Brief moralizing words

Contents Word one. About testing yourself Second word. The third word about holy Baptism. The fourth word is about our adoption to God. The fifth word is about our renunciations and vows made at Baptism. The sixth word is about our renewal through holy Baptism. About the battle between the flesh and the spirit, which is in a Christian, the seventh Word. The eighth word about the misfortune of a Christian who lives lawlessly after holy Baptism. The ninth word about repentance. The tenth word about the incarnation of the Son of God. The eleventh word about death. The Twelfth Word on the Last Judgment of Christ. The thirteenth Word is about the same thing. The fourteenth word about eternity. Fifteenth Word on the First Christian Deed. About the Christian education of children The sixteenth word. About conscience The seventeenth word. About the Gospel Word Eighteenth. The nineteenth word about the honor and nobility of true Christians. The Twentieth Word on Sin. About the feat against sin Word twenty-one. The Twenty-Second Word on the Threats of God. About pride Word twenty-third. About malice Word twenty-four. About love Word twenty-fifth. About the love of God Word twenty-six. About love for one's neighbor Word twenty-seven. About the two fruits of love for one's neighbor. Word twenty-eighth. About eternal torment and eternal life First word. About testing yourself “Test yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; examine yourselves” (2 Cor. 13:5). God bless! We are all called Christians, we all confess the One Trinitarian God, the living and immortal God; we were all baptized in the name of the holy and consubstantial Trinity, Father and Son and Holy Spirit; We all believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, crucified and risen from the dead, and to commemorate this, we mark ourselves with the cross; We all enter the Holy Church and pray, and call, sing and glorify the holy name of God; We all listen to God’s holy Word; We all partake of the holy and life-giving Mysteries of Christ; We are all called to eternal life and the heavenly kingdom, and we say in the Holy Symbol: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the next century.” Thank God for this and for everything! Truly glorious and magnificent are the Mysteries of Christianity, listeners! It is great and glorious to be a Christian! But let us look around and test ourselves to see if we are true Christians, according to the apostolic admonition: “Test yourselves, whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5). For without faith a Christian cannot be. We show signs of Christianity, as stated above, but do we have true Christianity within ourselves? After all, everything external without the internal is nothing, and external signs without the truth itself are lies and hypocrisy. We all boast of our faith, but do we do works consistent with faith, as the apostle says to everyone: “Show me your faith by your works” (James 2:18)? We are called Christians from Christ, but have we crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts, as befits Christians who believe in the crucified Christ, which the Apostle teaches: “Those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). Do we feel within ourselves that spiritual joyful anointing that St. wrote about? Apostle John (1 John 2:27)? We believe in the Gospel, but do we live worthy of the Gospel? We confess and call on the true God, but do we please Him with faith and a clear conscience, which He requires of us? We listen to God’s holy Word, but do we heed it and correct ourselves according to its rule? We partake of the holy and life-giving Mysteries of the body and blood of Christ, but are we renewed from Holy Communion and are we creating a spiritual, new person within ourselves? Let’s look at all this and more and look at how we live, how we are, how we think, how we speak, how we act, with what heart we turn to the all-seeing God and how we treat each other. And having considered all this, let us correct ourselves, so that we may be Christians not only in name, but also in truth. We have become Christians by the grace of God, but let us try to have true Christianity within ourselves. We were baptized into the one Trinitarian God and received the gift of holiness and justification, but let us try to preserve this heavenly treasure to the end. We believe in the crucified Jesus Christ, and let us try to follow Him by faith and, each taking up his own cross, follow him. We confess and invoke the heavenly God, and let us try to please Him with heavenly morals. Let us listen to God's Word, and let us try to live as it teaches us. Looking forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century, let us try to live in this world worthy of the resurrection of the dead and eternal life, and, turning away from the vanity of this world, strive for only eternal blessings. Let us begin the holy and heavenly meal of the Mysteries of Christ, and let us try so that this heavenly and life-giving Bread brings into us life, sanctification, enlightenment, renewal, joy and spiritual consolation. So we will show our faith by our works. So, not only in name, but in reality we will be Christians. “God, be merciful to us and bless us, show us Your bright face and have mercy on us. Let us know on earth Your way, Your salvation, revealed in the presence of all nations” (Ps. 67:2-3). Amen. Second word. About Holy Baptism “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). This word was spoken by our Lord our Savior for our strengthening and consolation: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” What could be more comforting for a faithful and baptized soul than these words, which promise it eternal salvation? Beloved Christians! Glory to God, and we believe in the Gospel and are enlightened by holy Baptism. But let us look at the power of holy Baptism and see what we were like before Baptism and what we became after Baptism, so that we may receive living consolation from this. Through Holy Baptism we were delivered from great disaster and received all true bliss through the grace of God. Before Baptism we were removed from God, but through Baptism we came closer to God. Before Baptism we were enemies of God, but through Baptism we were reconciled with God, and God was reconciled with us. Before Baptism we were children of the wrath of God, but after Baptism we became vessels of God’s mercy. Before Baptism, we were children of darkness and children of the devil, but, having been baptized, we became children of light and children of God. Before Baptism, we were defiled by sins, but through Baptism we were “washed, sanctified, and justified” (1 Cor. 6:11). Before Baptism we were lost, but after being baptized we became saved. Before Baptism, the doors to eternal life and the heavenly kingdom were closed to us, but with Baptism they were opened, and those who preserve the grace of holy Baptism enter there without hindrance. We receive these and other blessings of God through holy Baptism, and we receive them freely, without any merit of ours, through God’s love for mankind alone. For what can a lost person deserve? Glory to the goodness of God, glory to His love for mankind, glory to His mercy, glory to His bounty! Blessed be the name of the Lord from now on and forever! All this highest God's mercy was earned for us by the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, our Savior, by His precious Blood and death. Beloved Christians! Let us remember Holy Baptism and examine whether we live worthy of Holy Baptism, so that this very Baptism will not be a greater condemnation for us on the day of the Last Judgment of Christ, where every criminal word, deed and thought is judged. Amen. Word three. About our adoption to God “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). Oh goodness! Oh, God's love for mankind! Oh, how much God’s love has overcome! Oh, how abundantly God's grace abounded! Poor and rejected sinners were made children of God! The Apostle of Christ is surprised at this and says: “Look what love the Father has given us, that we should be called and be children of God.” What could be more amazing than for a sinner to become a child of God? God's love for man created this. What is more glorious than to be called and to be a child of God? God's grace gave this to man. It is glorious to be a child of an earthly king, but it is incomparably more glorious to be a child of God, the King of Heaven. This honor, glory, dignity, nobility and name - all the titles of this world are incomparably superior. Glory to God, the lover of mankind, for this! If Christians are children of God, then they are also heirs: “heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17). If they are children of God, then who and what should they fear? Why be afraid of slanderers, enemies, the devil, demons, death and hell? God is for them: “If God is for us, who can be against us” (Rom. 8:31)? We receive this highest gift of God in Baptism, for then we are born of God and receive this glorious title. Beloved Christians! Let us remember Holy Baptism and God’s highest mercy shown to us then. We then became children of God. Thank God for this! But children are required to be like their parents: “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). Therefore, Christians, as those born of God, must become like God. So let us show by deeds that we are children of God. Holy is God, let us be holy too. God is righteous, and we will be righteous. God is good, “for He makes His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45), - we too will be good, and we will do good to our friends and enemies, those who love us and those who hate us. God is merciful, let us also be merciful, and show mercy to our needy brethren. God hates sin, and we will also hate every sin and turn away from every sin. God loves us, and we will love each other. God forgives our sins when we repent, and we will also forgive the sins of people. The Apostle of Christ calls us to this: “Imitate God, as beloved children” (Eph. 5:1). If we show such morals in ourselves, then we will become true children of God, and we will receive the inheritance and all the benefits promised to the children of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Word four. About our renunciations and vows made at Baptism Holy Baptism is like a door through which those being baptized enter the Holy Church and become close to God and fellow saints, but they do not just enter, but before Baptism they make renunciations and vows. 1) We then renounce Satan and all his evil deeds. Satan is a crafty and evil spirit; he was created by a good God, but with his like-minded people he departed from Him, and so from light he became dark, and from good he became evil and evil. His deeds are as follows: idolatry, pride, wickedness, lies, flattery, cunning, envy, malice, theft, adultery, fornication, all uncleanness, slander, blasphemy and every sin. For he is the inventor of sin, he deceived our first parents in paradise and led them to sin and apostasy from God. We renounce this evil spirit and all its evil deeds before Baptism. 2) We renounce all the vanity, pride and pomp of this world, as those called and renewed to eternal life. 3) We promise to serve Christ, the Son of God, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, with faith and truth and to follow His footsteps. 4) This is how the covenant is established between God and us. We, having renounced Satan, promise to serve God and be faithful to Him. God accepts us in His highest mercy, and promises us the inheritance of eternal life and the kingdom, and we, defiled by sins, washes, sanctifies and justifies us with the bath of Baptism, therefore the priest greets each baptized person: “Thou art washed, thou art sanctified, thou art justified” (see 1 Cor. 6:11). Beloved Christians! Let us remember these renunciations and vows and look around, are we keeping them? For it is hard for God to lie, and it is very dangerous to lie before Him. Let us look around to see if any of us turned back to Satan, and renounced Christ, and forsaken Him? Let's look around, whose side are we on, Satan's or Christ's? He who fulfills whose will serves him and belongs to him. Christ is renounced not only by those who renounce His holy name and do not confess Him as the Son of God and their Savior, but also by those who unscrupulously and fearlessly violate His holy commandments. This is the apostolic teaching. For the apostle says: “They say that they know God; but by works they deny” and so on (Tit. 1:16). You see that by deeds, and not just by lips, people deny God. Whether anyone commits fornication or commits adultery, he has renounced Christ and turned to Satan. If anyone is angry with his neighbor and thinks about how to harm him, he has left Christ and joined the devil. Whether someone steals, abducts or takes away goods from his neighbor, he has retreated from Christ and joined Satan. Does anyone deceive or seduce his neighbor - no longer with Christ, but with Satan, and so on. All such people do not fulfill their vows that they made to God, and therefore they lied to God. Let us consider, beloved, our conscience and life, on whose side are we, Christ’s or his opponent, good or evil, being saved or perishing? He who is not with Christ is with the devil and opposes Christ. For Christ himself says: “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30)! Beloved! Let us be careful and be with Christ here in this world, as we promised at Baptism. We will be here with Christ, so that in the next century we will be with Christ according to His true promise: “Where I am, there will My servant also be” (John 12:26). Let us serve Him here as our King and God, so that on the day of judgment He will recognize us as His servants, and count us among His faithful servants, and open the doors of eternal joy to us. Amen. The fifth word. About our renewal through holy Baptism “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). In Holy Baptism, Christian, we are renewed for a holy, Christian, new life and, putting off the old man, we put on the new, spiritual man and, putting aside the evil of the old Adam, we perceive the goodness of the new, Jesus Christ, and so we become a new creation, according to the teaching of the apostles: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation” (2 Cor. 5:17). Therefore, holy Baptism is called the bath of regeneration (Titus 3:5). For before Baptism we were dead, as if we had died from sin, and incapable of any good deed—what can a dead person do? - and therefore before God they were as if non-existent, for for God he is only alive who is dead to sin. But in holy Baptism we are quickened by the grace of God, and, having renounced sin, we are renewed to a holy and pious life. Every Christian has, as it were, two births: the old, that is, carnal, and the new, that is, spiritual. The old birth is from its parents: it is conceived in iniquities, and is born in sins (Ps. 50:7). The second birth is spiritual, and through it one is reborn to a spiritual, holy and heavenly life, and this life is received from Christ, which is why it is called a Christian, for from whom a person is born is called by his name. In carnal birth we inherit pride, arrogance, arrogance, arrogance, conceit, contempt for our neighbor; With spiritual birth are associated humility, humiliation and humiliation of oneself. In a carnal birth we receive unbelief, but in a spiritual birth we receive faith. In carnal birth we inherit fearlessness, and in spiritual birth we inherit the fear of God. The carnal birth is associated with disobedience, disobedience, disobedience and opposition to God, while the spiritual birth is associated with obedience, submission and obedience. Carnal birth includes ingratitude, and spiritual birth includes gratitude to God. For the carnal - negligence about the honor and glory of God, and for the spiritual - diligence and concern for the glory of God. In carnal birth we inherit hope in ourselves, in our honor, wealth, in our strength, in man and every creature, but in spiritual birth hope appears only in God alone. In carnal birth we find anger, rage, malice and the desire to take revenge in word and deed, while with spiritual birth we find meekness, kindness and long-suffering. In carnal birth we receive immoderate pride, but spiritual birth includes love of God and love of mankind. The carnal includes stinginess, love of money, unmercifulness and concern only for oneself, while the spiritual includes mercy, generosity and sympathy, and the desire to help one’s neighbor. Envy and all the evil that results from it are connected with the carnal, and love and compassion for the misfortune of one’s neighbor and joy for his happiness are connected with the spiritual. Flattery, deceit, lies, cunning and hypocrisy are associated with the carnal, and simplicity and truth are associated with the spiritual. With the carnal - theft, theft and all untruths, but with the spiritual - truth. With the carnal - uncleanness, intemperance or lust, and with the spiritual - purity, chastity and abstinence. In carnal birth we inherit love for this world, that is, “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16), in other words, carnal wisdom; in the spiritual we find contempt for this world and all its vanity and spiritual wisdom, that is, the desire for heavenly and eternal blessings. In a word, evil behavior refers to carnal birth, and good character refers to spiritual birth. Here we see what the fruits of the flesh are and what the spiritual birth is. Holy Scripture, when it commands us to move away from sin, commands us to move away from the fruits of the old birth, that is, carnal birth, and when it teaches us to do good, it teaches us to show the fruits of the new birth. “Turn away from evil and do good” (Ps. 33:15). “Let everyone who confesses the name of the Lord depart from unrighteousness” (2 Tim. 2:19). Beloved Christians! We, thank God, are born again and renewed in holy Baptism, as said above. Let us look around, do we show the fruits of the new birth? Are we living as the new birth requires? For birth cannot be something dead, but must be alive, and therefore it must also show fruits consistent with itself. Let us also show the fruits of our new birth, so as not to appear barren before our Lord and not hear His terrible word: “I do not know you” (Matthew 25:12). Word six. About the war between flesh and spirit that is in a Christian “Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the desires of the flesh, for the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh: they oppose each other, so that you do not do what you would like” (Gal. 5:16-17). Every Christian, as stated above, has two births: the old, that is, carnal, and the spiritual, new; and they, one another, are opposite in everything. Carnal birth is flesh, but spiritual birth is spirit. “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit” (John 3:6). And since both of these births are opposite to each other, then enmity and struggle arises between the flesh and the spirit in a Christian: “the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit is contrary to the flesh.” The flesh wants to kill the spirit, but the spirit wants to kill the flesh. The flesh wants to conquer the spirit, but the spirit wants to conquer the flesh. The flesh wants to possess the spirit, and the spirit wants to possess the flesh. The flesh wants to be proud, to magnify itself, to exalt itself; the spirit does not want, but wants to be humble. The flesh wants to be angry, angry, quarrel, take revenge in deed or word; the spirit does not want this, but wants to forgive everything with meekness. The flesh wants to commit fornication and adultery, but the spirit turns away from this and wants chastity. The flesh wants to kidnap, steal, rob someone else's property in every possible way, but the spirit turns away from this and wants to give away its own. The flesh wants to deceive, flatter, lie, deceive, deceive and be a hypocrite, but the spirit hates all this and wants to abide in the truth and act simply. The flesh wants to hate a person, but the spirit wants to love him. The flesh wants to live in idleness, to be lazy, but the spirit turns away from this and wants to exercise itself in blessed labors. The flesh wants to go out, get drunk, have banquets and feasts, but the spirit turns away from this and wants to either live in moderation or fast. The flesh wants to seek glory, honor, and wealth in this world, but the spirit despises all this and strives only for eternal blessings, and so on. Thus, “the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, and the spirit desires what is contrary to the flesh.” A Christian, as one who has been renewed, must live not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, and must subdue the flesh to the Spirit according to the apostolic admonition: “Walk according to the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh” (Gal. 5:16). And this means “crucify the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24), “do not turn cares for the flesh into lusts” (Rom. 13:14), “avoid the fleshly lusts that attack the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11), “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4), not allow sin to reign over oneself (Rom. 6:12), “to live for Christ, who died for us and rose again” (2 Cor. 5:15). Beloved Christians! Let's look around, are we waging this internal struggle, are we in this saving feat, are we walking in the renewal of life, are we resisting the inclinations and lusts of the flesh, are we not allowing sin to reign and possess us? For only those of Christ “who have crucified the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24). What is the use of being called a Christian but not being a Christian? A true Christian is shown not by the Christian name, but by deeds against the flesh and all sin. Not everything that the flesh demands must be allowed. She requires food, requires drink, requires clothing, requires rest and everything else that she needs, we will give, but when she wants something that is contrary to the will of God and His law, we will not allow her, so that not only in name, but also in essence, we can be Christians. Amen. The seventh word. About the misfortune of a Christian who lives lawlessly after holy Baptism “It happens to them according to the true proverb: a dog returns to his vomit, and a pig that has been washed goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Pet. 2:22) It is impossible to sufficiently describe and mourn the disastrous state of that Christian who, after holy Baptism, indulged in lawless deeds and lives lawlessly. He is deprived of all the bliss that he was granted by God’s grace at baptism, and he voluntarily plunges himself into the very disaster from which he was delivered, but he ends up in even greater disaster. For he knew the truth, but did not want to live in it; knew God, but did not want to honor Him; knew the path leading to eternal bliss, but did not want to follow it; promised to serve God, but lied to Him about it; washed, sanctified, justified, but lost all this; became a child of God, but lost this glorious nobility; became the heir to eternal life and the kingdom, but he destroyed this inheritance. Therefore, the apostle says about such: “It would be better for them not to know the way of righteousness, than, having known it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them” (2 Pet. 2:21). Do you see, Christian, what is the misfortune of a lawless Christian! It is not visible now, since it is not seen with the eyes of the body, but with the eyes of the soul. But then it will appear when all our secret and obvious deeds are revealed to the whole world, that is, at the time of the second coming of Christ. Then such a poor Christian will know and see his great misfortune and destruction. Truly, a lot of tears and crying are needed to mourn the condition of such a Christian. Just as someone who has washed himself in a bathhouse with dirt and feces again becomes dirty, so a Christian who has washed himself in the bath of Baptism is again defiled by lawlessness. Anyone who lives lawlessly after holy Baptism acts like one who, having dressed himself in purple and fine linen instead of vile rags, again takes off this beautiful robe and dresses in his vile rags. For even such a one, instead of sinful rags, put on the robe of Christ’s justification, but, rejecting this beautiful robe, he again put on sinful rags. He acts in the same way as someone who, having come out of darkness into the light, returns to darkness again, for he came out of sinful darkness into the light to Christ, the True Light, but again returned to sinful darkness. Just as one who has been freed from slavery and captivity is released and again returns to that bitter captivity, so a Christian living lawlessly was delivered by the grace of Christ from bitter slavery and captivity of the devil, but again returned to this disaster. Just as a person freed from a deep ditch falls again into that ditch, so a lawless Christian was taken out of the ditch of eternal destruction, but again he arbitrarily plunged himself into this ditch. “It happens to him according to the true proverb: a dog returns to his vomit, and a pig that has been washed goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Pet. 2:22). In such a disastrous state are: 1) Fornicators, adulterers and everyone who defiles themselves in any way. 2) Thieves, kidnappers, robbers and all those who somehow unjustly steal other people's property. 3) People who are evil and in any way cause harm to their neighbor and his life. 4) Crafty, cunning, hypocrites who somehow deceive their neighbors. 5) Slanders, foul-mouthed people and slanderers. 6) Judges who perform trials in favor of bribery and gifts, and not by the power of oath and truth. 7) Gentlemen who either torture their peasants or burden them with excessive taxes and work. 8) Merchants who sell a bad thing for a good one, and a cheap one for an expensive one, and a rotten one for a good one, and ask for a higher price for the goods than it is worth. 9) Sorcerers and those who turn to them. 10) Everyone is against their conscience and fearlessly violating the law of God. It happens to all of them according to the true proverb: “the dog returns to his vomit, and the washed pig goes to wallow in the mud.” Beloved Christians, washed by the bath of holy Baptism! Let's look at ourselves, has any of us returned from Christ to the devil, and fallen into the disastrous state described above? He who does devilish things has returned to the devil and serves him, but has already fallen behind Christ. Woe to Christians who live lawlessly after Holy Baptism! “It will be more bearable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment” (Matthew 10:15) than for such Christians. Poor Christian! Look around and beware lest you become an eternal captive of the devil and destruction, “where their worm does not die and the fire does not go out.” God, have mercy on Your rational creation, created in Your image! Amen. Word eight. About repentance “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). For those who have sinned after holy Baptism, only one hope remains - true repentance. Thank God for this, thank God we are not dead yet! Sinners! There is still hope, God’s bounties have not yet ended, repentance is still preached to sinners, the good news is still preached to the poor, the mercy of the Heavenly King is still proclaimed everywhere, the doors of mercy are not yet closed, the grace of God is still open to all, the Gospel and the Lamb of God, “who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29), is still preached, the kingdom of God is still proclaimed; sinners who still repent are saved, and publicans and adulterers, cleansed by repentance, enter the kingdom of God; the still merciful God calls, and expects, and promises mercy to all who turn away from Himself; the still child-loving Father of prodigal sons, who return from a distant country, receives them, and opens the doors of His house to them, and dresses them in the best clothing, and gives a ring to each hand, and boots to put on their feet, and commands all His holy family to rejoice over them: Rejoice, Angels, and all My chosen ones! Sinners turn to Me, people, My creation, created in My image and likeness, the lost are saved, the dead are quickened and the lost are found. Glory to His goodness, glory to His love for mankind, glory to His mercy, glory to His bounty! Poor sinners! Why do we hesitate in a distant country and do not go to our Father? Why are we dying of hunger? Why do we eat iniquities, like “the horns that swine ate” (Luke 15:16)? In our Father's house there is all abundance, and there the mercenaries are filled to abundance. With great zeal and desire, our Father is waiting for us, and he will kindly see us returning to Him from afar, and will look at us with merciful eyes, and we will be dear to Him, and so he will throw himself on our necks, and will embrace us, and kiss us with the kiss of His holy love, and will not reprimand us, and will not remember our sins and our iniquities, and all the saints will begin to rejoice and have fun over us. Angels and His chosen ones. Let us come to our senses, and having risen, let us go and hasten to our Father, and say to Him with humility and regret: “Father! I have sinned against heaven and before you and am no longer worthy to be called your son; accept me as one of your hired servants” (Luke 15:18–19). Let us hasten, let us hasten, sinners, before time runs out, while the Father waits, until the doors of His holy house are shut! Let us repent while God’s mercy is active, so as not to experience God’s righteousness—eternal judgment. Amen. The ninth word. About the Incarnation of the Son of God “The Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). The very incarnation of the Son of God and His coming into the world greatly encourages sinners to repentance. For whom did Christ come into the world? For the sake of sinners. For what purpose? For their salvation. Oh, how dear God has set our salvation! For the sake of our salvation, O sinners, He came into the world. Listen, sinners, and understand! God Himself came into the world for our salvation, and came in our image. Oh, truly “great is the mystery of godliness: God was revealed in the flesh” (1 Tim. 3:16). “Lord, what is man that You have revealed yourself to him? What is the son of man that You think about him” (Ps. 143:3)? Truly wonderful is the goodness of God towards man, and His incarnation is wonderful! Anticipating it, the prophet exclaimed to Him with fear and horror: “Lord, I heard a rumor about You, and I was afraid. Lord, I understood Your works and was terrified” (Hab. 3:1-2). Sinners! Let us remember this great work of God, created for us, and repent. Let us remember how for our sake he was born of a Virgin, and was a Child, and fed on his mother’s milk, and the Invisible One became visible, and the Beginningless One took on the beginning, and was wrapped in swaddling clothes like a baby, and the Intangible One became tangible, and “the Word became flesh” (John 1:14). Let us remember how, while still a baby, he ran away from the murderer of King Herod. Let us remember how he lived and wandered on earth, how he moved from place to place and worked for our salvation, how he who was unapproachable to the Cherubim and Seraphim stayed with sinners, and how he who has heaven as his throne and earth as his footstool, who dwells “in the unapproachable light,” did not have “where to lay his head” (1 Tim. 6:16; Matt. 8:20); as “He, being rich, became poor, that we through His poverty might become rich” (2 Cor. 8:9). Let us remember how He who clothed himself with light, as if with a robe, clothed himself with perishable clothing; as He who gives food to all flesh ate the bread of the earth; how the Almighty was weak and gave strength to everyone - he was troubled. Let us remember how the One who is above all honor and glory was blasphemed, reviled and ridiculed by lawless lips. Let us remember how he suffered, yearned, grieved, cried and was horrified. Let us remember how he was sold and betrayed by an ungrateful student, and was abandoned by other students; how he was tied up and taken to trial; how the lawless judged Him, struck Him, scourged Him, mocked Him, how they dressed Him in a robe of reproach, and crowned Him with a crown of thorns, and beat Him on the head with a cane, and spat on Him, and mocked Him, saying: “Hail, King of the Jews” (John 19:3)! Let us remember how He heard from His lawless people: “Take, take, crucify Him” (John 19:15)! - how he was led to crucifixion with two villains, and on the cross between two villains the Son of God was crucified and died on the cross. The Son of God created all this for our salvation, O sinners! We lost salvation and all our bliss in Adam, but Christ, the Son of God, with the good will of His Heavenly Father, returned it to us. Let us judge for ourselves, sinners, whether it is not the Blood of Christ itself, shed for our salvation, and all His care cries out to us, so that we may repent and thus not be deprived of eternal salvation. For without repentance there is no salvation for anyone. However, the damned sinner does not care about this. The humane God showed such a wonderful Providence about him, so that he would repent and thus be saved, but the sinner ignores this. Christ the Son of God in the Gospel represents His coming into the world for his sake, presents to him His free humiliation, His free poverty, His free and deep humility, His labors, illnesses, sorrows, sorrows, suffering and death, the death of the cross, and says to him: “Man! I accepted and endured all this for the sake of you and your salvation, but you are careless about your salvation. You are careless because you do not want to repent and, having stopped sinning, take advantage of My Blood and be revived.” But the sinner, although he hears this pitiful and sweet voice of Jesus in the Gospel, nevertheless does not care about it. Christ promises him not to remember his sins and iniquities if he turns to Him, but the sinner neglects this. Christ calls him to Himself and promises him peace, but the sinner does not heed this. He remains faulty, as he was, lives lawlessly, as he lived, does evil deeds, as he did, loves darkness, as he loved, hates the light, as he hated, and therefore does not come to the light, and remains with the devil, the prince of darkness. O poor sinner! Wake up and feel yourself. If you do not do this, then the very Blood of Christ, shed for you, will cry out for vengeance on you. Listen to what the prophet of God says to you on behalf of God: “I will reprove you, and bring your sins before your face” (Ps. 49:21). That is, all your evil deeds, words, thoughts, plans, and undertakings will follow you into that age and appear at the world court of Christ, and you will receive your worthy reward for them. If you do not want to repent now with benefit for yourself and thus be saved by the grace of Christ, then you will repent, but it will be late and useless. “Awake, O sleeper, and rise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you” (Eph. 5:14), “God who rules over all,” blessed forever and ever. Amen. “It is appointed for men to die once” (Heb. 9:27). Death has the power to motivate one to repentance. Death is known and unknown to us. Known because we will all die, but unknown because we don’t know when, how and where we will die. The more we live, the more our life shortens, and our days become shorter, and we get closer to death, and today we are closer to it than we were yesterday, and at this hour than an hour ago. Death follows everyone invisibly, and delights him when he is not expecting it. Almost all people, especially healthy and strong ones, dream like this, thinking to themselves: I will still live, my death is not yet visible, I will collect and be satisfied with the collected benefits. But then death unexpectedly attacks him, and then all his dreams and thoughts perish (Ps. 145:5). The one who promised himself a long life will soon die. He who wanted to collect and become rich leaves both the world and his body in the world. So the death is unknown to us, Christians. The humane God, having care for us, made our death unknown to us, so that we would always be ready for it and remain in true repentance. With what a person comes out of this world, he will appear with it at the judgment of Christ. Sinners! Let us think diligently about this and repent, so that we do not pass away with our sins to that age and not appear at the Last Judgment. The merciful God promised to show us His grace and mercy, but did not promise tomorrow. Let us carefully listen to this, and awaken from sleep, and, remembering our death, correct ourselves and prepare ourselves for the outcome, in order to die blissfully. “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord” (Rev. 14:13). He dies in the Lord who dies in repentance, faith, and true prayer. That hour is terrible for everyone. All the saints, looking at that hour, cried and so propitiated the humane God, so that he would deliver them at that hour. It is amazing that saints, looking at that hour, cry, but sinners do not cry, although every day they see their brothers dying. Poor sinners! Why are we sleeping? Behold, the devil, like a thief, steals our salvation. Let us imprint that hour in our memory, and we will be ready. From the hour of death a person will either be eternally blessed or eternally poor. Here the doors to eternity are opened for everyone, and he will go either to a happy or unhappy eternity. From this moment a person begins to either live forever or die forever. Where are those who lived before us now and lived in luxury, pleasures, and impenitence? They have departed from this world, and have left all their pleasures, and remain in their places, and await the final judgment, where they will fully accept their deeds. Therefore, before this hour has come to us, let us turn with a pure heart to our God, and be reconciled with Him through repentance and faith, in order to receive eternal life. The holy apostles admonish and pray to us about this in their writings: “In the name of Christ, and as if God Himself exhorts through us; On behalf of Christ we ask: be reconciled with God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:20–21). Amen. Word eleven. About the Last Judgment of Christ “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his deeds” (Rev. 22:12). Beloved Christians! I tremble and tremble with fear, hearing and reflecting on these words: “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his deeds.” Who is speaking? God is great and terrible. What is he talking about? That He Himself comes to judge the universe and reward everyone according to their deeds. Poor sinners! What do you think about when you hear these words? God Himself comes to judge and reward you according to your deeds. Be afraid of sinning and living lawlessly. God Himself is coming to judge you, coming with power and much glory. Have mercy, Lord, have mercy on Your creation, for no one is sinless, only You alone. Terrible, beloved, is the day and hour in which God will judge sinners. Human judgment is terrible for us, but God’s judgment is incomparably more terrible. At the human court, a person like us is judged; at that court, God Himself judges. At a human court, witnesses accuse or acquit a person - there they are not needed, for the Judge himself knows everything completely. In human court they often look at faces, and the rich are preferred to the poor, and the noble to the humble - there the Judge does not look at faces, but judges according to conscience and deeds. At the human court, people often help people with their intercession: the noble to the noble, the rich to the rich, friends to friends - this will not happen there, but everyone will be responsible for themselves. In human judgment, silver and gold often protect a person, but this will not happen there. In human judgment, eloquence and cunning often help a person, but there they become silent and numb. At the human judgment, a man is convicted and judged before a few; there, before the whole world, a sinner will be convicted and judged. At the human court only external deeds are judged, and at that court also secret thoughts. At the human court, only evil deeds are judged - at that court, “people will give an answer for idle words” (Matthew 12:36). If an answer must be given there for an idle word, what do those people hope for who defile their soul and body with uncleanness; those who shed the tears of widows and orphans; those who steal and kidnap other people's property; those who cut and kill their neighbor with their tongue, like a sword; those who are cunning and deceive people; what do other wicked people hope for, who feed on wickedness as on bread. “Behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his deeds.” Christians, the chosen race! We see the first coming of Christ our God, we will see the second, as He Himself promises: “Behold, I am coming quickly,” and so on. The holy prophets proclaimed the first to the world, as if saying: Christ is coming, Christ is coming into the world, and he has come; Church teachers proclaim to us about the second, always repeating: here comes, here comes Christ again into the world - and will unexpectedly appear! His first coming was quiet and humble, and the second will be quick and glorious, “for as lightning comes from the east and is visible even to the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man” (Matthew 24:27). In the first coming the world saw Him suffering and dying for our sins, and in the second it will see Him sitting on the throne of His glory, judging the sins of sinners, and rewarding everyone according to their deeds. Now He says to sinners: “Repent,” and then He will say: “Answer Me!” Now He calls sinners to Himself: “Come to Me,” and then He will say to unrepentant sinners: “Depart from Me” (Matthew 25:34, 41). Where? “Into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.” Oh, how scary this word is! Poor sinners! That day has not yet come, the Judge is still “patient with us, not desiring destruction for anyone” (2 Pet. 3:9), is still awaiting our repentance, is not yet judging us, and is still showing mercy to everyone who repents and prays. Let us also repent in order to receive mercy from Him, and to be worthy to stand at His right hand at His coming, and to hear from Him an all-favorable voice: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). Amen. Word twelfth. About the same “I will reprove you and bring your sins before you” (Ps. 49:21) This word is scary too, beloved! “I will reprove you and bring your sins before your face.” For this is also the word that the great God speaks. To whom? To the sinner, as it is written above in the same psalm: “God said to the sinner.” What is he talking about? That He will convict the sinner for all his sins and will present all his lawless deeds before his face. Where? At the world court, where all the holy Angels will be and all the people who lived from the beginning to the end of the world will gather. At that world meeting, every sinner will be exposed, and his unscrupulous and ungodly actions will appear before him and will be revealed to the whole world. “I will reprove you and bring your sins before your face. You, sinner, did this and that: if you saw a thief, you hurried along with him, and communicated with adulterers, your mouth multiplied slander, and your tongue weaved deceits; sitting (in the assembly), you slandered your brother, and caused your mother’s son to stumble” (Ps. 49:18-20). Sinner! You destroy My law and “reject my words” completely, and you think that all this will go unpunished and I will not punish you for it? “How did the wicked anger God? By saying in his heart: “He will not require it” (Ps. 9:34). No, no, it won’t be as you lawlessly dream and flatter yourself. I will punish you for everything you have done, and I will present all your lawless deeds, words, thoughts, undertakings, plans and deeds before you. Here you are, a sinner, you thought and planned this and that, did and said this and that, and so you destroyed My eternal and indestructible law, and you despised and trampled on the words of My mouth, the holy words. “I will reprove you and bring your sins before your face.” The fornicator and every defiler will be presented with all his nasty dreams, words, views and deeds, where and when he committed them, and with whom he mixed with uncleanness. The evil one will imagine who he harmed and with what, to whom and when he gave the poisoned cup with poison, and so his life was either taken away or shortened; whom and before whom he dishonored with his slander, and thus was the cause of his dishonor, reproach, desecration, ridicule, sadness, and other things. The thief and the plunderer will see before him all his thieving deeds, done secretly, or openly, or by deception. Each of them will see where, and what, and from whom he brazenly stole, or treacherously misappropriated, or secretly stole. The lawless merchant will see how he sold goods unscrupulously and deceived people; like rotten things for good, and cheap for expensive, and he sold some things for others; how much water he mixed into the wine, how many times and for what goods he demanded a higher price than it was worth, and so he acted shamelessly. Here you are, at such and such a time, in the sale of your goods, you deceived, and so acted against your conscience, and you honored your nasty profit more than My commandment, which says: “Thou shalt not steal.” The wicked and flatterer will see all his insidious plans laid out in front of him and will be exposed when, whom and in what he deceived and deceived and whom he flattered with his tongue. The detractor and scolder will be presented with all his blasphemies that he spewed against God, his Creator and His saints, and against other people created in the likeness of God, and will be exposed where, when and before whom he spoke those destructive words. The wicked boss will be presented with his negligence about his subordinates, violence, bitterness of the people entrusted to him, and his other lawless deeds. The careless shepherd will be shown his neglect of the flock of Christ and his other sins. The bribe-taker judge will see the crime of oath and oath, the trampling of the truth and the judgment of God and other iniquities committed by him. A negligent parent will see his negligence in raising his children, and that as a result they have become corrupted and perished, and the temptations that he gave to the children will appear before him. The lawless master will be presented with all his insolence, violence and bitterness that he inflicted on his slaves and peasants, and either inhumanly tortured them, or burdened them with unbearable work and quitrents. In a word, every sinner’s sins, which he secretly or openly committed, will appear with him there and will be presented to him. They will introduce themselves to you, whimsical and peace-loving people. Your banquets, your feasts, your balls, your operas, your masquerades, your dances, your card games, your dog hunts and your other amusements will be presented to you, for you have turned your hearts away from God, whom you professed, and attached them to this vanity; and they turned their desire not to God and His kingdom, but to the delights of the world, and in that they found their consolation and joy. Then, instead of passing joy, you will see your real and eternal sorrow, sadness, illness and sighing. “I will reprove you and bring your sins before your face.” Then every sinner will be convicted and hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The fornicator will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The thief, the plunderer and the robber will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The vindictive one will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The evil one and the hypocrite will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The lawless leader will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The bribe-taking judge will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” A careless parent and a seducer will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The lawless shepherd will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The wicked master will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” The unscrupulous slave and every subordinate will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” Finally, every sinner who has not been cleansed by repentance will hear: “Here is the man and his deeds!” He will hear, and will cover his shame and disgrace, and will embrace him with fear, trembling and horror. Then they will say to the mountains and stones: “Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb; for the great day of His wrath has come, and who can stand” (Rev. 6:16–17)? Poor sinners! That great day has not yet come, God still accepts repentance and forgives the sins of those who repent. Let us turn to God with repentance and tears, and stop sinning, and with warm tears we will atone for our sins, so that they do not appear with us at that world judgment and, like fierce enemies, expose us. Cry, cry, sinful soul, regret and sigh that you have sinned against God! Ask, seek and knock, so that the Lord may open the doors of His mercy to you. “Everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:8). Glory to God the lover of mankind for this, and let all people say: so be it! Amen. Word thirteen. About eternity “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life” (Matthew 25:46). Nothing moves a sinner to repentance more than eternity, and nothing is so useful to every Christian as memory and reflection on eternity. Eternity keeps a person from sin, pacifies passions, turns him away from the world and all its vanity, crushes the heart, gives birth to tears of repentance, encourages prayer and makes true heartfelt sighing. Memory and reflection on eternity can correct even the most depraved. Thinking about eternity filled the deserts, caves, mountains and abysses of the earth with inhabitants. Thinking about eternity, the holy martyrs preferred to endure the most severe torments rather than submit to the will of wicked kings and renounce Christ. From thinking about eternity, thieves, murderers, robbers, fornicators and harlots and other serious sinners became saints and the chosen ones of God. Glory to God’s love for mankind for opening the doors to Himself to everyone, even the worst sinners. It is amazing that Christians of the present century, hearing about eternity in the Holy Scriptures, nevertheless cleave to the vanity of this world - and seek honor, glory and wealth in this world, and build, and expand, and decorate their houses and other buildings - as if eternity did not exist. This occurs in them from oblivion of eternity, and their hearts are darkened by the charm of visible vanity. Beloved Christians! Let us imprint eternity in our memory, and then we will invariably remain in constant true repentance, contrition of heart and prayer, and we will not be deceived by any of the vanities of this world, and we will shy away from every sin, like from a poisonous snake. Everything that the sons of this age like, seems favorable and dear, will become vile to us. Truly, we will be content with a crust of bread, and a small hut, and the coarsest clothing. Remembering and reflecting on eternity will teach us to be content with them. Do you know what eternity is? Eternity is a beginning without end, that is, it begins once and never ends; it is always and never, that is, it will always be and will never cease. This is eternity. All centuries from the creation of the world to the end are like the smallest point in comparison with the whole world, or like a minute against a thousand centuries, or, better said, like nothing. This is eternity. There are two types of eternity: the most prosperous and the most unfavorable. In a prosperous eternity there will be the kingdom of God, there will be God, whom man will see face to face, there will be joy and indescribable joy, the soul and body will receive their all-perfect bliss, and man will be honored with blessings that “eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father” (Matthew 13:43). In an unfavorable eternity there will be deprivation and removal from God, all suffering and torment in body and soul. Then people will want to die, but death will escape from them. This is the second death and eternal death. Sinners! We hear the Word of God about eternity and see that there is a double eternity: prosperous, joyful and filled with all good things, that is, eternal life; and dysfunctional, full of torment, sadness, illness and all evils, that is, eternal death. Let us repent and wash away our sins with tears in order to escape an unfavorable eternity and enter into eternal life and the kingdom of God. After the Last Judgment of Christ, everyone will go to their own eternity. For then the Judge Christ will give the proper definition to everyone. He will open the doors of His eternal kingdom to the righteous and say to them: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34). He will say to sinners: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matthew 25:41). “And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life” (Matthew 25:46). Remember us too, Lord, in Your kingdom! Amen. Word fourteen. About the first Christian cause “There is only one thing that is needed” (Luke 10:42). These words: “There is only one thing that is needed,” our Savior said to all of us, O Christians! Many Christians care about this or that and try, but often they themselves do not know what they care about. Warning against this useless effort and care, the Lord says to everyone: “There is only one thing that is needed.” What is this? Eternal salvation. This is the first Christian matter, and Christians should have their first concern about this. We need food, clothing, a home and everything else necessary for this life, and for this we pray to the Heavenly Father: “Give us this day our daily bread.” But eternal salvation is so necessary that without it everything is nothing. “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul” (Matthew 16:26)? There is no benefit, truly none, where there is no salvation. What good will it do us if we gain the whole world, but lose our soul? We cherish temporary life most of all, even more so must we cherish eternal life, which is dearer than the whole world. Just as every person’s first job is what his title obliges him to do, such as: for a judge - to judge, for a farmer - to cultivate the land, for a merchant - to trade, for a shepherd - to graze cattle, from a teacher - to teach, from a student - to learn, and so on; So a Christian’s first priority should be to faithfully and truly please God, Whom he confesses and reveres, and thus hope and expect to receive eternal life from Him. This is the first Christian work, care and concern. This is what is “one for need”. Beloved Christians! We were created not for temporary, but for eternal life, by holy Baptism we were renewed for eternal life, by the Word of God we were called to eternal life, Christ the Son of God came into the world, suffered and died for the sake of eternal life. See how dearly God has honored our eternal salvation. For this purpose He created everything, and for this purpose He Himself came into the world. We should also have the utmost effort and care about this. Satan is trying to steal eternal life from us and destroy us forever; we should not sleep, but take care of this priceless treasure. However, we see and sigh that many Christians do not care about this primary matter. Fornicators, adulterers and defilers do not care, slanderers and scolders do not care, drunkards and sensualists do not care, thieves, kidnappers and robbers do not care, liars, cunning and hypocrites do not care, slanderers and reproaches do not care, all those who do not please God, but the world and their own whims, do not care. All such and similar treasures of eternal salvation, obtained through labor, illness, suffering and death, and the death of the cross of Christ the Son of God, are not valued, and they do not honor the One who suffered and died. For today's Christians, that which brings honor, glory, wealth and luxury is dear and great, but eternal salvation is considered to be the last thing, and therefore the same things follow. Eternal salvation “is only needed,” according to Christ, but here it is either gained or lost. It is gained by repentance and faith, but lost by an unrepentant life. Hear, sinners, and you blessed Christians! Eternal salvation “is our only need,” and here it is either gained or lost. Let us deepen this in our memory, beloved. Sinners! Let us remember our vows, which we made to God at Baptism, and repent, so as not to appear as liars before God. Let us remember the hour of death and repent, so as not to leave this world without hope of salvation. Let us remember the Last Judgment of Christ and repent, so as not to appear there with our sins. Let us think about the sweetness of eternal life and the sorrow of eternal death, and let us turn to God and appease Him with tears and repentance, so that He may open for us the doors of mercy and His eternal kingdom. Lord God of Powers! Convert us, illuminate Your face, and we will be saved. Amen. Word fifteen. About Christian parenting “Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord” (Eph. 6:4). The Holy Spirit speaks this word through the Apostle to parents and exhorts them to raise their children as Christians should. “Bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” All Christians in holy Baptism were renewed to a new, holy and Christian life, and promised to serve God with faith and truth, and thus please Him. But so that those who are baptized do not become corrupted and fall into a disastrous state, and so that the true proverb does not happen to them: “a dog returns to its vomit, and a washed pig goes to wallow in the mud” (2 Pet. 2:22), they must certainly prevent this disastrous state by raising their children well while they are still small and young. For with pain and sighing we see that many children are corrupted in their youth. This happens to them due to parental neglect. Many parents teach their children arts that serve temporary life, others try to teach foreign languages, and spend a lot of money on this, but they do not care about Christian teaching, and do not try to teach their children to live like a Christian. Such parents give birth to their children for a temporary life, but the doors to eternal life are closed for them. Saint Chrysostom, reflecting on parents who neglect the good upbringing of their children, and on the misfortune of poorly brought up children, says: “Parents who neglect to raise their children in a Christian way are more lawless than child killers. For child killers separate the body from the soul, and they cast both soul and body into fiery Gehenna. According to natural law, bodily death cannot be avoided in any way, but the death of the soul would be possible if the negligence of the parents were not to blame for it. Moreover, the coming resurrection can immediately abolish bodily death, but nothing can return the destruction of the soul” (Discourse 5 against detractors of monastic life). Therefore, parents, listen to the word of the Lord: “Raise your children in the training and admonition of the Lord.” The gardener ties a young tree, newly planted, to a stake planted and firmly planted in the ground so that it is not torn out of the ground by wind and storm, and he cuts off unusable twigs and shoots on the tree so that they do not damage or dry out the tree. Do the same with your small and young children. Tie their hearts to the fear of God, so that they do not waver from the wiles of Satan and abandon piety, and cut off the passions that grow in them, so that they do not increase and possess them, and so do not kill the inner new man born in holy Baptism. For we see that when children grow, sinful passions appear and grow with them, like unprofitable shoots on a tree. Therefore, so that these lawless shoots do not grow, and do not damage, and do not destroy a person who has been washed, sanctified and justified by holy Baptism, it is imperative to cut them off by the instruction and teaching of the Lord. Cut off, beloved, such shoots from your children, and “bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.” As soon as they begin to understand at least a little and know good and evil, you too begin your work and teach them. 1) Remind them more often about holy Baptism and that they then promised God to live decently and be constant, to serve Him faithfully and truthfully and to shun all evil and sin. 2) Repeat to them often that we are all born and reborn in Baptism not for this temporary life, not for the sake of acquiring honor, glory and wealth in this world - which our death itself shows, otherwise we would remain in this world forever - but we are born and reborn for eternal life. Our entire life in this world, from birth to death, is the path along which we go to our promised fatherland and eternal life. Remind them of this often, so that they do not become addicted to the vanity of this world and learn to “set your mind on things above, and not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2). 3) Teach them who the Christian God is and what He requires of us, that He hates evil and loves good, executes a person for evil, and rewards for good. And although we do not see Him, He sees us, and is invisibly present with us everywhere, and sees every deed of ours, and hears every word. We must fear Him and do what pleases Him. 4) Enlighten their inner eyes about who Christ is, in whom we believe, and for what He came into the world, and lived, and suffered, and died. The reason for this was our sins and our eternal salvation, so that we, having gotten rid of our sins, would receive eternal salvation. 5) Teach them the law of God and tell them what this law requires of us, that is, that we love God and every person. Everything contrary to this law is vice and sin, and everything consistent and similar is virtue. We promised God to preserve the Law of God, and thus to abstain from all sin, and to live virtuously at Holy Baptism. Whoever lives differently does not keep these vows, and is a liar before God, and if he does not truly repent and correct himself, then at the judgment of Christ he will appear liar. 6) Present to them the end: death, the judgment of Christ, eternal life and eternal torment, so that the fear of God will instill in them and they will be protected from all evil. Pour all this and more like milk into their young hearts so that they grow in piety. They call you parents - be true parents. You gave birth to them according to the flesh, so give birth to them according to the spirit. You gave birth to temporary life - revive them to eternal life. Beloved Christians! You and your children will appear at the Last Judgment of Christ and you will give an answer to the righteous Judge for them. He will not ask you whether you taught your children the arts, whether you taught them to speak French, German, or Italian, but did you teach them to live like a Christian? Young children are more attentive to their parents’ actions than to their instructions. Therefore, if you want your children to be pious and kind, be pious and kind yourself, and set yourself as an example for them, and thus “raise them in the teaching and admonition of the Lord.” Then both your children and you will receive eternal salvation through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. Word sixteen. About conscience God, when creating man, planted conscience in his soul, so that, as a rule, man would be guided and instructed by it, what to do and what to avoid. Conscience is nothing more than a natural or natural law, therefore it is similar to the written law of God. For what the law of God teaches, conscience also teaches. The law of God commands to know one God, and conscience teaches this. Therefore, even the pagans, convinced by their conscience, recognized one God. The law of God commands to honor God above all creatures and to give the highest honor to Him alone, and the same commands conscience. The law of God teaches that no one should be equal to God, and conscience teaches the same. The law of God commands God, as the Supreme Ruler, to show humility, obedience and obedience, and conscience teaches the same. The law of God commands us to fear God, as the most righteous Judge, and we hear this from our conscience. The law of God commands that those who blasphemer the name of God be executed; our conscience does not tolerate blasphemy either. The law of God teaches us to listen to God more than any earthly authority; conscience also teaches us the same, for all earthly authorities themselves are subordinate and subordinate to God. The law of God commands us to love God most of all, and conscience also commands us, because God is the highest and most supreme good and the source of all good. Therefore, we must love Him more than any created good. The law of God teaches us to thank God for everything, and conscience also teaches us, for conscience itself convinces us to be grateful to a benefactor. The Law of God commands that all hope be placed in God, and conscience also commands. For God alone can do everything as the Almighty, but every creature without God and outside God is weak, and therefore hope in him is fickle and not firm. The law of God commands parents and all authorities sent by God to obey and give honor, we hear this in our conscience. God's law prohibits harming a person and taking his life, and conscience also prohibits it. The law of God commands to help a person in case of need, and conscience commands this. The law of God prohibits adultery and fornication, a person hears this in his conscience, and it cries out inside a person so that he does not defile himself with uncleanness. God's law prohibits touching someone else's property without the will of the owner, and conscience demands the same. The Law of God commands to give to the one who asks, a person hears this from his conscience. The law of God prohibits lying, flattery, and deception, and conscience also prohibits it. God's law prohibits slandering one's neighbor, and conscience also prohibits it. The law of God commands us not to covet anything that belongs to others, and our conscience also commands us. So the Law of God and conscience are similar to each other and lead to the same goal, that is, to our bliss. Therefore, even the pagans, enlightened by philosophical teaching, wrote many useful institutions, which came from nothing other than conscience or natural law, through much labor and training of the enlightened. Therefore, anyone who sins against conscience sins both against the Law of God and the Lawgiver God himself. He who does not listen to his conscience does not listen to the Law of God and God himself. If one does not obey one’s conscience, one does not obey the Law of God and God Himself. If the conscience is irritated, God himself is irritated. And such Christians who sin against their conscience do not truly honor God, but are hypocrites. For it is impossible to worship God without a clear conscience. A true Christian does not want to sin against his conscience and so does not want to violate the Law of God and is afraid, and would rather agree to suffer than to sin. In such a conscience, faith rests and makes a person joyful. For where there is a clear conscience, there is faith and joy. Just as the Law of God convicts a person for sin, so does conscience convict. Therefore, it happens that when a word of accusation is spoken at all, then sinners, hurt in their conscience, are embarrassed. This is how fornicators are embarrassed when fornication is spoken of; Thieves and kidnappers are embarrassed when theft and theft are talked about; Flatterers and liars are embarrassed when flattery and lies are spoken of, and so on. The fact that they are embarrassed can be seen by certain external signs. This is how the conviction of conscience works in them. Just as the Law of God frightens a sinner with the judgment of God, so does conscience frighten, and inside the sinner it cries out: man, bad things will happen to you! Just as now the actions of the Law of God and conscience are similar, so they will be similar at the judgment of Christ. There, the sinner will be exposed by the Law of God, which he has violated, and his conscience, irritated by his sins, will also expose him. So conscience and the Law of God against every sinner will be there, as it were, as two witnesses and accusers. It happens that an evil conscience seems to be sleeping, but when it awakens and begins to convict the sinner, then fierce torment will follow from the conscience. Because of this, it happens that many, unable to withstand the torment of conscience, kill themselves. For just as there is no better peace than from a clear conscience, so there is no greater anxiety and torment than from an evil conscience. If conscience torments so much here, then how will it torment the sinner in the next century, where all his sins will be presented to him and convicted and tormented for them? Sinners! What are we dreaming about? Let us wake up and repent, and cleanse our sins with repentance and contrition of our hearts, and correct ourselves, and stop sinning and irritating our conscience, so as not to appear with an evil conscience, stained by sins, at the judgment of Christ, where the books of conscience will be opened and everyone will receive according to their deeds. Amen. Word seventeen. About the Gospel “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). Beloved Christians! There is nothing more pleasant, kinder and sweeter for us sinners than the Gospel. Bread is not so favorable to those who are hungry, drink to those who are thirsty, freedom to those who are captive and in prison, as the Gospel is to sinners who know their misfortune. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). This is the sweetest voice of the Gospel. Who is He, the Son of Man? This is the Son of God, the Heavenly King and the Son of the King, sent to us by His Heavenly Father, who wanted for our sake to be called the Son of Man. What did He come for? To seek and save us, the lost, and bring us into His eternal kingdom. What could be more favorable and desirable for us, the lost, than this? But let's see what the Gospel is, what it requires from us and to whom is it preached? 1) The Gospel, by its very name, is all-joyful news. It preaches to the whole world Christ, the Savior of the world, “Who came to seek and to save that which was lost.” Listen, all lost sinners, listen to the sweetest voice of the Gospel! It speaks to us all: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” We are afraid to be in sins before God - the Gospel preaches that our sins are forgiven for the sake of the name of Christ and that Christ is our justification before God. In You, my Savior, Jesus, the Son of God, I will be justified, You are my truth and sanctification. We are afraid to be under the wrath of God - the Gospel preaches that Christ reconciled us to God and, “coming, preached peace to everyone, to those far and near” (Eph. 2:17). The legal oath is terrible to us, for we are all sinners. It subjects the sinner to both temporary and eternal punishment. The Gospel preaches that Christ “has redeemed us from the curse of the law, having become a curse for us” (Gal. 3:13). We are afraid of death - the Gospel preaches that Christ is our resurrection and life. Gehenna and hell are terrible for us - the Gospel preaches that Christ delivered us from hell and all that disaster. We are afraid to be separated from God and His eternal kingdom - the Gospel preaches that “we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17) in His eternal kingdom. These are the blessed Christians, the sweetest voice of the Gospel. So, “taste and see how good the Lord is” (Ps. 33:9)! “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not condemned” (John 3:16–18). “Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, that He has visited His people, and brought about deliverance for them, and raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David” (Luke 1:68–69). 2) It is required of us, Christians, that we gratefully accept this heavenly and sweetest news sent from heaven, and always thank God, our Benefactor, who freely has mercy on us, with a pure heart, and out of gratitude, render holy obedience and pleasure to Him. For conscience itself exhorts and convinces us to be grateful to our benefactor. He loved us, unworthy, and we will love Him, worthy of all love. Love requires not to insult your loved one. God is offended by every sin. Let us turn away from all sin, and let us do His holy will, and let us not offend Him, our so merciful Father and Benefactor. “Our Father, who art in heaven! Hallowed be Thy name; Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth,” and so on (see Matt. 6:10). 3) To whom is the Gospel preached? Christ answers us: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me; for He has anointed Me to preach good news to the poor and sent Me to heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18). That is, those people who, recognizing their sins, see their poverty, poverty and damnation, and have a heart broken by the fear of God’s judgment and sadness. To such people the Gospel is preached, just as a life-giving plaster is applied to an ulcerated body. Listen, sad and contrite souls, listen to the sweet voice of the Gospel: “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.” Apply this life-giving plaster of the sweet Gospel to our ulcerated souls, heal your broken hearts with this saving medicine. “The Son of Man came to seek and save that which was lost.” He will also seek and save you, since you are also one of those whom He came to seek and save. If you recognize and confess yourselves as sinners before God, your sins will also be forgiven for the sake of the name of Christ. If you repent for your sins and have “sorrow for God’s sake” (2 Cor. 7:10), salvation from God is ready for you. For “this is a true saying, and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of whom I am the first” (1 Tim. 1:15). The Holy Spirit says to you through His minister: “Sacrifice to God is a broken spirit; God will not despise a broken and humble heart” (Ps. 50:19). A repentant and contrite heart offers this sacrifice to God, and it is more pleasant to Him than any offering. God looks upon such a sacrifice with mercy and sends down His grace (see Isa. 66:2). From this you see, Christian, that the Gospel is not useful to those Christians who live fearlessly and lawlessly, who do not recognize their sins, poverty and misfortune and do not have a contrite heart. For what profit does a stone profit from oil? A plaster is applied to the wound, and healing is given to the one who knows and acknowledges his weakness. Such people are told: “Repent, lament, weep and howl; Let your laughter turn into crying, and your joy into sadness. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will exalt you” (James 4:9–10). And again: “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). Sinners! Let us fear the Last Judgment of God, and let us try to have a contrite and humble heart, so that we too may draw from the Gospel, as from a saving source, the living water of coolness and consolation, and water our souls, and thus receive eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. To him will be glory with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen. Word eighteen. About the honor and nobility of true Christians “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of renewal” (1 Pet. 2:9). Beloved Christians! When I think about what honor the Lord has bestowed on man, I cannot fully marvel at the goodness of God and His love for us, and, thinking about this, I cannot exclaim with the prophet: “Lord, what is man, that You have revealed yourself to him? Or the son of man, what do you think about him” (Ps. 143:3)? The honor and nobility that the Humane-loving Lord bestows on people, true Christians, is so great and lofty that it is not only impossible to describe, to explain in words, but also to understand with the mind. “You are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people of renewal” (1 Pet. 2:9), the apostle says to true Christians. From here we see the incomprehensible goodness and love of God towards man. But let us look and present to our inner eyes the honor and nobility of Christians, in order to be jealous of it, to search for it with diligence. Open the ears of your souls, and listen to the word about true Christians: 1) They are called and are children of God. What is more glorious than this name for a person? The Apostle of Christ is worthily surprised at this and says with admiration to Christians: “See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). That is why Christians pray to God as their Father, and lift up a single voice to Him: “Our Father who art in heaven,” and so on. Oh miracle! Sinners say to the Most Holy God: “Our Father,” and so on. O our great nobility and honor and consolation, beloved Christians! The Father of the Only Begotten Son of God is our Father, His God is our God, as He Himself says to our great consolation: “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God” (John 20:17). 2) True Christians have close union and communion with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. The Apostle of Christ assures us of this, saying: “Our fellowship is with the Father and His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:3). You can see for yourself how big this is. People consider friendship and communication with an earthly king to be something great; how incomparably great an honor is it to have communication and friendship with God, Who is “King of kings and Lord of lords, and dwells in unapproachable light” (1 Tim. 6:15-16)! Oh, how excellent is the goodness and love of God! Look and see, Christians, the nobility and dignity of Christians: they have communion with God, the Great and Incomprehensible. Lord, above all words and understanding, Your amazing goodness and love for mankind has increased for fallen and poor people. 3) In true Christians, as in animate churches, the Heavenly God, the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit graciously dwell. The Lord speaks about this: “Whoever loves Me will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him” (John 14:23). What could be more honest and noble than that soul in which the Trinitarian God graciously and graciously dwells? It is honorable for people to receive the king of the earth into their home, but it is incomparably more honorable to receive the King of Heaven into the home of their soul, and to have Him living in it. And what could be more blessed than that soul in which God lives, as in His church? In it is a paradise of sweetness and joy, in it is the kingdom of God. O bliss! O dignity! O nobility of the Christian soul! The Dear, Beginningless, Infinite, Most Good and Uncreated Nature - God - deigns better to live in the holy Christian soul than in heaven or in any other church. Oh, Most Gracious and Gracious God, our Creator and Creator! Come and visit our embittered souls, souls created by You in Your image and likeness! 4) True Christians are spiritual members of the heavenly Head - Christ, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The apostle speaks about this: “We are members of His Body, of His flesh and of His bones” (Eph. 5:30). Holy Christian souls, lift up your eyes and see where your Head is sitting? At the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. Who is revered and worshiped? Angels and Archangels, and all heavenly powers and all creatures. “And God has highly exalted Him and given Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Phil. 2:9–10). You are spiritual members of this exalted Head. The Head is glorified, and its members also join in its glory. This is the glory of true Christians, this is their nobility and dignity! They are spiritual members of the exalted Head, Jesus Christ. 5) The souls of true Christians are betrothed, like brides, to the Immortal Bridegroom Jesus Christ. The apostle testifies to this: “I have betrothed you, Christians, to one husband, to present you to Christ as a pure virgin” (2 Cor. 11:2). This mystery is great. The groom is glorified, and his bride also joins in his glory. What is more glorious and noble than Jesus, the Son of God? What is nobler and more precious than the Christian soul betrothed to Him as a bride? 6) True Christians are heirs of God, “joint heirs with Christ” (Rom. 8:17), the eternal and heavenly kingdom and all blessings belong to them: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him” (1 Cor. 2:9). All these and other names and titles of true Christians, which are attributed to them by the Holy Spirit. So, you see the glory and nobility of Christianity. All the glory of this world is like pus and carrion before this. Know that there is no one more noble and more glorious than a true Christian. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, earned us this nobility and glory through His suffering and death, His Heavenly Father gives them, the Holy Spirit performs them, and receives their true repentance coupled with faith. This nobility and glory here in this world is gained or lost. It is acquired by true repentance and faith, but is destroyed by unrepentance and unbelief. O you who seek the vain glory of this world, who boast and exalt themselves in your nobility, in your names and titles! Turn your inner eyes to the glory and nobility of Christians, and seek it in order to be truly noble and glorious! The glory of true Christians is now not visible, but only by faith is comprehended and known. It will be revealed in the revelation of the children of God. “Beloved,” says the apostle, “we are now children of God, but it has not yet been revealed what we will be. We only know that when it is revealed, we will be like Him” (1 John 3:2). “Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears to hear, let him hear” (Matthew 13:43)! Amen. Word nineteen. About sin It is impossible to sufficiently mourn the corruption and damnation that followed in human nature after the fall. There is nothing more harmful to man than sin, but man is not more inclined to anything than to sin - man, I say, is God’s rational creation, with God’s special advice: “Let us make man” (Gen. 1:26), created, in the image of God and created in the likeness. Oh, how much our adversary has infected us, oh people! How this serpent damaged our pure and immaculate nature with its deadly poison! Man strives uncontrollably for every sin. The prophet laments this misfortune and damnation of ours: “Man, being in honor, did not understand this, and became equal to foolish beasts and became like them” (Ps. 48:13). Indeed, man has become equal to the senseless beasts and has become like them. The passions that exist in animals are visible in humans. Cattle are proud and arrogant, and we see the same in man. When cattle are angry and angry, man becomes angry and angry. When cattle are jealous, people are jealous too. Cattle fight with cattle, and man fights with man. If cattle are kidnapped, people are also kidnapped. When cattle are eaten, people are also eaten. If cattle do the will of lust, man also does the will of lust, etc. And what’s worst of all: all those passions that exist separately in each animal are found in one person. He is proud and arrogant, he is angry and spiteful, he is envious, he is lustful and whimsical, he is gluttonous, he desires the good of others, and so on. O dear creature of God! Where is your beautiful beauty, God's image and likeness? Where is your holiness, integrity and truth? “And man, being in honor, did not understand this, and became equal to foolish beasts and became like them.” The holy apostle horribly describes and presents to our inner eyes a man, a man who has not been renewed by God’s grace: “There is none righteous, not one; there is no one who understands; no one seeks God; they have all turned aside from the path, they are worthless to one; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their larynx is an open tomb; they deceive with their tongue; the poison of asps is on their lips. Their lips are full of slander and bitterness. Their feet are quick to shed blood; destruction and destruction are in their ways; they do not know the way of the world. There is no fear of God before their eyes” (Rom. 3:10–18). But let us see how great an evil sin is, although man loves it, and this way we will more conveniently avoid sin. 1) Sin insults and angers the Great and Incomprehensible God, the One who created us from nothing, created us in His image and likeness; He who, for the sake of us who fell, sent His only begotten Son into the world; The One who does us good every day and hour: the One who feeds us, gives us something to drink, clothes us, gives us peace and gives us other countless benefits; He, finally, will judge the sinner for his sin before the whole world. Oh, truly incomprehensible evil is sin, for by it the incomprehensible majesty of God is insulted! 2) No one can take sin away from a person except the Son of God. In order to take away sin, He came into the world, suffered and died in order to destroy sin. “For this purpose the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29). Glory to His love for mankind! 3) Sin creates death, “for the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). So our first parents sinned in paradise and died and would have been dead forever if Christ, the Son of God, had not revived them with His Blood. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Heb. 13:8), for His holy Blood, shed for the whole world, both now and from the beginning of the world, was healing for the revival of every sinner who believes in Him. 4) For a sin committed, a person’s conscience is severely and fiercely tormented, so that a person often kills himself, unable to endure the torment of his conscience. 5) For sin there are temporary punishments, such as: famine, fires, wars, pestilences, diseases, earthquakes, etc. “Death, murder, quarrel, sword, disaster, famine, crushing and blows - all this is for the wicked,” says Sirach (Sir. 40:9-10). “Sins are the cause of all evil,” says Saint Chrysostom. You see what a great evil sin is, evil more evil than any evil. Oh, truly it is better to walk naked than to sin; It is better to sit in captivity and prison than to sin. It is better to be in wounds and in all sorts of illnesses than to sin. It is better not to see the light and sit in darkness than to sin. It is better to endure reproach, ridicule, reproaches, slander, beatings and wounds than to sin; Finally, it is better to endure any evil that may exist in this world than to sin! Because each of these evils torments only the body, and torments only temporarily, for death puts an end to all suffering; This is where all disaster ends. But sin torments both body and soul, and will forever torment without end. For sin is the cause of every disaster that happens in this world, as stated above. If there were no sin, there would be no disaster. Sin began in the world, and all sorts of disasters followed. Sin is sweet to people, but its fruits are bitter. The seed is bitter and bears fruit. Beloved Christians! Let us know sin in order to evade sin, for everyone evades the knowledge of evil. People know that poison is harmful, and they avoid it. They know that the serpent kills with its sting, and they are careful of it. They know that robbers rob and kill, and they avoid them. We too, beloved, recognize sin and the evil that comes from sin, and we will certainly turn away from it. For sin harms more than any poison, sin is more poisonous than any serpent, sin exposes us worse than any thief, deprives us of temporary and eternal blessings, and kills body and soul. These are the fruits of the bitter seed of sin. Sin is anger, rage and malice. Sin is pride, arrogance, arrogance, arrogance and contempt of one's neighbor. Sin is slander and condemnation. Sin is obscene language, foul language, stupid speech, blasphemy and every rotten word. Sin is lies, cunning, deceit and hypocrisy. Sin is drunkenness, gluttony and all kinds of intemperance. Sin is theft, embezzlement, robbery, violence and any unrighteous appropriation of someone else's property. Sin is adultery, fornication and all uncleanness. In a word, every crime is sin and evil, which is much more harmful than any evil that causes any harm to our body. Because such evil only damages our body, but sin damages and kills both body and soul. Sin is more evil than the demon itself, because sin has made the demon a demon; At first he was a kind and bright angel, but he was damaged and darkened by sin. Whoever does not recognize sin as a great evil now, and who does not take care of it, will in the next century learn through experience and practice how severe an evil sin is, but this will be too late and useless. Therefore, in the present century we must recognize this evil and beware of it. Christ, the true Light, enlightener of the blind, enlighten our heart’s eyes too, so that we may recognize sin and turn away from sin! The beginning of salvation is to know your misfortune. Amen. Word twentieth. About the feat against sin All Christians who want to be true Christians and receive eternal salvation in Christ Jesus certainly need a feat against all sin, so as not to allow it to possess them. “Let not sin reign in your mortal body, so that you should obey it in its lusts,” says the apostle to Christians (Rom. 6:12). Their faith requires this from Christians, according to the words of the apostle: “show me your faith by your works” (James 2:18). They must listen to God, in whom they believe, and not sin, and live for God, and not for sin. This is required by holy Baptism, by which we are renewed for a holy Christian life. They require vows given at Baptism, with which they promised to serve the Lord with faith and truth. The work of salvation is required, since for those who break the law and do not keep their vows given at Baptism, holy Baptism is useless, as for those who are deceitful and have lied to God. Think about this, Christians. A Christian is recognized not by the words: “Lord, Lord,” but by his struggle against all sin. The true warrior is the one who stands and struggles against a visible enemy. Likewise, a true Christian is one who constantly strives against sin. But let's look at why a person sins, and then it will be easier to resist sin. There are five causes of sin: 1) Corruption of human nature. Man is conceived in iniquity, and is born in sins, as the Psalmist says: “I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins my mother gave birth to me” (Ps. 50:7). The sinful passions with which a person is born incline and attract him to sin. “Poor man I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death” (Rom. 7:24)? Corruption and damnation entered into man from the fall of Adam, and inclines man to every sin. Children are born like their father: “that which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6). But Christians, by the power of holy Baptism and the vows given then, must stand and strive against inclinations and passions, and not allow them to turn into deeds. 2) The devil leads a person to sin. The apostle speaks about this and exhorts Christians to beware of it: “Be sober, be vigilant, because your adversary, the devil, walks around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour. Resist him with firm faith” (1 Pet. 5:8–9). The Apostle Paul speaks about the same thing in another place: “Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil, for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places” (Eph. 6:10–12). These invisible enemies are always awake to our destruction, O Christians, and try to lead us to every sin. So, we shouldn’t slumber either. 3) The temptations of the world also lead to sin. We see this growing evil. One does something, the other sees or hears it and recklessly imitates it. Temptation is like a pestilence that begins in one person and infects many living nearby. “Woe to the world because of temptations, for temptations must come; but woe to that man through whom temptation comes” (Matthew 18:7). 4) The cause of sin is unkind parenting. Such children, having matured, strive for all kinds of evil. This comes from parental neglect. Heed this, fathers and mothers! 5) Human habit is strongly attracted to sin. We see this evil, we see that drunkards always strive for drunkenness, kidnappers for theft, fornicators and adulterers for uncleanness, slanderers for slander, and so on. For their habit, like a rope, draws them to sin, and just like a hungry person for bread and a thirsty person for water, they strive for the sin to which they are accustomed. Spurred by habit, people sin. A Christian man who wants to be saved and show his faith through works must certainly struggle against it. All these opponents of our salvation are fierce. Luta is “the flesh with passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24), which “desires what is contrary to the spirit” (Gal. 5:17); The evil adversary is the devil, who constantly seduces and fights us; cruelties and temptations with which carnal lust, like fire blown by the wind, is fanned and kindled. But for those accustomed to evil, the cruelest thing is habit; for a person, it is like second nature. It is a difficult feat, I admit, for everyone against the opponents described above, but it is necessary and honorable. Many strive and conquer people, but become captives and slaves of their passions. There is no more glorious victory than defeating yourself and sin. There is no crown and triumph without victory, and there is no victory without feat against enemies. Beloved Christians! Let us enter into this feat, so that with the help of Christ we may achieve victory, and we will receive from him the crown of kindness, and we will triumph forever in His kingdom. Help in the struggle against sin can be found in the following. 1) Listen and heed God’s Word. It shows sin and virtue, diverts from sin and encourages to virtue. For “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16–17). For “God’s Word is a spiritual sword” (Eph. 6:17), with which the enemy of the soul is cut off. 2) God is present in every place, and wherever we are, He is with us; and whatever we do, we do before Him and His holy eyes. So, how can we be lawless before God and violate His holy law before His eyes? We are ashamed and afraid to commit outrages before the earthly king and the lower authorities, all the more should we be ashamed and afraid to show outrages before God, for every sin is outrage before God. 3) Remember the end: death, the Judgment of Christ, hell and the kingdom of heaven - all this takes away from sin. “In all your deeds,” says Sirach, “remember your end, and you will never sin” (Sir. 7:39). 4) Avoid occasions that lead to sin, such as banquets and feasts, evil and obscene conversations. For “bad associations corrupt good morals” (1 Cor. 15:33). 5) Keep in mind and memory that during the very act of sin a person can die and perish. So Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, followed in the footsteps of the Israelites, and wanted to harm them again, but in that very lawless act he died (see Exodus 14:27). So Absalom, the son of David, wanted to kill his holy father, and in that desire he died (2 Sam. 18:9). We see the same thing today: we see that fornicators and adulterers are struck down during the worst deeds, blasphemers - during blasphemy, thieves and kidnappers - during theft, and other lawless people receive according to their deeds. Thus, the righteous judgment of God strikes the wicked, so that we will be afraid to sin and commit lawlessness. 6) Think about the fact that Christ, the Son of God, was tortured and died for his sins. “He was revealed for our sins, and we are tormented for our iniquities” (Isa. 53:5). Should you, Christian, do what Christ, the Son of God, drank the bitterest cup of suffering for, and thus “crucify the Son of God within yourself again” (Heb. 6:6)? 7) Do not look at what people do, but listen to what the Word of God teaches. For this is how we evade the temptations of the world. “Great peace to those who love Your law (Lord), and there is no temptation for them” (Ps. 119:165). Christian, love the Law of God, and the temptations of the world will not harm you. 8) Our efforts and feats against sin have no power without God’s help. Therefore, we must try and pray that the Lord will help us in such an important matter. God helps those who strive and care, strengthens those who struggle, and crowns those who overcome. Beloved Christians! We see our spiritual enemies who want to destroy us not temporarily, but forever, and we also see help in the feat against them. Let us stand, let us stand strong and be strengthened by the power of the Almighty Jesus, our Savior, and will not allow him to possess us, then we will be crowned with a crown of victory from the Heroic Jesus! Lord Jesus, Conqueror of death and hell, help us! Without You we can do nothing, with You we can do everything. Amen. Word twenty-one. About God's threats We see threats written in the Holy Scriptures, through which God threatens unrepentant sinners with temporary and eternal execution. For just as a king, who cares about the good state of his state, issues a useful decree and in the decree declares what his subjects should and should not do, and in the decree he also prescribes execution for lawbreakers, it is said: this and that will be the case for those who violate the decree - so the Heavenly King, the Lord God, issued His holy and righteous law to all people, so that they would live according to the rule of this law and correct themselves, and what He forbids would be avoided, and whatever commands, they would do. And he announced temporary and eternal punishment to those who violated the law: “Already the ax lies at the root of the trees: every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10). “But the fearful, the unbelieving, the abominable, the murderers, the fornicators, the sorcerers, the idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone. This is the second death” (Rev. 21:8). “If you do not turn, He will refine His weapon; He has drawn His bow and prepared it, and in it He has prepared instruments of death; He has made His arrows for those who are burned” (Ps. 7:13–14). “He will bring down snares on sinners: fire and brimstone, and a stormy spirit - their portion from the cup” (Ps. 10:6). “Do not be deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor wicked people, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God” (1 Cor. 6:9-10). These and other threats of God are terrible for us, but they show us God’s great love for mankind. Because nothing turns a sinner to repentance more than threats of execution. Through the promise of blessings, God calls us to Himself and eternal salvation, and through the threat of execution He encourages, compels and convinces. That’s why He threatens sinners because He doesn’t want to destroy them. That is why He manifests His anger, so that through the fear of this anger we would correct ourselves and avoid eternal punishment. For if the fear of the earthly king turns us away from much evil, then all the more is the fear of the Heavenly King strong enough to turn us away from all evil and move us to repentance, if we often talk about His righteous anger against sin and about His terrible threats. Truly, a person will be bound and held by the fear of execution, like a rope, and will not be moved to any evil. Truly he will not want to sin when before his intelligent eyes he sees the eternal fire prepared for him for sin. Truly, the memory of execution will not allow one to go to execution, and thinking about Gehenna will not allow one to enter Gehenna. Truly we owe a lot to our God, beloved Christians, and for this His love for us is that He announced to us about Gehenna and other plagues. For we are more moved to repentance by the threat of execution than by the promise of good, as stated above. But open the ears of your souls and listen to what I want to offer you. It is dangerous, very dangerous, to despise God’s threats and not repent and correct oneself. Know for sure and have no doubt that the one who despises His threats will actually experience God’s punishment. There is nothing more dangerous than despising what God threatens. He who does not think about Gehenna will fall into Gehenna. He who despises this death will not escape eternal death. The one who does not fear the wrath of God and does not repent will experience the wrath of God. “Our God is a consuming fire. It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Living God” (Heb. 10:31)! “God is not mocked” (Gal. 6:7). What a man sows, that he will also reap. Truly, God is Merciful and Humane-loving, but also Righteous, for He will reward everyone according to their deeds. Sinners, let us remember and confirm this word: it is dangerous to despise God’s threats! God threatened our first parents in paradise: “You will die in the hour when you eat from the commanded tree” (Gen. 2:17). The ancestors despised this and died. The wicked who lived during the time of Noah despised the threats of God - and perished from the global flood. The Sodomites despised them and were burned with fire. Even now sinners despise and perish. The wicked were drowned in the flood, who did not believe the preaching of righteous Noah about repentance. What can today’s wicked, scoffers and despisers of God’s Law expect? They too will be plunged into the most terrible flood of eternal destruction. The Sodomites were consumed by fire from heaven for their vile uncleanness. What do fornicators, adulterers and other defilers expect now, except the fire of Gehenna, in which they will burn and not be burned forever? Many Israelites were struck down in the desert for their iniquities and did not reach the promised land. The same will happen to lawless Christians; they too will not be allowed into the kingdom of God. For “outside are dogs, and sorcerers, and fornicators, and murderers, and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices iniquity” (Rev. 22:15). And this is what the Lord says: “unless you repent, you will all perish in the same way” (Luke 13:5). Sinners! Heed this word and repent! Temporary destruction is terrible, but eternal destruction is much more terrible. So, let us fear destruction, and repent, and escape it! The Ninevites were afraid of the destruction that was to follow them, repented, and did not fall into destruction, but received mercy from the Humane God. Let us also turn to our God with all our hearts, and repent, and stop irritating Him with our sins, and we will receive mercy from Him. Amen. Word twenty-two. About pride “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Pet. 5:5). The most disgusting sin is pride, but few people know it because it is hidden deep in the heart. The beginning of pride is ignorance of oneself. This ignorance blinds a person, and so a person is proud. Oh, if a person knew himself, if he knew his poverty, misery and wretchedness, he would never be proud! But a person is all the more damned because he does not see and does not recognize his poverty and damnation. Pride is known by its deeds, just as a tree is known by its fruit. But let's see what the fruits of the bitter seed of pride are. 1) A proud person seeks honor, glory and praise in every possible way. He always wants to show himself something, and to indicate, command and boss others, and if anyone interferes with his desire, he becomes very angry and angry with him. 2) Having lost honor and authority, he grumbles, is indignant and blasphemes. What have I done wrong? What is my fault? Are my efforts and merits worthy of this? And it often happens that a person kills himself. 3) Starts things beyond his strength that he cannot do. Oh man! Why do you touch a burden that you cannot bear? 4) Willfully interferes in other people's affairs. He wants to give instructions to everyone everywhere, although he himself does not know what he is doing. So his pride blinds him. 5) Without shame, he praises and exalts himself: “I did this and that, I rendered such and such services to society.” O man! You count your merits, but why don’t you talk about your mistakes? If you are ashamed to announce them, then be ashamed to praise yourself. 6) He despises and humiliates other people: “He’s a vile person, he’s worthless,” and so on. Human! He is the same person as you, for we are all people. He is a sinner, but I think that you will not renounce this name either. He has sinned in one thing or is sinning, and you have sinned in another, or perhaps in the same thing. “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). 7) He does not submit or obey the authorities and his parents, for the proud have a cruel and unyielding neck. They always want to establish and approve the will of their desires. 8) The good he has is attributed to himself, to his own efforts, labors and reason, and not to God. O man! What can you have of your own, who came naked from your mother’s womb? What can you have if God, the source of all good, does not give it to you? What can our efforts and labor do without the help of Him Who alone can do everything, and without Whom everyone is nothing, like a shadow without a body? 9) He extremely dislikes reproofs and admonitions. He thinks that he is in good working order, although he is all dirty. 10) In humiliation, contempt, in troubles and misfortunes, he does not tolerate, is indignant, grumbles, and often blasphemes. 11) In words and actions he shows a certain arrogance and pomp, etc. These are the fruits of pride, hateful to God and people. These fruits are bitter, and so is the seed from which they are born. “Whatever is high among men is an abomination to God” (Luke 16:15). That is why it is written: “Everyone who exalts himself will humble himself” (Luke 14:11). The opposite virtue of pride is humility. As vile and vile as pride is, humility is so favorable and beloved by God and people. The great and lofty God does not look at anything so kindly as at a humble and tender heart. That is why the Most Holy Theotokos says about Herself: “He looked upon the humility of His Servant” (Luke 1:48). When pride recedes from a person, humility is instilled in him, and the more pride decreases, the more humility increases, for one thing gives way to the other, as the opposite. Darkness is leaving and light is coming. Darkness is pride and humility is light. If we think about ourselves and recognize our misfortune and wretchedness, then we will have sufficient reason for humility. We are born naked and crying; we live in troubles, misfortunes and sins; we die with fear, fear and sighing; we are buried in the earth and turned back into the earth. Here you cannot see where the rich are, where the beggar is, where the noble is and where the baseless are, where the master is and where the slave is, where the wise man is and where the foolish one lies. Everyone there became equal, since everyone turned to the ground. So, why does the earth and pus ascend? Beloved Christians! Let us recognize our poverty and wretchedness, “and let us humble ourselves under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt us in due time” (1 Pet. 5:6). Let us know, beloved, that we are Christians - from Christ, meek and humble in heart. It is shameful and very indecent for Christians to be proud if Christ, the Great and High God, humbled Himself. It is a shame for slaves to be proud when their Lord is humble. There is nothing so indecent and obscene for Christians as pride, and nothing shows a Christian so much as humility. From humility a person knows that he is a true disciple of the meek and lowly-hearted Jesus. So, if we want to show evidence that we are true Christians, then let us learn from Christ to be humble, as He Himself exhorts us: “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart” (Matthew 11:29). Let us write and deepen in our memory the apostolic word: “God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” Amen. Word twenty-three. About anger Anger is ossified and inveterate anger. Anger, if not quickly tamed, turns into malice. Therefore, the apostle exhorts and teaches us at the very beginning and immediately to put off anger: “Let not the sun go down on your anger; and do not give place to the devil” (Eph. 4:26–27). And from here we see that he gives place to the devil who holds anger and malice against his neighbor. The devil, as the spirit of evil, has already prevailed over such a person, and leads him as his captive. Malice is born either from envy, as Cain had a grudge against Abel, his brother, envying his well-being, became angry with him and killed him (see Gen. 4:8), or from an insult inflicted on a person. So people get angry and angry at those who have offended them, and want to repay them with evil for evil, and thus take revenge for their offense. A disgusting and laughable sin is malice. Other sins either provide some kind of self-interest or sweetness to the sinner. A thief steals to satisfy his soul. The fornicator commits fornication to please his flesh. And the evil one becomes angry without all this. He sins and suffers, commits lawlessness and is consumed, takes revenge and suffers vengeance. So for an evil person, his very anger is punishment and beating. If it were possible to look into the heart of an evil person, then nothing less than hellish torment would appear there. Therefore, it happens that evil people darken and dry up, for anger, like poison, consumes their flesh. O fierce passion! Fierce and destructive both for those who are angry and for those against whom it rebels and arms itself. If it is not stopped at the beginning, it causes great troubles, just as an intensified fire consumes many houses. “This is such a thing as malice that if a person does not stop it at the very beginning, then it multiplies immensely, like fire that finds dry materials,” says St. John Chrysostom. Malice is committed in different ways. 1) Through taking away health. This is what those people do who, being angry with their neighbor, give him poison, and thus damage his health, from which the person suffers almost constantly and dies. This is the action of malice and its destructive fruit. 2) Through the taking of life, as Cain killed his brother Abel. 3) Through slander and slander. An evil person, wanting to take revenge on his neighbor and not having anything to harm him, invents a vice in him and so spreads a false evil rumor about him, or makes a great thing out of a small thing, that is, he calls a knot a log. Therefore, it happens that many people endure false slander and slander. It's all due to anger. 4) An evil person, having committed evil, often boasts about it: they say I gave it to him; let him know me. The word of the Psalmist suits such people: “Why do you boast in wickedness, O mighty one” (Ps. 51:3)? It is a vile and vile smell of malice to rejoice and boast about the damage and destruction of others. Oh, the fierce and destructive effect of malice! Man, as one who has sinned against God and his neighbor, should regret and repent, but the evil one boasts and exalts himself in this. He sins and boasts in sin; he commits lawlessness and is exalted in lawlessness. This is a vile and destructive malice acting in him. Human! You boast and rejoice now about your lawless deed, but if you do not correct yourself, you will then sigh, cry and weep when all your, like other lawless deeds, lawless deeds will be brought before you and revealed to the whole world. Then you will see your destruction. 5) In some people, anger acts so strongly and multiplies that they are not afraid to say: “I’ll die myself, and I’ll get him!” Oh, poor creature! Don't you know what destruction is? Place your hand on the fire and partly taste its sorrow. You can’t stand this - can you stand the grief of the fire of Gehenna, in which a person will be completely immersed and drowned, and will burn and not be burned forever! But when you look around, you yourself will recognize that the devil, the spirit of evil, produces and pronounces such words in you. You see, beloved Christians, what a fierce and grave evil is malice. The fruits of malice are evil and bitter; Evil and bitter is the malice itself that gives birth to such fruits. Woe to the world from malice! She harms everyone and in every possible way, as stated above, it is impossible for anyone anywhere to hide from her. When it cannot otherwise harm a person, it releases poison on the person through its tongue. No matter how many troubles, misfortunes and evils there are in the world, the cause of them all is anger. So, woe to the world from malice! But greater woe to those who are evil! They harm the bodies of others, and their souls; they kill the body of others, but take away their own souls; they take away the temporary life of others, and the eternal life of themselves; They destroy others temporarily, but themselves forever. Malice leads to such grave evil. Those who are evil, if they do not want to perish forever, must correct themselves and change their evil heart. This is facilitated by the following: 1) It is scary for Christians to be angry, who are commanded to love not only their friends, but also their enemies by the Lord Jesus Christ. It is terrible for Christians to do evil, who are commanded to do good to those who hate (see Matt. 5:44). Christians are afraid to take revenge, because they are commanded to forgive people’s sins (see Matthew 6:14). The Avenger will fall into the hands of the Avenger - God. “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Heb. 10:31)! Let the evil soul heed this and let the poison of its malice kill it with repentance and contrition of the heart. Otherwise, he will appear with his sins at the Last Judgment of Christ, and will accept it according to his deeds (see Matt. 16:27). 2) It often happens that evil people, wanting to harm others, first harm themselves: the poison that they prepare for others, they themselves eat; with the sword that they draw against others they kill themselves, and their sword enters their hearts (see Ps. 37:15); and they themselves fall into the ditch that others dig. This is what the Psalmist sings about: “He dug a ditch and deepened it, but he will fall into the pit that he made. His anger will turn on his head, and his iniquity will come down on his crown” (Ps. 7:16-17). And the Lord says: “With the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). Beloved Christians! Let us listen to the apostolic admonition: “let not the sun go down on your anger,” and at the very beginning we will pacify and tame the anger, and while this lawless child is small, we will kill him so that he does not grow up and take possession of us. Putting aside all malice and all deceit, and hypocrisy, and envy, and all slander, like newborn babies, let us love the pure milk of the word, so that from it we may grow into salvation (1 Pet. 2:1-2). “Beloved! Let us not imitate evil, but good. He who does good is from God; but he who does evil has not seen God.” (3 John 1:11). Amen. Word twenty-four. About love We talked about anger, now let's talk about love. Love is the opposite virtue of malice. As bitter as anger is, so sweet is love. As much as anger is harmful and destructive, love is so beneficial; and as evil and bitter as the fruits of malice are, so good and sweet are the fruits of love. Anger is bitter both for those who are angry and for others; love is sweet for both those who love and those who are loved. Anger consumes and binds the heart; love loosens and expands the heart. Malice kills; love revives. The one who lives in anger is dead, and the one who abides in love is alive. Anger saddens; love consoles, brings joy and makes you happy. Malice is cruel and ferocious; love is soft and meek. Anger is proud and exalted, but love is humble. Anger is merciless; love is merciful. Malice is impatient; love is patient. Evil creates evil; love does not create evil, but does good. Malice is hateful and vile to everyone; love is favorable and loved for everyone. Everyone condemns anger; Love is praised and extolled by everyone. He who lives in anger is poor and wretched; he who lives in love is blessed and blessed. Those who live in wickedness abhor both God and people; God and people rejoice in those who are in love. Malice is the seed of the devil; love is the seed of the Divine. So, the condition of evil people is wretched and miserable, even if they were revered as gods in the world; Blessed and comforting is the state of hearts filled with love, even if they are trampled underfoot like earth and pus. They are beautiful on the outside, but vile on the inside; These are ugly on the outside, but sweet on the inside. Those outwardly shine, but inside they darken and turn black; These outwardly do not look like something valuable, but inside they have everything. They are healthy on the outside, but rotten on the inside; These outwardly unpretentious people do not know how to speak beautifully and smoothly, but inside they are healthy, beautiful and pleasant. They are like apples, beautiful on the outside, but bitter and wormy on the inside; These are like apples, unpalatable on the outside, but sweet and tasty on the inside. So, those are an evil tree, and these are a good one. For “a tree is known by its fruits” (Matthew 12:33): as the fruit is, so is the tree. But let us look at the fruits of love, so that we may know, just as a tree by its fruits, so love by its deeds. For love is known by deeds, not by words. Beloved Christians! If we had true love, then it would take away all troubles from us and introduce all prosperity: our cities, villages, villages and houses would be a place of paradise, full of joy and sweetness. For love does not exist without this. If there was love in people, we would not be afraid of robberies, murders, violence, robberies, for “love does no harm to one’s neighbor” (Rom. 13:10). If there was love, there would be no theft, theft, and other evils, because “love does no harm to one’s neighbor.” If there were love, people would not touch their neighbor’s bed, because “love does no harm to one’s neighbor.” If there were love, people would not tolerate slander, reproaches, slander, abuse, dishonor, and other evil, for “love does not harm one’s neighbor.” If there were love, people would not deceive us, would not seduce us and would not lie to us: “love does not harm one’s neighbor.” If there were love, we would not need courts, for there would be no what and for what to judge and condemn, since there would be no villains and lawbreakers. Courts are established because of crimes of law. The one who truly loves is free from judgment, as well as from sin. If there were love, we would not need guards, castles and storerooms to store our estates, for we would not be afraid of thieves and predators. If there were love, people would not be in prison for debts, dues and arrears, love would not allow this, for “love is merciful” (1 Cor. 13:4). If there were love, people would not walk around half-naked and in rags, because love would clothe them, for “love is merciful.” If there were love, homeless people would not wander, because love would not allow this, but would give them a place of rest, for “love is merciful.” If there were love, there would be no beggars and wretches, because the love of the rich would complement their shortcomings. If there was love, the authorities would not complain about the ruled and the ruled against the authorities, because the authorities would create society, and the ruled would be obedient to them. For the same reason, shepherds would not complain about people and people against shepherds, masters against slaves and peasants and slaves and peasants against masters, parents against children and children against parents, and so on. If love were in us, then it would be for us instead of a strong wall against the Turks and our other enemies and all our visible and invisible enemies. For where there is love, there is God Himself, the Helper and Protector of love. O love, dear and sweet love! Without love everything is bad and unhappy, but with love everything is good and prosperous. Nowadays Christians love to live in rich houses, sit at rich meals, dress in rich clothes, ride in rich carriages and horses, although they see the shortcomings and poverty of their neighbors. And from this it is clear that they only love themselves, and not God and their neighbors. Therefore, in people there is all sorts of trouble, disaster and damnation. For the cause of all evil is self-love. Therefore, the Humane God, having concern for our well-being, gave us the following commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Christians once had “one heart and one soul” (Acts 4:32). Now we see the opposite of that: today Christians have heart against heart and soul against soul. Nowadays, everyone’s lips are filled with love, or, better said, with flattery, but very rarely does anyone have love in their hearts, because “because iniquity has increased, the love of many has grown cold” (Matthew 24:12). Christians, woe to us without love! Where there is no love, there is no faith, for faith does not exist without love, and where there is no faith, there is no Christ and no salvation. Christians! We confess God, Who is Love (1 John 4:8). “Let us love one another, so that with one mind we confess the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” 1 . Amen. Word twenty-fifth. About the love of God “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me” (John 14:21). Beloved Christians! All Christians say: “How can you not love God!” Or: “Who should we love if not God?” This is a true word: how can one not love God, and who should we love if not God? God is the highest, uncreated, beginningless, infinite, natural and unchangeable Good. Just as the sun always shines, just as fire always warms, so God is naturally good and always does good, so that “no one is good except God alone” (Matthew 19:17). God also does us good when He punishes us, for He punishes us in order to correct us; beats us to have mercy on us; saddens us in order to truly comfort us. “The Lord punishes whomever he loves; and he beats every son whom he receives” (Heb. 12:6). So, how can one not love such Good—God? God is our Creator, He created us out of nothing. We did not exist, and now “we live, move and have our being” (Acts 17:28). His almighty hands created and created us. He created us, O people, not like other creatures, insensitive and dumb, but He created us with His special Divine Council: “Let us create man” (Gen. 1:26). About other creatures it is said: “He said and it was, he commanded and they were created” (Ps. 32:9). But about a person it’s different. So what? “Let us create,” he said, “man.” O most holy, most kindly advice! God the Trinitarian, Father, Son and Holy Spirit said about man: “Let us create man.” What kind of person? “In the image,” he said, “of ours and in our likeness.” Oh, the wondrous goodness of God to man! Oh, the highest honor of man! Man was created in the image of God and in the likeness of God. What creature was vouchsafed such honor from God? We do not see it. Man was vouchsafed this, and is honored by God in the image of God. O dearest and most beautiful creation of God - man! It contains the image of God, like a royal seal. Glorious is the king, and so is his portrait. God, the Heavenly King, is worthy of all honor, and His image, man, is also worthy of honor. Such goodness, O Christians, was poured out on us by God in our creation. So how can we not love Him? We fell and died, which we cannot mourn enough. “Man, being in honor, did not understand, and became equal to foolish beasts and became like them” (Ps. 48:13). But the Humane God did not abandon us even then: he invented a wonderful way of salvation for us. He sent His only begotten Son to us to save us and bring us to Himself. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send His Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (John 3:16–17). How can we not love God, who loves us so much? God is a lover of mankind, as we all call Him; man must also be a lover of God. For love cannot be repaid with anything other than love and gratitude. God is our Provider, He provides for us and cares for us. He provides us with food, clothing and a home. His sun, moon and stars illuminate us. With its fire we warm ourselves and cook our food. We wash ourselves with its water and cool down. His cattle serve us; Its air revives us and preserves our life. In a word, we are contained in His blessings and love, and we cannot live even a minute without them. How can we not love God, who loved us so much, such a Benefactor? We love a person who is a benefactor, even more so should we love God the Benefactor. For all creatures, and man himself, are God’s wealth: “The earth is the Lord’s, and its fulfillment” (Ps. 23:1). God is our Father. We pray to Him and say: “Our Father, who art in heaven,” and so on. How can we not love God the Father? Kind children certainly love their father. If we also want to be sincere children of God, and call Him unfeignedly Father, then we must love Him as a Father. So, everyone says correctly: how can you not love God? Like any virtue, love must be in the heart. When she is not in the heart, then in reality she is not there. God does not say to our lips: love, humble yourself, have mercy, pray, ask, call on Me, etc., but to our hearts. So, you must have love, humility, mercy, prayer, etc. in your heart. And if it is in the heart, then it will certainly appear outside, like a belch from the stomach. For the hidden fire shows itself by warmth, and the fragrant balm shows itself by a good smell. So Saint David showed the love he had for God in his sweet songs to God: “I will love You, O Lord, my strength! The Lord is my strength, and my refuge, and my Deliverer, my God, my Helper, and I trust in Him, my Defender, and the horn of my salvation, and my Advocate” (Ps. 17:2-3). Love, although hidden in the heart, cannot hide, and shows its signs on the outside. But let’s see what are the signs of love for God, so that instead of love we don’t have a false dream of love. For in nothing is a person deceived so much as in love. The signs of love are as follows. 1) The Lord Himself indicates, saying: “Whoever has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me” (John 14:21). For the one who truly loves God is wary of everything that is disgusting to God, and tries to fulfill everything that pleases Him, and therefore keeps His holy commandments. And from here it follows that those Christians who do not care about His commandments do not have the love of God. These include those who are evil and in some way cause harm to others, fornicators, adulterers and all defilers; thieves, predators, robbers and everyone who somehow unjustly appropriates the property of others for themselves; slanderers and scolders; cunning and crafty, deceiving others, deceivers and hypocrites; sorcerers and those who call them to themselves, and all lawbreakers. All of them, both the law of God and God Himself, do not love. They love themselves and their whims, and not God and His holy law. 2) A clear sign of love for God is heartfelt joy in God. For what we love, we rejoice in. Likewise, God’s love cannot exist without joy. And as many times a person feels the sweetness of God’s love in his heart, so many times does he rejoice in God. For love, like a sweet virtue, cannot be felt without joy. Just as honey delights our larynx when we taste it, so the love of God gladdens our heart when we taste and see “how good the Lord is” (Ps. 33:9). Such joy in God is depicted in many places in Holy Scripture, and especially in the holy psalms. This joy is spiritual, heavenly, it is a foretaste of the sweetness of eternal life. 3) He who truly loves God despises the world and everything that is in the world, and strives for his one and most loving God. He counts honor, glory, wealth and all the pleasures of this world, which the sons of this age seek, for nothing. He needs only God, the uncreated and all-loving good. In Him alone he finds perfect honor, glory, wealth and consolation. For him, God alone is a precious bead, and therefore everything else is something small. Such a person desires nothing, either in heaven or on earth, except God. Such love is depicted in the words of the psalm: “What do I have in heaven? And without You, what do I want on earth? My heart and my flesh faint, O God of my heart, and my portion God forever” (Ps. 72:25–26). Such a person consumes food, drink, clothing, etc. only for the sake of need, and not for the sake of voluptuousness. And from this it follows that he who does not love God does not love the world, according to the testimony of the Apostle: “Whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father” (1 John 2:15). Such are those who want to live in the pride and pomp of this world, to live in rich houses, to ride in rich carriages, to dress in rich clothes, to be glorified and revered by everyone, and so on. Such are “the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life” (1 John 2:16), that is, everything that is contrary to God, they love, and not God. 4) He who truly loves God holds God, His love for us and His benefits in unforgettable memory. We see this in human love. For whom we love, we often remember. So the one who loves God often remembers Him, meditates, and is comforted by Him, and admires Him: “for where his treasure is, there his heart will also be” (Matthew 6:21). For him, God is an invaluable and most lovable treasure, and therefore his heart is always with Him. Therefore, His holy name is often remembered with love. For a heart filled with God’s love also shows external signs of love. And from this we see that those who forget Him do not love God, for forgetting is a clear sign of dislike for God. He who loves his beloved cannot forget. 5) The lover desires to be inseparable from the beloved. Many Christians want to be glorified with Christ the Lord, but they do not want to be with Him in dishonor and reproach and do not want to bear the cross. They pray to Him to be in His kingdom, but they do not want to suffer in the world with Him, and thereby show that their heart is wrong and that they truly do not love Christ, and, to tell the truth, they love themselves more than Christ. Therefore, the Lord says: “Whoever does not take up his cross and follow Me is unworthy of Me” (Matthew 10:38). A true friend is known in misfortune. That is our true friend and the one who truly loves us, who does not leave us in misfortune. So truly he loves Christ who, here in this world, abides with Christ, clings to Him with his heart, and endures suffering or the cross with Him without complaint, and desires to be inseparably with Him in the next century. Such a person speaks heartily to Christ: “It is good for me to unite with God” (Ps. 72:28). 6) The sign of love for God is love for one’s neighbor. He who truly loves God also loves his neighbor. He who loves the lover loves the one he loves. The source of love for one's neighbor is love for God, but God's love is known by love for one's neighbor. And from this it follows that he who does not love his neighbor does not love God, as the apostle teaches: “Whoever says: “I love God,” but hates his brother, is a liar, for he who does not love his brother whom he sees, how can he love God whom he does not see? We have this commandment from Him, that whoever loves God should also love his brother” (1 John 4:20–21). These are the signs of love for God hidden in the human heart. Beloved Christians! Let us repent and turn away from the vanity of the world, and purify our hearts with repentance and contrition, so that God’s love may dwell in us. “God is Love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16). Amen. Word twenty-six. About love for one's neighbor “Beloved! Let us love each other,” and so on. (1 John 4:7) The root and beginning of love for one's neighbor is love for God. He who truly loves God certainly loves his neighbor. Without a doubt, God loves every person. So, whoever truly loves a loving God must also love the person he loves. “Let us love one another” as God loved us. All of us, O Christians, recognize one forefather Adam, we all have a similar nature, we are all called men and we are all men. "Let us love one another." All are created by one God, created in the image of God and likeness: “let us love one another.” All of us who have fallen have been redeemed by the Blood of Christ, the Son of God, who loved us and gave Himself for us: “let us also love one another.” God loved us all so much that He “gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). “Let us also love one another,” just as God loved us. God gave us all His holy word, like a lamp shining in a dark place, which teaches us to love one another and out of love to do good to one another: “Let us love one another.” We all listen to this word of God: “Let us love one another.” We are all called into one holy faith, and we believe in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, the One Trinitarian God, Who loves us: “Let us also love one another.” We all call on one God, pray, worship Him, sing and praise Him: “let us love one another” as He loves us. We are all called Christians from Christ: “let us love one another” as He loves us. We all have one Baptism, we were all baptized in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit: “let us love one another.” At Baptism, we all renounced Satan and all his evil deeds: pride, hatred and other evils - and promised Christ and to love each other. "Let us love one another." We are all called to eternal life, and we say in the Holy Symbol: “I look forward to the resurrection of the dead and the life of the next century”: “let us love one another.” We all come to one holy meal and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Oh, great thing! Oh, the incomprehensible love of God! "Let us love one another." Christians! We are all brothers, we have one Father - God, to whom we pray and say: “Our Father who art in heaven!” – and so on. “Let us love each other as brothers.” Out of His love, the Heavenly Father gives us all food, clothing, a home and other blessings: “let us also love one another.” So, a Christian has enough reasons for which he should love his neighbor. The main reason is that God loves man. What then, Christian? Do you want to hate God's dear creation - man? Do you want to hate someone who is the same person as you? Do you want to hate the one who was created in the image of God and in the likeness, just like you? Do you want to hate the one whom God loves? Do you want to hate someone who has been redeemed by the Blood of Christ, just like you? Do you want to hate the one for whom Christ suffered and died? Do you want to hate someone who has been washed in the bath of holy Baptism, just like you? Do you want to hate the one who is called to eternal life, just like you? Do you want to hate the one whom God tells you to love “as yourself” (Matthew 22:39)? Do you want to hate the one who approaches the most holy Eucharist, just like you? Do you want to do evil to someone to whom God, out of love alone, does good? Do you want to dishonor and curse the one whom God has honored? Do you want to curse the one whom God blesses? Christians! It is terrible, and very terrible, to hate the one whom God loved, for whom Christ died and suffered. It is dangerous, and very dangerous, to do evil to someone whom God has done good, to dishonor someone whom God has honored, to curse someone whom God has blessed. So, “let us love one another,” Christian, just as God loved us all. Amen. Word twenty-seven. About the two fruits of love for one's neighbor “Love does not harm your neighbor. Love is kind" (Rom. 13:10; 1 Cor. 13:4) Many Christians are deceived in this name - neighbor. Therefore, first of all, let us consider who our neighbor is, in order to know what love for one’s neighbor is. We are all neighbors to each other: the authorities are for the ruled, and the ruled are the neighbors for the authorities; shepherds are for people, and people are neighbors for shepherds; parents are for children, and children are neighbors for parents; masters are for slaves and peasants, and slaves and peasants are neighbors for masters; husbands are to wives, and wives are neighbors to husbands; those who sell and buy among themselves are neighbors; masters and mercenaries are neighbors to each other; judges and defendants are neighbors to each other. In a word, all people, relatives and non-relatives, acquaintances and strangers, fellow countrymen and foreigners, are neighbors to each other. And especially Christians, who are united by a single faith, a single Baptism, a single word of God, the confession and invocation of a single God, a single hope in the resurrection of the dead and eternal life. Especially, I say, Christians are neighbors and brothers to each other. For they pray to the one Heavenly Father, and, like brothers among themselves, they say to Him: “Our Father who art in heaven,” and so on. So, we are talking here about Christian love, which embraces and contains not only our relatives, brothers, friends, acquaintances, but also all people, and especially those close to the faith and brothers in spirit, Christians. Two fruits of such love are explained here: the first is not to do harm to anyone; the second is to show mercy and mercy to one’s neighbor in need. The first mercy and fruit of love: not to offend anyone and not to do harm to anyone. Evil is also an insult to parents when their children do not obey them, evil is also an insult to the authorities when those under their control do not show worthy respect, submission and obedience. “Love does not do such evil.” He who loves his parents and authorities obeys them and honors them. It is evil to disobey shepherds and mentors. He who loves does not do this evil, but obeys and submits to them. Evil is to be angry and angry with your neighbor, and somehow harm his health or property. He who loves does not create this evil. It is evil to commit fornication and adultery, to defile oneself and one’s neighbor. He who loves does not do this evil. Evil is either open, or secret, or it is insidious and flattering to steal and appropriate the good of one’s neighbor for oneself. He who loves does not do this evil. It is evil to bear false witness against your neighbor in court. He who loves does not do this evil. It is evil to slander one’s neighbor, and to tarnish the honor of his name. He who loves does not do this evil. It is evil to reproach, scold and insult your neighbor. He who loves does not do this evil. It is evil to deceive and deceive your neighbor. He who loves does not do this evil. Evil is an insidious and flattering way to treat one's neighbor. He who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. Evil is also an insult caused to children when their parents neglect their good upbringing and Christian instruction. He who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. Evil is also an insult to people when shepherds neglect their salvation. A good shepherd who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. Evil is also an insult to those who come to court, when judges look at bribes or faces, and do not judge truthfully. A judge who loves his neighbor does not create this evil. Evil is also an insult to the peasants when their masters aggravate them with either excessive taxes or work. A gentleman who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. Evil is both an insult to the husband when his wife does not keep his marital fidelity, and an insult to the wife when the husband does not keep her marital fidelity. He who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. Evil is also an insult to the owner when a mercenary works for him lazily and hypocritically. He who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. Evil is also an insult to a mercenary when the owner withholds his payment or does not give him full payment. He who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. Evil is also an insult to the buyer when the seller deceives him with a product. He who loves his neighbor does not do this evil. So “love does not harm one’s neighbor.” This is the first fruit of love, that is, not wishing or doing harm to one’s neighbor. The second fruit of love is to feel sorry for your neighbor in need and help him in distress. A truly loving neighbor, seeing him in poverty, cannot help but sympathize with him, and not have mercy on him, and not give him a helping hand, because “love is merciful.” He sees the hungry and feeds him; He sees a thirsty person and gives him something to drink; He sees the naked and clothes him; sees a wanderer and brings him into his house; sees a sick person, or sitting in prison, and visits him (see Matt. 25:33–36). In a word, he will help him in any disaster: he will sympathize with the suffering, he will sympathize with the sick, he will comfort the sad, for “love is merciful.” A lover’s heart is troubled over his beloved when he sees him in distress, and therefore cannot help but sympathize with him and, if possible, not help him in that misfortune. So the Humane God, seeing the man he loves in great distress and destruction, had mercy on him and sent His Only Begotten Son into the world, “to save him and to seek the lost” (Matthew 18:11). And from here we see that they have no love for their neighbor: 1) those people who do or want to do some kind of evil to their neighbor; 2) who do not care about their neighbor in distress. These are the rich people who spend their wealth on whims and do not help poor people in their distress. They love their own whims, and not their neighbor, and without love for their neighbor, they do not have love for God. For whoever does not love his neighbor does not love God Himself, as is noted in the above word. Beloved Christians! Let us try to have Christian love in our hearts. She will not allow us to desire or do any harm to our neighbor. She will convince us to spend our wealth not on our whims, but on the shortcomings of our neighbors and to give them a helping hand in every disaster. Let us sincerely love our neighbors, and let us be true and not false Christians. For by this a true Christian is known, as the Lord teaches: “By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). Amen. Word twenty-eighth. About eternal torment and eternal life “In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, Amen.” Just as eternal bliss comes from temporary misfortune, so eternal misfortune from temporary misfortune is somewhat known and felt. There is no such great calamity in this world that does not have some consolation and relief. Poverty is hard, but it receives consolation from the name of Christ and the mercy of good people. A cruel disease is painful, but it is relieved by treatment or something else. It is considered a great disaster and misfortune not only to lose one’s honor, property, wife, and children, but also to be thrown into prison. However, the poor person is not without consolation: he enjoys light and air, common to everyone, although unequally with the free; He cools himself with food and drink, forgets the burden in his sleep, is comforted by visiting good people, and is nourished by the hope of liberation. Maybe he doesn’t tolerate wounds or beatings. When he suffers unjustly, he rejoices in the hope of heavenly reward; and when it is righteous, he humbles himself before God and admits his sin, repents, and so rejoices in the hope of God’s mercy, saying: “It is good for me that You have humbled me, so that I may learn Your statutes” (Ps. 119:71). Moreover, death will end it all. But how hard, how unbearable it is to lose that glory, before which all the glory of this world is like pus! To lose sight of that beautiful Face, whose beauty, kindness and grace transforms the whole heart and the whole spirit into desire and love; Of which the blessed spirits from the beginning cannot be satisfied, and will forever be satisfied without satiety! To be rejected from the King of glory Christ, whose beauty surpasses the sun's radiance, having tasted a little of whose sweetness on the mountain, Saint Peter cried out: “it is good for us to be here” (Matthew 17:4)! Move away from the city of that beautiful, heavenly Jerusalem, which “needs neither the sun nor the moon to give its light, for the glory of God has illuminated it, and its lamp is the Lamb” (Rev. 21:23). To be expelled from that glorious and sweet supper, at which from the beginning of the world to the end “the called and chosen of God will sing, rejoice, and shout for joy” (Isaiah 65:14)! To remove the blessed spirits and all saints from the kind friendship, and, moreover, to be numbered among the dark and crafty spirits; to be imprisoned, not to see the light; suffer without weakening in the fire of Gehenna, which burns but does not consume, torments but does not kill! Temporary disaster and suffering, as it is said, no matter what it is, is not without consolation, and no matter how long it lasts, it ends in death, but this disaster and misfortune is endless!.. There will be no return to the glory of God, there will be no deliverance from the bonds of hell and fiery suffering, in a word: eternal despair of God’s mercy, eternal feeling of the righteous wrath of God. There the answer will be heard: “Remember that you have already received good things in your life” (Luke 16:25). Here people run away from death, and there they wish for it - and it runs away from them; they will want to turn into nothing, but will not be able to, and so they will always die, but will never die: and “this is the second death” (Rev. 20:40). Severe suffering is multiplied by the fact that the sufferer never has any hope of returning the good that he lost through negligence, and of freeing himself from the terrible evil into which he fell of his own free will. This will result in great anguish, great fear and horror; conscience will arise, which through all eternity will denounce and gnaw at the sinner for rejecting such high God’s grace, and so willfully depriving himself of God’s highest mercy forever, and coming to such a painful state. God, the Creator of heaven and earth, did not spare His Son for your sake, and handed Him over to death and cruel suffering, as the Gospel declared to you and church teachers preached. And God did this in order to save you from that trouble. But you despised this ineffable love of God, abandoned God for the sake of temporary small pleasure, fulfilled your own whims, and not the will of God, which wanted to save you, served and pleased Satan, and not Christ. Other people like you are now consoled, rejoice, and are satisfied with eternal blessings, because they believed and followed Christ, their Savior, by faith, but you rejected God’s advice and thus perished! How many times has God called you to repentance! How many preachers exhorted! You despised all this. You didn’t want to listen to God in your life, and God won’t listen to you now. Expect nothing more than this disaster in which you find yourself. You will always drink this cup of sorrow, but you will never drink it all. Repent now, but it is too late and useless if you did not want to repent usefully in the world. Moan, sigh, cry, sob, but it’s useless if you didn’t want to cry where tears were useful! There, the condemned person will be tormented endlessly and, like a worm, will gnaw at his conscience, and illness will be added to illness, and torment will be added to torment. In such cramped conditions and despair, nothing more will follow than that the condemned person will hate himself, be angry with himself, be vile to himself, abhor himself, scold himself, condemn himself, curse the hour of conception and the hour of birth; curse the time in which you sinned; curse the cases that led to sin; curse those persons who gave rise to sin; remember those who dissuaded from sin. Oh, eternity, eternity, ill-fated eternity! How your very memory terrifies our spirit! As much as a blissful eternity amuses and delights the spirit of a meditator, an ill-fated eternity leads to sadness and fear. It is impossible to think about this last thing without sighing and horror. It is better to endure every calamity here, it is better to suffer in every grave illness all your life; It is better for those chained in a stinking and gloomy prison to sit all their lives, suffer beatings and wounds, die every day, burn in fire when it is possible, it is better, finally, to endure all the troubles in the world, collected together, with thanksgiving, if the will of God pleases, than to lose a blissful eternity and end up in a dysfunctional eternity. For here, no matter what suffering happens, each of them has some kind of consolation and ends in death, but there is suffering, fierce suffering without any consolation, suffering, not only in word, but also incomprehensible to the mind; suffering that will always be, but never ends: “their worm will not die, and their fire will not be quenched,” says the prophet (Is. 66:24). Whoever believes this, reflecting and often remembering this terrible misfortune, can be aroused to the most zealous repentance in order to get rid of that misfortune; and whoever does not believe will taste it with the very act of sorrow, and will taste it endlessly, as it is said. The pious enter into blissful eternity, justified by faith in Christ, the Son of God, and in living faith these are those who have completed life, whom Christ Himself, pleasing, calls into this bliss: “Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world, for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me” (Matthew 25:34–36). Unrepentant sinners will be thrown into an unhappy eternity, whom Christ will send away from Himself as ungrateful: “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels, for I was hungry, and you did not give me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger, and they did not accept Me; I was naked, and they did not clothe Me; sick and in prison, and they did not visit Me” (Matthew 25:41–43). “And these go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into everlasting life” (Matthew 25:46). Both go, but not equally: some with crying and inconsolable sobbing, and others with joy and inexpressible rejoicing. For they go to unequal places: some to the abode of the Heavenly Father, to the decorated palaces of the King of Glory, to the great supper, endlessly entertaining, and to the sweet marriage of the Lamb, and others to the eternal prison and the place of weeping, weeping and the most cruel torment. Some will be received by heaven with all the blessings, “which eye has not seen, ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9), while others are concluded by hell with all the evil, which we cannot depict in words or comprehend with our minds. Amen. You might be interested in: