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Question What is the Gospel? Rep. Gospel is a Greek word and means good, favorable and comforting news. The Gospel of Jesus Christ reveals to us that He was sent by the Heavenly Father into this world to save sinners, as He himself said: the Son of man came to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). The Apostle also preaches the gospel: the word is faithful and worthy of all acceptance, for Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). Glory to the Father who sent! Glory to the Son who came to save sinners! Let us worship with a joyful and grateful spirit the One who came to save us and the One who was pleased to send Him. Blessed be God, that all men may be saved and come into the understanding of truth! Let us accept this joyful news into our hearts and give glory to God, who has been well pleased with us. Question How many St. Evangelists? Rep. Four: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John the Evangelist. 1) St. Matthew is one of the twelve apostles, otherwise called Levvi. He wrote before the other Evangelists, precisely eight years after the Ascension of the Lord. The Greek text of this book that exists to this day is a translation from Hebrew or Syrian, but due to its apostolic antiquity, it has for Christians the dignity of being equal to the original. 2) St. Mark was a companion of St. Peter and is counted among the 70 apostles, and was converted to faith in Christ by Peter. Having been sent by Peter to Egypt, he held a bishopric there and founded the first Christian school in Alexandria. Petrovo described his rejection from Christ more extensively than the other Apostles, because, of course, he personally heard this sad story from Peter himself. 3) St. Luke, Antiochian, physician of art, fellow apostle. Pavel. It is distinguished by its completeness, which embraces the events of the New Testament from the birth of the Forerunner to the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven. His name is Luke from lux - light; he was not a witness, but he heard the Gospel story from the Apostles. He wrote his Gospel in the 66th or 67th year after the Ascension of the Lord, because he wrote the Acts of the Apostles in the year AD 68. Theophilus, for whom his Gospel was written, was, without a doubt, an official, and, perhaps, a mayor. 4) St. John. His name is Hebrew, and means - gracious, or pleasing to God, he was a Jew, from Galilee; formerly he was a fisherman; had a very warm heart, but by the grace of the Spirit he became meek. Christ called him and his brother Jacob Boanerges, that is, from the Syrian language: children of thunder (Mark 3:17). With his own eyes, together with Peter and his brother James, he saw the transfigured Jesus Christ. Christ loved him with the most tender love; why did he recline on Christ’s breasts? Christ entrusted His Mother to him from the cross: Behold your Mother, He said (John 19:27). He wrote his Gospel in the 101st year after the Ascension of the Lord. Question What is the Eucharist? Rep. Eucharist, answers the saint. Tikhon, there is a mystery in which the true body and true blood of Christ our God is taught to us, under the guise of bread and wine, and in which Jesus Christ is truly and dominantly present. Question What matter or substance is required for the Eucharist? Rep. Wheat bread, leavened bread, and natural grape wine. Question With what words is the sacrament itself finally accomplished? Rep. Simi: and make this bread the venerable body of Thy Christ; and in this cup is the precious blood of Thy Christ, transposed by Thy Holy Spirit; and then the essence of the bread is transformed into the essence of the body of Christ, and the essence of the wine into the essence of the blood of Christ, by the action of the Holy Spirit. Question What should be kept this secret? Rep. These four are: 1) let the priest be lawfully ordained (i.e., consecrated): for no one can perform this mystery except the bishop and the priest. 2) Let there be a thing (substance) appropriate to the mystery, that is, wheat bread, leavened, pure, not mixed with other flour; Likewise, let the wine be natural, not feigned (not counterfeit) and not mixed with anything, transformed into oxide (oxide), below molded, but pure in itself. At the proskomedia, a little water is poured into it, as the service teaches in the service books. 3) Let the throne be consecrated by the bishop himself, where a bloodless sacrifice is to be offered; or instead of the throne, let there be at least an antimension consecrated by the bishop. No one can consecrate the throne or antimension except the bishop. 4) May the priest have the thought and intention during the consecration of the Gifts, that the essence of bread and wine will be transformed into the essence of the body and blood of Christ by the action of the Holy Spirit. Question What instruction from the saint. Tikhon teaches the priest about the communion of the sick? Rep. In addition to the priestly office about the mystery of holy repentance, having given some instructions about confession, namely: how to arouse an unrepentant sinner, and how to console and encourage the touched and touched, Saint Tikhon further says: after consolation, the priest imparts the body and blood of our Lord and God Jesus Christ, saying these words: here is to you the merciful and man-loving Christ our God, body and blood He teaches his own, as a sign of His mercy and love for you, as a way of life to the eternal. Accept the pledge offered by this life with spiritual joy and love, and thank such a great merciful one, and be strengthened by these Holy mysteries, be trustworthy. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you, admonishing, strengthening, protecting, guiding you into the quiet life of an eternal refuge, and the Angel of God, your faithful Guardian. Amine. (Part 1). Question How should Christians approach the communion of the body and blood of Christ? Rep. 1) The Apostle says: let a man tempt himself, and so let him eat of the bread and let him drink of the cup. He who eats and drinks unworthily eats and drinks judgment without discerning the Body of the Lord (1 Cor. 11:28, 29). 2) Many people read a lot of prayers, psalms and akathists; but this is not enough. For prayer from an uncorrected and unrepentant heart is not acceptable. 3) It is scary for someone who has not been purified to begin true repentance; It is also scary for someone who has begun and has partaken of worldly lusts to become defiled: both are terrible, as can be seen from the Apostle’s word and from the discussion of the Holy Mystery. Therefore, he who wants to begin must reason about who is starting what, and he who has received communion must judge what he has taken communion of. And before communion, you need to reflect on yourself and about that great Gift, and after communion, you need to reflect on and remember this heavenly Gift. Before communion, one needs heartfelt repentance, humility, putting aside malice, anger, carnal desires, reconciliation with one’s neighbor, a firm proposal and the will of a new and pious life in Christ Jesus. Upon communion, a demonstration of correction, a testimony of love for God and neighbor, thanksgiving, and diligent effort for a new, holy, and immaculate life are required. In a word: before communion, true repentance and contrition of heart are needed; after communion, the fruits of repentance - good deeds are needed... A Christian cannot be without faith, faith - without love, and love - without good deeds (1 Cor. 13:1-13). Then the Christian remains nothing more than a pagan, although he confesses the name of God and Christ. Everyone can see how scary it is for such a person to approach the Holy Mystery. Hence it happens that many Christians who partake of this holy Mystery succeed not in the best, but in the worst, they are no longer blinded, they are not enlightened; They become hardened, do not correct themselves, and so fall into sin from sin, but they do not recognize their sin, and they do not give sin for sin, and they do what political (educated) pagans do not do. The reason for this is that they despise God’s grace, and so they themselves are deprived of God’s grace, and indulge in an unskilled mind - to do inappropriate things (Rom. 1:28). 5) Therefore, sinners must correct themselves, lest they receive communion in court. Fornicators, adulterers and defilers change their hearts and love purity: for they come to the most pure Lamb. The proud and highly intelligent should put aside demonic pride and love humility; for Christ is approached to the humble. Those who are evil and breathe the fire of vengeance should leave their malice and love meekness and kindness; for they draw near to the meek and gentle Lamb of God. Those who hate and are envious should leave hatred and envy and love brotherly love: for they are drawing near to the Son of God who loves mankind. Flatterers, deceivers and deceivers should hate the devil’s cunning and love simplicity and truth: for they come to the eternal and immortal truth. Slanderers, slanderers, blasphemers, correct their tongues: for with their lips they receive the most pure body of Christ. Those who love money should leave mammon and love God: for they come to the Son of God, who is loved. Those who are hard-hearted and unmerciful should change their cruel disposition and become merciful: for they come to a merciful and merciful God. Tatyans, predators, bribe-takers should leave this untruth, and return or squander (in alms) what was stolen and learn the truth: for they are approaching the righteous King. The stingy rich should leave their stinginess and be generous: as they come to the generous Lord. Drunkards should give up drunkenness and begin a sober life: for they commune with the crucified and dead Christ. In a word: everyone must correct, cleanse and renew himself, so that he may approach without condemnation (Book VIII, Chapter 9). “It must,” says St. Basil the Great, let him who approaches the Body and Blood of the Lord cleanse himself from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, so as not to eat and drink in court; and the memory of Him who died and rose again for us is clearly shown in the fact that he (the one who comes) died to sin, and to the world and to himself, but lives to God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Book 1. On baptism, chapter 3).” It is dangerous and scary for one who has not forsaken sin to approach, and for one who has a conscience soiled and irritated by sins, let him not eat and drink as a judgment on himself. Reason, Christian, and beware of the wrong things to approach, and to be set on fire by worldly lusts, for our Lord is a fire, an unworthy devourer (Heb. 12:29). Question How holy. Tikhon especially clarifies the idea that communion of the most pure and life-giving Mysteries - the body and blood of Christ should move us to move away from sin and to true repentance? Rep. How, he says, do you dare to take the most pure body of Christ into your hands (speech here to those who receive into hands), which are desecrated by theft, bribery, beating, unclean touch and other sinful deeds? How can you receive His Holy Body and Blood into your mouth - into those lips that you never cease to fill with slander, foul language, blasphemy, lies, caustic reproaches, and other stench? How will you accept Christ into your heart, which is filled with malice, wickedness, hatred, unclean lust, love of money and other evils? Such a one must be wary, lest the word of Christ spoken to one scribe befit him: foxes have plagues, and birds of heaven have nests; but the Son of man shall not have where to lay his head (Matthew 8:20). Flattery, deceit, hypocrisy, love of money, covetousness, etc. are like foxes, having their wounds in the human heart, and like nesting birds: But the Son of man has no place to lay his head... Behold, I stand at the door, and to no avail (Apoc. 3:20). This holy Guest stands, Who favored us to wander on earth, stands and strikes the doors of our hearts... But who opens the doors to His home for Him? Who hears His voice? Only he who obeys His word ceases from sins, repents, and is heartily sorry for the sins he has committed... He enters such a person and dines with him, that is, he consoles him with true and living consolation. He also says in another place: if anyone loves Me... My Father will love him and we will come to him (John 14:23). And where the Father and the Son are, there is the Holy Spirit. Where God lives, there is the kingdom of God, there is consolation and living joy; for God’s grace-filled coming does not happen without consolation and joy. It is necessary, therefore, as a Christian, to cease from sins, repent and begin a new life in Christ, when we want to partake of the Mysteries of Christ with benefit and fruit (Hour. VIII, §412). Affirming the dogma of the most holy Liturgy as a bloodless sacrifice, Saint Stephen of Yavorsky in his book: The Stone of Faith, inspires this, being imbued with sorrow and lamentation. The desolation of the city of Jerusalem was once seen by the youths of Judaism, with a contrite soul and a humble spirit, crying out: at this time there shall be neither burnt offerings, nor sacrifices, nor offerings (Dan. 3:38)... The opponents (Luther and his followers) are trying to create a similar abomination of desolation to Zion, the holy city of the living God, the Church Christ, when they always want to take away from her the Liturgy, the offering and the bloodless sacrifice, which is offered to God the Father on the altars all day long. What is the need, they say, now in the Church of Christ’s sacrifice? Isn’t the only blood sacrifice that Christ our God himself made on the altar of the cross, like a lamb, slain, for the salvation of the human race? Sacrifice in new grace is no other than any virtue - repentance, love of homosexuality, and others; Liturgies, or some other kind of bloodless sacrifice, are inventions of the human mind. So the opponents of the Holy Church regurgitate verbs... Even if they do not sweep away the Eucharist, they call it a mystery, and not a sacrifice... But in our Orthodox, Eastern, Catholic, Apostolic Church there is no such desolation, says St. Stephen of Yavorsky, a friend of St. Demetrius of Rostov, - the imams perform a liturgy, or a bloodless sacrifice from Christ himself to the Apostles, from the Apostles to their successors, and from them a friend - friendless to subsequent centuries, even before the second coming, betrayed. In the Liturgies, which are celebrated throughout the days, the true and proper bloodless sacrifice is offered, and this is the most holy Eucharist, or the Body and Blood of Christ, consecrated under the guise of bread and wine and offered to God (Orthodox Confession 1. Part 107). Rep. A sacrifice, answers Saint Stephen of Yavorsky, is an offering made by an external action to God himself for the glory of Himself, and for the confession of His Most High sovereignty, for the demonstration of our insignificance, from the priest and servant of this cause, called by God and correctly delivered. This happens to be an offering of some sensual thing, abiding and not passing away, containing some secret, and showing something future or past, and then consumed. Question Can a secret and a sacrifice be one and the same? Rep. The Most Holy Eucharist is not only a mystery, one of the seven Mysteries, but it has this advantage above all mysteries, as it is also a sacrifice, which we always offer to the Lord God in honor and thanksgiving for all His benefits, and especially for our deliverance, and in it we receive all our consolation and hopes. Question What arguments does Stefan Jaworski give to assert that the Eucharist is a Sacrifice? Rep. The first argument from the Last Supper. Christ, our Savior, at the Last Supper gave His body and blood not only as food to His disciples, but as a sacrifice to God His Father - He also offered His body and blood. This is clear from His words: this is My body, which is broken for you; This is My blood, which is shed for you and for many (Luke 22:19, 20; Matt. 26:26–28). If the body and blood of Christ at the Last Supper were not a sacrifice, but only food, then Christ would need to say: My body is given to you, and not for you. Also about the cups - it should be said this way: it is poured out for you, not for you. The second argument comes from the letters of the holy Apostle Paul (especially Heb. 8). since Christ is the High Priest, it is necessary to offer sacrifice to Him. Every high priest we appoint is to offer gifts and sacrifices, according to the word of the Apostle (Heb. 5:1); the temporary high priest sacrifices temporarily, the eternal high priest sacrifices forever. Christ, then, as the High Priest forever, must have such a sacrifice, which can be offered even until the end of the age, whether by Christ himself, or even by His servants assigned to this task. The third argument is from the Holy Councils. The fourth argument is from the testimonies of the holy fathers and luminaries of the Church. Saint Cyprian writes: “Our fathers judged the deanery... but no one from the brethren makes a dying priest a trustee and steward of his goods; If anyone does this, let there not be an offering (sacrifice) for him who has died." St. Cyril of Jerusalem: "we pray in the liturgy for the dead... how great is the benefit to souls when this holy and terrible sacrifice is made for them. St. Chrysostom: "this meal of our soul is the vein, thoughts, union, hope, salvation, light, life. With this it departed there sacrifice, in boldness we will go up to the sacred vestibule (on 1 Cor. morals 24) "And in another place he (St. Chrysostom) calls out: "Ole custom! Then Saint Stepan, having enumerated many other testimonies, cried out: what is this about the opponents? So many are ashamed of these shining accusers of holiness and wisdom... 1) Saint Tikhon depicts the Egyptian king Pharaoh in a spiritual sense as follows: the Egyptian king Pharaoh, when Moses brought Israel out of Egypt and freed him from Egyptian work, chased him after him, wanting to enslave him for himself (Ex. 14). This is how the devil chases after us Christians, whom Christ, the Son of God, delivered from his work, and wants to enslave us again: this is how he resists Christ. Christ wants to save us; He wants to destroy us, and the evil spirit strives to invalidate His merits, and thereby diminish His glory, which flows from those who are saved for the sake of their salvation. For the more people are saved by the grace of Christ, the greater is the glory of Christ. Seeing this, the devil, and being sad, seeks to create an obstacle to our salvation and diminish the glory of Christ. 2) Just as the Egyptian work in a spiritual sense means the enslavement of the human race to sin and the devil, and Pharaoh - the enslaver of the devil: so other circumstances relating to the deliverance of the Israelites from Egypt have a spiritual sign. This is St. The Church explains in the following song: “In the Black Sea, the image of the unartificed Bride was sometimes painted. There Moses is the water divider, and here Gabriel is the minister of miracles. Then the depth of the procession is not wet Israel; now give birth to Christ, the seedless Virgin. The sea, after the passage of Israel, will remain impassable; immaculate, after the birth of Emmanuel, remaining incorruptible. He, and before He, appeared as a man, God have mercy on us (Dogmatist ch. 5). Question Weren't other events and objects related to the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt also types? Rep. There were, says St. John of Damascus, discussing the Cross. “The Honest Cross prefigured the tree of life planted by God in paradise. since death entered through the tree, it was fitting that life and resurrection should be given through the tree. They also prefigured the rod of Moses, which struck the sea in a cross shape, saved Israel and drowned Pharaoh; arms outstretched crosswise, putting Amalek to flight; bitter water sweetened by wood; a stone cut by a rod and flowing out water; Aaron's rod, which signified the rank of priesthood; a serpent on a tree exposed to the eyes of everyone, as if already slain... Moses himself, the deliverer of the Israelites, was a prototype of our Lord Jesus Christ, our Savior; The Paschal Lamb prefigured His saving suffering and the sacrament of the Holy Eucharist; manna signified true food and true drink in the same ineffable sacrament. 3) Here we should reflect on the flight of the God-Child Jesus, with His Mother and with His imaginary father, into Egypt, for His salvation from Herod, according to the instructions of the Angel to Joseph: rising quickly, take the Child and His Mother, and flee to Egypt: for Herod wants to seek the Child, so that He may destroy E (Matthew 2:13). St. John Chrysostom says: “Egypt accepts and guards Him from slander, and thus it seems to assimilate Him... Although this honor belonged to Palestine alone, Egypt turned out to be more zealous than it... And now, having come to the Egyptian desert, you will see that this desert is better than paradise; you will see there in human form the countless faces of Angels, that is, Anthony, Makariev"... Saint Tikhon on the Unity of Christians with our Lord and God Jesus Christ (from the 8th conversation of St. Chrysostom in 1st Corinthian village) quotes these words: “Look, Christ is the head; we are the body. He is the foundation; we are the building. He is the vine; we are birth. He is the groom; we are the bride. He is the Shepherd; we are sheep. He is the way; we are the ones who are going. We are the church; He is the Omnipotent - the inhabitant. He is the firstborn; we are brothers. He is the heir; we are the heirs. He is the resurrection; we are the rebels. He is light; we are the enlightened ones. This whole thing reveals unity with God. But both with Christ and with each other, Christians must have unity... In the material body, all members are connected by veins: so in the spiritual body of Christ's Church, Christians, like members of each other, must be connected by a union of love. Christ commands this to his Christians: this I command you, that you love one another (John 15:17). The Apostles exhort this: with a pure heart, love one another diligently (1 Pet. 1:22). Let brotherly love endure (Heb. 13:1). Beloved! If God has loved us, we must love one another (1 John 4:11). In a material body, if one soul suffers, all spirits suffer with it (1 Cor. 12:26). When an arm, or a leg, or a head, or an eye, or another member hurts, all other members also sympathize with him. Likewise, in the spiritual body, Christians should sympathize and sympathize with each other. When a Christian is in misfortune and suffers, other Christians should be moved by his misfortune and suffering and sympathize with him. To this end the Apostle exhorts Christians: remember your ties with them; embittered, even they themselves exist in the body (Heb. 13:3). Be kind and merciful to one another, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Eph. 4:32). And Christ says: Be ye therefore merciful, even as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). To be merciful is nothing other than to ache with the heart for the sick, to sympathize with the needy and to cry with those who cry. In a material body, one member helps another: hand to hand, foot to foot, eye to eye, ear to ear, etc. The foot that stumbles is reinforced by the other foot; hand washes hand and other members, wipes them, corrects them; the eye with vision, the ear with hearing, the nostrils with smell, the legs with movement and flight serve the other members and the whole body; The stomach and womb work for the whole body through the preparation of food and drink. Likewise, in the spiritual body, Christians must help and serve each other. When one is sad, comfort the other; when one faints in faith, another strengthens him; When one strays from the path of truth, correct him by another... To this end, the word of God admonishes us in many places. And Christ our Lord, whatever good is done to a Christian, imputes to Himself (Matthew 25). In a material body, the womb, for the sake of the whole body, works: it cooks food, forms juices and turns them into blood, and the blood divides into all members, and thus strengthens, revitalizes and grows all members of the body. So, in the spiritual body, shepherds must be like a womb in their work: the food of God’s word is first inward by reading, teaching, thinking and paying attention, one place with another, as if chewed and boiled, and turned into spiritual juice and blood, and so to share with their brethren - spiritual members... For the unity of Christians with God and with each other, our Lord Jesus Christ, in His high priestly prayer, before His suffering and saving death on the Cross, prayed like this: I pray not only for these (the Apostles), but also for those who believe their word in Me: That they may all be one: as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us: that you may have faith in peace, as You You sent me. And I have given the glory that you have given to me, I have given it to them, that they may be one, as we are one. I am in them, and You are in Me, that they may be perfect in one, and that the world may understand that You sent Me, and that You loved them, as You loved Me (John 17:20–23). Question What is Blessing of Anointing? Rep. Blessing of Oil, the saint spoke. Tikhon with his clergy, there is a secret in which, through anointing with oil, consecrated through priestly prayer, the remission of sins, the salvation of the soul and the health of the body are taught to the sick. Question What is the matter or substance of the Blessing of Unction? Rep. Oil is pure, unmixed, consecrated. Question What is the Form or final accomplishment of this sacrament? Rep. This prayer, spoken by the priest: Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies! Heal your servant with this anointing (and so on until the end) and perform the anointing itself on the sick person - while reading these words. Question What must be observed in this Mystery? Rep. These four are: 1) the priests of this Mystery, according to the order of the church, should be seven; For the sake of needs, there may be a smaller number. 2) Let the weak person, first of all, confess his sins, then let him accept this Mystery, and then let him partake of the Divine Mysteries. 3) Let the oil be pure, without any admixture. 4) During the anointing, every priest who deals with this Mystery must read the foretold prayer: Holy Father, physician of souls and bodies, etc. then this mystery is completed (that is, in it grace acts on the suffering person). Question Can anyone accept this Mystery? Rep. Not everyone, but only those who are weak due to a serious illness and are near death, according to the word of St. Apostle James (chapter 5): is anyone hurting in you? let him call the elders of the church, and let them perform a prayer over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith will save the sick person, and so on. Of blessed memory, Rev. Metropolitan Gabriel of Novgorod and St. Petersburg, mentioned in the biography of Bl. Tikhon, about the Bishop, and, in fact, about his consecration, in his book: On the service and orders of the Orthodox Church, he wrote this: “first there is election; then the Sovereign's will for him is announced to the one elected as a bishop. I will accept this position for him, and a day of dedication will be set. On this day, before the liturgy, the chosen one ascends to the image of an eagle, signifying that by faith and virtue he must be above those entrusted to him, and ascend in spirit to the heavenly ones - and in the presence of the sovereign and bishops he reads the Confession of Faith, promising to carefully preserve all the institutions of the Holy Spirit. Church, loyalty to the sovereign and care for leading his flock to the path of salvation; then, having accepted the blessing from the bishops, he goes into the vestibule of the altar. According to the Trisagion, he is brought by the archpriest and archdeacon before the Royal Doors and is received from the bishops to the Throne, where he kneels and places his hand and head on the Throne, thereby testifying to the submission of his neck (that is, all of himself) to God. Consecrating (ordaining) bishops hold the open Gospel over the head of the one being ordained, so that he may remember that, although he is exalted, he is subject to the laws of the Gospel, and having commanded others, he accepts the commandment of the law, and (let him remember) that the performing power of the priesthood is given from the grace of the Author of the sacraments, and that the one who is ordained must have perfect knowledge of the Gospel truths in order to be strong and teach others. Three, and if necessary, two Bishops are required for the consecration of a Bishop. For, according to the tradition of the Church, neither the patriarch is one, nor the metropolitan, archbishop or bishop is satisfied with the election of a bishop, and so on. and to consecration, because the Council has the right to elect (§§302–306).” The position of the Bishop: 1) to preach the word of God (St. Ignatius. Epistle to Smyrna. Commandment. Apostle); 2) visit the diocese and observe the welfare of the flock and teach the people; 3) ordain priests, deacons and clergy; 4) do not leave the diocese; 5) stand up for the offended; 6) be at councils; 7) have schools and prepare through education and science for sacred ranks... Temptation comes in two ways, says the bl. Tikhon (book 6 §71): 1) corrupted and contrary to the word of God by teaching, as heretics and other superstitions do; 2) he who lives contrary to the word of God and behaves corruptly among his brethren also gives temptation... Temptation is like a pestilence, which, conceived in one person, infects and kills many living nearby: so the corrupt teaching begins in one heretical leader, but infects and destroys countless people; So the lawless life of one gives an opportunity for many to commit lawlessness and do what they have seen or heard. From this we see that some towns and villages differ from each other in one way or another by lawlessness. In some, mammon and the love of money are most prevalent: in others, luxury and all carnal pleasures are poured out in abundance; in another, worldly pride proves itself more than anything else. Also noted by houses and surnames... Although anyone can give temptation to heretical, unorthodox teaching and thinking, or lawless living, but especially parents are a temptation to children, a shepherd to people, a boss to his subordinates, masters to his slaves, a teacher to his students, old people to the young. For the life of the higher, and the thoughts and example for the lower, are, as a rule, or like a mirror into which the latter look and by which they correct themselves. Woe to the world because of temptation, says Christ (Matthew 18:7)! Woe, it’s because of this that temptation comes! It would be unfortunate for him, if the millstone of the village were to lie on his neck, and he was cast into the sea, lest he should cause one of these little ones to stumble (Luke 17:1, 2). From this we see that temptation is a great evil: it is a plague and pestilence! May this evil convince us to turn away from lawlessness and beware of heretical thoughts and words, so that the grief with which God’s word threatens the seducers does not befall us. Question What kind of holy heretics were there in the Church? Rep. The following are the main ones: Arius, against whom the first Council of Nicaea was held in 325 and the first eight members of the Creed were composed. Macedonian Doukhobor, against whom the second Ecumenical Council was drawn up in Constantinople in 381. Nestorius the man-worshipper: there was a third Ecumenical Council against him in Ephesus in 431. Dioscorus - a consort of naturalism: 630 Fathers deposed his heresy at the Council of Chalcedon in 451. The so-called Origenists, who considered themselves followers of Origen and who spoke fabulously, contrary to Scripture, about the end of eternal torment, and were refuted by the 165 Fathers in Constantinople at the fifth Ecumenical Council in 553. Further, the Holy Church considers Sergius, Pyrrhus and other monophiles to be heretics: they were deposed by the 170 Fathers in 680 at the sixth Ecumenical Council. The seventh of the ancient ferocious heresy, the iconoclastic, was deposed at the seventh Ecumenical Council by the 367 Fathers in 788. These are the tares of the ancients; but the enemy of Christ and the Church of Christ does not sleep and does not remain inactive; but he has always sowed and is sowing heresy, discord, schism, everywhere - in the East and West, in the South and in the North... Be vigilant, be vigilant both North and South, and East and West! Watch and watch your holy field without slumber, lest the enemy’s hand sow it with its tares - ancient and new.