About the truths of the Orthodox Christian faith and the Church

The teachings of our holy father Saint Tikhon, the newly-minted saint of God, wonderworker of all Russia, About the truths of the Orthodox faith of Christ and the Church, presented in alphabetical order and catechetical form; with the addition of a few articles from the writings of the holy fathers and teachers of the Church Prayer to Saint Tikhon I. Admonition of St. Tikhon to listening and reading works about the Orthodox Christian faith, as well as about the necessity and benefits of these noble activities II. Thoughts on the same subject from St. Scriptures and from the ancient saints and fathers of the Orthodox Church III. Advice from St. Tikhon regarding reading books of Orthodox Christian content A B C D E F G H I I K L M N O P R S T U H C CH Y F V Oh, sacred head, Saint Tikhon of Christ, sincere guardian and lover of poverty, obedience and purity, in earthly - heavenly and in humans - a former angel, watchful shepherd of the verbal flock of Christ, the mysteries of God, the Gospel teaching and the sacred. the most skillful interpreter of traditions, the zealot of the Orthodox Church of God, the second according to Saint Demetrius of Rostov - the Russian Chrysostom, the courageous destroyer of ungodly customs and the strong pagan rejoicing of the winner; the glory of the Most Holy Trinity and the honor of the days appointed by the Church of God, an all-zealous champion and invincible defender, a tireless and godly collector of treasures of spiritual wisdom from this visible world, created by the wisdom of God, a God-glorified servant of the Orthodox Church and the newly-minted wonderworker of all Russia! Accept from Me, even a sinner, an unworthy prayer for you. And first of all, teach me to walk reverently and fearfully along the paths of God’s commandments, so that I may never return to the path contrary to God’s commandments. “Also, by the grace given to you from God, make me wise, enlighten and enlighten my weak and darkened mind, so that I may take out the wisdom of the heavens and think divinely evermore. Guide my erring heart so that it despises earthly things, turns away from those that are short of time, does not be seduced by fleeting things, but sincerely desires heavenly and eternal things, and is always comforted by them whole-heartedly. Don't deny, St. saint of the Most Holy Trinity - Tikhon, intercede before the Lord God, glorified and worshiped in the Holy Trinity, that He may grant me, according to His ineffable goodness, purification of thoughts, guarding of the mouth, righteousness of deeds, forgiveness of sins of youth and ignorance, peace of thoughts, silence of spiritual strength, spiritual joy, unfeigned love, long-suffering, kindness, meekness, firm faith, abstinence and all He will fill me with good things through the gift of His Holy Spirit. While you are blessed in the heavenly abodes, remember also your brothers according to the flesh, yours and ours, parents, benefactors and friends, and all those who honor, love You and pray to You, who are here in this many-poor world, or who are kept somewhere after death. When the hour of my death is ripe and the time of departure from this world comes, You, O diligent prayer book of the all-merciful Christ the Lord and His most merciful Mother, the Ever-Virgin Mary, then speed up with your colleague and co-shepherd St. Mitrofan to help me, a sinner, and with your prayers protect me from the evil attacks of the devil and hostile slander, so that I may forever glorify, thank and glorify the Life-Giving, Consubstantial and indivisible Trinity, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. From an early age I nurtured in the depths of my soul a certain special devotion to Saint Tikhon, now a God-glorified saint and wonderworker of all Russia. My parents (may the Lord God remember them in His kingdom!) instilled in me this sweet feeling for him with stories about his holy life, and also - annually bringing me to his tomb in the Zadonsk Monastery, despite the considerable distance from our humble home. This love, and especially the very grace and anointing with which the works of St. Tikhon are fragrant, moved me not only to simply read them for edification, but also to study in separate particulars the thoughts of the new Holy Father and the great teacher of our Church. Common to all Orthodox Christians in Russia - love, reverence and veneration for those like the saints - our Father Tikhon, as well as unflattering and well-deserved respect for his soulful creations, put thought into my heart and supported me in the work and determination to compile and publish for reading to the Orthodox Christian people a real analysis (analysis) of his most important teachings - spiritual, moral and ascetic (ascetic) content, with the addition of a few missing articles from the works of former saints and teachers of the church, with whom the saint of God Tikhon had similarities in spirit, are: St. John Chrysostom, St. John of Damascus, St. Dimitry Rostovsky. Now publishing this work into the world - for the glory of the saint of God Tikhon and for the edification of the brethren - all Orthodox Christians, I bring all the contribution that can be received from its dissemination to the benefit of widows and orphans of the spiritual title of the God-protected Nizhny Novgorod Church. May they give praise and thanksgiving to Saint Tikhon! May they ask the Lord God through his intercession for the preservation, expansion, elevation and salvation of the Holy Orthodox Church! May they not cease to pray to him for God to send bounties and all kinds of joy - mercies and blessings - to all of Russia, our most beloved fatherland! May they remember in their prayers those who worked in this matter, with their departed fathers and brothers! Saint Tikhon speaks to the Voronezh flock about the need and benefits of studying the truths of the Orthodox Faith, denouncing them for the fact that “the preacher who teaches catechism works throughout the week, collecting like a bee; but the seed of the word of God falls away - there are few who listen. O teachers and preachers! If you are unhappy! In order to learn German, French and other foreign languages, many people spare no effort or money, but avoid listening and reading the word of God. Therefore, as is the faith, such is the life of such Christians. Faith comes from hearing, and hearing comes from the word of God. Where can I find it? Where are the fruits corresponding to it? Where is Christian simplicity? Where is brotherly love? Where is meekness, self-control, grace? And no traces are visible. – Where do the thefts, bribery, perjury come from? Where does adultery, deception, flattery come from - where else if not from the fact that the Law of God is in the utmost contempt and ignorance? Civil decrees (as they should) are learned and carried out by those who strive, fearing visible punishment; and the Divine laws, for ignorance and non-fulfillment of which there is eternal punishment, few people try to know and follow. One hundred and sixty-eight hours, continues Bl. Tikhon, contains the week; set aside at least one hour from so many, and come to the church of the Lord to be taught in the word of God. – There you will hear about God and His Divine properties; hear about His wonderful creation of the world; you will hear about the beginning of the human race, about the blissful state of Adam, about his disastrous fall and expulsion from paradise; hear about Divine Providence saving the human race. As the Son of God, by the favor of the Heavenly Father and the action of the Most Holy Spirit, for our sakes was incarnate from the Virgin; what reproach, blasphemy, terrible passions and blasphemous death he endured; how he rose from the dead and ascended to heaven; You will hear that he will come again to judge the living and the dead. What's the benefit from that? Unspeakable. When you hear about God, you will know yourself, who you are. When you hear about His goodness, you will begin to love Him; when you hear about His righteousness, you will begin to fear Him; when you hear about His omnipresence, you will walk godly before Him. When you hear about the creation of the world, you will recognize the goodness, wisdom and power of God. When you hear about the creation and fall of man, you will know into what state sin has plunged us. When you hear about the suffering and death of the Son of God, raised up for our sake, be touched by love for Him. When you hear about His second coming and the reward of each according to his deeds, be filled with the fear of God, etc. - Do not, I pray, do not abandon learning from the word of God and listening to it. – And the preacher, do not be discouraged that there are few who listen, but work diligently for the glory of God and the benefit of your neighbor. Your reward will not perish, but it will be abundant in heaven.” This is how St. talked. Tikhon, exhorting Orthodox Christians to listen to church teachings, and showing their significant benefits in relation to knowledge and life! Everyone understands that his benevolent speech does not lose its deeply practical meaning if you apply it to the reading of spiritual and moral scriptures. Question How holy. Tikhon proves the necessity and benefit of studying 1 Word of God? Rep. Everywhere, he says, the devil’s snares are spread out, everywhere tunnels are laid for spiritual destruction, temptations are found everywhere; and the eyes and ears are like certain doors through which all evil enters the spiritual chamber. Either the world with its charms, or the devil, roaring like a lion, or the flesh with passions and lusts, constantly rebel against the soul... You must fight against these enemies constantly, even until the end of your life. How to fight without weapons? And all spiritual weapons are shown by the word of God. It instructs us how to stand against the spirits of wickedness in high places, against the passionate flesh and against the charms of the world. Question How holy. Is Tikhon thinking about a person who does not like to listen to the words of God? Rep. About a stomach that does not accept food, we undoubtedly conclude that it is painful and requires healing: so, when someone does not want to listen to God’s word, which is spiritual food, this clearly shows that his soul is relaxed, hurts and requires a healing plaster. Try the Scriptures, for in them you believe that you have eternal life, and that is the essence that testifies of Me (John 5:39). Every scribe, having learned the Kingdom of Heaven, is like a housewife, etc. (Matthew 13:52). “It’s good to study, and if anyone thinks so, then they should do so. He who has the word of Jesus within himself can truly listen to His very silence in order to be perfect, so that He can act in us through His words, and through His very silence can communicate to us knowledge of Himself. Nothing is hidden from the Lord, and even the most secrets are clear to Him. Therefore, we must live as if He Himself lives in us, in order to be a church for Him and so that our God may be in us: for He already exists and will again appear before our faces; why we love Him worthily.” (St. Ignatius, epistle to Ephesus in Lent. Ap. T. 2, 15.) Accept punishment (instruction), lest when the Lord is angry, you perish from the path of the righteous, when His wrath will soon flare up (Ps. 2:12). But God said to the sinner: What kind of justifications will you tell, and will you accept My covenant with your lips? But you hated punishment and you rejected My words (Ps. 49:16, 17). For they despise wisdom and punishment (instruction, teaching), they are accursed, and their hope is vain, and their labors are fruitless, and their work is unfinished (Wis. 3:11). “If in St. Scripture, says St. Cyprian, punishment (teaching) is often prescribed everywhere, and every foundation of Faith and morality begins with obedience and fear: what is more fitting for us to want, and what is more appropriate to strive for, if not to strengthen our roots, and erect our dwellings on rock, and fence them with a solid dam, to stand indestructible for storms and whirlwinds of light, so that, through observing the Divine commandments, we can achieve Divine reward, thinking and knowing that our members are churches of God, cleansed from all infection by the consecration of the living bath (baptism), and that it is indecent to defile them, and when someone defiles, he himself is desecrated (On the clothing of virgins p. 173). “Teaching,” he says a little higher, “is the guardian of hope, the guardian of faith, the leader on the path of salvation, the motivation and food for good qualities, the teacher of virtue, makes it possible to abide in Christ and live constantly in God and achieve heavenly promises and Divine rewards (Ibid.).” Question. What St. Does Tikhon teach advice on reading books to study Christian truths? Answer. There is no benefit, he says, in reading a book and not doing what the book teaches. - For this reason, the person reading the book must do the following: 1) must read especially the priest. Scripture, and other Christian Orthodox books based on it, does not require reading many sheets and pages. For someone who has read a lot cannot understand everything and keep it in memory. 2) Read a little and think a lot about what is being read. For in this way what is read is better understood and deepened in memory, and thus the mind is enlightened. 3) See what you read in the book that is clear or unclear. When you understand what you're reading, it's good; and when you don’t understand, leave it and move forward (i.e., read). What is unclear will either be clarified by the next reading, or will be clarified by repeating another reading, with God’s help. 4) What the book teaches you to avoid, what it teaches you to seek and do, try to do it in action. Avoid evil and do good: every Christian Orthodox book teaches this. 5) When the book only sharpens your mind, but does not correct your will; then from reading the book you will be worse than you were. Scientists and intelligent fools are more evil than simple ignoramuses. 6) Remember that it is better to love in a Christian way than to have a high understanding; It is better to live well than to speak well. The mind boils, and love creates. 7) What you yourself learn with God’s help, lovingly teach it to others on occasion, so that the seed sown grows and produces fruit worthy of the heavenly Kingdom. What I sincerely wish for you (Part 2, pages 223.). We present these thoughts in the preface to this edition: because in the writings of such St. The Fathers, from whose works this book is compiled, nothing else is revealed except the thoughts of St. Spirit contained in Holy Scripture. – the page of text is not printed – approx. email editors.