About the training of the catechumens

The treatise “On the Education of the Catechumens” (39 chapters) was written by Bl. Aurelius Augustine in 400 at the request of the Carthaginian deacon Deogratius. The essay was intended for people from different social strata. Blzh. Augustine does not limit himself to teaching and encourages the catechumens. He describes the way in which converts to the Christian faith are catechized and the difficulties faced by the catechist. In his opinion, teaching privately is not the same as teaching publicly to an audience with differing opinions. *The title of the work in Latin is De catechizandis rudibus. Chapter 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 (1) You asked me, brother Deogratius 1, to write you something that would be useful to you in teaching beginners 2 the faith. You said that in Carthage, where you are a deacon, people are often brought to you who need to be introduced to the Christian faith for the first time: you are considered a person who has all the qualities of a teacher - both familiarity with the rules of faith and the gift of speech. You, in your words, almost always experience difficulties: how to convince us that it is faith that makes us Christians, how to instill this in them, where to start, where to bring the story to; Is it necessary, at the end of the story, to add any admonition? Are not the commandments alone enough, by observing which our listener will learn how to lead a Christian life and remain a Christian? (2) You admitted and complained that it happens like this: you talk for a long time, animatedly - and you become boring and disgusting to yourself, not to mention the one you taught, and those who came to listen 3. This misfortune forced you to force me, out of love for you, not to consider it a burden in the midst of my studies to write you something about this. (3) I must do this not only for the sake of you, a person close to me, but for the sake of the Mother Church in general; I am compelled by both love and service - whether, by the grace of our Lord, I can achieve something with my work. And the Lord commands me to provide help to those whom He has made my brothers - in no case to refuse it, to help quickly and selflessly. (4) And the more widely I want to distribute from the treasury of the Lord, the more strength I must exert, if I see that the treasurers 5, my fellow workers, feel difficulties in distributing: let them easily and freely do what they strive for without laziness and persistence. (1) As for your thoughts relating to you personally, you should not worry if your speech seems boring and worthless to you. Perhaps to the one you are instructing, she did not seem like that: after all, you ardently strived to have something better heard from you, and your words seemed to you unworthy of other ears. (2) And I almost always don’t like my sermon 6 . I greedily want the best and often enjoy it with myself until I begin to put it into words: I am unable to fully express myself, and I am sad that my tongue could not serve my heart. (3) I want my listener to understand everything that I understood, and I feel that it is not my words to achieve this goal. And the main reason here is that understanding illuminates the soul like a flash of lightning, and speech, long and slow, does not correspond to thought. And while she stretches out, the thought has already disappeared somewhere into its hiding places and, however, amazingly! – imprinted its traces in memory, and they do not disappear, like words that linger for a moment. (4) We process these traces, turning them into sounds, which are called words of Latin, Greek, Hebrew or any other language, although those traces will not be Latin, Greek, Hebrew or belonging to any people. They relate to the soul as facial expression relates to the entire external appearance. (5) “Anger” in Latin is ira, in Greek it is called differently and differently in other, different languages, but the facial expression of an angry person is neither Latin nor Greek. Not all foreigners, but only those who know Latin, will understand the words “iratus sum” (“I am angry”), but if the outbreak of indignation is reflected on the face and gives it a special expression, then everyone, looking at this face, will understand that the person is angry 7 . (6) It is impossible, of course, to take out and, as it were, arrange in words for the understanding of the listeners, those traces that thought has imprinted in memory: this is not a facial expression that is always seen - one is hidden in the soul, the other is obvious. From this we can conclude about the difference that exists between the sounds flying from our lips and the understanding that strikes like a blow: it itself is not like an imprint left in the memory. (7) We usually burn with the desire to benefit the listener and want our speech to be to the best of our understanding, but our tension and effort for this is not enough. Failure makes us upset; we are bored, as if from a task begun in vain, and we give up. We are bored, and this makes our speech different from what it was, sluggish and pale, and also causes boredom. (8) Meanwhile, judging by the attention of those who want to listen to me, my words are not as cold as it seems to me; from their look of satisfaction, I conclude that they have learned something useful from them, and I am very concerned about fulfilling this teaching ministry of mine, 8 for I see that people are well accepting of the teaching offered to them. (9) People are often brought to you who need to be instructed in the faith. Don’t you understand that others don’t dislike your words as much as you dislike them; you should not consider that you are not bearing fruit because you cannot express what you have comprehended the way you would like. It happens that you, no matter how much you want, cannot comprehend something. (10) Who in this life sees not guessingly, and only as a reflection in a mirror? and our love itself is not so great that, breaking the prison of the flesh, it penetrates into the eternal light, the reflection of which somehow falls on the transitory. (11) But good people succeed day by day in seeing a day on which night does not fall and which does not depend on the rotation of the sky. The eye does not see this, the ear does not hear, it does not occur to a person’s heart - and this is the main reason why teaching beginners seems to us an insignificant task: we want to contemplate the unusual and boringly repeat the ordinary. (12) In reality, they listen to us much more willingly when we ourselves are passionate about the matter of teaching; our joy colors the entire verbal fabric of our speech: it is easier for us to speak, we are better perceived. (13) There is no hard work in teaching the rules of faith; you need to know where to start and where to end, how to diversify the story - let it be sometimes shorter, sometimes longer, but always finished and finished - both when you speak shorter and when you speak more extensively - the most important thing is to think about how to make the teacher conduct his teaching with joy (he will be the nicer the more he brings it). (14) The guidance for this is known. The Lord loves the one who joyfully distributes worldly treasures; Will He really not love even more the one who joyfully distributes spiritual blessings? And for this joy to come on time, it already depends on the mercy of the One who commanded it. (15) So, first of all, you want to know about the scope of the story, about how to instruct and teach; and then we will talk about how to create this joy that the Lord secretly gives. (1) The story for someone starting to learn the faith for the first time will be complete if you start it with the words of Scripture: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1) and bring it to the church events of the present time. (2) This does not mean at all that you must retell the entire Pentateuch, all the books of Judges, Kings and Ezra, the entire Gospel and the Acts of the Apostles from memory, if we have learned them word for word, or, telling them in your own words, state the entire content of these volumes: there will be no time, and this is not necessary; Let's cover everything in general main features. Choose events, both miraculous ones - they are listened to with great pleasure - and those that happened at decisive moments in history. You need to show them first, as if in a wrapper, and not immediately put them away, but linger longer, as if unwrapping something taken out of a tied bag; to offer to the souls of the listeners something that demands attention and causes wonder; the rest can be included in a quick review. (3) Thanks to such omissions, what we especially want to hold the listener on will stand out more: he will learn this before he gets tired, and we precisely want to inspire him with our story. And the memory of the person we have to teach will not be overloaded and suppressed. In everything, of course, we should pay attention not only to the purpose of the instructions - this is love from a pure heart, a good conscience and unfeigned faith - all our words should be reduced to this - but also the gaze of the one whom we teach with these words should be turned to this and directed towards this. Everything that we read about in the Holy Scriptures, written before the coming of the Lord, has the purpose of preparing for His coming and showing in prototypes the future Church, His Body, that is, the people of God, consisting of all tribes; here we must add and count all the saints who lived on this earth before His coming and believed that He would come just as we believe that He came. (2) Jacob, even before he was born, put out his hand from his womb, with which he held the leg of his brother, who was born first; the head followed, and then, of course, the other members; the head, however, in dignity and significance, stands higher not only than the members that followed it, but also the hand itself, which preceded it at birth; she is the first - albeit not by the time of her appearance, but by the natural order. (3) So the Lord Jesus Christ, before appearing in the flesh and coming out of the womb, from His hiding place, and appearing to the eyes of people as a man - He, the mediator between God and people, He, the Highest of all, the Lord, blessed forever - in the holy patriarchs and prophets partially presaged His Body (i.e., the Church), foreshadowing, as if with a hand, the coming birth. And he humbled the people who stood proudly in front, grasping them with the bonds of the law, as if with five fingers (for during five periods of 9 times He did not cease to announce his coming and predict it through the prophets; in accordance with this, the one through whom the law was given wrote five books; to the proud, carnally minded and desiring to establish their truth, the Lord does not grant blessing with an open hand. He squeezes it and pushes them away; their feet were fettered and they fell, but we got up and are standing) 10. (5) And although, as I said, Christ the Lord sent a certain part of His Body in the person of the saints who preceded Him at the time of His birth, He is the Head of the body - the Church; they all cleave to this Body, of which He is the Head, for they believed in Him Whom they had foretold. They are not removed like predecessors, but rather added like successors. Although the head may send the hand in front of it, the hand is still placed below the head. (6) Therefore, everything that was written before was written for the sake of our teaching, all of this is a type for us and is contained there in types; It was written for our sake, for the end of the world is upon us. (1) Why did the Lord come, if not to show God’s love for us and show all its power: and although we still behave like enemies, Christ died for us, for the main commandment is the commandment of love, and in it is the fulfillment of the law. Let us also love one another, and just as He laid down His life for us, so we will lay down our life for our brothers. And if we are in no hurry to love God - and He loved us even earlier, did not spare His only Son and gave Him for us all - then, perhaps, we will hurry to respond to love. (2) Nothing inclines you to love more than the consciousness that you are already loved. Even if a person did not want to give his favor, only a rude soul will not want to give it to them. (3) We see this in the example of shameful and dirty love: those who want to be mutually loved only do that they try with all the means they have to discover and show how strong their love is; they insist, as if on something fair, on their demand for a reciprocal feeling on the part of those whom they are trying to seduce; Feeling that the souls they seek are engulfed in the same fire, they flare up even more. If a sleepy soul wakes up, feeling that it is loved, if, already warmed up, it finds itself in a flame when it finds out that it is being answered with love, then isn’t it clear that this is the main reason why love arises and grows: a person is not loved or only hopes that they can love him, and suddenly finds out that he is loved. And if he fell in love first, he will prove his love. (4) If people bound by low love behave this way, then how much stronger these feelings are in friendship! What is the worst offense to cause to a friendship? A friend may think that we do not love him or love him less than he loves us. If he believes this, his love, which people enjoy in their mutual intimacy, will become cooler; if he is not so weak as to become cold to any affection from this insult, he will retain it to a degree that does not give joy, but forces him to help 11 . (5) It is worth noting that although the higher ones desire love from the lower ones, they rejoice at their zealous pleasure, and the more they notice it, the more they are loved, but much stronger is the love with which the lower one lights up, noticing that the higher one loves him. (6) The love of a dry and meager soul is worse than the love pouring out from a generous and kind soul: that from suffering, that from compassion. If the lower one despaired that the higher one could love him, then what kind of reciprocal love would he be excited about (it is impossible to convey this in words), if suddenly the higher one deigned to show him how much he loved him, who did not even dare to dream of such happiness. (7) And what is higher than God who judges, what is more hopeless than man who sins? 12, and if, even more so, he obediently entrusted himself to the patronage of proud rulers who cannot give him happiness, then how can he not despair of the care of the Ruler, Who does not want to be exalted by evil, but exalted by goodness? (8) And Christ came precisely so that man would understand how God loves him, and then understand in order to flare up with love for the One by whom he was loved even earlier, and, according to His order and direction, to love his neighbor - love makes his neighbor, who has gone to a distant country 13 . All Holy Scripture written before was written to foretell the coming of the Lord; everything that is then entrusted to writing and strengthened by Divine authority tells about Christ and encourages love. It is clear that all the law and the prophets are based on these two commandments about love of God and neighbor; to the Holy Scriptures, which existed when the Lord said this, were added Divine books, written for our benefit and entrusted to memory. (9) In the Old Testament the New Testament is hidden, in the New Testament the Old Testament is revealed. And as a result of this hiddenness, carnal people, who think carnally, live as they lived, under pain of punishment. As a result of this opening, the spiritually minded are free according to the love given to them - and then the secret was revealed to those who reverently knocked, and now it is revealed to those who humbly inquire - otherwise the open will be closed. (10) And nothing is so opposite to love as envy, and the mother of envy is pride. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ, God and Man, is both the Witness of God’s love for us and an example of human humility among us: may our great arrogance be cured with a counteracting and stronger medicine - humility. Suffering is strong, for man is proud, but compassion is stronger and God is humble. (11) Make it your goal to talk about this love; let all your words return to her; whatever you tell, tell it in such a way that the one to whom you are speaking, listening, believes; believing, hoping; hoping, loved. From the very Divine severity, with which human hearts tremble in the most salutary fear, love should be derived: let a person rejoice that he is loved by Him Whom he fears, dare to respond with love, and be ashamed not to please Him, the Benevolent One, even if one could do it with impunity. (2) It is very rare, no, it never happens that a person who has become a Christian of his own free will is not at least somehow pierced by the fear of God. If he sees in Christianity the only means of winning over people from whom he expects some benefits, or in the hope of avoiding trouble - from the attacks and enmity of people who are terrible to him - then he does not want to become a Christian, but only pretend to be one. Faith requires not bows, but a believing soul. (3) Often the Lord shows his mercy through the catechist: touched by his speech, a person will really want to become what he previously decided to only pretend to be. When this desire begins to arise in him, then we will consider that he has arrived. (4) It is hidden from us when the one whom we see in front of us in bodily form will come in soul; nevertheless, we must behave with him in such a way that he has this desire, even if he does not have it now. If it exists, then there will be no damage from such our behavior; it will only strengthen this desire, although we do not know when, at what hour it appeared. It is good, of course, if it is possible for those who know this person to find out in advance what state his soul is in, what reasons prompted him to accept Christianity. If there is no person from whom you could find out, you need to question the person who came and, in accordance with his answers, begin your speech. (6) If we have before us a pretender who is looking for earthly blessings or is running away from trouble, then he, of course, will lie, and with this lie of his, without at all refuting it, as you know, you begin your conversation. Since he said that he came with an intention that deserves approval, then, whether he is telling the truth or lying, but by approving and praising the intention with which, judging by his answer, he came, we will make him feel the pleasure that he is exactly what he wants to seem. (7) If his words do not correspond to the feeling that should be in the soul of a person who wants to be imbued with the Christian faith, then reproach him, with kindness and meekness, as an uncouth ignoramus, and briefly, in solemn words, show and praise the true meaning of Christian teaching. Do not occupy the time appointed for the story with this, and do not dare to put it into a soul that is still unsettled: make him want what he did not want due to delusion or pretense 14. (8) If he suddenly says that he wants to become a Christian, instructed to do so or feared from above, then this is the most wonderful reason to talk about how the Lord cares for us. (9) It is necessary, of course, to divert this person’s attention from such miracles and dreams 15 and direct him onto a solid path - to the Holy Scriptures and real miracles. Let him know, however, how mercifully it was to instruct him even before he took up the Holy Scriptures. (10) And be sure to show that the Lord Himself would not have instructed him and encouraged him to become a Christian and join the Church, would not have taught him with signs and revelations, if the Holy Scripture had not already prepared a path on which he should not seek visible miracles, but hope for the invisible, listen to instructions not in a dream, but in reality, wishing to continue to follow this path in peace and security. (1) The story must begin with the fact that the Lord created everything very good, and bring it, as we said, to current church events. We must indicate the reason and meaning of everything we talk about: this will help reduce the whole story to the main goal - love, you cannot take your eyes off it, no matter what you do, no matter what you say. (2) Good teachers are considered to be grammarians 16 who try to extract some benefit (even imaginary, greedy for worldly fodder!) from stories invented by poets to delight souls that feed on trifles. How much more careful we must be! It is impossible for a true story to be believed because of its empty enticement or out of greedy and dangerous curiosity - and this will happen if only events are presented without indicating their reasons. (3) Let us not, however, string together these reasons, let us not leave the rut of the story, so as not to get confused in thought and speech in the twists of difficult reasoning; Let the true meaning we have indicated turn out to be like that golden thread that connects precious stones in one row, but does not disturb the harmonious harmony of the decoration. (4) Having finished the story, let us instill hope for resurrection. Considering the mental strength of the listener and the time allotted to us, we will refute the empty ridicule of the pagans about the resurrection of the body, we will talk about the Last Judgment, kind to the good, harsh to the evil and fair to all; Having remembered with disgust and horror the torment of sinners, let us praise the kingdom of the righteous and faithful and sigh about the Heavenly City and its joys. (1) Then it is necessary to arm and strengthen a person - he is weak - against temptations and temptations - whether they come from outside or from within the Church itself - from outside from pagans, Jews and heretics; from the inside - from the chaff (Matthew 3:12; Luke 3:17) on the Lord's current. There is no need to argue separately with each teaching of these seducers; Let us refute their perverted opinions by asking a few questions; Briefly, depending on the time, we will indicate that this was predicted; what is the benefit for the faithful from acquaintance with temptations and how the example of Divine patience strengthens us: the Lord allowed all this to happen until the end of days. (2) Giving weapons against those debauchees who fill the churches with their bodies, let us recall, in a brief and decent form, with whom a respectable Christian is instructed to associate: he must not be allowed to be easily led astray by drunkards, misers, deceivers, gamblers, adulterers, debauchees, lovers of spectacles, compilers of godless potions 17 , spellcasters 18 , astrologers, fortune tellers, fortune tellers in a deceitful and evil way; Let him not think that communication with them will go unpunished, because he sees many people called Christians who love all this, are engaged in this, defend it and are convinced of this. The testimony of the Divine books should confirm what end is intended for those stuck in such a life and why they are tolerated in the Church, from which they will be excommunicated in the end. (3) It should, however, be warned that he will find in the Church many good Christians, true citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem, if he himself becomes the same. (4) In conclusion, carefully urge not to place your hopes on a person: it is difficult for a person to judge who is righteous, and even if it were easy, then the righteous were not offered to us as an example, so that through them we could be justified, but so that, by imitating them, we would know that the One who justified them will also justify us. (5) This is how the most important thing is created: the one who listens to us listens to God through us, begins to improve both in morals and in knowledge, cheerfully enters the path of Christ, not daring to attribute anything to either ours or his own merits; and himself, and us, and every friend of his whom he loves, he loves in Him and for His sake, who loved him, his enemy, in order to justify him and make him a friend. I don’t think you need the advice to speak briefly - both you and your listeners are busy people. If over time there is more space, then speak more expansively: how to act will be shown by the circumstances themselves; no instructions needed. (1) It is impossible to ignore such a case: a learned man came to you, as a catechist: he had already decided to be a Christian and came to become one. He certainly learned a lot from our Scriptures and our books; already instructed by them, he came only to be able to begin the Sacraments. Such people usually, even before the hour of becoming Christians, carefully inquire into everything, inform whoever they can about their hesitations and discuss them. (2) Don't talk to them; they must not be annoyed by repeating what they themselves know; touch on this lightly and say this: we believe, as they know, so and so; quickly go through everything that you have to drum into the minds of the ignorant and people without education; let this scientist not listen, as from a teacher, to what he already knows; and if he still doesn’t know something, remember it as something that he, we are convinced of this, knows, and let him learn it in this way. (3) It is not useless to ask him what made him want to become a Christian: if you see that he was convinced by books, perhaps canonical, perhaps someone’s useful works, then talk first about the latter, praising them depending on their varying canonical authority, on the skill and diligence of their authors; especially emphasize in the canonical Scriptures - they are of amazing depth - their saving and humble simplicity; As for those books, pay attention that in their language, sonorous and processed - to the extent of the author's talent - they are adapted for the souls of the proud and therefore powerless. (4) We must also find out from him whom he has read most, which books are best known and closest to him, where does his desire to join the Church come from. (5) If he names books that are known to us, or about which there is a rumor in the Church that they were written by an Orthodox and memorable person, then joyfully approve this reading. (6) If he comes across the books of some heretic, and he, having assimilated their contents, considers himself Orthodox, not knowing, perhaps, what the true faith does not approve, then he must be taught and taught, first of all, referring to the authority of the entire Church and to the works of the most learned men who have established themselves in its truth. (7) There were, however, people who left this life as Orthodox Christians and left some writings for Christian descendants; but, whether through misunderstanding or powerlessness - such is human weakness - to penetrate with the mind into the hidden, in some places in their works they deviated from the truth to its likeness, and for the daring upstarts this just turned out to be a convenient opportunity to apply their strength to the creation of heresy. (8) There is nothing surprising here: even in canonical books, where every word is sound, something can be understood differently than the writer thought 19, or in what the truth expresses itself (if only this were so, who would not willingly forgive human weakness, which readily corrects errors?). But they, thinking pervertedly and falsely, defending themselves with passionate fervor and daring tenacity, created many dangerous dogmas and split church unity. (9) You need to talk about all this in a quiet conversation with him, not a simpleton, but a person who has learned high culture from reading learned books and has come into the circle of Christ’s people. Preserve the authority of mentoring, but beware of slipping up and showing your superiority; watch the measure of his humility that brought this man to us. (10) For the rest, according to the rules of saving teaching, one must talk and reason about faith, morality, temptations, quickly going through, as I said, all these questions, and relate everything to that highest path. (1) People also come from ordinary grammar and rhetoric schools; Don’t think of them as simpletons, but don’t count them among those scientists whose minds are refined by thinking about the lofty 20. (2) To these people, to whom it seems as if they, thanks to the art of speech, have surpassed all other people, we must, if they come desiring to become Christians, pay more attention than to the illiterate crowd, because they must be instilled and inculcated so that, clothed with Christian humility, they get used to not looking down on those who have learned to avoid moral vices more than verbal errors 21; Let them not dare to compare their speech, which they are accustomed to boast of, with the speech brought up in the lessons of a pure heart. (3) The most important thing is to teach them to listen to the Holy Scriptures: let them not disdain speech that is full of content, because there is no pomposity in it 22, and let them know that the fleshy cover in which the narrative of the words and deeds of men is wrapped and hidden in these books must be once again returned and removed in order to understand its meaning, and not just listen to how the letters ring 23; show these people from their own experience how useful secrecy is (hence the word “mysteries”), how riddles drive away laziness and boredom and force them to seek the truth precisely because they hide it: some clear story did not make any impression on them - and suddenly: the allegory is unraveled and some secret meaning is extracted. (4) And the most useful thing for these people is to understand that just as the soul is preferred to the body, so thoughts must be preferred to words 24 . It also follows from this that they should listen with great pleasure to truthful speeches, rather than eloquent ones, just as they should wish for their friends to be more intelligent than beautiful. (5) Let them know that the only voice that reaches God's ears is the voice of the heart; then they will not laugh when they notice that some of the priests and church ministers call on God with barbarisms and solecisms or even do not understand the words being spoken and are confused in their arrangement 25 . (6) It is necessary, of course, to correct this so that the people understand what they are answering “Amen” to, but to endure it lovingly, knowing that sonorous words are praiseworthy in the forum, and prayer in church: sometimes good pronunciation, which has such meaning in the forum, may mean nothing in church. (7) As for the sacrament that they will receive, those of them who are more intelligent need only listen to what its meaning is; with those who are less intelligent, we need to talk in more detail, resorting to comparisons, so that they do not treat with contempt what they see. (1) You might want to receive a sample speech, you want me to actually show you how to follow my advice. I will do this when, with God’s help, I can, but first I must talk about how to create the joy that I promised to talk about. (2) I, in my opinion, completely fulfilled my promise to instruct you in how to speak with a person who wants to become a Christian and how to teach him. I have no duty to do in this book what I advise should be done. If I do this, the cup will be overflowing, and on what basis will I pour it over the edge, not filling enough yet? (3) Your main complaint is that when you lead a person to the name of a Christian, your speech begins to seem boring and disgusting to you. I also know that this is not from a lack of knowledge - I know that you are sufficiently prepared and learned - and not from poverty of language, but from spiritual dissatisfaction. (4) Does this happen because we are more attracted and captivated by what we silently contemplate with our minds, and we do not want to tear ourselves away from this contemplation for such a dissimilar verbal chatter, or because even if we like our speech, it is still more pleasant to listen or read: and it is said better and without any hassle or worries for us. Here you immediately need to select words, adapting them to someone else’s understanding, and there is no certainty whether they correspond to thoughts and whether they are perceived with benefit. And then it’s boring to repeat all the time and explain the same thing to newcomers; we know this so well, it is not necessary for our advancement, and the grown-up soul, without any pleasure, walks along the treaded road paved for children. (5) It’s boring to tell a listener who sits motionless in front of you (either because he is not excited by anything, or because he does not want to show with a single gesture whether he understands what we are saying and whether he likes it). It is not proper for us, of course, to greedily seek human praise, but we serve Divine food, and the dearer we are to those with whom we speak, the more ardently we wish that they would like what is offered for their salvation; if there is no luck, we get upset and immediately weaken and droop as we go, as if we had started something in vain. (6) Sometimes we are taken away from a task that we wanted to do, which gave us pleasure or seemed more necessary, and whether by order of a person whom we do not want to offend, or by someone’s urgent demand, which cannot be avoided, we are forced to teach someone. We are upset - and we are starting a task that requires complete calm - we are sad because we cannot maintain the desired order in our studies and be in time for everything; Out of grief, our speech becomes not very pleasant: sadness weakens and dries it out. (7) It happens that our heart is grieved by some troubles, 26 and we are told: “go, talk to him, he wants to become a Christian.” Говорят это люди, не знающие, что скрыто в нашем сердце и что жжет нас; if they should not reveal our feelings, then we are more reluctant to undertake what is expected of us. Our speech, having passed through a heart that is burning and smoking, will be truly sluggish and unpleasant. (8) Whatever the reason, the clarity of our soul has become a cloud, but we must seek the cure from God; Let our tension ease, let us rejoice, burning in spirit, and bring joy to others with our calm, good work. Ибо «радостно дающего любит Бог». (1) It happens that we are upset because the listener does not understand our thoughts, and we are forced, having descended from the heights, to stomp around below and repeat the basics, but we were so preoccupied with how long and complex convolutions to express with our carnal lips what will instantly absorb and absorb the mind. Everything turns out so differently that it becomes disgusting to speak and you want to remain silent. Let us then think about what was foretold by Him Who gave us an example: let us follow in His footsteps. (2) No matter how different our articulate speech may be from our living mind, there is an even greater difference between the flesh with its mortality and the Divinity with His immutability. And, however, “He, being God, humbled Himself, taking on the form of a servant..., humbled Himself to death on the cross.” And for what? Он стал слабым для слабых, чтобы привлечь слабых. Hear other words from the one who followed Him: “If we lose our temper, it is for God; если сдерживаем себя, то для вас. Любовь Христова побуждает нас судить так, ибо Один умер за всех». Could He willingly give His life for their souls if He were disgusted with bowing to their ears? (4) Потому и стал Он меньшим среди нас, пестуя, как кормилица, детей Своих. It’s pleasant to mumble mangled stubs of words because it suggests love: people want to have children and talk to them like that; It is sweeter for a mother to give tiny pieces from her mouth to her little son than to greedily chew a huge piece herself. (5) Let not the thought of the hen, exhausted 27 and yet covering the tiny chicks with her feathers, leave your heart; охрипшим голосом созывает она своих пискунов; if they think of themselves and do not hide under her gentle wings, they will become prey to birds of prey. If it is joyful to indulge in pure reflection in the deepest recesses of the soul, then this thought should also be joyful: the more willingly your love descends to serve the weak, the more it strengthens and penetrates your being from the consciousness that you seek nothing from those to whom you descend except their eternal salvation. (1) If we are more eager to read or listen to what has already been prepared and better said, and therefore it is boring for us to adapt our words to a given case, and without confidence in success, then let your soul not depart from the truth. It doesn’t matter if your listener is offended by something in your words: he will immediately understand that if the essence is learned, then it is completely indifferent whether your speech was less pure and sounded less expressive - it sounded so that he understood the essence. (2) If, due to human weakness, you deviate from the truth itself - when teaching the ignorant, when you need to stick to the most beaten path, this, however, happens very rarely - but if it does happen, and this is what hurts the listener, then we must consider that this happened only because God wants to test us: will we calmly admit our mistake: let us not, in defending our error, fall into an even greater error. If no one points out this mistake to us, and neither we nor our listeners noticed it, then there is nothing to be sad about - just so as not to repeat it. (3) Most often, we ourselves, when reworking our previous speech, spoil something in it, without even knowing how it was received; but we are especially upset if we are burning with love and see that our false thought was received with pleasure. Therefore, having seized an opportunity, we will try (after all, in silence we were harming ourselves) to gradually correct those whom not God’s words, but our own, have pushed into false thoughts. (4) If the gossips, slanderers, and people hated by God, blinded by insane gloating, rejoice in our delusion, then may they serve us to cultivate patience and mercy: after all, the Lord, with His patience, brings them to repentance. What is more disgusting, what more gathers wrath for the day of wrath and righteous judgment of God, if not the joy of someone else’s misfortune, which, to our own misfortune, we imitate the devil and become like him? (5) Sometimes everything is said correctly and correctly, but something is not clear, or a thought that disagrees with the listener’s opinion and his habitual, long-standing delusion, has cut him with its very novelty - he is hurt and confused. If this is discovered and he is amenable to treatment, then he should be treated without delay, giving him many authoritative reasons. (6) If he is silent, harboring a grudge, the Lord can help with His medicine. If he rushes away and refuses to heal, let us be consoled by the example of the Lord: when the people, offended by His seemingly cruel words, moved away from Him, he said to those who remained: “Do you also want to leave?” (7) It should be firmly remembered and never forgotten that Jerusalem, captured by the Babylon of this century, will be liberated after time and no one will perish from there; whoever died was not from there. “The foundation of God stands firm, and it is written on it: The Lord knows those who are his, and let everyone who calls on the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness.” (8) Thinking about this and calling God into our hearts, we will worry less about the fact that we do not know the impression of our speech, because the feelings of the listeners are also unknown; It will be joyful for us to endure hardships while doing a work of mercy (if we do not seek our glory in this). Then only the matter will be good when the worker is driven by love, and he, having done it, rests in this love, as if returning to his home. (9) We speak lazily and boringly, because there is a book that gives us pleasure, or we would rather listen to an excellent sermon rather than deliver our own, but all this will meet us - and we will be more cheerful, and everything will seem more pleasant after work. With greater confidence we will ask God to proclaim to us what we want if we joyfully take upon ourselves to proclaim His words as best we can; So it turns out that for those who love God, everything leads to good. (1) If we are sick of repeating familiar words all the time, adapted to children’s understanding, then we ourselves will adapt to these children, loving them with brotherly, fatherly, motherly love; Let us unite our hearts, and these words will seem new even to us. Such is the power of a sympathetic soul: when they are touched by our words, we, while they are learning, move into them, and they into us; the listeners seem to speak into us, and we ourselves somehow learn from them what we teach. (2) Doesn’t it usually happen like this: often seeing vast and beautiful places in the city and in the country, we pass by without experiencing any pleasure; when we show them to those who have not seen them before, then, from their admiration for the new, our admiration comes to life? The closer these people are to us, the stronger this feeling is: since, by loving them, we live in them, the old becomes new for us. (3) But if the contemplation of objects contributed to our success, then we do not want to delight and amaze those whom we love by inviting them to peer into the works of human hands; we will want to lift them up: to show the art and design of the Organizer himself, and then to lift them up to the rapturous praise of God, the Creator of all things - this is the complete consummation of love. (4.) How much more should we rejoice when people come to know God, for whose sake we must know all that is worth knowing, when we can be so refreshed by the freshness of their perception that our usual cold presentation is warmed by their unusual attention. (5) And the thought that man has moved from deadening delusions to life-giving faith will add to our joy. And if we walk cheerfully along the most familiar streets because we happened to help a person and show the tired and lost the way, then how much more cheerfully and joyfully should we walk from end to end through this saving teaching, although we do not need to explain it again? We lead a miserable soul, tired of worldly delusions, onto the paths of the world - and at the behest of the One who entrusted it to us. (1) It can, indeed, be very difficult to bring a speech to its intended end when we see that the listener remains insensitive - either because he does not dare to express his approval in word or gesture out of religious fear, or restrains himself out of human shyness; maybe he doesn’t understand our words, maybe he treats them with disdain. What is the matter, we do not know; we do not see his soul and in our speech we must try everything that can wake him up and, as if pull him out of the hole. (2) Excessive fear, which prevents one from discovering one’s judgment, must be driven away with gentle persuasion; moderate shyness by talking about brotherly communication; by asking questions, look for what he does not understand, and instill confidence that he can freely object if it seems necessary to him. (3) We need to ask if he has heard the same thing once before - and perhaps our words, as something well-known and familiar, do not touch him. You must act in accordance with his answer: speak more simply and clearly; refute opposing opinions; Do not dwell on what is known for a long time, but retell it briefly and concisely. Let us choose from the Holy Scriptures - especially for the story - something that has a mysterious meaning; by explaining and revealing it, we can make our speech so pleasant. (4) If our listener is very stupid and unreceptive to pleasure of this kind, then we must mercifully endure it; briefly run through the rest and hammer in, frightening with future judgment, the most necessary things: about the unity of Orthodoxy, about temptations, about the Christian way of life. We need to talk more about him to God than to him about God. (1) It often happens that at first a person listened willingly, and then, tired of listening or standing, he opens his mouth not for words of praise, but for a yawn, involuntarily revealing that he wants to leave. (2) Having noticed this, let’s give his soul a rest: we’ll season our words with a cheerful joke, decent and suitable for our topic, we’ll talk about something amazing and amazing or sad and woeful, and most importantly, we’ll talk about him so that he wakes up, embarrassed by concern for him personally - we can’t hurt his pride with any harshness, but we need to win him over with friendly treatment and help by bringing him a seat. It is undoubtedly better to do so, where to do it decently, so that the listener sits from the very beginning. In some overseas churches there is a very reasonable custom: the priests not only speak while sitting, but also offer seats to the people: it is impossible for a weak person, tired of standing, to turn away from his most sound intention or even be forced to leave. (3) And it is very important to distinguish whether a person already connected with it by the community of sacraments gets out of the crowd to take a break, or someone who needs to be introduced to the sacraments for the first time leaves: most often he leaves because he is forced to leave, otherwise he will collapse from indisposition; He is ashamed to say why he is walking, but his weakness does not allow him to stand. I say this from experience: one peasant left while I was instructing him in the faith. For me it was a lesson in great mindfulness. (4) Is it really possible to tolerate our arrogance: we do not allow grown people, our brothers, and those whom it should be our main concern to become brothers, to sit in front of us, but the woman listened to Our Lord Himself, whom the angels serve, while sitting. (5) If, of course, the sermon is short, or the place is not suitable for sitting, then let them listen standing, but only if there are many people listening, and these are not beginners. If one, two or several people have come to become Christians, then talking to them and leaving them standing is dangerous. (6) If, however, we have already begun this way, then, noticing that the listener is languishing, we will immediately offer him a seat, moreover, we will force him to sit down and tell him something that will refresh him and even drive away worries, if they suddenly burst into his soul and distracted him from listening. (7) Since we do not know why he is silent and does not listen, then, when he has already sat down, tell him something cheerfully or sadly to condemn worldly, suddenly arising thoughts. If it was they who occupied his mind, then they will leave as if accused by name; if it’s not about them, and he’s just tired of listening, and we talk about them as if it’s about them, something unexpected, out of the ordinary, then attention will perk up. Just speak briefly - especially if you insert something outside the general plan - so that the disease of boredom that we want to cure is not intensified by the medicine itself. And with the rest you should hurry; you have to promise and show that the end is coming. (1) If you are distressed because you had to leave another task, to which, as more necessary, you devoted yourself with all your soul, and you, having become gloomy, teach the faith in such a way that it is disgusting to listen to you, then think about this: let’s not talk about the rule we know: whatever our activity among people is expressed in, it should be imbued with compassion and the most sincere love - let’s not talk about this rule, but we don’t know what is more useful for us to do and where it is more appropriate to pause, or even stop altogether. (2) We don’t know what the merits of those people for whom we work are before God; we have no idea at all about what is useful to them now, or we are making very shaky and incorrect assumptions. Therefore, we must establish the order of our affairs, remembering the measure of our understanding; If we were able to complete everything as planned, then we will rejoice that according to God’s will (not ours) everything was done in such an order. If, due to some necessity, this order of ours is confused, let us bend easily so that we do not break; let the order that God preferred to ours become ours. It is more correct that we obey His will, and not He ours. And the order in which we arranged our affairs and which we wanted to adhere to of our own free will, deserves, of course, approval only if the more important thing is put in front. (3) Are we, therefore, sad that the Lord God in His power stands ahead of people, and out of love for our order we strive to lose all order in life? The person who disposes of his affairs best is the one who readily renounces a matter forbidden by Divine authority, and not the one who greedily seizes on a matter invented by the human mind. “For many thoughts are in the heart of man, but the counsel of the Lord remains forever.” (1) If your soul is in turmoil due to some troubles in the Church and therefore your speech cannot be calm and pleasant, then you should still have such love for those for whom Christ died, who wanted to redeem them with his blood from death, the consequences of worldly errors, that the very message to us, sitting in sorrow: “here is some person who wants to become a Christian,” should comfort us and disperse our sadness: after all, the joy of gain softens sadness from loss. (2) We are upset that someone stumbles only if we think or see that he himself perishes or another, weak person perishes through him. (3) And the person who has come to join the Church and gives hope for success, may he erase the sadness of the one who has departed. And if there is a fear lurking in us, lest the proselyte turn out to be the son of Gehenna, there are many of them hovering before our eyes; It is from them that all the burning troubles come - then this should not stop us, but rather encourage and incite us. (4) Let us urge the disciple to beware of imitating those who are Christians only in name and not in essence; Confused by their multitude, let him not want to follow them and refuse to follow Christ for their sake; let him not refuse to remain in the Church of God, where they are, and let him not want to be like them in it. (5) I don’t know how, but this exhorting speech of ours becomes heated; our pain fuels this fire; We are not slow; our words are fiery and strong; If we were in a calm state, we would speak more coldly and sluggishly. Let us rejoice that we have been given the opportunity to experience spiritual anxiety that has borne fruit. (1) If sadness overwhelms us: we made a mistake in something, sinned in something, then let us remember not only: “the spirit of the sacrifice to God is broken,” but also other words: “like fire with water, so sin is extinguished by alms.” And one more thing: “I want mercy, not sacrifice.” (2) If we have a fire, we will, of course, rush for water to fill it, and we will be grateful to the person who shows it next door; If a sinful flame breaks out of our hay, and we are in confusion - and suddenly an opportunity presents itself to do a work of mercy - we will rejoice, as if a source is shown, drawing from where we extinguish the fire. Let us not, however, be fools: let us not think that we should rather rush in with bread to fill the stomach of the hungry, and not with the Word of God in order to instruct the soul of the one who eats this word. (3) Let us add to this: do not think that doing this is for the benefit, and not doing so is not harmful; In our grief, we will reject the proposed medicine: after all, the salvation is in danger - not even our neighbor’s, but our own. (4) How menacingly the words of the Lord sound: “You worthless and lazy slave, you could have given my money to the money changers!” Isn’t it madness, feeling how sin is strangling us, to want to sin again and not give the Lord’s money to those who want and ask? (5) Having dispelled the fog of boredom with such thoughts and considerations, let us tune in to teaching, so that we can absorb with pleasure the words that tirelessly and joyfully burst from an excess of love. (6) I am not telling you this so much as it is love itself, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us, that speaks to all of us. (1) Now I will do what I should not have done, if you had not made a promise earlier. You, perhaps, demand this from me as a duty: to unfold before you and give you for study a sample of the sermon with which I would address a novice. (2) Before I begin, please think about the fact that the author, dictating his work for a future reader, has one intention, and the preacher, addressing the listener standing in front of him, has different intentions; and with him they are different depending on whether he admonishes someone face to face, when there is no one to judge his words, or teaches something surrounded by dissenting listeners; whether he teaches one, and the others only listen to what is already familiar to them, discuss and confirm his words; or everyone together awaits a speech addressed to them all; whether he sits down and begins a kind of private conversation, or whether he speaks from a raised platform, and all the people in silence begin to look attentively at him alone, waiting for what he will say. In this case, it is very important whether those present are many or few, whether they are educated people or ignorant people, or mixed together; Are they city dwellers or rural residents or both; Isn’t the composition of the entire people very diverse? (3) It cannot be that they all have the same effect on those gathered to speak; just as speech is influenced by the feeling of the speaker, and it affects the listeners differently depending on the difference between them, so they themselves mutually affect each other differently by their very presence. (4) Since we are now talking about how to teach beginners, I will say about myself: I experience completely different feelings, depending on whether I see before me as a student a scientist or an ignoramus, a citizen or a foreigner, a rich man or a poor man, a private person or a magistrate holding a certain post; a person of one or another nation, one or another age and sex, who came from one or another sect, from one or another common errors. And the beginning, continuation, and end of my speech depend on the difference in my feelings. (5) And although everyone should be treated with the same love, the same treatment cannot be applied to everyone; love itself gives birth in the torments of some, suffers with others; he tries to put some on their feet; trembles to offend others; she leans towards some, and is adamant towards others; affectionate to some, stern to others, not hostile to anyone, she is a mother to everyone. (6) A person who has not experienced the love I am talking about considers us happy, because he sees that our name is on the lips of the crowd praising us (I give them pleasure thanks to some abilities given to me); May the Lord, to whom the sighs of the chained rise, see our humility and our labor and forgive all our sins. (7) And if you like something with us and you want our comments on your sermon, then you will better learn everything by seeing this work and listening to me, and not by reading what is written under my dictation. (1) Suppose that a person comes to us who wants to become a Christian, a simple person, but not from the village, but a city dweller - this is the kind of person you are most often forced to deal with in Carthage. When asked whether he wanted to become a Christian for the sake of some benefits in this life or for the sake of the peace that they hope for after this life, he answered that for the sake of future peace. Then we will instruct him, perhaps, with this word: (2) Let us thank God, brother; I congratulate you and rejoice that among the many such dangerous storms of this world, you thought about real and sure safety. (3) And in this life people work hard, looking for peace and security, but do not find it, because their desires are perverted. They want to find peace in the restless and transient; it goes away, stolen by time, disturbs with fear and sadness and does not allow you to calm down. (4) A person seeks peace in wealth: it will give him pride, but will not take away his worries. Don’t we see how many people suddenly lost it, and how many even died because of it, either in the greedy pursuit of it, or, under its burden, at the hands of more greedy people? and if it remained with a person for his entire life and did not leave his lover, he himself would leave him, dying. How long does a person have to live, even if he lives to old age? and wishing for old age, what do people want if not long-term decrepitude? and what are worldly honors? - swagger, emptiness and the threat of collapse. That is why the Holy Scripture says: “all flesh is hay, and human glory is like a flower made of hay. The hay dries up, the flower falls; But the word of the Lord endures forever.” (6) Therefore, the one who wants real peace and real happiness must not hope for mortal and transitory things, but place his hopes in the Word of God: clinging to that which abides forever, let him also abide forever. (7) There are also people who do not seek to become rich and do not beg for the empty pomp of honorary positions; they want to relax and have fun in taverns and indecent houses, enjoying the pitiful theatrical performances and spectacles that are offered for free in big cities. (8) So they squander their modest fortune and, driven by poverty, rush to steal, rob, and sometimes even become robbers. And now a great fear seizes their soul: those who recently sang in the tavern begin to dream of a prison and sobbing prisoners. (9) People who are carried away by spectacles become like demons: with their shouts they pit people against each other: let them, by viciously competing, kill each other. If the fighters, wanting to please the distraught people, still do not hurt each other, and people suspect them of collusion, then they are filled with hatred towards them, drive them away, shout to be beaten with sticks as deceivers, and force even the judge who punishes injustice to commit this injustice. If the crowd sees that they are seized by a terrible mutual hatred - be it the so-called synths, actors, singers, drivers or hunters (these unfortunate people are sent not only to people, but they are forced to fight and compete with animals) - if it feels that they are maddened in fierce enmity, it admires them, loves them, encourages those pitted against each other and, encouraging them, pits them against each other. The spectators root for one, one for the other, raging against themselves, they are madder than those whose madness they cause, and whom, maddened, they want to look at. (10) Can a soul, feeding itself with enmity and competition, remain healthy and peaceful? Like food, like health. (11) And finally - although unhealthy joy is not joy - but whatever it is, no matter how pleasant it is to boast of wealth, to be arrogant with honors, to overeat in taverns, to look at competition in theaters, to pollute oneself with debauchery and to tickle one’s sensuality in baths - all this will be carried away by the first fever, completely taking away imaginary happiness during one’s lifetime. The consciousness of emptiness and conscience in wounds will remain: a person will understand that God, Whom he did not want to have as a Guardian, will become a Judge, and he will find a stern Master in the One Whom he did not bother to find and love as a tender Father. (12) You are looking for true peace, which is promised to Christians after this life, and you will taste its sweetness even here, among the bitter hardships of this life, if you love the commandments of the One who promised this peace. You will quickly feel that the fruits of truth are sweeter than those cultivated by injustice; that a clear conscience brings more real joy in the midst of disasters than a bad conscience in the midst of pleasures; and it was not then that you came to unite with the Church of God in order to temporarily benefit from something from it. (1) Some want to become Christians in order to curry favor with people from whom they expect temporary benefits, or not wanting to offend those they fear. (2) This is garbage; The Church tolerates them for the time being - so the chaff lies on the drain until the time has come to winnow; unless they reform and become Christians for the sake of future eternal rest, they will be separated in the end. Let them not caress themselves with the thought that they can remain on the drain with the Lord’s wheat: they will not end up with it in the bins, but are destined for the well-deserved fire. (3) There are people who show great hope, but are in no less danger: they fear God, do not mock the name of a Christian, enter the Church of God without pretense, but they expect happiness in this life, they expect to be happier on earth than those who do not honor God. And when they see criminals and atheists in the power and splendor of earthly prosperity, and they have less of it, or they have lost it, they are embarrassed, as if they have no reason to honor God, and easily fall away from the faith. (1) Anyone who, for the sake of constant bliss and everlasting peace promised to the saints after this life, wants to become a Christian, so as not to go into eternal fire with the devil, but to enter the Eternal Kingdom with Christ, is a true Christian. He is cautious in temptations, afraid of becoming worse in happiness and breaking in misfortune; amid the abundance of earthly blessings he is modest and moderate, amidst adversity he is courageous and patient. (2) A person who, having prospered, will reach such a state that he will love God more than fear Gehenna, so that if the Lord Himself told him: “Enjoy carnal pleasures forever, sin as much as you can - you will not die, you will not end up in Gehenna, but you will not be with Me,” he will be horrified and will stop sinning completely, not out of fear that what he feared will not happen, but so as not to offend The One Whom he loves so much - in Him alone there is peace, which neither the eye has seen, nor the ear has heard, and has not entered into the heart of man, what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him. (3) This rest is meant by Scripture and is not silent about it: at the very beginning of the world, when God created the heavens and the earth and everything that is in them. He was busy for six days, and on the seventh he died. (4) The Almighty could create everything in an instant: He did not work to end, for “he said and it was done; commanded, and it was done,” but to show that after six periods experienced by this world, He will rest in the seventh period, as on the seventh day, among His saints, and they themselves will rest in Him after all the good works performed in serving Him; through them He worked, Who calls and instructs and forgives past sins and justifies the former lawless one. (5) They worked well, for it was given to them, and therefore it is correct to say that it is He Himself who works; and when they rest in Him, it is correct to say that He Himself also rests. As for Him, He does not seek respite, for He does not feel labor. (6) He created everything by His word, and His Word is Christ Himself, in Whom the angels and all the purest heavenly spirits rest in holy silence. (7) Man, having sinned, fell and lost the peace that he had in Him, God, and received back in Him, Man; therefore, in due time - He knew when it should be - He became a man and was born of a Woman. He could not be stained by the flesh, coming rather to cleanse the flesh. (8) The saints of old knew, by the revelation of the Spirit, that He would come, and prophesied about Him, and were saved by faith in His future coming, just as we are saved by faith in His already past coming. Let us love God, who so loved us that He sent His only Son, so that, taking on our humble mortal body, He would die at the hand of sinners and for sinners. (9) And long ago, from the beginning of time, the depth of this mystery was continually foreshadowed in types. Since Almighty God is good and just and merciful, He created everything good, great and small; strong and weak; the visible - the sky, the earth and the sea, in the sky the sun, the moon and other luminaries, on the earth and in the sea trees, bushes and animals - all the diversity of nature - and in general all the bodies of heaven and earth... and the invisible, what are the spirits whose bodies are full of vigor and strength. (2) He created man in His own image; and just as He Himself, by His omnipotence, surpasses all created things, so man, by his intellect, with which he recognizes His Creator and honors Him, surpasses all earthly animals. (3) He created a wife to help him, not for the sake of carnal desires - their bodies were incorruptible until death came to them as a punishment for sin - but so that the wife would be the glory of the husband, leading her to the Lord and setting an example for her of holiness and piety, just as he himself is a glory to the Lord if he follows the path of His wisdom. (4) He placed them in a place of eternal bliss, which Scripture calls paradise, and gave them a commandment - if they do not transgress it, they will remain immortal and blessed forever; if they do, the punishment will be death. (5) The Lord knew in advance that they would break this commandment, and that is why, the Founder and Creator of all good, He created them, creating animals, in order to fill the earth with earthly blessings. A person, even a sinner, is still better than an animal. (6) And he gave the commandment that they would not keep precisely so that there would be no excuse for them when He inflicts punishment on them. Whatever a person does, God is glorified in his deeds: if he did the right thing, He is glorified for a fair reward: if he sinned, he is glorified for a fair punishment; if, having repented of his sins, he returned to the right life, He is glorified for his merciful forbearance. (7) Why was it that the Lord could not create man, although He knew in advance that he would sin, when He crowns those who stand, He builds up those who fall, He helps those who rise, always and everywhere Glorious with goodness, justice, and mercy! And most importantly: He knew that from the descendants of this mortal man there would come saints who would not seek their own, but would glorify their Creator; By honoring Him, freed from all filth, they will deserve to live forever and live blissfully with the holy angels. (8) He gave people free will so that they would honor God not out of slavish necessity, but out of the choice of a noble soul. He also gave it to the angels, and the angel, who, accompanied by other spirits, left the path of obedience to God out of great pride and became the devil, caused harm not to God, but to himself. (9) The Lord knows how to put in order the souls that have abandoned Him, and transforms their just misfortune into joy for His lower creatures - according to laws completely consistent with the wondrous order of equal distribution. So, the devil did not cause any damage to God either by his own fall or by seducing a person to death; and the man himself, by the fact that of his own free will he agreed with his wife, seduced by the devil, to violate the prohibition of God, did not in the least diminish either the truth, or the power, or the bliss of his Creator. (10) According to God’s most just laws, they are all condemned; God is glorified by just punishment, they are dishonored by shameful punishment. A person who has turned away from his Creator is defeated and submits to the devil; a person who turns to his Creator is offered to defeat the devil; those who completely agree with the devil will go with him into eternal torment; those who humble themselves before God and, by His grace, defeat the devil will deserve an eternal reward. (11) We should not be alarmed that many people agree with the devil, and few follow the Lord; after all, wheat grains are so few compared to chaff. But just as a farmer knows what to do with a huge heap of chaff, so to God a multitude of sinners is nothing; He knows how to deal with them, so that His Kingdom knows neither worry nor shame. One should not think that the devil remained victorious because he carried away the multitude with him: only a few will defeat him. (12) Two cities - the wicked and the righteous - have existed since the beginning of the human race and will remain until the end of the age. Now the citizens of both live together, but they want different things, but on the Day of Judgment they will be sentenced differently. (13) All people, proud, loving temporary dominion with its empty arrogance and daring splendor, are bound together as accomplices with all the spirits to whom it is pleasant and who seek glory for themselves for having subjugated people. And those who often fight with each other for these benefits will fall under the same burden of passions into the same abyss, joining them by similarity of morals and merits. (14) All people and all spirits who humbly sought the Glory of God, and not their own, piously following Him, will form one society. (1) And yet the Lord, in His great mercy, is patient with the wicked and gives them the opportunity to repent and reform. (2) He destroyed with a flood all but one righteous man and his family, and desired to save them in the ark. He knew that people would not improve; the ark took hundreds of years to build; It was foretold to them that the wrath of God would come upon them, but if they turned to God, He would spare them, as He later spared Nineveh, which repented when the prophet told her that destruction awaited her. (3) God does the same with those whom He knows that they will become stubborn in evil: He gives them time for repentance in order to strengthen our patience and educate us by His example: let us know how much more tolerant we should be towards evil people, we, who do not know what they will become in the future, if He, from Whom nothing in the future is hidden, spares them and allows them to live. (4) Given in the flood was also a prototype of that tree through which the righteous are liberated: the future Church, which Her King and Lord Christ, through the mystery of His Cross, raised above the flooding waves of this world. The Lord knew that even from those who were saved in the ark, evil descendants would come, which would again fill the earth with untruth, but He also gave an example of the future judgment and foreshadowed the liberation of the saints with a mysterious tree. (5) And after the flood, evil continued to give abundant shoots: neither pride, nor lust, nor forbidden wickedness disappeared, when people, leaving their Creator, slipped not only to the worship of the creature created by God, and instead of God they honored what God had created, but they bent their souls before the works of human hands, before the skillful creations of artists; here the devil and demons celebrated their vile triumph: they rejoice when they are prayed to in front of such images and are honored in these images - they feed their delusions with human delusions. (1) There was, of course, even then no shortage of righteous people who piously sought God and overcame the pride of the devil, citizens of that holy city who were enlightened by the coming appearance of the humiliated Christ, revealed to them by the Spirit. From among them, Abraham, the pious and faithful servant of God, was chosen to reveal to him in the type of the Son of God; becoming like Him by faith, that in the future all the faithful in all nations may be called His sons. (2) From him came a people who worshiped the One True God, Creator of heaven and earth; at this time, other peoples served images and demons. (3) To this people the future Church was revealed in clearer types. The majority of it were carnal people who honored God for the sake of visible benefits; There were few who, thinking about future peace, sought the Heavenly Fatherland. The future humiliation of God, the King and our Lord Jesus Christ was revealed to them in prophecies, so that by faith in Him they would be cured of all pride and arrogance. (4) Not only the words of these saints who lived before the birth of the Lord, but also their lives, their marriages, children, actions - everything prophesied about those times when, through faith in the Passion of Christ, the peoples would be gathered into the Church. (5) Through these holy patriarchs and prophets, both visible benefits, which they carnally desired from the Lord, and carnal punishments were sent to the carnal people, Israel (which later became known as the people of Judah), in order to temporarily frighten them, as their hardness of heart required. And in all this there were indications of a spiritual mystery relating to Christ and the Church; Those saints were also members of this Church, although they lived before Christ the Lord was born in the flesh. (6) He Himself, the Only Begotten Son of God, the Word of the Father, equal and co-eternal with the Father, by whom all things became, became man for our sake, in order to be the Head of the whole Church, as a whole body. (7) And just as a person, when being born, although he puts his hand forward, it is only a part of the whole body, firmly connected to it, below the head, so some of the patriarchs were born to indicate this as if with an outstretched hand. And all the saints who were on earth before the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, although they were born earlier, grew together with the whole body of which He is the Head, but are located below the Head. (1) This people, having migrated to Egypt, found themselves in slavery under a very cruel king; Instructed by the most severe torments, he turned to God the Liberator, and a man from the same people, the holy servant of God Moses, was sent to him. With great miracles performed by the power of God, he terrified the wicked tribe of Egypt, and led the people of God from there through the Red Sea; the water parted and made way for those crossing; the Egyptians who pursued them died, drowning in the waters that returned to their place. (2) And just as in the flood the water cleansed the earth from sinners with their abominations - they were destroyed by the flood, but the righteous were saved thanks to the tree - so the people of God, coming out of Egypt, found a way through the waters in which their enemies perished. (3) And there the mystery of the tree is evident: Moses, in order for this miracle to happen, struck the water with a rod. In both cases, holy Baptism is marked, by which the faithful pass into a new life: their sins are destroyed and die like enemies. (4) The Passion of Christ was shown to these people in an even more obvious type: they were ordered to slaughter and eat a sheep, and to anoint their doors with its blood; celebrate it annually and call it the Lord's Passover. The prophecy speaks more clearly about Jesus Christ: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter” (Is. 53:7). The sign of His Passion and the Cross today should overshadow your forehead, like a door, and all Christians overshadow themselves with it. (5) Then for forty years the people walked in the wilderness; received the Law written by the finger of God: by this name the Holy Spirit is designated, as is clearly indicated in the Gospel. (6) God is not limited to a bodily image; one cannot think that He has members and fingers, such as we see in ourselves. But since, according to the Holy Scriptures, the Gifts of God are divided among the saints depending on their different abilities (this in no way diminishes their loving unanimity), the fingers are clearly separated from one another and connected to a single whole, then whether for this reason or for some other reason, the Holy Spirit is called the Finger of God - it is impossible, however, after hearing this word, to imagine a human form. (7) So, this people received the Law, inscribed by the Finger of God on tablets, of course, stone, to indicate the hardness of their hearts: they will not fulfill the instructions of the Law. They desired carnal blessings from the Lord and were restrained more by carnal fear than by spiritual love; Only love can fulfill the law. (8) And therefore they were burdened with many visible rituals: like a slave's yoke, they were oppressed by the rules relating to food, the sacrifice of animals and countless other cases. All this, however, also signified something spiritual, relating to the Lord Jesus Christ and the Church, but only a few saints, observing these rituals in accordance with their time, understood their meaning for their salvation, while the crowd of carnal people only observed them, but did not understand. (9) Having received many different prototypes of the future, it would take a long time to mention them all, and we now see their fulfillment in the Church - this people were brought to the Promised Land, where they reigned temporarily and carnally to the extent of their desires; this earthly kingdom contained, however, an image of the spiritual kingdom. (10) Jerusalem was founded there, the most famous city of God, the symbol of the Free City, called the Heavenly Jerusalem; it is a Hebrew word; translated means “vision of the world.” All the saints - those who were, who are and who will be - are his citizens, as well as the holy spirits, even those who dwell on the most heavenly heights, reverently obedient to God - the wicked pride of the devil and his angels is not an example to them. (11) The King of that city is the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God, who reigns over the highest angels; The Word became man in order to reign over people, who - all together with Him - will reign in eternal peace. (12) As a prototype of this King in that earthly kingdom of the people of Israel, King David especially stands out, from whose seed - according to the flesh - was born our true King, the Lord Jesus Christ, “God, the highest of all, blessed forever.” In this promised land many prototypes were revealed, testifying to the coming Christ and the future Church; you can gradually become acquainted with them from the Holy Scriptures. (1.) A few generations later a type was shown which had a direct bearing on these events. This city was taken, and a significant part of its inhabitants were taken to Babylon. Just as Jerusalem means the city and company of saints, so Babylon means the city and company of the wicked - its very name is translated by the word “confusion.” (2) We spoke a little earlier about these two cities, the inhabitants of which from the beginning of the human race until the end of the century in the changing times are in confusion with each other, but will be separated at the last judgment. (3) Through Jeremiah, the prophet of that time, the commandment of the Lord was announced that the city of Jerusalem should be taken, and this people should be carried away into slavery in Babylon. (4) And while he lived there in slavery, kings began to appear in Babylon, who, in their good time, being amazed by some miracles, recognized the One True God, the Creator of all creation, began to honor Him themselves and ordered to honor Him. The command was given to those whom they held captive to pray for them and, being in peace with them, count on a peaceful life, give birth to children, build houses, plant gardens and vineyards. And after seventy years they were promised release from captivity. (5) All this, as a whole, symbolically meant that the Church of Christ with all its saints, citizens of the Heavenly Jerusalem, would be subordinate to worldly rulers. (6) It is also said in the apostolic teaching: “Let every soul be submissive to the higher authorities... let everything be given to everyone: to whom to give, to give; to whom is dues, dues" (Rom. 13:1, 7) and so on, which we, with the integrity and safety of our God-worship, give to those who stand at the head of organized human society. The Lord Himself set us an example of obedience to this sound teaching, not neglecting to pay taxes for Himself, as for the person in whose form He was then. (7) The servants of Christ and good Christians are also commanded to serve their temporary masters patiently and faithfully; they will judge them if they turn out to be completely wicked, or they will reign equally with them if they turn to the True God. It is ordered to obey all human and earthly authorities until, after the predetermined time (which is designated seventy years), the Church, like Jerusalem, will be, as if from Babylonian captivity, freed from mixing with this world. (8) On the occasion of this captivity, the kings of the earth themselves abandoned the idols for which they persecuted Christians, recognized the True God and the Lord Jesus Christ and began to honor them. The Apostle Paul commands us to pray for them, even if they persecute the Church: “Therefore, first of all, I ask that prayers, petitions, supplications, and thanksgivings be made for kings, for all people and for all those in government, so that we may lead a quiet and serene life in all godliness and purity.” (9) Through them peace was given to the Church, albeit temporary, a temporary calm, in order to build – spiritually – houses, plant gardens and vineyards. Now, with this speech, we are arranging and imprisoning you. And this is what happens all over the earth - we are at peace with the rulers of the Christians, as the same apostle said: “you are God’s field, God’s building.” (10) After the seventy years of which Jeremiah spoke, pointing in this type to the end of time, the church of the Lord was rebuilt in Jerusalem so that the type might appear in its entirety. And since everything happened educationally, there was no lasting peace, and the Jews were not free for long: they were conquered by the Romans, to whom they paid taxes. (11) From the time they entered the promised land, they had kings, and so that they would not think that everything had already been fulfilled in any of these kings - after all, the liberator Christ was promised to them - He was even more clearly predicted to them in many prophecies, not only by David himself in the Book of Psalms, but right up to the Babylonian captivity and by other great and holy prophets. And during their captivity there were prophets who predicted the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, who would free everyone. (12) And then, when the church was restored seventy years later, the Jews suffered such oppression and disasters from foreign kings that they realized: the Liberator had not yet come. Not realizing that He would liberate them spiritually, they desired Him for the sake of carnal liberation. (1) Five periods of this world have passed: the first - from the beginning of the human race, that is, from Adam, the first man, to Noah, who built the ark during the flood; the second - from him to Abraham, who is called the father of all tribes who took his faith as a model; He was, through his fleshly offspring, the father of the future people of the Jews. Before the adoption of the Christian faith by the pagans, they were the only people among all the peoples throughout the earth who honored the one true God; From this people came – according to the flesh – the Savior Christ. (2) These main points of the two periods are especially emphasized in the ancient books; the main points of the other three are shown in the Gospel when mentioning the origin - according to the flesh - of the Lord Jesus Christ. The third period is from Abraham to King David; the fourth - from David to the captivity when the people of God moved to Babylon; the fifth - from this migration until the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. (3) From His coming there is a sixth period; spiritual grace, known then only to a few patriarchs and prophets, is now revealed to all peoples: let a person honor God unselfishly and desire from Him not visible rewards for his service and not happiness in this present life, but only eternal life, when he will see God Himself; in this sixth period the human soul will be renewed in the image of God: on the sixth day, after all, man was created in the image of God. (4) Then the law will also be fulfilled, for not in a greedy pursuit of what is temporary, but out of love for Him who commanded, what He commanded is fulfilled. Who would not strive to respond to the love of such a righteous, such a merciful God, Who loved such unrighteous, such proud people so much that for their sake He sent the only Son, through Whom He created everything and Who, without changing Himself, accepting humanity, became Man, in order to be able not only to live with people, but for them and from them to be killed? (1) So, the New Testament has been revealed about a new inheritance, where a person, renewed by God’s grace, will lead a new life, that is, a spiritual life; The Old One showed a carnal people living the life of the old man (with the exception of a small number of intelligent patriarchs and prophets and a few secret saints); Living carnally, he desired carnal rewards from the Lord God and received them as a prototype of spiritual honors. (2) For the Lord Christ, having become Man, despised all earthly goods, showing that they should be despised; He endured all earthly disasters, teaching thereby that they should be endured: there is no need to seek happiness in those, there is no need to be afraid of misfortune in these. (3) Born of a Mother who conceived without knowing a husband and never knew him (conceived as a virgin, gave birth to a virgin, died as a virgin), but was nevertheless betrothed to a carpenter, He extinguished all exaltation of earthly nobility. (4) Born in Bethlehem, which among all the cities of Judah was so insignificant that it is now called a village, He did not want anyone to boast of the importance of any earthly city. (5) He became poor, to Whom everything belongs and through Whom everything was created: let not the man who has believed in Him dare to boast of earthly riches. (6) He did not want people to declare Him king; He showed the path of humility to those unfortunates who departed from Him through pride, but all creation testifies to His eternal reign. (7) He who feeds everyone was hungry; He who created all drink thirsted, He is the spiritual Bread of the hungry, the Fountain of the thirsty; tired on earthly roads, who became for us the path to heaven; as if He had become numb and deaf before those who reviled Him, He Who restored speech to the dumb and hearing to the deaf; He who loosed the bonds of infirmities was bound; subjected to scourging, having turned away the scourges of all sorrows from people; crucified Who finished our crucifixion; He who raised the dead died. He who will never die has risen; let everyone learn from Him not to despise death, thinking that he will never come to life. (1) Then, having strengthened the disciples, communicating with them for forty days, He, in front of their eyes, ascended into heaven, and fifty days after the Resurrection He sent them the Holy Spirit (He promised this), Who filled their hearts with love, and they were able, not only without difficulty, but with joy, to fulfill the law, (2) given to the Jews in the Ten Commandments. They come down to two: let us love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, with all our minds: let us love our neighbors as ourselves. On these two commandments rest the Law and the Prophets; The Lord himself said this in the Gospel and testified by his example. (3) For the people of Israel, when, from the day when they first celebrated - transformatively - the Passover, eating the slain lamb, with the blood of which their doors were marked for their salvation - when from that very day the fiftieth was fulfilled, they received the law inscribed by the Finger of God - (by this Name, as we said, the Holy Spirit is designated) - so on the fiftieth day after the Passion of the Lord and the Resurrection, which is the real Easter, - the Holy Spirit was sent to the disciples, but there were no stone tablets to indicate the hardness of their hearts. (4) When they were all gathered together in Jerusalem itself, suddenly there was a noise from heaven, as if a violent hurricane had blown in; they saw divided tongues, as if of fire, and began to speak in different languages, so that everyone who came to them recognized their own language (and Jews from all over the earth came to this city, wherever they were scattered, and they learned their different languages ​​from different nations). Then, in the fullness of faith, they began to preach Christ and performed many signs in His name; even a dead man was resurrected when a shadow fell on him from Peter passing by. (5) When the Jews saw that such signs were being performed in the Name of Him Whom they had crucified, partly out of hatred, partly out of ignorance, some of them in irritation began to persecute the apostles, His preachers, while others, especially amazed that such miracles were being performed in the name of the One Whom they mocked as a persecuted and defeated one, repented, turned and believed in Him - such there were a thousand Jews. (6) They no longer desired earthly blessings and an earthly kingdom from God, they did not expect an earthly king in the king promised to them, Christ; understanding Him as Immortal, they loved Him who, like a mortal, suffered so much for them and from them, and even paid for their sins with His Blood. He showed them by the example of His Resurrection that they must hope for and desire the immortality He bestows. (7) So, putting to death the earthly desires of the old man, burning with a new spiritual life, they, as the Lord commanded in the Gospel, sold everything they had, and laid down the money from the sale of property at the feet of the apostles, so that they would distribute it to everyone who needed what. Living in Christian love and unanimity, they did not call anything theirs; they had everything in common; they were in God with their soul and one heart. (8) Then, having experienced carnal persecution from the Jews, their fellow citizens according to the flesh, they were scattered so that through this dispersion Christ could be preached more widely. They themselves imitated the patience of their Lord: He, who meekly suffered for them, ordered them to meekly suffer for Him. (9) Among the persecutors of Christians was the Apostle Paul, who was especially furious against them; then he believed, became an apostle and was sent to preach the Gospel to the pagans; He endured more severe torment for the name of Christ than he had once caused by going against the name of Christ. (10) Establishing Churches among the pagans, everywhere sowing the Gospel Word among them, he strongly insisted that they make collections for poor Christians in churches consisting of Jews who believed in Christ (for those who had just come from the veneration of idols, who still did not know at all how to honor the One God, it would not have been easy for them to sell and give away their property in order to serve God). (11) Therefore, in his apostolic teaching, he defined some as warriors; others, as provincials subject to taxes; but he made Christ for them as the Cornerstone, as the prophets had proclaimed about Him; On Him two walls were built on opposite sides: Jews and Gentiles, united in brotherly love. (1) But then more severe and frequent persecutions were raised against the Church of Christ by the unbelieving pagans. The Word of the Lord was fulfilled every day: “Behold, I am sending you out as sheep among wolves” (Matthew 10:16). (2) But that vine, which spread its fruitful branches throughout the world, as was predicted about it by the prophets and foretold by the Lord Himself, grew the wider, the more generously the blood of the martyrs watered it. Across all lands, they died in countless numbers for the true faith, and the persecuting kings retreated, came to know Christ and bowed before Him: the neck of pride was broken. (3) It was necessary, however, as was predicted by the Lord, to clean up this very vine and remove the fruitless shoots: heretics and schismatics who appeared in places and, hiding behind the name of Christ, began to seek glory not for Him, but for themselves. Resisting them, the Church grew stronger and stronger; Her teaching and tolerance were tested and glorified. (4) We read about all this, predicted in advance, and we ourselves saw what had already happened. The first Christians, who did not know what would happen, were moved to faith by miracles; We are instructed in faith by the fact that everything was fulfilled as we read about it in books written long before it was fulfilled; the future is predicted there, and the present is already visible. Therefore, let us endure what remains, and, having established ourselves in the Lord, we will without hesitation believe in what is to come. (5) In the same Scripture we read about future turmoil and about the last day - the day of Judgment, when all the citizens of those two cities will be resurrected in their former bodies and will give an account of their lives before the Judge - Christ. (6) He will come as a Glorified Ruler, Who deigned to come before a humble Man, and will separate all the pious from the wicked, not only from those who did not want to believe in Him at all, but also from those whose faith was empty and fruitless; He will allow some to reign with Him forever, others to suffer forever with the devil. (7) And just as there is no joy from anything temporary, which, although in some way could be similar to the joy of eternal life that the saints will receive, so no earthly torment and torture can be compared with the eternal torment of the wicked. (1) So, brother, strengthen yourself in the name of Him in whom you believe, and with His help go against those who ridicule your faith with their tongues, through whom the devil utters seducing speeches, who most of all wants to ridicule the faith in the Resurrection. (2) Look at yourself - and you will believe that you will live as you lived when you were not yet born; that you live now, you see it. Where was the entire mass of your body, your appearance, the members firmly connected to the body several years before your birth, even before the time you were conceived in your mother’s womb - where was your body with its weight and height? Did it not come to light from the hidden recesses of creation, invisibly formed by the Lord God, and with the passage of years reaching this size and form? (3) Is it difficult for God, who immediately gathers huge clouds from somewhere and covers up the sky in an instant, to give dimensions to your already existing body, if He could create it - a non-existent one? (4) Believe deeply and unshakably that everything that seems to perish and disappear from human eyes turns out to be safe and sound with Almighty God; He will restore it when He wants, without delay or labor - at least what He considers, in His justice, necessary to restore. People will give an account of their actions, being in the very bodies in which they committed them, and for deeds of piety they will earn changes in these bodies - they will become incorruptible - or they will remain for deeds of lawlessness in a state of corruption, but such that death cannot destroy it, but will only provide material for eternal suffering (1 Peter 1:24; Isa. 40:6-8). (5) So, firmly believing and maintaining good morality, try, brother, try to avoid this torment - there are always torturers there, the tortured do not die; Death lasts forever for them; they cannot die in torture. (6) Be aflame with love for the eternal life of the saints and longing for it; there activity does not tire, and peace does not relax; pure praise to God does not satiate, the soul does not know melancholy, the body does not know pain; no need for anything - neither your own, which you want to get rid of, nor your neighbor’s, whom you rush to rid of it. The Holy City rejoices in God, and lives wisely and blissfully in Him. (7) Let us realize what we hope for and what we expect (this is what He promised): equal to the angels of God, equally with them, with vision we joyfully recognize the Trinity, which we now know by faith. We believe in what we do not see, in order to be worthy by the feat of faith to see what we believe in and cling to it, so as not to talk about faith, not to fill the air with the roar of words about the equality of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, about the unity of the Trinity, about how God is One in these Three, but in pure fiery contemplation to silently absorb this knowledge. (1) Hold this firmly in your heart and pray to God in Whom you believe to protect you from the temptations of the devil; Be careful that this enemy does not creep up on you from somewhere: he, the condemned, viciously consoles himself, looking for those who would be condemned along with him. (2) Not only through those who hate the name of Christians, who grieve that this name has spread throughout the whole world, and who still want to serve idols and demonic mysteries, he dares to tempt Christians; through those whom we recently mentioned, through those cut off from the Church, as if from a purged vine, the so-called heretics and schismatics, he sometimes tries to do this. (3) Sometimes he also tries to tempt and lead away through the Jews. (4) But most of all we must beware of temptation and disappointment from people who are in the Orthodox Church itself and whom She tolerates like chaff until the time comes to winnow. (5) The Lord is patient with them: by their corruption He strengthens the faith and mind of His elect. And besides, many of them are corrected: trying to please God, grieving for their souls, they turn to Him in a passionate impulse. (6) Not everyone uses the patience of God to gather wrath upon themselves for the day of wrath and His righteous Judgment: for many this patience of the Almighty leads to such saving repentant sorrow! And while this happens, the Lord - through them - exercises those who are already walking the right path, not only in tolerance, but also in mercy. (7) You will see many drunkards, misers, deceivers, gamblers, adulterers, debauchees: people wearing blasphemous amulets, addicted to the wicked art of sorcerers, fortune-tellers. You will notice that on the days of Christian holidays the churches are filled with the same crowds that fill the theaters on the days of pagan celebrations. And seeing this, you will feel a tempting desire to do as they do. (8) You will see both what I told you about and what you, of course, already knew: you know many who are called Christians and do all the evil that I briefly mentioned. And perhaps you know that people who, as you know, are called Christians, commit even more serious crimes. (9) But if you came with the expectation that now you can calmly do the same thing, then you are very mistaken: the name of Christ will not help you when the One who previously honored the flock with such merciful help begins to judge so strictly. He said this in advance in the Gospel: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! God!" He will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father. Many will say to Me on that day: “Lord, in Your name we have eaten and drunk.” For all who stubbornly indulge in such a life, the end will be condemnation. (10) Therefore, when you see that many not only live like this, but also defend such a life and incline towards it, hold on to God’s Law and do not follow those who walk the crooked path. You will not be judged according to their understanding, but according to His righteousness. (1) Go to good people who, as you will see, love your King with you. You will find many like them if you yourself begin to become like them. And if at the spectacles you wanted to sit and be with people who admired the same driver, hunter or actor as you, then how much more pleasant should it be for you to communicate with those who love God with you - this love will never make you blush, for not only can He not be defeated, but He also makes those who love Him invincible 28 . (2) You should not, however, place your hopes on good people who either go ahead of you or accompany you on the path to God; You shouldn’t do it to yourself, no matter how successful you are; place them on the One who made these people such that they will show you the right path. Be confident in God: He does not change; No one intelligent is sure of a person. (3) But if we must love those who are still unrighteous so that they may become righteous, then what kind of ardent love do those who have already become righteous deserve? But it is one thing to love a person, and another to hope for him; the difference is great: one thing God commands, the other forbids. (4) If, having endured insults and oppression for the name of Christ, you do not fall away from the faith and do not turn away from the right path, you will receive a great reward; those who give in to the devil in such circumstances will lose even a little. (5) Humble yourself before the Lord: may He not allow you to be tempted beyond your strength. (1) Having finished this speech, ask if he believes in it and is willing to observe it. When he answers in the affirmative, solemnly mark him with the cross and treat him according to the customs of the Kingdom. (2) Explain to him thoroughly the meaning of the sacrament he is receiving; one should reverently honor that invisible that is hidden under the visible signs of sacred rites; the element consecrated by blessing cannot be placed on the same level as water used in everyday life; Explain the meaning of the sermon that he heard, why it captivates, what the whole sacrament is likened to. (3) Convince him on this occasion that if he hears something in Scripture that sounds carnal, then let him, even if he does not understand, believe that there is some spiritual meaning embedded here, referring to the future life and good morality. He will thus learn briefly the following: he must believe that in the canonical books everything that cannot be connected with love of eternity, truth and holiness and with love of one’s neighbor is said or done in a purely representative way: let him try to understand everything in such a way as to connect it with the commandment of both loves. (4) Let him, of course, understand by neighbor not those who are nearby, but anyone who may be with him in this holy city - whether already there or not yet: let him not despair of correcting someone whom the patience of God allows to live only in order, in the words of the Apostle, to bring him to repentance. (1) If this speech, which I instructed as if standing in front of me as someone who knew nothing, seems long to you, then you can shorten it; I don’t think it’s worth saying more common. Here, however, there is a big difference: what the very topic of your speech requires of you and what your audience will not just listen to, but what they clearly want to listen to. If you need to hurry, then look how easily everything can be explained. (2) Let’s say a person comes who wants to become a Christian; He answered your question in the same way as the one mentioned above. If he answers incorrectly, tell him what he should answer. And then continue like this. (1) Yes, brother, great is the true blessedness that is promised to the saints in the age to come. Everything visible will pass away, all the pomp of this world, its pleasures and wonders will perish and drag their worshipers with them into destruction. (2) From this destruction, that is, from eternal torment, the Merciful Lord wished to free people - if they were not their own enemies and did not resist their merciful Creator - and sent His Only Begotten Son, that is, His Word, equal to the Father, through Whom He created everything. (3) Remaining God, without departing from the Father, without changing in anything, He became a man and came to people, appearing in mortal flesh. And just as through one, the first, man, i.e. Adam, death entered the human race, for Adam obeyed his wife, who was seduced by the devil, so that they would transgress the commandment of God - so through One Man, who at the same time is God and the Son of God, through Jesus Christ all previous sins were destroyed, and those who believe in Him will enter into Eternal Life. (4) Everything that you see now in the Church of God, and that, under the name of Christ, is happening all over the world, was predicted before the ages: we see what we read about, and thereby we are instructed in the faith. (5) Once upon a time there was a flood throughout the whole earth, and sinners perished; those who survived in the ark showed a prototype of the future Church, which is now sailing on the stormy sea of ​​life and is being saved from drowning by the tree - the Cross of Christ. (6) It was predicted to Abraham, the faithful servant of God, that from him, from one man, would come a whole people who would honor the One God; other tribes worshiped idols. Everything that would happen to this people was predicted, and it happened as predicted. (7) It was announced that Christ, the King and God of all saints, would come to this people. He will come from the seed of Abraham himself, according to the flesh that he will take, so that all to whom Abraham was an example of faith will become sons of Abraham. And so it came true: Christ was born from the Virgin Mary, who came from this family 29. (8) It was predicted by the prophets that He would suffer on the cross from the same Jewish people from which He came in the flesh - and so it came true. It was predicted that he would rise again - He rose; according to the predictions of the prophets, he ascended to heaven and sent the Holy Spirit to his disciples. (9) It was predicted not only by the prophets, but also by the Lord Jesus Christ Himself that His Church, planted by the testimony and torment of the saints, would spread throughout the whole world - it was predicted when His name was hidden from people and when, already known, it was ridiculed, and yet, the news of the miracles performed by Himself or by Him through His servants spread, and believers appeared. We see that this was predicted and fulfilled. The kings of the earth themselves, who had previously persecuted Christians, submitted to the name of Christ. (10) It is also predicted that schisms and heresies will emerge from His Church, which, wherever possible, hiding behind His name, will seek glory for themselves, and not for Christ. And it came true. (11) And will not what is left come? It is clear that if everything happened as predicted, then what was predicted for the future will also happen: disasters still await the righteous; The day of Judgment has not yet come, when after the resurrection of the dead the wicked will be separated from the righteous - and not only those standing outside the Church, but also the chaff in the Church itself, which must be endured and endured until the time of the last trend comes and it is deservedly swept away for the fire. (12) Those who laugh at the resurrection, thinking that this rotten flesh cannot be resurrected, will suffer punishment in it by being resurrected. The Lord will show them that He who was able to create bodies that did not exist before can in an instant restore them to the form in which they were. (13) All the faithful who will reign with Christ will be resurrected in the same body, but, according to their merits, it will change and become incorruptible, like the angels; may they become equal to the angels of God, as the Lord himself promised, may they praise Him, immaculately and joyfully, always living in Him and about Him, in such joy and bliss that man cannot express in words or imagine. (1) So, having believed in this, beware of temptations (the devil is looking for someone to destroy with him): let this enemy not seduce you not only through those who are outside the Church - whether pagans, Jews or heretics, but you will also see members of the Orthodox Church who live poorly: given to gluttony and guttural rage; shameless people, carried away by curiosity about the empty or forbidden; lovers of spectacles; those who use devilish fortune-telling and potions; living in luxury; arrogant with wealth and pride - in general you will see people leading a life that the Law condemns and punishes: do not imitate them. Communicate with good people, whom you will easily find if you become like that yourself: love and honor God unselfishly together, for our whole reward is in Him Himself, as in the good and beautiful life that we will enjoy. (2) You must love him not as you love what you see with the eye, but as you love wisdom, truth, holiness, justice, love and other similar qualities, only not human, but emanating from the very source of wisdom, which knows no damage or change. Communicate with people who love this, so that through Christ, Who became Man to be a mediator between God and people, you can be reconciled with God. (3) And do not think that if corrupt people enter the church buildings, then they will also enter the Kingdom of Heaven; in due time they will be separated if they do not change for the better. (4) Imitate good people, tolerate bad people, love everyone: you don’t know what tomorrow someone who is bad today will be like. Do not love their untruths: love them themselves, so that they comprehend the truth: after all, we are commanded not only to love God, but also to love our neighbor - in these two commandments are the entire Law and the Prophets. (5) It can only be fulfilled by one who receives the gift of the Holy Spirit, equal to the Father and the Son, for God is Trinity, and all hope must be placed in God. This cannot be placed on a person, no matter what he is. One is the One by whom we are justified, and the other is those with whom we are justified. (6) The devil tempts not only with desires, but also with the fear of humiliation, pain and death itself. Whatever a person endures for the Name of Christ in the hope of Eternal Life, if he perseveres in patience, he will be given a great reward; if he gives in to the devil, he will be condemned along with him. (7) But through works of mercy, pious and humble people receive mercy from God: may He not allow His servants to be tempted beyond their strength. Deogratias (“Thanks be to God”: typical African names, which always include the word “God”: Quodvultdeus, “what God wants” - the name of one Carthaginian bishop; Adeodatus, “given by God” - the son of Augustine) was later a bishop in Carthage. Rudes - those who know nothing about Christianity and who need to be catechizare. “to announce” – to bring into the ranks of the “catechumens.” An interesting detail: the catechist was obliged to deal with even one person, without expecting many people to gather who wanted to be baptized. However, anyone could listen to him. Augustine loved metaphors. Scripture seems to him to be a treasury from which the word of God is distributed by “treasurers” (dispensatores) - slaves or freedmen in charge of money, a kind of “minister of finance” in every household. Augustine knew how to be “all things to all people.” The humble deacon must, of course, have been consoled by hearing that the famous bishop, already the recognized head of the Western Church, was also dissatisfied with his sermons. Seneca, Dial. III (de ira), I. 1. 4: “the eyes burn and blink, the whole face turns purple from the blood rushing from the heart; lips tremble, teeth are clenched, hair stands on end; wheezing breathing escapes with difficulty.” Augustine considered preaching one of his most important duties and never missed an opportunity to deliver it. St. Augustine assigns five periods to the time before the coming of Christ; the sixth - after His coming - in which people live and will live until the seventh period, when after the Last Judgment the righteous will be separated from the sinners, everyone will receive according to their deeds, and the “Saturday of Sabbaths” will begin. Augustine is referring to the Jews. In his attitude to friendship, Augustine was a real ancient man: he had a cult of it, he knew how to “be a friend to a friend” and knew how to gather around him people who remained his friends until the end of their days. “The one who judges – the one who sins”: iudicante – peccante. Augustine loved these rhetorical flourishes, especially assonance and even rhyme. During translation, we tried to preserve them. Longe peregrinantem: “went to a distant country.” OK. 15, 13 (parable of the prodigal son). Augustine means a person who came with the desire not to be baptized, but to argue about faith. Belief in prophetic dreams and omens was widespread in Africa among both Christians and pagans. In the Confessions, Augustine talks about his mother’s prophetic dream. Spanish 3.11. Grammar (“secondary”) school teachers, literature teachers. Of course, love potions. People who composed terrible spells with which they ensured success for themselves and the death of the enemy. Several lead tablets with such spells have been found in both Africa and Italy. The school of rhetoric is for all of Roman antiquity what a university is for us. Philosophy was not taught in these schools; a thorough acquaintance with it is what Augustine meant when he spoke of people “thinking about lofty things.” Rhetoric was highly respected in those days; Being himself a brilliant rhetorician, Augustine clearly saw the shortcomings of rhetorical schools and repeatedly pointed out them. Wed. “Confession”, I, 18, 29: “if a person... utters the word homo without aspiration... then people will be more indignant than if, contrary to Your commandments, he, a man, hates a person.” The scripture that Augustine took up after Cicero “seemed to me unworthy even of comparison with Cicero. My arrogance did not reconcile with his simplicity...” 3, 5. Augustine insisted on a symbolic interpretation of the Old Testament. Wed. “Confession” 5. 6. 10: “I learned from You that eloquent statements should not seem true because they are eloquent, and awkward ones ... are false, because they are awkward...” Did the ancients write without separating words? one from the other. In order to separate them correctly, a certain culture and skill were required. Therefore, at school, the teacher himself first read the text assigned to the students, and they, following him, marked the words according to their copies. This refers to church turmoil, which he usually denotes by the word scandalum. In the original, “the hen covers her chickens with weary feathers” (longuidulis plumis) is the usual enalage, when the definition is transferred from an object precisely defined by it to some feature of this object: not “ira fnlvi leonis,” “the wrath of the red lion,” but “ira fulva leonis,” “the red wrath of the lion.” In this case the definition is transferred from the chicken to its feathers; you can’t say “exhausted feathers” in Russian, but these “exhausted feathers” testify to St. Augustine’s amazing powers of observation: the hen’s feathers, crumpled, dirty, torn here and there, really have a “exhausted” appearance. Augustine was interested in the psychology of crowds; He also speaks about the “psychic infection” spreading with the speed and inevitability of a plague infection in “Confession”: his participation in the theft of pears committed by a group of tomboys, to which he belonged (“I alone would not have done this”); the behavior of his friend Alypius in the amphitheater, where he, resisting, was forcibly dragged by his comrades. Here he gave an excellent picture of this infection in a few lines. It is unknown which gladiators were called synths. Gladiators were usually distinguished by their weapons. Among the different types of gladiators known from images and mentioned in literary monuments, only Augustine names synths. Perhaps their weapons and clothing were local, specifically “African”. Manichaeans - and they are in the 4th century. according to R. Chr. were still strong - they believed that Christ could not be “stained by the flesh,” which, according to their ideas, was evil. Augustine, who was himself a Manichaean for quite a long time, did not miss an opportunity to refute their errors. You might be interested in: