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Question What should a Christian desire and seek? Rep. You see, says Saint Tikhon, that people desire much in the world, and they seek much that they desire. You, Christian, desire and seek your own, what is proper and necessary for you. People want to have happiness and prosperity in the world: you desire and strive to acquire true prosperity in your heart. This is a Christian desire! People want to get rid of work and be free: you want to get rid of sinful work and be free from passions. This is a Christian desire! This is true freedom (John 8:34, 35)! People want to defeat people; you want to conquer yourself. This is a Christian desire! This is an Orthodox victory! People want to be masters and to command and rule over others: you desire and strive to reign over your flesh, over its passions and lusts. This is a Christian desire! The true ruler is the one who controls himself and his passions. They who are Christ's are the flesh crucified with passions and lusts... (Gal. 5:24). These are the true masters, rulers and kings! People want to have a healthy body: you wish and strive for your soul to be healed and healthy. This is a Christian desire! This is a healthy desire! Others desire sweet and expensive wine: you desire tears and spiritual weeping. This is a Christian desire! This is the sweet wine of the saints!.. People among people desire to have protectors and helpers: you desire and strive to have God as a helper and protector for yourself. This is a Christian desire! This is your faithful helper and protector! God, come to my aid (Ps. 69:2)... People wish to live long: you wish to die blissfully... Whoever desires what, seeks. Desire and you, my soul, and seek your goodness, your health, your wealth, your peace and quiet. God! All my desire is before You, and my sighing is not hidden from You (Ps. 37:10. Question How many accessories did the Old Testament sacrifices have? Rep. Four, and they made up the four parts of the sacred rite: 1) the selection of the victim and its acceptance by the priests; 2) offering it to God; 3) slaughtering it; and 4) burning it and eating it, or communion with it. The New Testament Sacrifice, bloodless (offered at the Divine Liturgy) has the same number of accessories. 1) The sacrifice must be chosen and accepted from the priests, not according to their own will, but according to the legalization of God, Who commanded them what to accept for sacrifice and what not to accept (Lev. 1). The priests of the New Testament, during proskomedia, take bread and wine as part of the offering. They receive them according to the election of the eternal God the Father, who appointed His beloved Son as a Priest, according to the order of Melchizedek, who had the priesthood of offering bread and wine. 2) The sacrifice was offered to God by the priests of the law, and through this it was changed from its previous state, simple, into sacred. The gifts of God are the Holy of Holies, God himself spoke to Moses (Lev. 22:22, 6:17). The servants of the Covenant of Grace, in the sacred rite of bloodless sacrifice, bring bread and wine, which, by the invocation and action of the Holy Spirit, are sanctified and transformed into the very Body and Blood of the Son of God, the Most Holy Ones. 3) The animal sacrifice from the priests was tempered and deprived of life; and thereby it changed its previous state in its entirety. In the Eucharist, bread and wine, transformed by the Holy Spirit into the very Body and Blood of Christ, are brought into a state of extreme exhaustion and death itself: for they have neither the actions of natural life, nor the appearance of human flesh, and are presented without voice and without breath. 4) The burning or destruction of the Old Testament sacrifice, and its eating, or communion with it, was necessary. When the burnt offering was offered; then it was all burned on the altar with sacred fire; but in other sacrifices certain parts were burned to give off a sweet aroma to the Lord; the rest were distributed for use to the priests and as food for those who brought them. Here in the New Testament, the entire sacrifice is offered to God in the aroma of fragrance, and it is all served as food to the faithful whole, without division: crushed, but indivisible. And although it is consumed by everyone, it is not depleted: always eaten, and never consumed (see Excerpt. Lit. Dmitrevsky §14). Just as the Divine Eucharist alone contains in itself all the attributes of the sacrifices of the ancient covenant, so it also contains in itself all their types. Rep. Thus: there was a law, says St. Chrysostom, there are many types of sacrifices in the Old Testament: others about sins; another called burnt offering, another called praise, another called salvation, and many and various others. But the new grace that has come embraces all of them with a single sacrifice, and provides one true sacrifice: 1) it is a burnt offering. In the burnt offerings of the ancients, material fire destroyed everything that was placed on the altar of burnt offerings. In the Eucharist, the mysterious fire of the Spirit of God, having found itself in an invisible way on the types of bread and wine presented, instantly transforms them into the very Body and Blood of Christ, who then offers them to God the Father as a sacrifice. 2) It is a sacrifice that propitiates God for our sins. The blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God, sacredly performed on our altars, cleanses us from all sin. 3) It is an offering of thanksgiving. For, during the performance of it, in accordance with the sacred rite of Jesus Christ himself, we express our gratitude to God, counting the benefits received from Him, and presenting to Him, in our gratitude, His only begotten Son, celebrated on the altar. 4) And it contains in the highest degree all the offerings of peace offerings. For it has within itself the true sacrifice of peace - Jesus Christ the Son of God, who reconciled the heavenly things on earth with the blood of His cross; through whom we ask and receive all good things from His eternal Father. Whatever you ask from the Father in My name, He will give it to you, He himself assures... Thus, the divine sacred action of the Eucharist contains all the parts, all the accessories, all types of ancient sacrifices, being, moreover, infinitely higher and more perfect than all of them (Explanatory Liturg. Dmitry). The following spiritual sacrifices of a Christian are pleasing and favorable to our merciful and long-suffering Creator God: 1) Purity: By the Holy Spirit every soul is alive and exalted and brightened by purity. Every one who is pure abides in Christ, and Christ in him. Bl. Theophylact, in his interpretation of the Gospels, says: “before God, only the pure ones hold the priesthood; But God turns away His face from the unclean.” 2) Love and do the truth in everything. The inspired prophet says: he who loves unrighteousness hates his own soul, and untruth is every sin, especially mortal. 3) Fasting: not only to eat too late, but also to eat little, not to be satiated, not to eat sweet foods, but only during the day. If you can hold your womb, you will enter heaven. Just as it is impossible for a bird to fly without wings, so it is impossible for a person to be saved without fasting and prayer. Abstain from eating a lot of food and from unhelpful verbosity, and from all untruths, and from drunken drinking. 4) Prayer to God is diligent and non-lazy, without vain thoughts. 5) Mercy, alms, willing alms. If you are poor, then give little, and do not be stingy. 6) Love: not only love your brothers, but also love your enemies, those who hate you, and those who annoy you, and do not do evil to them. 7) To gratefully endure annoyance and reproach, insults and reproaches. 8) To love humility, not to be proud. 9) To have silence, it is not at all useful to speak with anyone; and above all, in the holy church, where a bloodless, visible sacrifice is offered, stand meekly, and say nothing to anyone except what is necessary. 10) Do not be lazy in the work of God, but strive cheerfully and willingly. 11) Do not be furious, impudent and angry, do not remember evil and do not repay evil for evil. 12) Do not envy anyone in anything, do not slander anyone, and do not lie in anything, do not condemn anyone for sins, even if you see it with your own eyes. 13) And never laugh. 14) Constantly have the Jesus Prayer in your mind, (6) and think about the hour of death, living dangerously every day and hour, and keep the commandments of God, and be ready to stand at the Last Judgment and give an answer to God about all your sins. For the Lord says: whatever I find you doing, that is what I will judge you. And 15) always do true repentance for sins to God and the spiritual Father with all zeal, pity and tenderness, and sin no more, and wash away your sins with tears. These spiritual sacrifices of a Christian are also pleasing and favorable to the all-merciful Lord God, our Creator. 1) I rise from sleep, your first thought is about God, your first word and prayer is to God, your creator and the creator of your life, who can kill you and give you life, amaze and heal, save and destroy. 2) Bow down and give thanks to God, who raised you up from sleep, and did not destroy you with your iniquities, but is patiently awaiting your conversion. 3) Make a beginning for the better: for no one makes the path to heaven well, except the one who begins well every day. 4) In the morning, be a seraphim in prayer, a cherub in business, an angel in your walk. 5) Do not waste time in vain, except for the necessary management. 6) In all deeds, words and thoughts, keep your mind in God, do not write in your mind anything other than Christ. 7) Arouse yourself to the love of God in every possible way, as much as you can. 8) You deign to unceasingly love God, and always look at His presence with your inner eyes. Therefore, do everything honestly, humbly and with filial fear, speak and think. 9) Have meekness with praise, and humility with honesty. 10) The word is quiet, humble, honest, useful; let silence reason with words, even if you speak; but let no idle and rotten word come from the mouth. 11) Laughter, if it happens, will only wake you up, and then not often. 12) Beware of rage and passion and quarrels (i.e., quarrels); In anger, be moderate (that is, avoid anger completely). 13) Let abstinence always be maintained in eating and drinking. 14) Be lenient in every thing and God will please you, and people will also praise you. 15) Death is the end of everything, and one should always think about it. The spirit, crushed by mortal memory and repentance, is a sacrifice to God! In a person who has accepted the Christian faith, two laws are found: the law of the flesh and the law of the spirit, and two lives: carnal life and spiritual life, or, as St. The Apostle Paul expresses it, the law of wisdom and the law of mind (Rom. 7:23). There is a constant battle between these laws, so that what one wants, the other turns away from it; what the flesh wants, the spirit does not want. From these two opposites comes a twofold, mutually opposite, wisdom: carnal wisdom and spiritual wisdom. Carnal wisdom exists when one does what the flesh wants; spiritual wisdom is when what the spirit wants is accomplished. Carnal wisdom is pride, arrogance, lust, intemperance, uncleanness, fornication, enmity, quarrel, resentment, revenge, and so on, which is contrary to the law of God. Spiritual wisdom is humility, abstinence, chastity, purity, patience, peace, meekness, and forgetfulness of malice. From these two nasty wisdoms a twofold nasty person comes out - carnal and spiritual. These are the laws of the carnal and spiritual man. A carnal man directs all his mind and plans only to the acquisition of temporary goods; and the spiritual always strives for the eternal. The carnal man passes his title for his temporary gain alone; but the spiritual one works to expand the glory of God and for the benefit of his neighbor. The natural man, if he does anything worthy of praise, in this age seeks reward; but the spiritual one expects reward from God. The carnal man, although he does something praiseworthy, does it for the sake of vanity and the acquisition of vain glory; but spiritual - all intentions are extended to the glory of God and to the hope of the eternal life. The carnal man is proud and exalted against everyone; no one is equal to him, he puts himself above everyone else, he despises everyone; but the spiritual one humbles himself before God and people. The natural man cannot bear to be despised; but the spiritual one readily accepts it (for the sake of the Lord). The natural man blasphemes the one who blasphemes, the one who reproaches he reproaches, the one who slanderes evil, the one who hates, he hates; but the spiritual - those who blaspheme are consoled, those who are persecuted suffer, they bless those who curse, they do good to those who hate. The carnal man does not love even his sincere; but spiritual - and does not take away his love from his enemies. A carnal man is malicious and seeks revenge for a small offense; but the spiritual one also prays for those who eat their bellies: Lord! do not put this sin on them. A carnal man will follow unclean inclinations and lusts; but the spiritual is devoted to purity and chastity. A carnal man always uses his mind either for his own gain or for the ruin of his neighbor; but the spiritual one uses all his diligence to build up his brethren. And therefore, a carnal person is harmful to society, and a spiritual person is useful. The carnal man regards every sin as nothing; but the spiritual one flees from every and the slightest sin, just like from the face of the serpent. The carnal man does not want to part with this light; but the spiritual one joyfully desires to be freed from bodily bonds. The end of carnal and spiritual life. For a carnal man, death is fierce (Ps. 33:22), for a spiritual man it is peaceful. The carnal dies temporarily, and dies eternally: wisdom for the carnal death. But the spiritual through this death comes to eternal life: for spiritual wisdom is life and peace. The benefits of asceticism against the law of the flesh are: 1) God’s grace, without which we cannot do good, and which is sought through diligent, frequent and pure prayer; 2) strive diligently to stand against natural malice and force yourself to do good: for those in need delight in the kingdom of God (Matthew 11:12); 3) have a good upbringing in your early years: your whole life depends on upbringing; 4) to think that for breaking the law of God and temporary execution is sent from God; 5) to think and firmly hold that nothing is inconvenient for those who want and strive: for God Almighty helps such people; 6) one of the two must certainly be, either struggle against sin, and have participation with Christ here and in the next century, or submit to sin - and be condemned with the devil forever and ever. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.