commandment, your children to honor you: you yourself must honor your parents... And under the name of father in the fifth commandment, not only the natural father, but also all authorities, spiritual and secular, such as: monarchs, shepherds, preachers, judges, city governors, etc. of course... You don’t want anyone to harm you in any way, kill you, or cause death (and this happens either by advice, or by thought, or by taking away your health): you should not do this to your neighbor, according to the power of the sixth commandment of the Decalogue. You do not want your neighbor to touch your bed unlawfully: beware of desecrating someone else’s bed and touching any kind of uncleanness, according to the power of the seventh commandment of the Decalogue. “You don’t want anyone to steal something from you, or lure you out in a cunning way, or hide your lost thing after finding it, or perpetrate deception in the goods and purchase: beware of doing the same to your neighbor, according to the power of the eighth commandment of the Decalogue.” You do not want anyone to falsely denounce you, or slander, or condemn, or damage your name and glory: do not do the same to your neighbor, according to the ninth commandment of the Decalogue. If you want your neighbor not only not to do offense, but also not to want to do anything offensive, you yourself should not have an evil will or evil desires: because not only evil deeds, but also evil wishes and thoughts are prohibited by the tenth commandment of the decathlon. Do you remember, beloved brother, how Saint Tikhon, hearing someone’s ordinary everyday call: follow me, turned this into an occasion to reflect on the calling to himself by Jesus Christ of every person in different ways and voices. – The same word: follow me, St. Tikhon puts into the mouth of the devil, our age-old enemy. “It happens that one calls someone to him, saying: follow me; but the other, at the same time, calling him back to himself, says: follow me. So Christ the Lord speaks to every Christian: follow Me (John 21:22); but the devil whispers into a person’s ears and calls it back to himself: a person hears his whispering as many times as he feels evil and ungodly thoughts rising in his heart. But, oh man! Who should you listen to? Christ your Lord, or the evil whisperer of the devil?.. Christ is light, the devil is darkness; Christ is life, the devil is death; Christ is the truth, the devil is a lie, and is the father of lies; Christ is your lover, the devil is your enemy; Christ is the true and highest good, the devil is the utmost evil; Christ wants to save you, and for this he came into the world, the devil wants to destroy you forever; Christ wants to lead you into His eternal kingdom, the devil wants to bring you into eternal torment with him... You see that there is Christ, and that there is the devil. Renounce, renounce, renounce this evil whisperer, and follow Christ in faith and truth. In the article: he is at one with him, St. Tikhon explains in more detail the qualities of the devil. Having said who is at one with Christ, he says that every sinner is at one with the devil. An evil and vengeful man is at one with the devil; for the devil is a spirit of evil and a murderer from time immemorial. He who lives at one with the devil in pride and pomp; because the devil is a proud spirit. He who trusts in himself and in his own strength is at one with the devil; for the devil trusts in himself, in his own strength and cunning. The fornicator and lover of all uncleanness is at one with the devil; for the devil is an unclean spirit. Whoever slanderes a person in any way, and does dirty tricks and insults to him, is at one with the devil; for the devil is an adversary and a accuser of man. The slanderer is at one with the devil; for the devil is a slanderer, and from this he gets his name. Devil is a Greek word, and in our dialect it means: slanderer. The envious and the hater are at one with the devil; for the devil is a spirit of envy and hatred. The thief and the predator are at one with the devil; for the devil steals everything for himself: both the glory of God from people and human salvation. The lover of power and glory are at one with the devil; for the devil always seeks glory and worship from men... For this reason, the essence of the child of God and the child of the devil is revealed... The creation of sin is from the devil, as from the very beginning the devil sins. For this reason the Son of God has appeared, that he may destroy the works of the devil (1 John 3:10, 8) (Part XII). Wake up, wake up, wake up! For Thine is the kingdom of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Saint Tikhon best explains our true goodness in his spiritual treasure, in the article: every thing rests in its place. We see, he talks in his cell in Trans-Don, 3 that all things rest in things akin to themselves. Fire goes to the top, and there it finds peace; the air in the air (i.e., in the air space) is at rest; an earthly thing goes to the earth; the fish seeks water and rests in it; the waters flow into the sea and rest in the sea, and so on. So the human soul rests in one God, and cannot find peace anywhere except in one God... The soul is an immaterial spirit, having the image and likeness of God in itself: where can it have peace, if not in its Creator, as in its prototype? – Good is the light of the sun, moon and stars; but bodily good: the body enlightens. Good is air; but bodily good: the body gives life. Good is food and drink; but bodily good: the body strengthens. Good is water, fire, house, clothing, etc.; but bodily good: they serve the body, warming it, covering it. Good is honey; but bodily good: the body delights. There is another good that calms and satisfies the soul; there is a belly with which the soul is revived; there is light by which the soul is enlightened; there is bread and food and drink, with which the soul is strengthened and cooled; there is a house in which the soul rests; there is sweetness with which she delights; there is a robe with which she dresses, and so on. - Who? - God is one for the soul, as His image and likeness, there is light, life, food, drink, strengthening, consolation, amusement, joy, peace, peace, wealth, honor, glory, and - all bliss. Without God and apart from God, the soul cannot live, rest and be blessed... All creatures cannot give peace and satisfaction to the soul, as the image and likeness of God; They lead her to God, but they themselves do not give her rest. St. knew this well. David. Therefore, although the king was rich, he was also famous; however, he considered all this as nothing and with his soul strove for the living source of God. My soul thirsts for the mighty God. I will be satisfied, never to be revealed to Your glory... (Ps. 41:3; Ps. 16:15). Christian! The holy prophet, by his example, teaches us not to seek peace, goodness or pleasure for our souls in anything other than in the one God... The spirit rests in spirit, and not in matter. The victory of good over evil is always possible. But what does our holy father Tikhon say when he compares the present time with the past, and modern Christians with the ancient ones? Let us write this sad comparison here, not because, however, we doubt the possibility of the victory of good over evil: for the guilt, the source, the distributor, the patron, the promoter of good is God, to whom everything is possible and who, whatever he wants, creates all-powerful things, and He wants the only good; but so that we would be more humble in the present age, proud of enlightenment and manifold improvement, and before the Lord we would be distressed and saddened, seeing evil prevailing over good, the victory and dominion of the flesh, and passions and evil customs everywhere - in our personal, family and public affairs. “In the Apocalypse, Christ says to the Angel (i.e., bishop) of the Ephesian Church: the imam is against you, because you have forsaken your first love. Remember where you slept from, and repent, and do the first thing: no matter what, I will come to you quickly (Rev. 2:4, 5). This word of exhortation to Christ our Lord is appropriate and relevant to Christians of the present time. For love is the root and source of all good, which the first Christians had, but the present ones have abandoned. The first Christians had one heart and soul (Acts 4:32), that is, there was peace, harmony and love between them - the mother of all good things... Today’s people don’t have this; but heart against heart, and soul against soul; and they plot evil against each other in their hearts and souls... Witnesses of this deplorable truth are not only every city, village, country, but also almost every house... And what is more wonderful and regrettable is that brother with brother, sister with sister, husband with wife, whom natural love should unite, remain in disagreement and quarrel, and in litigation, arguing about villages, about lands and so on. The ancient Christians had not one poor among them (Acts. 4:34): for they were philanthropic, merciful, generous, imitating the Father in heaven. This is not the case today: the streets and houses are filled with beggars; The prisons of impoverished debtors are filled, imprisoned for debts, arrears of quitrents, bills of exchange, etc.; many wander without homes due to fire accidents... The reason for this is the pride and stinginess of the rich... Ancient Christians sold villages and houses, and the price of those sold was brought together for the common benefit. The current ones are not like that: but they take away villages, lands, fields, fields, gardens, etc. from each other; expelled from their homes, shedding tears of the poor, widows, orphans... Among the ancient Christians, chastity and abstinence flourished. Nowadays it is not like that: drunkenness, luxury, carnal lust, and the following - songs, games, cries, almost appear everywhere. The ancient Christians were meek and forgiving each other. It’s not the same with today’s people: but for a nasty word, or a small offense, they want to eradicate the offender. Judicial passages, which are filled with caustic slander against each other, testify to this. The ancient Christians had great zeal for praise, prayer, and listening to God's word; therefore, not having churches of God for prayer, due to persecution, they gathered in houses for this godly work, and their houses were like churches. Nowadays it is not so: now there are churches; they are open, the ringing of bells, like a favorable voice, calls Christians to the praise of God; however, few people are in a hurry. Others, although they come, do so for the sake of ceremony, but according to custom; and others even to a single temptation - with laughter and conversation... Ancient Christians often began to partake of the Holy Mysteries, like the immortality of guilty food; from which the Holy Church now daily calls: approach with the fear of God and faith. - The present ones do not have this, as the case itself shows; but once a year, and then almost with compulsion, they begin this immortal Meal; and many - until illness, others put it off almost until death. Ancient Christians taught their children the law of the Lord, the fear of God and all piety. - Today’s people don’t have this: now they primarily teach children dancing, secular politics and other vanity... And so the current pagan state entered Christianity. For, although not by mouth, but by deeds, today's Christians are rejecting Christ, Whom the ancient Christians, forced by torment, did not want to renounce. Question What then? – If the victory of good over evil is always possible; and meanwhile good becomes scarce and evil apparently prevails over good, triumphs and grows quickly: what will we do? Rep. For this reason, the gracious saint continues, we must heed what Christ says to the bishop of the Ephesian Church: remember where you slept from and repent. This sweet voice of our merciful Savior strikes the ears of all... Strikes the shepherds: remember your calling, and shepherd the flock of God in you, visiting not by need, but by will, and according to God, below the gains of the unrighteous, but diligently - (etc. 1 Pet. 5:2, 3). Hit the judges: remember where you are sitting? Az reh: you are gods, how long will you judge unrighteousness? (Ps. 81:6, 2). Strikes parents: remember your children, and bring them up in the discipline and teaching of the Lord. It hits everyone in general, and of all ranks of people! remember where you fell from and repent. The Holy Spirit says in the psalm: today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts (Ps. 94:7, 8)... If we harden our hearts, then let us listen to what Christ also says to the bishop: I am coming to you quickly. Behold, for the increase of evil and for the impoverishment of good, it comes to us with various punishments - the invasion of foreigners, our enemies, pestilence (cholera), frequent fires, the taking away of fertility from our fields, illnesses and sorrows... If even after this we remain unrepentant and incorrigible: behold, His throne is prepared for judgment (Ps. 9:8). Behold, the Lord comes in the darkness of His holy angels to execute judgment on everyone, and to expose the wicked in all their deeds of wickedness (Jude 1:14, 15). Question What else does Saint Tikhon add to this? Rep. Despite the apparent victory over evil and the impoverishment of good, I know and firmly hold that the Lord has His servants who worship Him and knows them. A firm foundation stands, having this seal: the Lord knows His own (2 Tim. 2:19). I wish them to abide in this grace of God and to succeed day by day, to come from strength to strength, and to help my brethren, who have forgotten and are forgetting the Christian office, through fervent prayer. To them Christ says (Apoc. 2:10): Be faithful even to the end, and I will give you the crown of life (Part VI. About the end of good deeds). How necessary virtue is for us, what its dignity is and what is required for its purity, etc. Blessed Tikhon explains in different places: 1) in spiritual treasure, under the article: sowing and harvest. “Farmers have their sowing and harvest; Christians also have their own sowing and harvest. For farmers, seeds are born from seeds: so for Christians, spiritual seeds (seeds of virtue) are born from the seeds of the word of God. For farmers, the seeds are: rye, oats, wheat, barley, etc. For Christians, the seeds are: repentance, sorrow for God (2 Cor. 7:10), sighing, tears, prayer, thanksgiving, singing, patience, deeds of mercy and other virtues; these seeds are born from the seed of the word of God, fallen on the hearts of men. Farmers have a decent time for sowing and harvesting: so Christians have a decent time in which they must sow their seeds, that is, perform virtues; This time is the time of real life. Now is the time favorable! Behold now is the day of salvation! (2 Cor. 6:2). Farmers, reasonable and wise, do not miss the time in which they should sow, but then they work and sow: so reasonable and wise Christians do not miss time, real life, but they work and sow their seeds, repent, do works of repentance, mercy, etc. - For the present time is the time of sowing, but in the next century it will not be... Farmers work and sow with the hope of the fruit that has to be born from the seed: so Christians work and sow with the hope of the spiritual fruit - a merciful reward from God. Farmers who have ripened their labors reap the fruits during the harvest: so Christians of their labors and seeds (virtuous living) will reap the fruits at the end of the age and at the resurrection of the dead. Farmers, collecting the fruits of their labors, rejoice: so Christians, seeing and collecting the fruits of their labors, raised for virtue, will rejoice (Ps. 126:5, 6). Farmers, lazy and careless, who do not sow at the right time, do not collect fruits during the harvest: so Christians, foolish and careless, who now do not sow spiritual seeds (neglect about virtue), at the end of the age and at the resurrection from the dead will not reap any fruit, but without fruit they will appear before the Lord (Part X)... Christians! Let us labor and sow our seeds now, and then with joy we will reap the fruits of our labors. The same truth, that is, about the necessity of virtue and its true dignity, is clarified by St. our father, talking about the fact that a Christian, justified by faith in Christ, must show the fruits of righteousness, just as a good tree produces good fruits. A Christian in holy baptism was justified by faith in Christ and became pure before God, as if he had not committed any sin. Therefore, the servant of God greets the baptized person with grace: you have been justified, you have been sanctified, you have been washed in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God... (1 Cor. 6:11). The Son of God Jesus Christ has earned us this incomprehensible grace; the merciful Father gives; performed by the Holy Spirit. Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and brought deliverance to His people (Luke 1:68). But to those who have been justified and sanctified, tuna must show the fruits of justification; one must bear witness to that truth, received by faith, by righteous deeds, so that they may show that they were truly born of God, Who is eternal truth (1 John 2:29), that is, from the creation of righteousness a person is known to be born of God (Part VIII, Chapter 8, §390). Yes, Christian, understand what it is (i.e., it means) to create the truth, listen to the following reasoning. True, there is a virtue that teaches us to give everyone their due, and therefore a universal virtue is one that contains all the virtues. She teaches that we must give to God and our neighbor; and whatever true virtue there is lies in truth. It is depicted in all ten commandments of God, like any true virtue. And therefore, the commandment of God to fulfill, to do the truth and to be virtuous is one and the same. And just as truth is every virtue, so untruth contains every sin... To create truth or virtue is to know the one true God, to fear Him most of all, to love, honor, listen, to place all hope in Him, to submit your heart to Him with humility and patience, and from Him to ask and expect the only gift, and to have and show mutual and unfeigned love for each other. The word of God and our conscience guide us to this. For this reason we were born, renewed and justified in holy baptism. For the saving grace of God has appeared to all man, showing us that, having rejected ungodliness and worldly lusts, we may live chastely, righteously, and piously in this present world (Tit. 2:11, 12)... Although holy faith is a spiritual gift, not subject to any feelings, it nevertheless shows itself externally - by its fruits (virtue), like a good tree, or like a spark located in the ashes with its warmth, or like a good and fragrant ointment located in a vessel with its fragrance. For where the holy, true and living faith is, there the grace of the Holy Spirit dwells; where there is the grace of the Holy Spirit, there is spiritual fruit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23). Saint David, when he asked the Lord: Lord! who dwells in Your habitation? Or who will dwell in Your holy mountain? He received this answer from the Holy Spirit in his heart: walk blameless and do righteousness, speak the truth in your heart, etc. (Ps. 14:1, 2 et seq.)... The dwelling place of God is the Holy Church, founded and sanctified by the blood of Christ (1 Tim. 3:15). The holy mountain is heaven, the heavenly Zion is the eternal and blessed dwelling place of God’s chosen ones. Not a single person has been found completely without blemish: all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). Christ alone did not commit sin, and flattery was found in His mouth. (Ps. 53:9). Whoever truly and heartily believes in Christ, and, having been justified by faith in Christ, produces the fruits of justification without any hypocrisy; he walks blameless and dwells in the dwelling of God, that is, in the Holy Church; and when he remains faithful even to death (Apoc. 2:10), he will dwell in the holy mountain of God. Such a one demonstrates his faith by his works (James 2:18). Such a one watches and guards his garments, so that he does not walk naked, and they see his shame (Apoc. 16:15), that is, the deprivation of all true virtue... Intimacy is an important feature of true virtue. Let the Zadonsk saint and wonderworker of God Tikhon himself serve as an example of this. Reverend Evgeniy, Mitrop. Kyiv, biography of St. Tikhon, says that the saint mainly loved to talk with ordinary people and even with great pleasure when these people did not recognize him under his simple attire. Often, in the form of a monastic brother, meeting them in the courtyard or at the porch, he would start a simple-minded conversation with them, sit them down next to him, asking each one first about their work and affairs, and the old ones about previous incidents, etc. He needed this method of secretly exploring the circumstances and needs of ordinary people to help those truly and most in need... Another subject of his philanthropy and compassion were prisoners in dungeons. While Zadonsk was not yet a city, he went to Yelets, under the pretext of visiting his friends and acquaintances, of which the Rostovtsevs’ now safely house, which hitherto traded at the Nizhny Novgorod Fair, is especially famous. But his primary intention was to visit the local almshouses and the local prisoners. Sometimes he visited Yelets so secretly that even his friends there did not know about it. If such a visit occurred, at dusk he would leave his cart behind the Sosnaya River and come on foot to those imprisoned... Soon the citizens found out about him and looked for him; but he was already far away... To the honor of the hidden Christian virtues, he is holy. Tikhon, it must be said that they were subject to the same gossip of some slanderous and proud people, to which all true virtues are usually subject. He consoled himself from slander and strengthened himself with the example of his Savior and the word of the Apostle: Whoever is Christ, we reproach, not reproach; suffering, no less (§:391). Question How does Saint Tikhon talk about good deeds? Rep. Not everything is good, he says, that seems good to human eyes. A good deed comes from a good end. Therefore, a good deed, if it is not done for a good end, cannot be good. Hypocrites often do good deeds; They often pray, sigh, give abundant alms, show signs of humility, put on rags, speak quietly, call themselves sinners, and, in an apparent manner, show piety, but reject its powers. For they do their works so that they may be visible from men (Matt. 5:16) (Bk. VI). St. Basil the Great says: not only what is commanded, but also what is commanded should be done (Book 2, on baptism). Question What is the end of good deeds? Rep. 1) We must do good deeds, so that we may show obedience and obedience to our God, who tells us: turn away from evil and do good (Ps. 33:15). For when we call him Father: Our Father, who art in heaven, as in the Lord’s Prayer we pray daily: then, as sons, out of filial love, we must show filial obedience to Him. If He is our Lord, then, as slaves, we must work for Him with fear, and not be slaves to sin. Rep. Although, due to our weakness, we cannot show such obedience to God as His holy and righteous law requires, because the flesh lusts after the spirit (Gal. 5:17); however, we must strive for this with all our hearts, so as not to allow the flesh to dominate us, but, more importantly, to subdue the flesh to the spirit and mortify the deeds of the flesh with the spirit (Rom. 8:13). We promised to show this obedience, as possible and necessary for us, to God, our Father, upon entering Christianity, when we renounced Satan and all his works. And so that this obedience of ours would come from zeal and a free spirit, He Himself promised to help us, and commanded us to pray for help: ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7). 2. Let us do good deeds to glorify the name of God, and not for our own praise and glory, as the pagans meant, and the hypocrites now mean. Thus let your light shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father (Matt. 5:16). Glory to the father when his sons live constantly (that is, sedately, honestly); and there is praise for the master when his slaves perform well in their rank. Question How do we glorify God with good deeds? Rep. Our God is holy, righteous, ever-present, omnipresent, great, omnipotent, good, generous, merciful, true, etc. We glorify His ever-present existence when we acknowledge from the heart and show through our lives that He exists, is one, has no end or beginning. We glorify His truth when we believe His false promises, just as Abraham gave glory to God, not doubting the promises of God through unbelief, but through faith (Rom. 4:20). We glorify His righteousness, which rewards everyone according to their deeds, when together with the Prophet in punishment we feel and cry out like this: Thou art righteous, O Lord, and Thy judges are righteous (Ps. 119:137), and we confess our sins, and repent and say: You, O Lord, are right, but we are ashamed of our faces (Dan. 9:7). We glorify His majesty and omnipotence when, realizing our insignificance, we humble ourselves before Him. We glorify His omnipresence and omniscience, when everywhere and in every place we turn away from evil and do good... and when we give Him reverence, in word, deed and thought, as the highest Lord and King, not only not doing, but neither thinking nor saying anything contrary to His most holy eye and hearing. We glorify His holiness when we strive to preserve what is holy and are guarded from all defilement of the flesh and spirit... etc. Good deeds are required of us by our faith in God and His Son Jesus Christ: show me faith by your works (James 2:18). And although faith alone in Christ the Son of God, who died for us, justifies us without looking at our deeds (regardless of them); but this faith cannot be idle, and is promoted by love. Love is the source of good deeds (2 Pet. 1:5–7). True faith is a spark kindled by the Holy Spirit in the human heart, which emits the warmth of love. This divine spark is warmed and inflated with the help of God, by reading or listening to the word of God, by thinking about the works of God, by prayer, by receiving Holy Communion. Christ's Mysteries, and outside - it shows itself like a good tree - with sweet fruits, patience, meekness, mercy, fidelity, etc... These witnesses will appear at the world court of Christ and will testify to the true and unfeigned faith in God's elect... The high Christian title and name convinces us of the need for good deeds: you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy tongue, people of renewal (1 Pet. 2:9)... The royal name of this world does not tolerate walking around in rags; but he dresses himself in purple, fine linen and other utensils befitting royal persons. Christianity is the name of the heavenly King God, for whom the rags of worldly vanities and sinful impurities are extremely indecent; but just as one is clothed in purple and fine linen of the righteousness of Christ, so one must walk in this adornment and, with the help of the grace of God, adorn oneself with the equipment of Christian virtues (Eph. 4:1; Tit. 2:11, 12). Good deeds are also necessary because our neighbors are edified and aroused no less by a pious life and a good example, as by the word... And although an example of piety is necessarily needed by parents for their children, by shepherds, that is, by bishops and priests, for the sake of Christ’s verbal sheep, which they feed with the word of God; authorities - for the sake of their subjects, teachers - for the sake of students, old - for the sake of the young; however, all Christians should not neglect this, but should help and encourage each other, through good life and example, in the Christian struggle against the flesh and the devil. Question What should be noted about the merit and dignity of good deeds? Rep. We should not think that our deeds deserve anything from God: for our good deeds should also be attributed to God, who by His grace works all things in us - both our wills and our deeds (Phil. 2:13); But they are called ours because we obey the grace of God, calling and acting... When you have done all that is commanded to you, say, as we are servants without keys (Luke 17:10). And who is there who would fulfill all the commandments? One Christ, the fulfillment of the law and the prophets, fulfilled everything and earned all grace and glory from God, His heavenly Father. Glory and praise are due to Him; It is fitting for us to always confess with humility: You, Lord, have the truth; for us it is a shame of face. - Not to us, not to us, Lord, but to Your name give glory to Your mercy and Your truth (Dan. 9:7; Ps. 113:9). Question Is the knowledge and content of right dogmas, i.e., members of the Christian teaching contained in the Creed, sufficient for saving faith? Rep. If anyone had said, says Blessed Tikhon, that true faith is the right content and confession of right dogmas, he would have told the truth. For the faithful absolutely need Orthodox dogma content and confession. But this single knowledge and confession does not make a person a faithful and true Christian. The content and confession of Orthodox dogmas cannot but be in true faith in Christ; but true faith in Christ is not always found in the Orthodox confession. For knowledge and confession of faith are different; the other is faith in Christ. The knowledge of right dogmas is in the mind, and is fruitless, arrogant and arrogant. From this we see that many who have knowledge of dogmas lead a lawless life; many preach the faith, teach, instruct others and show the way to salvation, but they themselves do not follow this path, in the likeness of the pillars placed on the path, which from city to city show those walking the way, but they themselves stand motionless. Therefore, knowledge of dogmas, confession and teaching of them does not benefit them themselves... Give, says the Apostle Peter, in your faith (i.e. as if to the knowledge and confession of Christian dogmas) virtue; And in virtue is understanding, in understanding is self-control, in self-control is patience, in patience is godliness, and in godliness is brotherly love (2 Pet. 1:5-7). The holy fathers and teachers also inspire, preaching the Christian faith. Augustine says: faith with love is the faith of a Christian; and without love there is a demon (Book 10 about love). For even demons believe and tremble (James 2:19). Saint Ambrose teaches: faith is the root of all virtues. St. Chrysostom says: faith is the mother of all good things (Book VII). Note this too, continues Saint Tikhon, Christians! The Apostles preach the open kingdom of heaven to the faithful in Christ, our fathers teach, and the whole Church maintains this. Consequently, if knowledge and confession of dogmas alone were sufficient for saving faith, then fornicators, predators, and other lawless people would enter the Kingdom of Heaven without restraint. For many of them know and profess Orthodox dogmas. But to all such the word of God closes the entrance to the Kingdom of Heaven. Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:9)? Outside the kingdom there are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and everyone who loves and commits lies (Apoc. 22:15). For although they confess God (and divine dogmas), they will abolish Him in deeds; they are abominations, as the Apostle says, and are disobedient and unskillful in every good work (Titus 1:16). You confess, Christian, one God: good. But do you believe in God in your heart? - Test yourself. Question How does St. Tikhon clarify the dignity of Christians? Rep. Nowadays this dignity is not visible, because it is seen by faith, and not with bodily eyes; but it will be revealed to the whole world, when this corruptible has put on incorruption and this mortal has put on immortality (1 Cor. 15:54). The Holy Word of God, as a consolation, presents the dignity of Christians as follows: 1) God Himself is their Father, to whom they pray: Our Father, who art in heaven, and these are the children of God through faith in Christ Jesus: you are all sons of God in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26). The world considers it great to be a child of the king of the earth; but since it is incomparably the highest dignity to be a child of the Most High God, the King of the universe; To have God as a father, beginningless, infinite, indescribable!.. The human mind does not comprehend this title. All the glory of the world is nothing before this. Looking at this, the viewer is surprised at the mysteries of God and says: you see what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we may be called children of God and we are (1 John 3:1). 2) The brethren of Christ are true Christians, as He Himself is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: I will proclaim Your name to My brethren (Heb. 2:11, 12; Matt. 28:10)... It is amazing when the king of the earth calls his subjects his brethren... Christ, the Heavenly King and Son of God, is not ashamed to call men His brethren: who is this? Can the love for mankind of the Son of God and such honor of the brethren be comprehended? - Let those masters be ashamed of this who do not want to have their slaves for their brethren, but - as if instead of a footstool!.. 3) Christians are the dwellings of God: if anyone loves Me, Christ said, My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him (John 14:23). Do you not know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you (1 Cor. 3:16)? And again: you are the living Church of God, as God said: for I will dwell in them, etc. (2 Cor. 6:16)... It is considered great to receive an earthly monarch into the house: since it is an incomparably greater advantage for man - earth and dust - to be the dwelling of the Most Holy Trinity!.. This is: the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:21). 4) Christians mysteriously partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, and nourish their souls with this spiritual food and drink; Christians in prayer talk with God: how great and lofty is this, when you judge who communes with whom, and who has a conversation with whom! 5) God commanded the angels to serve Christians (Heb. 1:14), and they guard them and encamp around them (Ps. 33:8) while they wander along the path of this world. Wonderful is this goodness of God! Great is the dignity of Christians and the Christian title!.. 6) The high and heavenly nobility of Christians is known both from their fatherland, which is heaven, and from their inheritance, which is incorruptible, unfading and eternal in heaven (1 Pet. 1:4)... 7) Christians have fellowship with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:3), and the Lord calls them his friends: you are naturally my friends... For all that I heard from the Father I told you (John 15:14). All this august nobility is, above human words and concepts, higher than any rank and title... This grace was earned by the Son of God Jesus Christ (John 1:12, 13), given by the Heavenly Father, performed by the Holy Spirit... Although for all good deeds, such as: for food, for drink, clothing, etc.; but more than that, because God has shown us such great mercy and grace, and has called us out of darkness into His wonderful light (1 Pet. 2:9), we must thank God with all our hearts and unceasingly; and this requires daily reflection on this grace. Those Christians who seek to become famous on earth, who seek honor and glory from people, who seek dominion and dignity, act badly and unreasonably. By this they show that they do not know the common dignity of true Christians, which cannot fit with vain love of glory, like fire with water (Part IX, Chapter 5, abbreviated). Question What spiritual thoughts came to the mind of our holy father Tikhon, when he saw the straight and crooked tree? Rep. Like a straight and crooked tree, the holy hierarch thought in his Zadonsk cell, so is the right and wrong heart. A straight tree does not get along with a crooked tree: so there is no similarity or agreement between a right and a wrong heart. But let's see what the right and wrong heart is, and see if there can be agreement between them? – A right heart is a heart that fears God; but the unjust has no fear of God. A right heart will follow God and His holy will; a wrong heart will follow its evil will and its evil whims. The right heart of every person guards against sin; the wrong heart is careless and negligent. The right heart humbles itself and the humble one philosophizes; the wrong one is exalted and philosophizes. The right heart, the heavenly one, philosophizes and strives for heavenly blessings; the wrong, earthly heart philosophizes and cleaves to the vanity of this world. The right heart loves every person, and does not take away its love from those who hate it; but the wrong heart only loves those who love it, and often hates them too. The right heart treats its neighbor simply, unflatteringly, and unhypocritically, treating its own people; the wrong heart treats every person in an insidious, deceitful and hypocritical manner. The right heart, which it has on the tongue and explains in words, also has within itself and thinks the same thing: the wrong heart creates other things, thinks other things, has other things on the tongue, others inside... The right heart does not do what it does not want for itself, and does not do for its neighbor; but an unjust heart does to its neighbor what it does not want for itself—it condemns, slander, slander, and blaspheme its neighbor... A right heart honors God in truth, in spirit, and with zealous obedience; and the wrong - with one mouth and appearance... You see the images of the right and wrong heart! Judge for yourself, what similarity and agreement between them can there be? - Do not seek, do not seek peace and harmony between an evil wife and a good husband; between an evil mother-in-law and a good daughter-in-law; between an evil and a good brother, and so on... And this is what the Lord says: Do you remember that peace has come to earth? neither, I tell you, but division (Luke 12:51)... Straight wood is suitable for any task; but a crooked heart is good for nothing: so a right heart is suitable and necessary for every rank and title for the common good; but an unjust heart is the opposite: no matter where it is, it will follow its own will, and not the will of God, in everything; He will seek his own selfishness, and not God’s glory... Turn then, beloved, to God and correct yourself and surrender to the will of God, so that you will be a straight tree, and not a crooked one. Question How does Saint Tikhon, experienced in spiritual life, talk about spiritual warfare? Rep. Victory is without feat, feat is without war, there is no war without enemies... When Israel, with a strong hand and a high arm, got rid of the work of Egypt: Pharaoh, the Egyptian king, with his army drove after him, with the intention of enslaving him again: so the Christians - the new Israel - are driven by Satan with his dark army - driven, as if from dark power and work by the power of Christ got rid of them in order to conquer them again. Old Testament Israel, going to the promised land, was hindered by many enemies and was not allowed to reach that land: so the same enemy, the devil, is trying to prevent the new Israel - the Christians - from reaching the heavenly fatherland, which God promised to those who believe in His name. Christians have constant warfare and struggle with this adversary. It must be admitted that this battle and feat are difficult. For 1) these Christian enemies are invisible, not flesh and blood, but spirits of wickedness in high places (Eph. 6:12). And therefore, in this spiritual battle it is not the same as in the battle of this world, where they see each other and are afraid. But here our enemies see us, they inspect us: what we are doing, what we are starting, what we are inclining our deeds, words and undertakings to, they take note; but we do not see them as spirits. 2) They are beyond measure - evil and hostile to us, and in every way they seek to overthrow and destroy us. 3) They are extremely cunning and cunning, having learned through so many centuries by art and experience, they know well how to approach, from which side to attack, with what weapon to hurt whom, and so on. 4) They never stop fighting us. We sleep and rest; but they never rest, but are always and everywhere awake to our destruction. 5) The enemies find their weapons against us in ourselves and fight us with our weapons. Our corrupted heart serves them as a vagina and a repository for all sorts of weapons with which they wound us: for from the heart come evil thoughts... (Matthew 15:19). They try to turn our mind, tongue, eyes, ears and other members into instruments of untruth and sin (Part 9, Chapter 16). In the spiritual treasure, under the article: abuse, so says St. Tikhon about spiritual warfare. We see in the world that when one state rebels against another, then the other state is forced to defend itself and rise up against the rebel and fight with him: so, since our flesh with passions and lusts rebels against us, Christians; then we should not slumber, but defend ourselves and resist it... In battle, warriors receive instructions and orders from military leaders on how to struggle against their enemy: so a Christian who struggles against the flesh must ask and expect from Christ, the hero of heroism, for instructions and help, and by His power to pacify the rebellion of his flesh. The flesh wants to be proud and exalted; but a Christian must humble it with the humility of Christ. The flesh wants to become rich in this world and collect a lot: a Christian must suppress this desire through the poverty of Christ. The flesh wants to be angry with its neighbor and take revenge for the insult; but a Christian must tame its movement with the meekness and quietness of Christ... So in other things, a Christian must, by the power and example of Christ, stand against the flesh and defeat it... In visible battle, a warrior must not stand against one enemy, but against everyone: so a Christian must stand and strive against all, not against passion alone, but against everyone (Part 11). In the battle of this world, he who drives the enemy wins. This is not the case in spiritual warfare, but on the contrary. Here the one who overcomes is the one who endures the persecuted, the one who is offended does not take revenge, the one who is slandered blesses, the one who is deprived does not seek... This Christian victory is to overcome evil with good... (Rom. 12:21). The Holy Gospel teaches us that Christ, our King and Hero of God, when he entered into a feat for us, won no other way than through the patience of the Cross. He began with patience, with patience he continued, with patience he finished His holy and long-suffering life. “Christ taught us, says St. Chrysostom, that you will defeat the devil not with a sign, but with suffering and long-suffering.”... For this reason (to fight the spirits of evil), accept, says the Apostle, all the weapons of God, so that you may be able to resist on the day of cruelty, and all that you have done. Therefore, gird your loins with truth, and put on the breastplate of righteousness, and put on your shoes for the preparation of the gospel of peace: and over all these, take up the shield of faith, in which you will be able to quench all the flaming arrows of the evil one: and take up the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: with every prayer and supplication you pray to at all times in the Spirit, and at this time vigilant with all patience and prayer for all the saints (Eph. 6:13–18). “With these weapons,” says St. Macarius the Great, acquired by the most ardent prayer, constant patience, petition and fasting, and in general by faith, a Christian can defeat in battle the leaders and powers of darkness, and the rulers of the world, and thus, having defeated the opposing forces, with the assistance of the Spirit and his own careful fulfillment of all virtues, he will become worthy of eternal life (Chronicles, 1829, part 34, p. 120)". Question As Bl. explains. Tikhon spiritual all-weapon? Rep. Our enemy is a spirit, and he is not afraid of carnal weapons, such as swords, spears, arrows, bows, etc.: he is not hurt by them and even laughs. The king and our leader Christ gave us a different weapon against him, as the Apostle says: the weapons of our army are not carnal, but are powerful in God to destroy the firmament (2 Cor. 10:4). The whole Christian spiritual armor consists of: 1) faith, about which St. John: This is the victory that has overcome the world (1 John 5:4). Faith receives all its strength and strength from Christ, the Son of God, on whom, as on a solid and unshakable foundation, it is established and struggles against Satan and his servants (v. 5). Saint Peter also teaches us to put on this weapon: but resist him (the devil) in the firmament by faith (1 Pet. 5:9). Faith requires that we take up arms not in our own strength, reason and art, but in Him in whom we believe. In God we will create strength, and He will humble those who afflict us (Ps. 59:14) - You are my strength, Lord, You are my strength, sings the militant Church. 2) The word of God is a spiritual sword (Eph. 6:17), and a spiritual weapon against enemies. With this weapon Christ himself defeated Satan when he was tempted in the desert (Matthew 4:1-11), and he gave us an example in necessary cases with the same weapon to fight against him with the help of God. Does it lead us to despair? Let us offer the mercy of God, promised to sinners who repent. Does it make you proud? We answer him: for whoever exalts himself will humble himself, and: God resists the proud... (Luke 14:11; 1 Pet. 5:5). 3) Against a proud spirit, the spirit of malice, envy and hatred, there is a strong and effective weapon - humility, meekness, love. It is commendable to be proud, to be angry and to hate against him; but to humble oneself before God and men, to forgive the one who has offended and to love the one who hates him, is for him a caustic weapon... 4) A strong weapon against him is humble, zealous and pure prayer, with which, although one should always protect oneself and arm oneself, but especially when he attacks us with evil thoughts, and with them, like kindled arrows, he tries to wound our heart and conscience. Prayer asks for God's omnipotent help, and a person, despairing of his strength, hopes for God's omnipotent power; strengthened by it, he stands against his enemy... And, in his own strength, he is weak, but in God’s he is strong, he puts to shame a proud and highly intelligent spirit, being flesh and blood; and this is more caustic to him than any torment. That is why Christ exhorts us so strongly to prayer: watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune (Mark 14:38). He also showed how to pray: lead us not, he says, into temptation, Father, but deliver us from the evil one (Matthew 6:13). And the Apostle inspires: pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). This is the weapon of the armies of Christ! With this weapon all the saints took up arms against the common enemy of Christianity - the devil. By this they resisted him, and by the power of the King and their Lord they won. By this we too must gird ourselves and stand, so that we may be able to resist on the day of cruelty (Eph. 6:13), that is, at the hour of his attack on us... Christians who do not feel and do not fight spiritual warfare are in a disastrous state, because the enemy does not bother the one who does not resist his evil will and is kept in captivity (part 9, chapter 16). Question Where and how does Saint Tikhon consider the need and objects of spiritual self-examination? Rep. In the article: about self-examination, he reflects on it this way: God bless! we are all called Christians; we all confess the one Trinitarian God; everyone was baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. We all believe in the crucified and risen Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and receive Holy Communion. the mysteries of Christ, and the tea of ​​the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century. But let us look around and test ourselves, are we truly Christians? We boast of faith, but do we do works consistent with faith? We are called Christians from Christ, but have we crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts? Those who are Christ's are the flesh crucified with passions and lusts (Gal. 5:24). And do we feel the spiritual joyful anointing of oil inside us (1 John 2:27)? We believe the Gospel, but do we live worthy of the Gospel? We confess and call upon the true God, but do we please Him with faith and good conscience? We partake of the holy and life-giving Mysteries of Christ: but are we renewed from Holy Communion and have time to be transformed into a new spiritual person? Let's look at this and so on, and let's look at how we live, how we treat ourselves, how we think, how we speak, with what kind of heart we address ourselves before the all-seeing God, and with what kind of heart we treat each other. Tempt yourself, tempt yourself, according to the Apostle (2 Cor. 13:5. Part III). Saint Tikhon also reflects on the same subject in his Zadonsk cell. Look around. We often hear people telling people on various occasions: look around. Christian! It is most appropriate for you to say this: look around. You have renounced Satan and all his evil deeds under St. baptism: did he not turn back to him with his evil and corrupt life? Look around. You promised and swore an oath to work with faith and righteousness to Christ God, who died for you and rose again; But instead of that, aren’t you working for sin and the world? - Look around. Look around you too, beloved shepherd, how you tend the flock of Christ. Christ the Lord has entrusted you with tending His sheep - sheep not dumb, but verbal, that is, Christian souls redeemed by His holy blood: how then do you shepherd them? Do you feed them with the food of the word of God? Do you approach them with the image of good deeds? Do you keep them from spiritual wolves? – Chief and ruler! How do you deal with the people of God entrusted to you? Do you care about them and care about the common good? Aren't you looking for your own self-interest? Look around. Judge! what sudishi? Mister! What do you do with your slaves and peasants, people like you? Look around. Look around you too, my soul, what do you love and how do you console yourself?.. As a precaution in testing others, we need a lot of care and understanding when inquiring about true Christians and who is a true Christian, says St. Macarius the Great. Many, apparently righteous, are revered by Christians; but it is up to skilled and experienced people to find out whether they really are like that? Do they bear the seal and image of the King? – Isn’t a fake stamp put on the artistic work, why are artists either surprised or condemned. If there are no skilled people, then it will not be possible to discover the deceivers, because they also wear the image of monks or Christians. For the false apostles also suffered for Christ; and they preached the good news of the kingdom of heaven: therefore the Apostle says: in much labor, in great sorrow, in prison overflowing (2 Cor. 11:23), and by this he wants to show that he himself, as a true Apostle, suffered more than they did. Gold is easily found, but pearls and precious stones suitable for a royal crown are rarely found; often many of them turn out to be unfit to enter the business. Likewise, Christians who edify others for the crown of Christ rarely find that those souls are made accomplices of the Saints. Glory to Him who loved this soul so much, suffered for it and raised it from the dead (Conversations 38)! In the conversation on the 5th St. Macarius explains the great difference between Christians and the people of this world. Christians have their own world, their own way of life, and their own mind, and words, and activities; the way of life, the mind and the word and the activity are different among the people of this world. Some are Christians, others are peace lovers; there is a great distance between both. Question How does St. Tikhon talk about testing others as a precaution for us? Rep. Beware of testing people's affairs: for such a test gives rise to slander, condemnation and other serious vices. What need do you have for people? Know and test yourself: remember your former sins, and erase them with repentance and contrition of heart, and you will not look at what people do. Look more often into your heart and test if there is harmful evil hidden in it, and you will have enough to test. We can never test our hearts; but we only know that it contains all kinds of evil. This is good for you to experience: for from this will be born humility, and fear, and concern for oneself, and sighing and prayer to God; and testing the sins of others is the beginning of all lawlessness, and is a curiosity that is hateful to God and people. Beware of this (part 1). This is my advice, says Saint Tikhon, and instruction for a certain brother. 1) Remember often the judgment of God, death, hell and the kingdom of heaven: for with such a reminder a person is led away from sins, and the vanity of the world comes to oblivion. 2) Remember often, especially at night, about the suffering of Christ the Lord, that He suffered and died for our sins. Thus, love for the suffering Christ will be kindled, and this love will protect you from sins. 3) Take great care of purity and chastity; why note these mediations: a) eat and drink little, but love fasting; b) never be idle, but always do something; c) always remember that you walk before God, and He looks at you everywhere and examines your deeds, words and thoughts. How can you dare to sin and defile yourself before God? You do not dare to sin before your father and matter: how will you sin before the all-seeing God? d) When a bad thought comes, immediately drive it away from yourself and pray: Lord Jesus Christ, help me, a sinner. e) Pray often and ask Christ the Lord: give me humility, chastity, Thy fear and other virtues. Without God's help and without prayer, chastity and other virtues you cannot have. f) Keep your eyes away from looking at red faces, and your ears away from bad songs and words, and do not be seduced by such. g) While standing in church, do not look around, but look at the ground and towards the holy altar, and raise your mind to God. 4) Don’t say anything about people; for from this comes the vice of condemnation; and it is a very serious sin. 5) When the Gospel, the Apostle, and the teaching are read in church or elsewhere: listen diligently, and reason about what is being read, and strive to carry it out in action. For hearing without doing is of no use, and pray to God that He Himself will teach you to do His will: “Lord, teach me to do Your will!” (Ps. 142:9). From your letter I see that despondency has come over you. Luta is this passion. She especially fights those people who have bread and everything else ready and live in solitude. I advise you to do the following: 1) convince yourself and force yourself to pray and do every good deed, although you don’t want to - force them, like driving a lazy horse... The Lord, seeing such work and diligence, will give you the desire and zeal... 2) Diligence is supported by variability, that is, when you do one thing, then another. So do this too: either pray, then do something with your hands, then read a book, then reason. And when despondency is very strong, get out of the room and walk around, and while walking talk about Christ and other things, and raise your mind to God and pray. 3) The memory of death, which comes unexpectedly, the memory of Christ’s judgment, the memory of eternal torment and eternal bliss drive away despondency. Talk about them. 4) Pray and sigh to the Lord, so that He himself will give you zeal and desire; Without Him we are unable to do anything. When you act on these points, believe me that little by little you will gain the desire and zeal. God also requires heroism from us; and promised to help the working people. Work hard, may the Lord help you. He helps those who work, not those who lie down and doze. Satan is watching for our destruction. We shouldn’t slumber either; but stand against such a fierce enemy by prayer, reading books and all kinds of good deeds. The devil does not approach anyone more conveniently than a person living in idleness and laziness. Here his house is swept and decorated. Think about this, and beware, and pray for me, a sinner. Save yourself. Question How does Saint Tikhon explain the essence and course of spiritual life? Rep. Let this be wisdom in you, even in Christ Jesus (Phil. 2:5). Christ was born in the flesh: we must also be born in the spirit. Christ grew: we must also grow spiritually, and not always be babes in Christ. Christ was tempted by Satan (Matthew 4:1–11): we should also be tempted by him, and by the power of Christ overcome him. Christ came out to preach to St. His gospel, and taught the truth, and testified to the truth, as He Himself said: For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, that I may testify to the truth (John 18:37): we too must attain to this measure the age of Christ; We must, when it is necessary and where it is necessary, not be silent about the truth, but fearlessly bear witness to the word of truth, and confess with our lips what we believe in our hearts. Christ was hated and persecuted for the sake of truth by the enemies of the truth: we, who profess the truth, should also suffer from the world. For the world does not love the truth. Christ struggled to the point of death, death on the cross, for the truth: so we must also stand for the truth until death, stop lying lips, expose lies and untruths. This is how Christ suffered and, having risen, entered into His glory, as He Himself says: Isn’t this fitting for Christ to suffer and be brought into His glory (Luke 24:26)? And it behooves us to follow Him and through many sorrows enter into the Kingdom of God (Acts 14:22): for there is no other way to that kingdom except the narrow, sorrowful and cross path (Part VII). At all ages of spiritual life: in childhood, in adolescence, and in manhood, the dwelling of Christ and His grace in man cannot be idle; it will inevitably be shown through deeds such as Christ wants, just as the rising sun is shown through the rays, or like a furnace warmed by fire – through warmth. In whom Christ lives - the Animal Light, in that - whether he is a child according to the inner man, a youth, or a husband - His light appears, and darkness is driven away, and dark deeds do not appear. In whom Christ lives - a cleansing and enlightening fire - in him the warmth of love and mercy is felt. In whom Christ lives, the humble and meek Lamb of God, in him His humility, meekness and patience appear. In whom Christ lives is an animal and mental tree, in him His sweet fruits appear. For as the tree is, so are its fruits. He who is united with Christ, like a member with the head, or like a rod with a vine, creates fruit like Him. Thus, the dwelling of Christ and His grace in man cannot be idle and inactive; but inevitably, both through internal spiritual movements it is felt, and through external deeds it is manifested, in all ages and degrees of spiritual life, in relation to and accordingly to each of them. Let us turn with all our hearts to Christ, let us sigh and weep before Him, so that He may come to us sinners and dwell in our hearts by faith, and His Spirit and grace will prevail over us; and until then we will ask, and seek and push at the door of His mercy, until Christ is imagined in us (Gal. 4:19), and until we achieve everything in the union of faith and the knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect man, to the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:13. See part II “Woe”). Question How does Saint Tikhon talk about success in spiritual life, about the signs of this success and about the means to success in this life? Rep. Speaking on the words of St. Apostle Paul: for this I pray, that your love may abound even more and more in the mind and in every feeling, in every temptation that best tempts you, that you may be pure... filled with the fruits of righteousness by Jesus Christ to the glory of God (Phil. 1:9-11), just as our father Tikhon says in the saints. As in natural birth and in natural life, a baby is not always a baby, but grows in body, and progresses in mind and reasoning: this should be the case in spiritual birth and in spiritual life. We should not always be babes in Christ and feed on milk, but we should grow in the likeness of a natural baby, prosper, try to achieve a perfect husband, according to the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:13. Part VIII, 12). Question What are the signs of success in spiritual life? Rep. The signs of a Christian progressing in piety, says the holy hierarch, are these: 1) the more one knows God and Christ the Son of God, the more progresses in piety. The knowledge here, of course, is real, and not the kind about which the Apostle wrote: They confess God, but His works are averted; they are abominations and disobedient, and are unskillful in every good work (Titus 1:16). He does not know God who does not honor God with fear, love and obedience. 2) A sign of spiritual success is when someone recognizes more and more in their hearts the infirmity, weakness, corruption and damnation. Various crosses, temptations and prayer lead us to the knowledge of our heart. 3) The more a person is tempted, the more he is enlightened; the more enlightened he is, the more he corrects himself. For how, the more we are enlightened by natural light, the more clearly we see and recognize one thing from another, for example. white from black, etc.: so, the more we are enlightened by a supernatural light, that is, by the grace of God, the better we know the state of our hearts, and we recognize good from evil, truth from falsehood, true faith from superstition. 4) Success in spiritual life is shown if someone overcomes and kills his natural evil, that is, pride, arrogance, hatred, envy, anger, rage, malice, vengeance, uncleanness and all evil hidden in the heart by the power of God’s help. 5) The fulfillment of the law is love (Rom. 13:10), and the end of a testament is love from a pure heart (1 Tim. 1:5). So, if someone succeeds in Christian love, then he succeeds in spiritual life. Finally, the more diligently we follow Christ our Savior through love, patience, meekness, humility and other virtues, the more and better we will succeed in the matter of Christian piety. O Lord, even though I have done no good before You in this matter; but grant me, by Thy grace, to make a good beginning (from the evening prayer of St. Chrysostom). Question What do you know from Saint Tikhon about the first of the means that preserve and restore spiritual life, which is called repentance? Rep. By the way, this: true repentance requires that a person turn away from sins and from the vanity of the world, and turn to God with all his heart, change inward and become different. – And thus there will be a new creation in Christ (2 Cor. 5:17). Anyone who wants to be a true and not a false Christian must be a new or renewed person, or a new creature. Do not caress your flesh and do everything it wants. It is necessary to crucify it with passions and lusts when you want to be Christ’s. A lot of work and heroism is required to change and become a good tree, which by itself produces good fruits (Part I, Present Christ. Art. 39). Question Like St. Tikhon speaks of the second, here named, means for preserving and restoring spiritual life, namely, the mortification of the flesh? Rep. Various crosses and temptations guide one to success in the Christian cause. Have all joy, my brethren, whenever you fall into various temptations, knowing that the temptation of your faith will work through patience, and have patience completely, so that you may be perfect and complete and lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4). For the cross and various temptations are a spiritual school in which Christians are trained. How in schools children and young men are taught eloquence, eloquence and worldly wisdom; and just as the warriors of this world, the more they fight in battle and fight against the enemies of their fatherland, the more skillful they become: so Christians, warriors of Christ, the more they fight under the cross, the sign of the Christian, against their enemies: the flesh, the world and the devil; the better they succeed in the matter of Christian piety. And as in a crucible, silver and gold are tempted and become purer; so - in the crucible of temptations, troubles, misfortunes and the cross of Christ, Christians are cleansed from evil and become purer, and brighter and more perfect (Per crucem ad lucem) 4! Question How does Saint Tikhon talk about walking before God as a means to spiritual life? Rep. The fear of God, which is the beginning of wisdom, the fulfillment of wisdom and the crown of wisdom, is born and effectively lives in us, especially from the consideration of the omnipresence of God and omniscience, or from walking before God. God is essentially present everywhere, and wherever we are, He is with us, and we are before Him, and whatever we do, say, think and begin, everything is before the Holy One. With His eyes we do, we speak, we think, we begin, and He knows our deeds far better than we do. Reason, Christian, and listen to this, and with God’s help, the fear of God will dwell deeper and deeper in you, and you will feel the inherent qualities of God and His co-dwelling. And this will guard you everywhere and in every matter, turn you away from every evil deed and encourage you to every good thing, and so - day by day you will become better and more successful in piety. Keep God always before the spiritual eyes, imitating St. To the psalmist who said: I have set the sight of the Lord before me (i.e., always) (Ps. 15:8), and to Abraham, who received this commandment of God: Be pleasing and walk before Me (Gen. 17:1). Question How does St. Tikhon teach about imitation of Christ as a means to progress in pleasing God? Rep. The image of the holy and immaculate life of Christ is a perfect and true rule, which, by looking more often, Christians can succeed in their work: for we have a corrupted nature, which, without a special example, model and rule, we cannot correct and form... Children from their mothers and mentors learn to speak, walk, address people and behave politely; From our Christ we will learn to speak like a Christian, to live like a Christian, to convert like a Christian; and although your heart, not yet fully embraced by grace, does not want to, force and convince yourself to imitate the wonderful virtues of Christ. Let the life of Christ be a mirror for your soul! Look into it and know yourself! Christ the Lord despised honor, glory and wealth in this world: are you not looking for them? Christ lived in humility on earth: do you not live in pride and pomp? Christ was loving and merciful to everyone: are you not angry at those like yourself? Christ was meek towards his detractors, he endured everything: don’t you grumble, etc.? I have given you an image, that as I have created for you, you also do, as He said (John 13:15). We see in the world, St. talks. Tikhon, that subjects imitate the king, slaves imitate the master, children imitate the father, and students imitate the teacher. We Christians are from Christ: who should we imitate if not Christ? He is our King: we are His subjects. He is our Lord: we are His unworthy servants. He is our Father, from whom we are born again: we are His children. He is our teacher: we are His disciples. Who should we imitate if not Him? He was humble: let us and men be humble before God. He loves everyone so much that He laid down His life for everyone: let us also love one another... Let us entrust ourselves to the leadership of the Lord Jesus, Who is the way, the truth and the life (John 14:6) (part II). Because without God’s help we cannot not only succeed, but also support ourselves in the work of Christian piety: without Me you cannot do anything (John 15:5); and God’s help and grace are received through prayer: ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7); Therefore, if anyone wants to grow and succeed in piety, let him pray and ask for God’s grace, so that it will always live in him, instruct and strengthen him. God! send Thy grace to help me, that I may glorify Thy holy name (from the vespers prayer of St. Chrysostom) and reach the measure of the age of Christ. Question Like bl. Does Tikhon speak about the word of God as a means to success in spiritual life? Rep. To achieve a perfect husband, to the extent of the age of fulfillment of Christ, serve: careful hearing, or reading, reasoning, meditation and attention to the Holy Spirit. Scripture. Every scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for punishment, in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete and prepared for every good work (2 Tim. 3:16, 17). If we want to learn anything, we learn from him; If you expose lies and those who are untruthful, it provides a way; If we want to correct ourselves or others, it shows us the rule; If we want to be instructed in truth and true piety, it guides. Therefore, the one who studies in the law of the Lord day and night is called a blessed man. For it will be like a tree planted when the waters come up, it will give its fruit in its season... and everything that he does will prosper (Ps. 1:1-3). And Christ gave us Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Shepherds and Teachers for the perfection of the saints, for the work of ministry (etc. Eph. 4:11, 12). So, if you want to succeed in piety, read or listen to St. Scripture with all diligence. Question How does St. Demetrius of Rostov explain the beneficialness of the Holy Eucharist for preserving and strengthening spiritual life? Rep. Hear: my Lord and my God in the most pure Mysteries is my healing, and I am the sick; The Lord is my health, but I am contrite and weakened; The Lord is my cleansing, and I am a leper; The Lord is my life, and I am dead; The Lord is my shepherd, and I am the lost sheep; The Lord is my justification, and I am condemned; The Lord seeks me, but I am lost. I come now, like a sick person to a healer, so that I may be healed; like a contrite and paralyzed person, go to the doctor, so that I will be healed; Like a leper to my cleanser, that I may be cleansed; For I am dead to my life, that I may rise again and live from the death of sin into virtue. I come like a sheep to my shepherd, so that I may be safe from the wolf; As one who falls to him who raises up, let me fall no more; as if I am condemned to be my judge, let him make me righteous from the unjust with His compassion. I come, as one who has perished, to the lover of mankind who seeks me, so that I may always remain with Him and in Him; He is with me and in me; Yes, I live not for anyone, but for Him, my master and benefactor; From now on, let no one live, but let Christ live in me (Gal. 2:20). I accept the most pure Mysteries, yes, having received help from their communion, from now on I will lay the beginning of my salvation, which is not to work for sin, but to work, according to my strength, to my God, by His haste and strengthening I believe in Your omnipotent help and goodness, Lord my God! I believe, help my unbelief (Mark 9:24). Question What else does Saint Tikhon present among the means to success in spiritual life? Rep. He who wants to maintain piety and succeed in it must withdraw from worldly friendships and conversations. In the assembly of the sons of this age, nothing more is done than words and deeds that are contrary to the will of God and the holy law... There he is reviled and humiliated; sometimes they complain about another, and with gossip, like the edge of a sword, they wound his name; in another place there are feasts, cries, etc. All this and so on greatly removes and wounds our conscience and deprives it of peace and tranquility. And you, Christian, will no longer return to your home the way you left home. Just as those who enter a pharmacy filled with fragrant ointments, take with them the incense of their ointments: so a pious soul, having entered into a meeting of people living according to the flesh and the world, and lingering there, endures some evil spirits, like the stench communicated by them. For our feelings, and especially hearing and sight, are like doors through which all evil enters our heart, and whether we want it or not, it strikes it and draws us to what either the ear has heard or the eye has seen. For the human heart is inclined to evil, and easily and quickly bows to evil, and conceives evil, and gives birth to evil. So the holy David left home and was deceived and fell (2 Samuel 11:2, 3). Question As Saint Tikhon, proving for success in spiritual life the need to remove oneself from worldly communities, he speaks of the benefits and necessity of conversion and communication with people of St. life? Rep. In Church history we read that saints withdrew from cohabitation with the wicked. Many deigned to live better in deserts than in cities and villages, so as not to be harmed by the temptation of deeds and words. This world (in the sense of the accumulation and cumulative action of passions and lusts) is a lawless and unclean Sodom, and those who love peace are like the Sodomites. Flee their fellowship and friendship like fire, or like a pestilence... If you leave your house for the congregation, do not tarry there, and guard your eyes and ears, so that evil does not invade and ruin your business. When you want to deal with people, then look for those whose words, deeds and all behavior show in them a Christian heart; and not only do not move away from them, but also deal with them often. Through conversion and communication with people, St. life, not only in your house, but also in their conversation, day by day you will acquire spiritual benefit. Whatever food you are satisfied with in the conversation of the pious, try to turn it into juice and blood in the house through meditation. And thus, everything will work for your good: solitude and gathering, silence and conversation will edify you and bring you closer to the Lord God. About the Holy Spirit and His actions, I inform you, God-loving reader, from a prayer to the Holy Spirit the following wonderful confession: The Spirit is an all-visitor, innumerably gifted, most good, the executive of the whole world in essence, inconceivable in power; The belly itself and the source of the belly; Wisdom itself and the source of wisdom; The very power and source of strength... Who is in the sovereign equality of Father and Son, Theirs is in three Persons the identity of dignity and Divinity, the consent of the council, and the will in one... Let us bless Thee, for from Thee we have to be, to breathe, to be wise, to know God, Thee, the All-Holy Spirit, and the beginningless Father and His only begotten Son. Let us bless You, for from You we have the kindness of heaven, the solar current, the circle of the moon, the decoration of the stars... We thank You, for You give us agriculture, nutrition, art, laws, customs... You are an eternal source of purity and holiness... You are an inexhaustible and inexhaustible treasure of reason and meaning, a universal and inexhaustible repository of goodness and mercy... I will bless You, and I bow to You with the beginningless God the Father and His ever-present and fused with You Son. Amen. Question Like St. Demetrius of Rostov, explaining the 8th member of the Creed (I also believe in the Holy Spirit of the Life-Giving Lord), in his mirror of the Orthodox Confession, teaches about St. Spirit? Rep. The Holy Spirit is God, consubstantial and co-glorified with the Father and the Son, and proceeds from the one Father, as from the beginning and source of the Divinity. He is the inventor and author of the sacred - old and new Scripture and acted in the Holy Fathers at the Ecumenical Councils. His gifts are considered to be seven, namely: 1) wisdom in purity, and in an unflattering heart and in all virtues; 2) reason – in the knowledge of God’s will; 3) advice that promotes the glory of God and the salvation of the soul; 4) strength, having watchfulness in faith and strength in temptation; 5) knowledge to teach others the law; 6) piety, led by prayer and good deeds; 7) the fear of God, as it comes from a son before his father. The fruits of the Holy Spirit are nine: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22, 23). And other virtues accomplished with the help of the Holy Spirit are His fruits. Question What does the eighth member of the Faith teach about the Holy Spirit? Rep. According to the text of the Orthodox Confession - three truths: 1) that the Holy Spirit is God, Consubstantial with the Father and the Son (1 Cor. 12:4-6), as can be seen from the words of the Apostle: the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God and the Father and the communion of the Holy Spirit with you all (2 Cor. 13:13). If in these places the Holy Spirit is sometimes delivered first, and sometimes the Son, the reason for this is that the three Persons are of the same essence and equal in honor. 2) The eighth member teaches that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, as the source and beginning of the Divinity. The Savior himself teaches this in the Gospel (John 15:26). St. Athanasius explains in his symbol: “The Holy Spirit is not created, created, or begotten from the Father, but proceeds. God and the Father alone is the author of two Persons, and is not begotten; The Son was born from one Father, as from a cause; The Holy Spirit proceeds from the Father alone, as from the cause, and is sent into the world through the Son. So, it is enough for us to firmly hold and believe what Christ taught us, what the Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Church believes, and what she confessed at the Second Ecumenical Council. She established the Symbol without the addition: “and from the Son”... 3) This member of the creed teaches that the Holy Spirit is the creator of the Holy Scriptures, both old and new, and that He expounded it through many intermediaries, and therefore we must believe that everything that the Holy Fathers decreed at all Ecumenical and local Orthodox councils, wherever they were compiled, comes from the Holy Spirit, as the Apostles said at their council: it pleased the Holy Spirit and us (Acts 15:28). Following their example, other Orthodox councils approved their decrees with a similar conclusion (Orthodox Confession, Part I. Answer to Question 6. 9. etc.). Question How does our holy mother, the Orthodox Catholic Church, glorify the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost? Rep. We celebrate Pentecost and the coming of the Spirit, and the offering of promise, and the fulfillment of hope, and the great sacrament, as it is great and honest (Verse 1). The Holy Spirit will give everything: he sharpens prophecies, the priests perform, teach unbooked wisdom, fishermen theologians show, the whole assembly gathers the Church Council, Consubstantial and Co-Altar with the Father and the Son, the Comforter - glory to You (verse 2 on the Lord's invocation) Come, people, let us worship the Trinitarian Divinity, the Son in the Father with the Holy Spirit. The Father, without flight, gave birth to the Son, co-essential and co-throne, and the Holy Spirit is in the Father, with the Son we glorify; one power, one being, one Divinity, who worship Him, we all say: Holy God, who did everything by the Son, with the assistance of the Holy Spirit: The Mighty Holy One, who knew the Father, and the Holy Spirit came into the world: The Immortal Holy One, who comforts the Soul, comes from the Father and rests in the Son: Holy Trinity - glory to Thee (verse glory, and now on Mr. call)! The Holy Spirit has always been, and is, and will be: lower we begin, lower it ceases, but ever to the Father and the Son we are ordered and numbered: Life and life-giving, Light and giver of light: Self-good and Source of goodness: By Him the Father is known and the Son is glorified, and from all is known, one power, one counting, one worship of the Holy Trinity (verse 2 on praises). The Holy Spirit is light and life and a living source of intelligence; Spirit of wisdom, spirit of understanding; good, right, intelligent, possessing, cleansing sins, God and God-creator, fire, originating from fire, speaking, acting, sharing gifts, in Whom all the Prophets and Divine Apostles were married to martyrs (verse 3 on praises). Now (i.e., on the day of Pentecost) the Comforting Spirit has been poured out on all flesh: it began from the Apostles, from those who received the Holy Communion the grace was extended to the faithful, and assures its sovereign influx, in fiery form, distributing tongues to the disciples in song and the glory of God. In the same way, with our hearts intelligently enlightened and strengthened in faith by the Holy Spirit, we pray that our souls will be saved (verse 2 on the poem). The Gentiles do not understand, O Lord, Thy Most Holy One, upon Thy Apostles the former power, change of language, drunkenness, be for me. Having been strengthened by them, we continually say: Do not take Your Holy Spirit from us, we pray, O Lover of Mankind (Ibid.)! Question Explain what is the soul or the heart? And what participation does it have in our external and internal life? Rep. The soul or heart is the beginning and root of all our actions. Whatever we do inside and outside of us, we do it with our hearts or, which is the same, with our soul. We believe in our hearts or we don’t believe; whether we love or hate with our hearts; whether we are humble or proud in our hearts; we tolerate or murmur with our hearts; with our hearts we forgive or become angry; with our hearts or souls we turn to God, or we turn away; with our hearts we approach God or move away; bless or curse with our hearts; in the heart - joy or sadness, hope or despair, repentance or unrepentant life, fear or insolence. The heart sighs, prays, hopes, or the opposite of what it does. Consequently, what is not in the heart does not exist in the thing itself. Faith is not faith, love is not love, when there is nothing in the heart, but there is hypocrisy. Humility is not humility, but pretense when it is not rooted in the heart. Friendship is not friendship, but the bitterest enmity when it only appears outside. Therefore, God requires a heart from us: give Me, son, your heart (Proverbs 23:26). Question Like bl. Does Tikhon wax philosophical about the nobility, dignity and beauty of the human soul? Rep. May we be able to better understand the nobility and beauty of the human soul, let us consider certain circumstances from which its dignity and kindness are demonstrated. 1) The human soul, according to the description of St. Macarius of Egypt is a certain creation of God, intelligent, red, great, wonderful and exceedingly, the likeness and image of God. 2) For the sake of man, God created all heaven and earth with their fulfillment and decoration... for all things were created from God before man, so that there would be a place for man to live and something to be content with, and there would be someone to serve man, who was created as a master... If everything was created for the sake of man, then man is the best and noblest above all: more than the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, their fulfillment and decoration. Nevertheless, this is attributed to man for the sake of his rational, noble and red soul. 3) The beauty of the human soul also comes from the human body, in which the soul, like in its own home, dwells and is known. Everyone look at the young man who is endowed with a kind face and other natural gifts: how handsome is he? what animal can compare with him? If the body is so beautiful and perfect - the house and dwelling of the soul: what is more beautiful - the soul that dwells in it? 4) Most of all, the beauty and dignity of the human soul is known from the fact that God and our Creator imprinted His Divine image on it (Gen. 1:27). Oh, the wondrous and magnificent beauty and dignity of the soul! The human soul is honored and adorned with the image of God! All created things are marvelous, and are evidence of the omnipotence and wisdom of God; but man has the image and likeness of his Creator in his soul! In the creation of all other things, the omnipotence and wisdom of God appeared; but in the human soul, in addition, the likeness and image of God appeared written! Consider what beauty and splendor the uncreated nature - God - has: then you will somewhat recognize the beauty and goodness of the nature created from Him, in the image of Him created. God is endless beauty, which the holy angels from the beginning cannot get enough of and praise. And especially for God’s elect, eternal bliss consists in the fact that this infinite kindness, face to face, endlessly and insatiably, will be seen and enjoyed... If you understand the beauty and beauty of the infinite majesty of God, then you will know how great, wondrous the beauty and beauty of the human soul is. 5) The Son of God, not any of the creatures - God himself and the Creator, the Word of the Father, the King of Heaven himself, took upon himself a great embassy, ​​appeared on earth for the sake of the human soul - to seek it and save it; and for thirty-three years or more he lived on earth as one of man, and as a slave, alone of the poor and poor, he worked, suffered, cried, hungered, thirsted, endured dishonor and blasphemy - for the sake of our souls; suffered terrible torment; the only righteous and holy one died on the tree of the cross, and the Lover of Mankind did all this for the salvation of our souls (VII. VIII, Chapter 13)! Question What spiritual thoughts did the expression inspire in the mind of St. Tikhon: A virgin betrothed to her husband? Rep. We see in the world, he says, that virgins become betrothed to their husbands. Thus, Christian souls by faith in baptism are betrothed to their heavenly groom Christ, like pure virgins, to a bride: I have betrothed you to one husband, to present a pure virgin to Christ, says St. Apostle (2 Cor. 11:2). The mystery of this blessed betrothal is great. Great and incomprehensible to the mind is the mystery, and honor, and glory, and dignity - so great that there can be no more: the human soul to be betrothed as a bride to the heavenly King, and to the most beautiful kindness above all the sons of men - the Son of God (Ps. 45:3). Who can understand and explore this love of God? Who can express such nobility, honor, glory and dignity of the Christian soul, betrothed to the heavenly Bridegroom? Remember, Christian, that your soul is betrothed to the bride to that glorious Bridegroom. The bride loves her one groom, pleases him alone: ​​so the Christian soul must love and please Him alone, its only groom. The groom does not like the bride and he turns away from her when she turns to other lovers with love: this is how Christ turns away from the Christian soul, which turns to sin and the world with its love and pleases them. Oh, how gravely such a soul sins before Christ! Christian! Look around, perhaps, look around, have you not also turned to the world and sin from Christ your Savior? Don't you love anything as much, or, what is worse, more than Him? He must be loved more than his father and mother, more than his wife and children, and more than himself. He demands this from you because He Himself loved you so much that He gave Himself up for you. We see, since the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars and other creatures are red; but He is so pleased with nothing as with your soul. Praise the Lord, my soul! Hear, daughter, and see, and incline your ear, and forget your people and your father’s house: and the King will desire your kindness (Ps. 146:1; Ps. 44:11, 12). Question Bring me, in addition to what has been said, the thoughts of other saints. Father about virginity. Rep. Saint Demetrius of Rostov, in his chronicle, talks about virginity like this: It is not good for man to be alone: ​​let us make him a helper (Gen. 2:18), the Creator said when he created Adam. - At the beginning of the world, it was not good for a man without an assistant - a wife; for then it is fitting for the human race to multiply. Now, when the universe is filled with various peoples, the Apostolic word is spread: goodness for a man shall not touch his wife (1 Cor. 3:1). – In the Old Testament, living according to the flesh was prescribed by law: in the new Grace, living according to the spirit is advised. There, marriage was revered; here womanlessness is gratified, even more so virginity itself is honest and glorious. “Virginity,” says St. Cyprian, is the sister of the Angels, victory over passions, the queen of virtues, and the inheritance of all good things (in his essay on virginity). “But in the Old Testament there were some men who lived their celibate lives, and kept their virginity incorruptible from the womb. - These were: Elijah, Elisha, Daniel, the three youths and John the Baptist. St. John of Damascus talks about virginity in the following way: virginity is the life of Angels, a distinctive property of every incorporeal nature. We say this not to condemn marriage - let it not happen! Question What instruction does St. Tikhon for young men and children? Rep. The following is from the works of St. Basil the Great: “Have purity, bodily dispassion, a meek step, a moderate voice, an honorable word, calm food and drink; with the elders - silence, with the wisest - attention, with superiors - obedience, with equals and lesser - unfeigned love; separate from the evil and passionate and covetous; speak little, understand much; do not overindulge in conversation; to be insolent when laughing; embarrassment to decorate yourself; Do not talk to wicked women; Down to have sight, but woe to have a soul; do not seek the rank of teacher; The honor of this world cannot be imputed to anything... If anyone does good for the benefit of others, let him expect reward from God, and eternal reward - from Christ Jesus our Lord.” Question What instruction does Saint Tikhon teach in particular to seminary students? Rep. 1) Remember for each of the spiritual pupils that God has called him to this calling for the sake of the common good. 2) The teaching (science) in which one finds oneself should be carefully followed and God should be called upon for help. 3) The intention (goal) of the teaching is to extend to the glory of God; This will be the best success. For doctrine is taught for the enlightenment of the mind and advancement into the order of the priesthood; since a learned priest will and should be more capable of eradicating evil morals and vices that blaspheme the name of God. 4) Teaching without living a good life is not strong and does not benefit. What good does it do for a person to teach, but not to create? Therefore, from a young age one must resist natural evil, carefully eradicate it, with the help of God, and train oneself to virtue. And this is achieved by daily teaching in the law of God. 5) For diligence in teaching and living well, expect rewards from God in the next century; but even here, higher ranks and respect are acquired through education. 6) On Sundays, students must go to God’s service in church; in church, stand in the choirs and become accustomed to the Church circle; standing in church, avoiding talking, but only diligently listening to reading, singing and prayer. 7) Those who are extremely careful not to remember the name of God in vain where it is not proper (which the teacher can talk about), and not to swear, as is the custom of many, is: by God, for that God; but, according to the word of Christ, it suffices: to her, to her (Matthew 5:37). 8) Show your fathers and mothers, commanders, and senior people all respect in deed and word. 9) Don’t talk about big people and anyone; but only about your school work, because from here the vice of condemnation occurs; do not judge other people's affairs and actions, but everyone knows his own business. 10) Do not use any nicknames, or even obscene ones, to each other. 11) Purity and integrity must be observed by everyone, under the fear of exclusion from the clergy. 12) In the apartments, stand still, quietly and without annoyance to the owners. 13) It is forbidden to drink hot wine and other intoxicating drinks, and anyone convicted of drinking will be fined, etc. 5 This cell, unfortunately, has not survived to the present day. By the way of the cross we come to the light. This is one of the instructions given to seminary students in the last century by the archpastors of the Orthodox Church. It was written in 1765 for Voronezh students. At the end of it there is an addition: “read these points every day when leaving class.” The instructions were signed by the saint himself, Tikhon.