Часть 2-я

Division III. Words for the Feasts of the Virgin Mary Word on the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary How many praises, how many days of celebration the Orthodox Church devotes to the now born Virgin Mary! Now we spiritually celebrate Her birth. Then the day of Her introduction into the church, the day of the Annunciation, the day of the Assumption are glorified. Every day the church honors Her as the most honorable Cherub and the most glorious Seraphim. If the example of some who call themselves Christians, but do not follow the Orthodox Church in glorifying the Mother of God, arouses in others at times bewilderment about the holiness of the rules of the Orthodox Church, this is not surprising. What does the example of others not lead to? But you need to know the truth so as not to waver in your love for the truth. Let the words of the Most Holy Virgin Herself be our lamp, from now on everyone will please Me, give birth. Righteous Elizabeth, upon meeting Mary, filled with the Holy Spirit, calls Mary the Mother of the Lord. And Mary, glorifying the Lord who glorifies Her, says, from now on all generations will please Me. What do these words of Mary mean? Is this a simple delight of the soul? Is this a guess of the mind? or, a true prophecy? After the evangelist directly spoke about the state of righteous Elizabeth, filled with the Spirit of Holy Elizabeth, it is not natural to assume that the subsequent song of the Virgin Mary, even if it was not special in its content, was only the fruit of a natural feeling of joy. The Evangelist did not say, “Holy Mary was filled with the Spirit,” only because Mary had previously been called grace-filled, had already been overshadowed by the Holy Spirit, while Elizabeth was only filled with the Holy Spirit when she met the Mother of the Son of God. And without the words of the evangelist it is easy to see that the words of St. Mary, from now on all will please Me, was not a guess of reason. What did Mary say before? Look upon the humility of His servant. So, Mary sees herself only as a servant, speaks only of her humility before the Lord. How, with such a deep feeling of humility, could there be in the same Mary the fortune-telling of her mind about her glory. This would mean that at the same time, in the same soul, humility and pride, deep self-abasement and the most dreamy vanity speak. Agree that this is completely incompatible in a soul that is at all attentive to itself, especially in the grace-filled Virgin Mary. And on what could Mary base her guess about Her future worldwide glory? Is it because She was from the line of kings? But the glory of the Davidic family ended long ago; Mary was already among the most unknown daughters of Israel. It is too unnatural for such a Virgo to guess about her worldwide fame. Was the guess about future glory based on the fact that the Virgin Mary was predicted to be the Mother of the Messiah? But, if Mary thought about this not under the influence of the Spirit of God, but only according to the spirit of her time, and only wondered about the structure of the kingdom of Israel (Acts 1:6), then, in this spirit, why could She expect worldwide glory for herself? Blessed is the memory of Abraham, the father of believers; glorious is the name of David, king of Israel; Does anyone know the names of their mothers? No. So, there is no doubt that the thought of Her future glory did not arise in the humble Mary from her own mind and heart. The Holy Spirit revealed the future to Her and, according to His movement, She spoke about the lot that awaited Her in the universal Church of Christ. If so, if by the inspiration of the Spirit of God words were spoken about the future glory of the Virgin Mary, then whose will are those who please the Most Holy Virgin Mary fulfilling? The will of the Spirit of God. Who do not obey those who refuse to honor St. Virgin Mary? They do not obey the Spirit of God. Yes, if a Jew does not please the Mother of my Lord, this is understandable - he does not believe in the gospel, he does not know the Spirit who spoke in the gospel. But, if a Christian does not honor the blessed, I don’t know what to call him? It’s sad, painful, hard to see such a Christian! From now on, everyone will please Me. Whom? – She, from whom Jesus, the spoken Christ, was born (Matthew 1:16). Jesus is not a simple man, but a God-man. According to the teaching of the Gospel, in the incarnation of the Son of God, humanity was united with the person of the Son of God, united just as in us the soul and body are united into one person. Pure, sinless humanity was united in the womb of the Virgin Mary with the true Divinity. The Lord is with You, the angel said to Mary, The Lord is with You - not only by his grace-filled presence, but also by his essential incarnation in You. The great mystery of godliness is that God has appeared in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). There is no honor, and it is impossible to imagine a higher honor than that which She, the Mother of the God-Man, was awarded. He Whom the Father begat before the ages, the Consubstantial Son of the eternal Father, Creator of the visible and invisible, He took on human nature in the womb of Mary. Amazing is the condescension of the Son of God! Wonderful, incomparably greatness of the Virgin Mary! Verily, She is the most honest Cherub and without comparison the most glorious Seraphim! From now on, everyone will please Me. And how can all generations not please Her, when all generations are saved by Her Son? Why did the Son of the Eternal Father become Her Son? In order to renew human nature corrupted by sin by the power of the Divine; - in order to save a person from the terrible curse of truth that weighs on humanity; - in order to offer the Father of Eternity the free death of the God-Man as a sacrifice for the disobedience of men. Mary is God’s chosen instrument for the salvation of people, an instrument appointed by the eternal council of God for the work of God. If the Virgin Mary was honored with the highest election of God to be the Mother of the Son of God and the Savior of the world, why was this done? By the special grace of God? I don’t argue, this is definitely a special grace. But can the grace of God be in conflict with the truth of God? So, if the Virgin Mary, by the grace of God, was awarded the highest election, then, without a doubt, and without contradicting the truth of God. She was exalted above all by election, but because above all she was worthy of election. A ship with treasures will not land on the shore if the shore does not have a pier. And the heavenly mystery would have returned to heaven if the Virgin Mary had not been worthy of receiving this mystery. The Savior did not appear before God's chosen Mary appeared. Do you think that one had no connection or correlation with the other? In human affairs, the usual thing is incoherence; but not in the ways of God. Wasn’t too much required for a worthy receptacle for God the Word to emerge from among sinful people? Was it not necessary for humanity to go through a long series of purification and sanctification in the host of the patriarchs and all the holy men of the Old Testament, until it could finally appear in Mary at that degree of purity and perfection at which it could become the receptacle of the Divinity? Thus, the birth of Mary resolved the infertility not only of Joachim and Anna, but of the entire human race. Mary is the purest Lamb among the pure lambs of God - husbands and wives of saints. How will this happen if I don’t know where the men are? - Mary said to the one who announced to Her the birth of her Son. If she does not know her husband, although she was already engaged to her husband; if she does not know her husband to the point that she does not consider the birth of a son possible, then it is clear that this is a Virgin who has doomed herself to be the bride of the One Lord. Mary, according to Her own consciousness, is a pure Virgin, a Virgin who dedicated Her virginity to the Lord. The Holy Spirit will come upon You and the power of the Most High will overshadow You, said the heavenly messenger to Mary. And so, and according to the testimony of the angel, Mary is a pure Virgin. According to the revelation of God’s messenger, Mary’s birth is an unparalleled, unique birth, a birth by a wife without a husband, a birth through the action of the Spirit of God. Let us revere the unparalleled Virgin, let us revere the mystery of the Spirit of God. They point out that the evangelists tell us little about Mary. Is it possible to say anything higher than what the angel of the gospel says about the Virgin Mary? He points out in Her angelic purity and immaculateness; he speaks of Her as a vessel of the Spirit of God, as a Virgin - the Mother of the Son of God. If the evangelists talk about St. The Virgin, as filled with the deepest humility, do they not thereby say that all the glory of the Tsar’s daughter is within, that the greatness of Her spirit is especially great because it was hidden in the depths of the spirit? Like to look upon the humility of His servant, Mary testifies before the face of God, in a state of divine inspiration. And Her entire gospel life agrees with this. She did not seek to share the glory of Her Son, when the people praised Him for miracles, when they met Him with exclamations of delight, Hosanna to the Son of David! When the blinded ones dishonor the Son of Mary, they cry: he is furious; then we see His Mother with Jesus (Mark 3:21, 31). She stands at His cross in the face of His bitter enemies, standing when His closest disciples abandoned Him. Isn't this the path to heavenly glory? Do not the evangelists speak more in their silence about the high qualities of the Virgin Mother than they could say in words? In silence She observed all the words of Her Son, the Son of God (Luke 2:19). Before He showed His glory through miracles and His disciples believed in Him (John 2:11), She already believed so much in His miraculous power that she convinced Him to perform the first miracle in Cana of Galilee. Thus, earlier than others and more completely than others, the Mother of God believed in Him and knew Him - and, however, with her deep humility she remained little noticeable. What extraordinary greatness of humility! Blessed is the womb that bore Thee and the breast, even if it pissed (Luke 11:27), exclaimed the wife in delight of spirit, delighting in the conversation of Christ. What does it mean? Clear praise to the Mother of Jesus Christ, and praise noticed by the evangelists! Of course, no one will say that the words of the wife who listened to the Savior were not the fruit of a pious heart; no one will say that these words do not have an edifying meaning in the evangelist’s narrative. On the contrary, comparing the words of the reverent wife with the prophetic saying of the Virgin Mary about Her future glory, we see in these words the beginning of the fulfillment of the prophetic words about the universal glory of Mary. So, the evangelists did not hide either the high properties or the glory of Saint Mary. In relation to the Mother of the Son of God, they exactly fulfilled the will of God for Her. If the Son of God considered it necessary that until humanity was glorified in Him with heavenly glory they should not talk about His glory on earth, much more so should it have been in relation to the Mother of the Son of God. After moving from earth to heaven, it is natural for the prophetic word of Mary to be fulfilled in its entirety; from now on all my people will please Me. Now, how can we not please Her when, abiding in the glory of Her Son, She intercedes for us, as the Mother of all who believe in Her Son? She loves us as brothers in Adam, as children in Her Son - Jesus Christ. She intercedes for us before the Son by the right of the Mother, she prays to the Heavenly Father by the right of His love and His love for the poor wanderers of the earth. The Son loves Her like a Mother. He showed Her His love on earth, when in the very pains of death on the cross he took care of Her and said to his beloved disciple, Behold your Mother (John 19:27); He fulfills Her requests - as a Mother, Whom he obeyed even in the days of the flesh (Luke 2:51). How could She not be a strong intercessor for sinners in heaven? If angels pray for us, and through prayer bend the Lord to hear our prayers, then how can the intercession of the Mother of the Son of God not be heard before the throne of God? Oh, how sure is Her intercession for us! Who ran to Her and was not heard? Who has not experienced Her mercy? How many signs of Her heavenly help! How many icons - instruments of Her miracles! There is no city, no village in our Orthodox Fatherland where Her blessings are not glorified, where churches are not erected in Her honor. In the depths of the north, among the ice, Ola warms faith with His good deeds; Every day faith experiences Her help, here or here, openly or secretly, in the family circle and in the depths of the solitary soul. Let us therefore turn to our Mother with warm faith, with childlike hope. Mother of God - Mother of all who trust in You! We trust in You, weak children of Orthodoxy - do not abandon us in our days of sorrow, save us through Your powerful intercession. - Amen. Word for the Day of the Entry of Our Lady into the Church An instructive example is now presented to us by St. church. The righteous Joachim and Anna bring their only Daughter to the church and dedicate it to the Lord. What was most precious to them is given to the Lord. The young, only child, whom they barely waited in the days of old age, is taken away from themselves, torn from their embrace. They want it to be brought up in piety before the face of God - and neither the age of their three-year-old daughter, nor the fact that this was their one, long-awaited daughter, stops their determination. They are confident that in the church of God, in this place of God’s presence, their young branch will grow as well as possible, both in soul and body, will flourish like an olive tree, watered by the moisture of hearing the law of the Lord, warmed by the warmth of prayerful offering to God. And the centuries know how majestically their hopes were fulfilled! Fathers and mothers! Shouldn’t this example teach you your responsibilities towards your children? Doesn't it show how attentive you need to be to your title? Together with you, I want to think about your relationship with your children. Nature itself tells the father and mother that their duty is not only limited to giving birth to children, but they need to feed and house the children according to their condition. Anyone who would deny food to her chick is considered by the general feeling to be lower than the beast, and a fierce lioness feeds her lion cub, and the chicks of a predatory kite are not abandoned without supervision until they are able to fly and find food for themselves. Can there really be fathers and mothers among people who would abandon their offspring to the will of fate, rejecting them from their caretaker? Our hearts shudder when we think that there are children abandoned homeless and without food. But the point is not yet that the young body is doomed to suffering. It is far more important that souls perish in hunger. It is far more terrible when they do not care at all about preserving the souls of their children, leave it as a sacrifice to destruction, and even contribute to destruction themselves. And do you know what is especially terrible? We meet so many children whose souls, although not their bodies, are doomed to destruction that it is difficult to count them. How expensive is the ransom for a soul? She is the breath of God. For her, the Son of God Himself descended to earth; He brought her the light of truth, suffered for her, was crucified, and died in agony. How will they pay there at the trial - at the terrible trial, if out of frivolity? through careless absent-mindedness, through extreme negligence, not only did they not do anything to save young souls, but were the cause of their death? With what tenderness the Savior received children to Himself! Leave them to come to Me, and do not scold them, for such is the kingdom of God (Luke 18:16). In the baptismal font, infant souls are dedicated to the Lord, and you, fathers and mothers, undertake by your very name to preserve and raise them for the Lord. Are you doing this? The Apostle says, the wife will be saved for the sake of childbearing, i.e. if those born by her, through her care, grow in faith and love for the Lord (1 Tim. 2:15). Consequently, can a wife expect salvation for herself when she does not know and does not want to know what spiritual birth is? What needs to be done to save young souls? What does a skilled gardener do with a young tree? Waters, cleanses, protects. Do it too with your young soul. May you chasten your sons with them (commandments), and let them speak about them when you sit in the house, and when you walk, and when you lie down, and when you stand up (Deut. 6:7). This is what the Lord Himself commanded to parents! Teaching children the commandments of God is the most important duty of parents! There is nothing in the world higher, more necessary, more nourishing than faith. All other knowledge has a relative temporary value, relating to the unimportant and accidental needs of the soul, but with faith the soul must live forever. Faith is a living source of peace, happiness, merit for time and eternity. The soul cannot live without faith; without her there is darkness, corruption, disorder in her soul, and her life is torment. Faith, with the first movement of the soul, reveals its rights to the soul and these rights, even if they wanted to, cannot reject them, the soul itself sanctifies them. And, after childhood, there is no one else more capable and ready to accept the beneficial seeds of faith from parents and mentors. How scary it will be for you, careless parents, to be responsible for your children! Having deprived them in their youth of the saving seeds of faith, which could so easily and so deeply take root in their tender hearts, you let them into the light with emptiness - and the sinful light, with its free hand, fills this emptiness with temptations, vices, and delusions of the wildest kind. After this, will not your own children cry out against you before the judgment of God? Yes, they will accuse you as their most cruel enemies. Yes, talk about them while sitting in the house, and walking along the path, and lying down, and standing up. The Lord's commandments are so important for the soul that we need to talk about them very often. But isn't it too often necessary to talk about them? When will children be taught other subjects? My listeners! I don’t know whether Moses understood all those subjects that many teach their children? But I have no doubt that he left so much time for subjects related to the commandments of God that you cannot complain. The way he proposes to teach and study faith is amazing how convenient it is in every way! To teach faith, according to the instructions of Moses, means to force a child to memorize the ten words or members of the creed. No, we need to talk to the child about faith as an object of daily life, as an object that is needed at every step, and which must be studied at every step, both walking, lying down, and rising. You just need to be able to do it, and it’s not difficult to be able to do it, because talking about faith is not difficult. Show the child that sin is truly more harmful than anything in the world, that it is also necessary to love the Heavenly Father, as sweet as loving a mother, like loving a father, whom the child sees. Tell the child that we receive everything from the Heavenly Father, that without His love for us we would have neither food, nor drink, nor clothing, nor flowers, that He sees everything, hears everything, knows everything, even our thoughts and intentions; that He loves only the good and punishes the bad; that His love is great for us, so great that He sent His only begotten Son from heaven to earth for our salvation, and this Son fell on the cross for our sins, so that we could see how sin brings down the wrath of God upon itself. If they spoke like this to a child, such language, such conversation, without a doubt, would be understandable to him. It would listen to you with attention, it would itself ask you about this and that subject with an open soul. Questions about faith are fundamental questions in relation to the whole world; By solving them, they solve or encourage them to solve questions about the world around them. since there is nothing higher and more life-giving than the objects of faith, then, feeding the young soul with faith, we would ennoble it as much as possible, we would expand its strength for work, even in those cases where every human effort remains unsuccessful. So - you can forbid with threats to do bad things; but the thought of faith about the Omniscient Judge of hearts would forbid a child to think about bad things, to wish for bad things. Oh, if only fathers and mothers would talk to their children like this! But is that how they talk? Is this what they talk about? No, it is not about You, O God of our hearts, it is not about You that families speak; other subjects are occupied by young souls, so dear to You; thousands of objects, millions of objects of conversation; don’t talk only about the soul and God! The name of Jesus was hardly ever heard of in other houses; have not heard of that worshiped name, which children should have in their mouths, as soon as they begin to babble. What are these people preparing themselves and their children for? They also complain that children do not know anything essentially good, do not and do not want to do anything meaningful, are lazy and disobedient, capricious and disrespectful. How can they be different? He who spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves is diligently punished (Proverbs 13:25). Plagues and reproofs give wisdom (Proverbs 29:15). So says the ancient sage. Punishments, they say, are cruelty. I don’t argue and, following the ancient sage, I leave it to the will to hate children. What? is it even tougher? Without a doubt. Listen, my friends. If there is a disease, then medicine is needed that is appropriate to the disease. And our trouble is that we are all sick and illnesses are detected in us even in childhood. The difference between us is that if we are treated, we are healthier; If they don’t treat it, the disease becomes old. Punishments are necessary as a medicine against evil, when sensuality takes over in a pet, or self-will of self-love goes beyond the limits of natural weakness. It is in vain that others dream that their love is elevated to the highest degree, if in no case do they allow themselves measures of prudent severity. What is visible here is not the fullness of love, but the absence of rational love for humanity. What is clear here is that they do not know either the good fruits of that strong love that lovingly punishes, or the disastrous consequences of that weak love that, rejecting all punishment, gives scope to all evil. “He is still young, he is still a child, they say; He will become smarter as he gets older.” True, children become smarter with age; but bad inclinations, bad habits, if they are not tamed at the very beginning, not only do not weaken with age, but grow and become stronger. Do you please, tender mother, for your dearly beloved son, who is now so free, to subsequently treat you like the last servant? He will, he will certainly be like this if you do not admonish him with severity, as his actions require. Don't you believe it yet? Take the trouble to visit the restraining house; there you will see experiments; there you will hear complaints like the following, “if my father and mother had punished me for my first bad deed, I would not now be such a scoundrel before God and before people.” However, let them not think that the ancient sage demands that the correction of guilty children turn to anger, passion, and abuse. He requires reproof in order that wisdom may be gained, and not so that foolishness may be sown. Be strict, but calm in spirit, be firm, but with the firmness of love; Be careful, but to ensure that good things grow freely in young hearts, let them see that you turn to bitter medicine only out of need, and out of love for duty. Otherwise, children will be afraid of beatings, but not of vices; otherwise their vices, under the influence of your injustice, will secretly multiply and grow. Your example, fathers and mothers, your behavior has a stronger effect on young hearts than words and instructions. If the example is bad, do not expect fruit from the instructions; example will ruin everything. An inexperienced child follows in the footsteps of his teachers; In him, more than in a mature person, one notices the desire and ability to notice everything you do and turn it into a rule for yourself. This is the property of the soul, in which the activity of thought has not yet developed, but memory and sensory observation operate. Don't tell a child lies, and he will be ashamed of lying. If you reproach him for the harshness of his reproaches and the harshness of his words, and a minute before you yourself gave a rude reprimand, then you are beating the air. You teach your son the fear of God, but you yourself swear needlessly, or forget the God of righteousness, believe me, your instruction will be wasted without fruit. You tell your son that you need to pray and thank the Lord, but instead of going to church you yourself go to a place where they don’t think about God at all, where they dishonor Him with their deeds, what are you doing? You are killing faith in your son. Good mother! you teach your daughter modesty, bashfulness, purity, and in front of her you condemn those you know, you disturb with your tongue the honor and peace of people barely known to you, you talk about things that you should only cry about in private, do you understand what you are doing? No, if you want your children to love goodness, show by deeds that goodness is worthy of love, and vice is the same as an ulcer. Let your life be praise to the Lord and love for humanity, then your children will live for the glory of God and for the benefit of people. How necessary it is for you, parents, to be pious! The wrath and blessing of God will pass from you to your children and grandchildren. Why is this? How is this? Very simple. Your bad example teaches bad things to your children, and bad habits and bad dispositions are inherited by your children. Does a wild tree produce tasty fruit? Good God and Almighty! Through the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, give our hearts light and strength, so that we may do Your holy will. Amen. Homily on the Day of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary In the sixth month, after righteous Elizabeth, according to the archangel’s gospel, conceived a son, John, the angel Gabriel was sent from God to the city of Galilee, whose name is Nazareth. The heavenly messenger, appearing to the betrothed Virgin Mary, greeted Her: Rejoice, full of grace, the Lord is with you, blessed are you among women. The unusual greeting embarrassed the one who saw nothing great in herself and did not expect anything special for herself. She, seeing him embarrassed about his words, and thinking about what this kiss would be like, thought, wondering what kind of greeting this was? Then the heavenly messenger, fulfilling the order and calming the humble Mary, announces to her that She will give birth to a Son, whose name she will call Jesus. And behold, you conceived in your womb, and gave birth to a Son, and called His name Jesus (Luke 1:27–31). The subject of the present celebration, brethren, is the gospel of the birth of Mary’s Son, His name is Jesus. Therefore, it is fitting for the day of celebration to meditate on the words of the evangelist, and you will call His name Jesus. If there is pure light for the darkened wanderer of the earth, if there is strength for his will exhausted by sins, if there is hope for joy in eternity and in the land of sorrows, then all this lies in the name that the angel proclaims. And you shall call His name Jesus. The naming of a name, according to the original meaning of the name, should not be a matter of arbitrariness; the name must express the properties of the object to which it is given. This is how the first innocent person named names, in whom everything happened according to the law of perfection, the thought was expressed in the exact word corresponding to it, the word completely corresponded to the thought. Only sin disrupted this order; sin weakened man's ability to cognize the internal properties of objects, and thereby deprived him of the opportunity to give names corresponding to the essence of objects. But what man himself can no longer do, is accomplished by the Spirit of grace, guiding into all truth; this Spirit gave names to the famous persons of the kingdom of God, revealing to people a special meaning, the special properties of these persons. So, without a doubt, in the present case, when God himself assigned the name to the Son of Mary. What is this name that Mary will call to fulfill the will of God, and which should reveal to people the properties of Her Son? The evangelist wrote the gospel for those who knew the Greek language, and therefore wrote in Greek. The angel preached the gospel to Mary, born of the house of David, of course, in the words of the language spoken by the descendants of the house of David. Thus, this leads to the idea that the meaning of the word “Jesus” must be sought in the Hebrew language. And in fact, we only need to open the Old Testament, and we will see there quite a few people with the name Jesus. Thus, Jesus is known, the son of Nun, the helper and successor of Moses (Ex. 17:9, 24:13; Num. 13:16). Jesus is known as the high priest, the son of Jozedek (Zech.3:1; Hag.1:1, 12). We don’t talk about others (Neh.8:17, 7:7; 1 Kings 6:14, 18; 2 Kings 23:8). So, Mary, born of the house of David, knew the word of the language that David spoke. And for us? We need to experience the meaning if we can experience it, or rely without testing those who do not know. In Greek pronunciation, Jesus, in Hebrew abbreviated as Yeshua, means the one who saves, or simply the Savior. Let's imagine an explanation that is more than human. The Evangelist Matthew narrates that when Joseph, Mary's betrothed, noticing Mary in her womb, was indignant with doubts, the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream with reassurance, and said, She will give birth to a Son, and she will call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins (Matthew 1:18-21). Behold, there is also a name for the same person about whom we are thinking, and an explanation of the name - and His name is Jesus. Why? He will save his people from their sins. And who, when opening it, explains the name? Angel of the Lord. And one more thing? Evangelist of Christ. Two witnesses, heavenly and earthly, or more precisely, both heavenly. This is enough to make the explanation correct. If Joseph’s condition was such that he needed not only to reveal the name of the Son of Mary, as it was revealed to Mary, but also had to explain the meaning of salvation in the Son of Mary, then how much should we bless the Spirit of grace. Who, healing the weakness of one, heals the infirmities of millions, moreover, more weak than that one, righteous Joseph. So, all the more attention is needed to the teaching of the evangelists about the meaning of the name Jesus. You will save, this is the first and essential meaning of the name, Jesus. But who, and from what, will He, about whom the heavenly messenger preaches, save? We said that there were enough persons with the name Jesus; who more or less lived up to their name in deeds. Is this the same one about whom the gospel was taught to Mary and Joseph? Oh no! He is so superior to all those who save that our weak thought is not able to fully comprehend what the angel reveals about Him. There is much comfort, much greatness in the fact that the Son of Mary is the Savior. But, how much light, how much strength, how much consolation there is in who and from what He will save! He will be saved by his people. The people of Israel were primarily the people of God; the promises were given to him primarily; for him, first of all, Christ had to appear. And now the heavenly messenger preaches the good news about the Son of Mary, who will save his people - Israel. So, Jesus is the very Savior whom Israel had been waiting for so long - he is the same one whom the patriarchs wanted to see and did not see (John 8:56), about whom the prophets prophesied so many great things, on whom they hoped, on whom all the Old Testament righteous people looked forward from afar (Acts 2:3). He will be saved by his people. The language of the prophets, prophesying about the Savior of Israel, at the same time announced the salvation of the whole world. The Messiah is the glory of Israel, and also the light of the revelation of tongues. People walking in darkness were to see a great light, and over those living in the land of deadening darkness, a life-giving radiance was to shine when the Child was born (Is. 9:1-2). Everyone needed a Savior, and for everyone a Savior was promised - the desire of the tongues (Gen. 49:10). The heavenly messenger also proclaimed in the same prophetic language, He will save his people. And there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). At the name of Jesus Christ every knee must bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue must confess in him the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:10-11). He will save his people from their sins. Israel, unfortunately, at the very time of the appearance of the Promised One, lost sight of the pure concepts of the Promised Savior; ordinary people; The largest part of the people expected deliverance only from temporary disasters. Concerns about the earth, about the comforts of earthly life, weaken and destroy holy thoughts in souls; they left in the hearts of the Pharisees dreams of temporary happiness, of temporary glory, of the political independence of the people. But the Savior of the world was not supposed to be such a savior, according to prophecies. And that's not who He is. He will save his people from the world of sin. Jesus is the Savior from spiritual disasters - from disasters that, starting in time, can last for all eternity. How grave, how terrible these disasters are, and how varied they are. Brethren! sin has darkened the vision of our hearts; the objects most necessary for our eternal life, sometimes we do not see at all, sometimes we see in twilight, or in a distorted form. What are our eyes open to? What are our thoughts full of? Earth, dust. What will happen to us when everything earthly ends? What kind of life would it be to live forever in darkness? Oh, what a terrifying life this is! Brethren! in Jesus Christ all the treasures of wisdom and understanding are hidden ( Col. 2:3 ). This will give us wisdom from God (1 Cor. 1:30). If we do not look to Him with our hearts, if we do not ask for light from Him, if we do not enlighten our souls with His teaching, if we do not think to study in His law day and night, God is faithful - there is no other enlightener of souls, there cannot be another light of God for us. One is the true Light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world (John 1:9). He announced about Himself, I am the seven way, the truth and the life (John 14:6). Let us gaze upon Him unswervingly, let us keep His name in our minds and hearts unceasingly, so that His life-giving light enlightens our minds and hearts with the truth. Sin, as a violation of God's eternal law, subjects us to eternal condemnation. And who can say about himself that he is not a sinner? If we are not aware of many sins in ourselves, if in many cases we do not feel how seriously we sin before God, then for the same reason why another sick person does not feel at all that he is sick, even if he is extremely dangerously sick. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Rom. 3:23). By nature we are children of wrath, as those conceived in sin (Eph. 2:3). There is one means for us to be reconciled with God; this is the name of the One about whom the archangel now preaches to the Virgin, who will save His people from their sins. – Behold the Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). No deeds of ours, no external statutes, neither old nor new, will save us from eternal condemnation without warm, fiery faith in the Savior of the world. If the law were right, then Christ would never die (Gal. 2:21). God in Christ reconciles the world to Himself, not imputing our sins to us (2 Cor. 5:19). Sin is grave for our souls, reproaches of conscience are stinging; no donations reconcile God with us, not equaling the severity of the insult caused to the truth of God. Sweetest Jesus! You are our only Provider, You are our only Savior. The power of sin! No matter how much you amaze me every minute, I live by trust in the sweetest Jesus. I am burdened with untruths and iniquities, but, having come to my senses, I go to the Father with the righteousness of the Son of God, and it is sufficient to always bring cleansing for all sins (Heb. 9:11-14). I pray to You, with Your boundless love I beg You, sweetest Jesus, that faith in the omnipotent power of Your atoning sacrifice may remain in my heart until my dying breath! The Apostle teaches us, my children, I write this to you, so that you may not sin, and if anyone sins, the imams interceded with the Father of Jesus Christ the righteous, and by Him there is cleansing for our sins, not just for ours, but for the whole world (1 John 2:1-2). How not to send forth grateful praise, how not to worship, how not to serve us, sweet Jesus, all the days of our earthly journey? How can we not beware of sin when Jesus has done so much for us to get rid of sin? If temporary calamities oppress us and shake our spirit in serving the God of our hearts, our protection is the same sweet Jesus. He is our King in order to protect and save those who believe in Him from all their enemies. All authority in heaven and on earth was given to him. But then, when the great name of the sweetest Jesus comforts us so much, we hear that some old people bring a complaint against us to the pious king, “Have they changed the saved name of our Lord Jesus Christ, called by God an angel?” And they want to think that they are the only ones who are being saved in the name of the saved (Petition from Solovetsky, p. 73). What kind of greed is this? How did they change the “saved name?” Of course, they understand what we say and write, Jesus; and those who complain say and write, Jesus! But, lover of antiquity, think with humble attention, what does it mean to change the name of someone or something? For example, when the holy Church of Christ, preserved by the grace of the Holy Spirit, and observing the power of grace, the treasure of faith entrusted to it, is called reproachful, blasphemous names, you must agree that in this case the name is changed. And why do they change? And who changes? The Lord said: whoever says to his brother, cancer, is guilty of eating the host; and whoever speaks like a freak is guilty of fiery hell (Matthew 5:22). Here's another name change. Look around, he who fears God - a lover of antiquity! Consider whether it means changing a name, what you are thinking about - also realize that if it is so terrible to change the name of a private and ordinary person, how terrible it is to give a different name to an entire assembly of millions of believers! “Have they changed the saved name of our Lord Jesus Christ?” Before the whole church I testified and testify that the name of my Lord is the name of the only Savior of the world, in Whom is all consolation, all enlightenment, all the hopes of my eternal life. I pray and will pray to my Lord and Savior Himself, that for His name He will preserve this faith in me to the grave and beyond the grave. I wish and hope that you, lover of the old, will recognize Him in the same way for your soul. You and I believe, must believe, that Jesus or Jesus is our Redeemer, the only Savior of sinners, the Intercessor of God and men. So, thank the Lord, we have only one faith in the Lord and Savior. And if there is only one faith in Him; Why are you not peacefully moving away from me? What is your complaint for? Why the cruel indignation? Why the reproaches? The difference is, you say, that we speak and write in the old way, Jesus, but you speak and write, Jesus? But - think about it, this is a difference in pronunciation and writing, and not a difference in the name. This is a difference of language, not of heart; perhaps I’ll say a difference of someone’s tongue-tiedness, and not of faith. Is all this worth it for you to tear the robe of Christ so mercilessly and without fear - regarding yourself? Is it necessary to introduce a schism in the Church of Christ in order to differentiate the letters? Here is an example from the Gospel, the Most Blessed Virgin, to Whom the Archangel now brings the gospel, the Evangelist Matthew calls it Mary, betrothed to His former Mother Mary Joseph, then Mariam, Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to accept Mariam (Matthew 1:18, 20). Tell me, is it really necessary to separate from the Evangelist of Christ for this difference? Whether they say Peter, Peter or Peter, whether they call Ivan Ivan or John, you understand that they give one name, and only pronounce it differently - and for this difference no one is taken to court. If they want the venerable name to be pronounced as it was pronounced in the deepest antiquity, let them love precision, as long as it does not lead to discord. But why don’t they understand that neither Jesus nor Jesus is the most ancient pronunciation of the venerable name? We saw that the archangel who preached the gospel to the Virgin from the house of David, from the tribe of Judah, preached the gospel in the language of the house of David and, therefore, “the saved name, called by the angel of God,” was Yeshua. If they want to know how the evangelist wrote down this name, and how it was first written in the gospel, i.e. Whether with two vowels, Jesus, or with one, Isus, I will give one example, which, I think, can solve the confusion. Barnabas, a man of the apostolic times, whose epistle was already known in the second century and was read by believers with benefit to the soul, wrote in his epistle, “Abraham, who first used circumcision, looking forward in spirit to Jesus, circumcised the house, keeping to the meaning of the three letters. For it is said, and Abraham circumcised out of his house ten and eight and three hundred men. How is this knowledge shown? I – ten, I – eight, this is the beginning of the name of Jesus!” “So wrote Bl. Barnabas. You and I only care about letters, lover of antiquity. So, here are the first letters of the name of the savior. Here is an example from the times of the apostles, where we can clearly see that the first letters of the saving name were the letters – II, and that the “saved name” was pronounced and written then – Jesus. You cannot complain about the news of this antiquity, you cannot complain that the letter was added here by infidels, for it cannot be added or removed here; two initial letters are part of the teachings of the bl. Barnabas: by the numerical value of the letters, II, he teaches that the name of the Savior Jesus was in the sight of the faith of Abraham, the Father of those who believe. Brethren! salvation is not in the letters old or new. Salvation is in Jesus Christ, and is acquired by the soul through faith, that faith that is ready to give everything for the name of the Savior, sacrifices the most beloved inclinations of the heart, the oldest habits of the sinful soul. By pure faith, by living and active faith, let us gratefully glorify our Savior, glorifying. Him with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. In the Church of the Annunciation, in the Moscow suburb. Word on the Day of the Dormition of the Mother of God And the stomach promises death. Everything is wonderful in the Mother of the Lord. I am a Virgo by birth, and alive by death. The determination of the Most High prescribes death for all the children of Adam. Mary is the daughter of David and therefore of Adam. But in Her death gives way to life. Each coffin smells of decay and darkness, each death is so gloomy; so sad. The bed of the Mother of God is as bright as a bridal chamber; Her death is not terrible or sad, but joyful and solemn. Behind the door of Her tomb the bright door of heaven opens. Here death goes hand in hand with life. The stomach foreshadows death. At the bed of the Mother of God, it is as if there is no death; death has been transformed into Dormition, i.e. into a calmness like peaceful sleep. Here there is only repose, i.e. like an easy shift from place to place, from a place in the visible world to a village in the invisible world. Doesn’t the light still shine from the bright bed of the Mother of God, in fact, for us wanderers of the sad land? We celebrate the three-day death of the Lord as life-giving for all of us. Showing the tomb of the Lord, with the stone rolled away with the burial cloths, the apostles say: Christ has risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20). Isn’t that what the tomb of the Mother of God preaches? Exactly, about the same thing. He tells us, here is the experience, the obvious experience of that resurrection of which Christ was the beginning. The Immaculate One was so ripe on earth for heaven that the earth could not hold Her body until the general resurrection. Thus, the ascension of the Mother of God with her flesh to heaven leaves us on earth with the thought of the transformation that will one day follow with our body. If we think little about what will happen to us, to our flesh, this does not serve our honor. How can we not think about what will certainly happen to us? We are caring, we are prudent, regarding the events of earthly life, which, in fact, is not life, but a ghost, a disappearing vapor. How can one not be prudent in relation to eternal life, to life without change and without end? One cannot wish, and no one wishes, for everything in the world to remain forever as it is now. Unfortunately for us, we do bad things, but we also call them bad things, something that should not happen either in us or in others. In the same way, destruction, disorder, death only arouses self-loathing in our nature. We do not want death, but life. And this desire is not a dream, not arbitrariness, but breathed into nature by our Creator and Lord. Because it is legal, such that sooner or later it will be fulfilled. We who are in this body groan heavily, but we do not want to be taken together, but only want mortal things to be swallowed up into life (2 Cor. 5:4). A rough, sick, decaying body weighs down our spirit; it hinders him so much in his aspirations for heaven. And, however, why wish for this dwelling of the spirit to be destroyed? No, the spirit only desires that instead of a smoldering, earthly dwelling, it be given a heavenly dwelling. For this we sigh; we desire to be clothed in our heavenly habitation (2 Cor. 5:2). A pure gaze sees in all nature the desire for transformation for the better, but does not find the desire for death. Everything that lives, descending into its tomb, leaves in it only its old, worn-out clothes in order to appear in new, better clothes. The worm builds itself a cobweb coffin in order to be resurrected as a winged butterfly. The life of a bird is buried in a soulless egg, and the eagle is resurrected from a soulless egg. The apostle called doubt about the resurrection of the dead madness. And he pointed out to madness death itself as evidence of life. You are crazy, you see, he will not come to life unless he dies; and the hedgehog is not the future body of the seed, but a naked grain, but God gives it a body as He desires (2 Cor. 15:35-38). For the grain to live, death is necessary; in the process of its decay, the process of rebirth takes place; A grain thrown into the ground rots, but at the same time a sprout is formed from it, and from the sprout a plant or tree is formed. Here is an image of the future rebirth of our bodies! Add to this another profound instruction about nature, an instruction that is not easy to find among the philosophers of the world. All creation, he says, sighs, awaiting the freedom of the children of God, and at the same time their own, i.e. – the struggle of life with death in visible nature is much stronger, much more effective in nature; than our sensual eye, or a mind darkened by passions, can notice. With the God of righteousness there is no unrighteousness, and a good God is good to all things. For it is fitting for us all to appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that everyone may receive either good or evil for what he has done with his body (1 Cor. 5:10). The body, together with the soul, rested or worked here; along with the soul will receive reward. Vain thoughts, dangerous deception, when they demand from a person only spiritual labors, Christ’s teaching does not require this. And is it right to demand when a person is not an angel, but a spirit endowed with a body? It would be in vain for a person to expect only spiritual rewards. Many do not walk this way, I have spoken many times about them and now I say with tears that they are enemies of the cross of Christ, their end is destruction, their god is their belly (Phil. 3:18-19). In nothing, in nothing, and no one will transgress a single line in the law of God without being paid in full. Without fear or shame, you make your body an instrument of sin; with a scattered soul you spend your life in bliss and luxury; You consider fasting, labor, and voluntary exhaustion of the body unnecessary. ABOUT! poor soul, you can’t even imagine what a terrible fate awaits you! Do not grieve and do not think, worker of Christ, that any work of your body was done without benefit for you in eternity. Everything that is yours will be given to you to your joy. The body of humility, the body of weakness, when it participates in the sufferings of Christ, when it bears within itself the death of the Lord Jesus (2 Cor. 4:10), will blossom there with eternal life. If at times we are so kind that we pay attention to even a small service, our heavenly Father is all goodness. A cup of your cold water, generous layman, given in the name of Christ, in memory of Christ the Lord. Our body is weak and feeble, but it is the church of the Spirit of God, according to the eternal love of the Redeemer. How can one think that the church of the Lord will perish? No, what the Lord loved will live either so that the goodness of God’s love will be revealed in it even more, or so that the truth of God will be glorified. My listener! If you are a Christian at heart, it is impossible for you to doubt the resurrection of the deceased. There is no faith in Christ where there is no faith in the resurrection of the dead. If there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen, and if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is in vain, and so is your faith (1 Cor. 15:13-14). Why did the Son of God become the son of man? To revive the dead. He is the second Adam for us (Rom. 5:17, 21). In the first Adam all died, in the second all will live; in the first Adam, not only was the spirit corrupted by passions, but also the body was subject to disease and corruption; by the power of the second Adam the body will come to life, just as the spirit comes to life. He is the firstborn, not over the dead, but over the living (1 Cor. 15:20). He is our head; we are members of Him. As the head lives, the members will also live. His pure flesh saw no corruption; our sinful body will undergo corruption, but will not perish. Christ the Lord will transform the body of our humility, so that we may be conformed to the body of His glory, according to His power to enable Him to subdue all things to Himself (Phil. 3:21). It is not surprising that death is still in the world. The harvest is not yet ripe, the world is still a field on which everything is still sown and growing, thorns together with wheat, pleasing to God along with those displeasing to Him. But all this is for the time being. Let not those who walk according to their own lusts say, Where is the promise of His coming? (2 Peter 3:3–4), they will wait for what is promised. Until the time - sorrow for the soul, until the time - sighing for the world. The Father appointed both of them to teach his children. When the time of learning ends, the sorrows of death will also end. And now the bodies of the righteous remain incorruptible, and they create even more powers and miracles than they did in elemental life. Don’t you believe, like Thomas? Touch and see. Go - see with your eyes, touch with your hands; Believe the news in history. Orthodox truth is not afraid of your testing. What does this incorruption of the Saints mean if not the beginning of the general resurrection, the general victory of Christ over death? Now is just the beginning. There will be a time when the triumph of Christ will be revealed in full. This is why faith in the incorruptibility of the Saints is so necessary as part of pure Christianity! Christ is a King as wise as he is powerful. There will be a time when the last enemy will be eliminated - death. It is fitting for Him to reign until He puts all lies under His feet (1 Cor. 15:25–26). What the creature is now unable to do for itself, the Creator will do. A person could bring death into his composition; sin depended on his will. But it does not depend on his will to introduce life into a disordered physical organism; does not depend on the fact that the frustrated will itself has been torn away from the Source of life, from where streams of life could flow onto a person. There are even fewer ways for the body itself to regain the life that has flown away. Even all of nature, by no process, is able to transform our body into an immortal body; We are not talking about the union of body and soul. In the whole of nature there is barely enough life only for itself, for its parts; she herself struggles with death and sighs, expecting freedom from man. But the One who took upon himself to renew and perfect man and nature is All-Powerful. He will transform the body of our humility according to the action that He can do in every way. He will transform the body of our humility, so that it will be conformed to the body of His glory. Glorious was the resurrected body of Jesus, and glorious will be the body of the one who believes in Jesus. It will be the same body that withered here for the earth, but it will be transformed, just as the body of Jesus was transformed. It will change and become famous. The corruptible is sown, but it will be raised incorruptible; the weak will be sown, but it will rise strong; what is sown in the soul will be raised in the spiritual (2 Cor. 15:42–44). Now it is rough, dark, heavy. Then it will be subtle, light and light (Matthew 13:43). The Spirit of grace, which revived the body and spirit of the righteous here, will fill his soul and body there with light, peace, joy and bliss. As grace-filled enlightenment occurs on earth, deeds for that life will be renewed and glorified. Hence there are various degrees of glorification of bodies under the new heaven and on the new earth. For star differs from star in glory, and so also in the resurrection of the dead (1 Cor. 15:41). Who will transform the body of our humility, says the apostle, meaning sufferers of faith like him. What can we say about the body of a sinner? It will not perish, no matter how much the sinner wants, according to the voice of the Lord everyone will come to life (John 5:28). What will it be like? To each seed is his own body (1 Cor. 15:38), says the apostle. As the soul is, so will the body be; otherwise, whatever seed the soul formed from its body, such will be the fruit. The body of a sinner will be incorruptible, but not for joy, but for torment and suffering. The wild passions of the soul leave their mark on the body here too. There this seal will be more visible, since the body will lose its rough parts. Here the passions of the soul are revealed by the sufferings of the body, even death. There will be no death in eternity, but this makes all the more terrible the suffering with which spiritual passions will torment the body. An incorruptible body does not need food, but the insatiable passion for luxury that you have cultivated in yourself will torment both your soul and body. Neither sweet drink nor tasty food will be needed there for the body, but hunger and thirst for passions will be all the more painful for us because we will recognize the meaninglessness of educated passions, we will be tormented by sorrow, but without benefit - why did we waste both time and energy on the empty pleasures of the earth? Why did they use the gifts of God for evil? Why did they transgress the well-known will of our Father and benefactor? Subtle poison, but a drop of poison and - what torment! The sinful body will be subtle, everything earthly and coarse will fall from it. But that is why the poison of sin, which has penetrated the subtle body, will torment it and the soul with inexpressibly terrible torments. The hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God. And those who have done good will come forth into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil into the resurrection of judgment (John 5:28–29). Oh, Lord, give me the thought of my sins. Listeners! in eternity there will be no changes, but in time we can change, we can become heirs of heaven from the sons of destruction, or from children of grace we can reduce ourselves to irrevocable destruction. Through the prayers and intercession of Your Mother, Lord, grant us all to finish our earthly path in repentance and faith, with a firm memory of the fate awaiting us - beyond the grave! Amen. Why is the present day so clear, so bright in the Orthodox Church? Imagine, in the vast expanse of Russia, in Europe, Asia, America, this day is cheerful and joyful, like not many others. Why is this? Because the Mother of Christ the Lord did not die, but was alive. Because in heaven she whom Her Son listened to on earth is before the throne of her Son She whom the Son obeyed even in the days of the flesh. How much hope we have for the help of the living Mother of the Lord! How many faithful, firm hopes for the love of the living Mother of love! If She is filled with love for God and those in need. July, she could do a lot on earth with God - her Son, then, without a doubt, now more than before, She loves the confessors of the name of Her Son - without a doubt, more in glory than hidden in humility, she can ask for us from her Son. What light shines from Her tomb! The Blessed Virgin fell asleep in a quiet sleep, and was soon sent to eternal life. Isn’t this a sure experience that we will all one day be resurrected, that our flesh, like the same human flesh with the pure body of Mary, will also be raised up in life by the word of the same omnipotent? And the truth of the resurrection sheds so much light on the mind! How comforting it is for the heart! How edifying for everyone! Thus, a real holiday of Orthodoxy has a high Christian significance in relation to the thought of immortality to our life. Let us take a closer look at this relationship - the relationship of the thought of immortality to our life. The thought of the resurrection of the righteous into a blessed life is instructive for the mind. If we rise to eternal life, we will rise, without a doubt, in another world. The transformed body will require another dwelling, more capable for the subtle body. Will it be a completely different land? Will completely new elements be created? No. Revelation does not tell us about the creation of another earth and another heaven. The heavens are new and the earths are new, in them the truth of God lives, according to the promise of the Lord, like tea (2 Pet. 3:13), says the apostle. Notice that the apostle, while he was expecting a new life for himself and others, was also looking forward to a new earth and a new heaven. Notice in what respect he calls that earth new and that sky new? The fact is that on that earth, in that heaven, only the truth of God will live. So, the destruction will apply only to untruths, only to sins, and not to earth and heaven; Only sin will be destroyed, only the impurities that now defile the earth will be destroyed. The earth and heaven will be renewed; in a terrible fiery revolution they will be purified, just as metal is purified in our earthly fire. Now all creation, all visible nature sighs with us, awaiting their and our deliverance from the vanity to which human vanity has subjugated it. These sighs of the creature, these living hopes of it, will undoubtedly be fulfilled, because they, both in them and in us, are planted by God, because then, as... our hopes for liberation from vanity will be fulfilled; there is no reason why the hopes of a creature suffering, through our fault, should remain unfulfilled. She will be freed from the slavery of corruption and will enter into the freedom of the glory of the children of God (Rom. 8:21). Thus, along with the resurrection of the dead, a new heaven and a new earth will appear. So, our land will not be a land of damnation. It will no longer be a land of disorder, which so obscures the perfection of God’s creatures from our view. Then the world of God will open in a new form, in the beautiful form in which it came from the hands of the Creative. Now we see spiritual objects as in a mirror, we comprehend them only by guesses. Then we will see them face to face. That is why pure minds are not disturbed by curiosity, are not worried by doubts when faced with difficult questions about the world and the strange events of earthly life. Enlightened by the thought of the resurrection and future transformation of the world, they know that even without our care, the secrets of God will be revealed at a certain period of existence. “Beloved, thus says one of them, now we are children of God, and it is not yet revealed what we will be, but we know that when He appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). “We understand in part,” says another, in part we prophesy, when perfection comes, then that which is in part will be destroyed. Now I understand in part, but then I will know, just as He also knew me” (1 Cor. 13:9-12). The truth of resurrection into eternal life is comforting to the heart. How precious are the treasures of that life! How high is the beauty of the sky! How incomparable are the joys of life beyond the grave! No earthly suffering can mean anything in comparison with the glory of the next age. Can despondency take possession of the soul, can despondency touch the soul when, through the darkness of sorrows, it looks at the dawn of immortality? Let, she says, the sinful body become exhausted in suffering, if at the same time its passions weaken, this is one of the best services to me; if the coarse earthiness of the flesh smolders, the easier will be the ascent into the life of incorruption. The body of humility, the weak, mortal, earthly body, when it carries within itself the death of the Lord Jesus, will be transformed into a bright, glorious body, similar to the glorified body of Jesus (Phil. 3:21; 2 Cor. 4:10). What more? Poverty, low birth, failure in everyday affairs, and lies keep people away from the blessings of the world. But what do earthly goods mean for immortal life? Less than a fleeting dream. And, oh, if only that’s what they meant! Unfortunately, despite all their emptiness, the soul is imperceptibly wounded by an addiction to them, and passions turn into torment of the soul in that life, to torment all the more terrible because there will be no objects of passion there, and the soul will suffer only from thirst, unquenchable. ABOUT! further, further from the dangerous blessings of the world. There, beyond the grave, there are imperishable blessings, breathing peace, incomparable with any earthly treasures. The unbeliever fears death. And how can he not be afraid? Behind the grave everything is so gloomy for the veto, there is not a single hope for peace; I would like not to believe that I will still have to live, but I cannot give up the desire to live; one must live, but how terrible it is to live with sins! And where to live? Only faith, living faith in the Lord Jesus, the conqueror of sin and death, looks at death as a short sleep of the flesh in the bowels of the earth, as a door to the palace of the Heavenly Father; she knows that the believer, even if he dies, will come to life (John 11:25) for a blessed eternity prepared by the merits of the Lord Jesus; she knows for sure that those close to her heart, although they left the earth, were not separated from her, but live with the Lord of the living and the dead; knows that in the house of the Heavenly Father there are many abodes, just as the readiness of the wanderers of the earth for one or another joy, for one or another peace, varies. Even if the mortal composition of the body is destroyed, peace reigns in the soul of the believer, since she has long been ready for this, since she knows that there will be another, better home for her. Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord (Rev. 14:13). The Apostle Peter, having spoken about the future resurrection of the body and the material world, then says, in the same way, beloved, longing to be found undefiled and blameless in the world, and consider the patience of our Lord to be salvation (2 Pet. 3:14-15). What does it mean? What the certainty of the resurrection requires of us encourages us to strive, not to think haphazardly, not to worry here and there, but to use all our diligence, to constantly take care to appear undefiled, unsullied by the impurity of the world, and blameless, free from everything that can arouse the wrath of the eternal Judge. The message of the Lord, says the apostle, is that the unrighteous will be tormented on the day of judgment, especially those who follow the fleshly lusts of defilement (2 Pet. 2:9-10). Take care of the vessel of the Spirit of God - the body, so that it does not rise again only to burn in hell. The thought of resurrection and judgment requires that we be in peace, not disturb the peace of conscience with unclean deeds, and if we sin in anything, we should hasten to return it through repentance and faith. Confidence in the resurrection requires care so that we find ourselves blameless before Him - before our Lord, and would not seem blameless only in the eyes of the world, for there it will not be the world that judges us, which itself will be held accountable; It’s not enough if we seemed decent in our own eyes, before our conscience, for everyone’s judgment about himself is deceptive, bribed by pride and various passions; Even if we do not close our hearts, there is One who is greater than our hearts, says the apostle. It is necessary that we place ourselves before the face of the Lord, and trust our lives according to His judgment; and how strict this court is! He condemns for unclean thoughts, and for worldly motives, and for secret vanity, and for hidden pride, and for intentional lies, and for involuntary movements of annoyance. What more does the assurance of the resurrection require of us? Consider our Lord's long-suffering as salvation. Do not think, as the teachers of lies think, that if the terrible Judge has not yet appeared to judge everyone, this means that he will not appear at all. No, He, out of His mercy, delays His judgment, waiting for the repentance of sinners, waiting for as many as possible to be saved by the sorrows of sins; He is love and desires only the salvation of the sinner, and not destruction. Oh, my sinful soul! Do not use God’s long-suffering for evil, do not use God’s mercy to your destruction. Hurry to save yourself from sin, as from fire, while there is time to do so; hasten to sow good seeds in your heart before the harvest comes. By the path of the grave, we, brothers, will descend into immortality in soul and body, but to torment or joy, it depends on what seeds we sow here. Mother of God! Merciful Mother of the Merciful! Give us the light of thought and strength of will, so that the thought of Your blessed immortality will be fruitful in us to the glory of Your Son. Amen. ABOUT! a wondrous miracle, the source of life is placed in the tomb. A truly amazing miracle! Let the common one of the daughters of the earth return to the earth from where the bodily composition of man was taken. Let dust, even sanctified by a life of grace, but perhaps not sufficiently imbued with incorruptible life, pay tribute to corruption. But She who carried in her womb the very Beginning of lives, exalted above the disembodied spirits of saints, walks the common path of death! Amazing miracle! What kind of law is this, so inexorable for anyone living on earth? How many bitter complaints against him! How many tears he makes you shed! It even happens that they do not want to cry about their sad lot, but only utter a dull murmur at the harsh hark of death and even touch the Lord of the belly and death with their murmur. ABOUT! you, whose memory makes us tremble, tell us whether we should call you our enemy or friend? Tell me, why are you so inexorable, neither for an innocent baby, nor for blooming youth, nor for mature courage, nor for old age adorned with gray hair? Brethren! in the ways of nature, the answers to doubts received are somehow unclear. Let us learn from the holy faith about the meaning of inevitable death. By man sin came into the world, and by sin he died (Rom. 5:12). The patterns of sin are death, but God’s gift is eternal life (Rom. 6:13). This is what the Apostle of Christ teaches. This means that until sin entered the world, there was no death in the world and there was only life. This means that if a person had not transgressed the will of God, he would not have died. How is this so? How could an elemental body be untouchable by corruption and decay? Just like our future body, the resurrected body, will be incorruptible and immortal. ABOUT! sin is a terrible poison. We drink it like water; and every drop of it brings destruction to our composition. If the world has not long ago been reduced to ruin by the action of sin; then this is not from the powerlessness of sin, but from the power of God’s goodness; - this is because God gives us his life, calling us to repentance, God’s gift of eternal life. So there is nothing to be surprised that a sinful person dies; death is a natural consequence of sin. One can only be amazed at the fact that even after the Chief of life descended to earth. Lord Jesus, death continues to reign on earth. But what, in fact, according to his title, did the Redeemer of the world on earth do for us? Having made a sacrifice for us to heavenly Justice on the altar of the cross, He took away from sin the power of eternal condemnation to which the sinner was subjected. Sending the Comforter Spirit. He gives people the power to overcome the corruption of sin and be strong doers of the will of the heavenly Father. Such is His great work for people! Should we also expect that universal death would be destroyed by Him in His tomb? To expect this would also mean to expect the creation of a new man and the destruction of Adam’s offspring. For how else can one destroy at once the damage caused in humanity by the poison of sin? Man can destroy his creation, but God, whose all deeds are unchangeable, cannot. The Wise One does not remake what He once created. And if death is only the effect of sin, then the Wise One could only give strength to humanity to overcome sin within itself, so that the consequences of sin would then be destroyed. This is how it was done. Christ the Son of God, the eternal Wisdom, having given free will the means to correct what was corrupted in His creation, gives time for His life to spread to a small number of people. He leads the affairs of the world so that all His enemies are subdued to Him. The time will come when the last enemy, death, will be destroyed (1 Cor. 15:26). Wonderful are Your works, O Lord! Death, as a consequence of sin in people, is our enemy, our killer. But You also made us a friend from our enemy. What is earthly life for the righteous? A chain of sorrows and passions, a constant struggle with internal and external temptations. He directs all his strength to maintain purity in feelings, clarity in thought, purity in desires; and meanwhile, first one or the other lust defiles the soul, to its deep sorrow. All who want to live piously will be persecuted, said the apostle. And with what precision this apostolic word is fulfilled! An evil tongue hurls abuse and reproaches at the innocent. Slander comes up with ways to darken the honor of a worthy person. The evil eye finds stains in the purest virtue. Persistent anger crushes the helpless, mocking every law. Weighed down by the sorrows of life, the righteous awaits death like a comforting angel. Will my visit continue? he cries before the Lord. He desires death, not wanting to lose any of the treasures of the soul among the formidable temptations of life. He desires death, out of confidence in the bliss ready for him beyond the grave. What a difference it is for him to be with Christ the Lord, whom he loves with all his soul, and to wander in a sad country, far from the Lord (1 Cor. 15:19). What a difference it is to behold, as in a dim mirror, the works of God, to think darkly about them, under the veil of the material world, and to see with a frank face the wisdom of God, as it really is! They mourn and are indignant when death steals youth dear to the soul. They enter into a struggle with the Lord, not wanting to part with a dear baby or young man who is kidnapped by death. ABOUT! if we carefully studied the ways of the Lord, not allowing passions to dominate our souls, how easily we would see that we should not be overwhelmed by sorrow, but rather rejoice over those whose life is interrupted in infancy or youth. Would it be better if the vices of life covered such a sweet face of innocence with dirty spots? Would it be better if evil passions darkened the mind and heart and lured them to the crossroads of a criminal life? If, in fact, for yourself, for your own consolation, you would like to see your dear child alive, then let them examine themselves whether they are worth the desired consolation, whether they could use it as they should? And for whom, O Lord! death is not a blessing, after evil has penetrated so deeply into our spiritual makeup? What would earthly life be like for people who forget about the purpose of life if it were not interrupted by death? It’s scary to imagine a vicious life without end. It is not joy that is the life of a sinner after he has heard the last terrible verdict on himself, but the period of his incomplete life, such as life without a body before the universal judgment, still gives pleasant hopes for a change in his fate. And the endless life of a sinner who lives on earth only to multiply iniquities and grow in the wickedness of his heart - what a terrible life! Thus, God’s judgment on sinners—you will die—was the judgment of God’s righteousness, but at the same time also the judgment of mercy. Why is death so terrible for many that they don’t even want to think about it? Why is her image so menacing to others that looking at it seems to them like it will upset their thoughts for a long time and damage their health? Is it not because perhaps they value life as a field for spiritual improvement? ABOUT! no, not at all! Earthly life, as an appointed time for healing a sick soul, truly constitutes a gift of God’s goodness. But do those who tremble at death think about the salvation of souls? They think about him least of all. They want to live, they want to live long; but what do they live for? They live, as their deeds show, in order to mock the gift of God. Day and night are busy with vanity, and they have no time to prepare for the transition to another life; having filled their eyes with the dust of vanity, they do not see, do not understand the purpose of earthly life. They don’t want to think about death, because the thought of death wakes them up from the sleep in which they spend their lives. They are sorry, it hurts them to part with the usual affairs of passions, and the thought of death involuntarily interrupts the series of vain affairs. They value vanity and are afraid of what is able to crush the idols of their hearts. Poor! they call a disorder of thoughts, a corruption of life, their awakening from the lethargic sleep of sin, produced by the beneficial thought of death. Miserable sinner! no matter how threatening death seems to you, call upon its image more often, it will free you from the bonds with which sin has bound you to your destruction. God of mercy and bounty! at the intercession of our Lady Theotokos, create, so that through the memory of inevitable death we will not lazily learn the salvation of sinful souls, to the glory of Your holy name. Amen. In the Svyatogorsk monastery. Conversation on the occasion of laying a precious robe on the miraculous Ozeryansk icon of the Mother of God Bodily training is useful in some ways, but piety is useful for everything, the promise of the present belly and I greet you with joy, pious residents of the city of Kharkov. Your piety has decorated the icon of the Mother of God with an expensive robe. Who does this benefit? For you, my good Kharkovites. Heavenly Queen! whose zeal for You remains unrewarded? whose sighs before You are not heard by You? My friends! She, the Queen of Heaven, will pay us for our zeal for Her. Our offering, without words, will remind Her of us, wherever we are, both here, among the temptations of a rebellious life, and there in eternity, where we especially need Her protection. Christian piety is a great blessing for us, pilgrims of the earth. Unfortunately, others partly understand the importance of piety with dissatisfaction, and partly they do not sincerely apply the demands of piety to their hearts. Let us turn our attention to the apostolic words about the meaning of piety for our lives. Bodily training, says the ap. Paul, little things are profitable, but godliness is useful for everything, a promise to those who have the life of the present and the future. Let us reflect on the apostolic teaching. What does the apostle mean when he speaks of bodily training? Turning to the times when Timothy lived, taught by the apostle, we see that physical training then primarily meant teaching the body dexterity and strength through exercises; this training was then a very necessary accessory for an educated person, an accessory without which it was impossible to take a prominent place in the world. Thus, physical training of that time meant not only exercise necessary to improve health, but also such a visible difference that gave the right to advantages in the world. Otherwise, raising the particular to the general apostolic thought, we find in bodily training every activity related to the benefits of earthly, elemental life, such as art, military art, agronomy, medicine, trade and the like. What virtue does the apostle ascribe to bodily training? Eating in small amounts is healthy, he says. He does not say that bodily training is completely unnecessary, completely useless. No, his reasoning is not like the reasoning of any dreamers; according to his reasoning, for earthly life you need your own means and there is no sin when acquiring these means. If a farmer searches for the best farming methods, this is not a problem. If a merchant is looking for the most convenient way to sell and buy; and - this is in the order of things. The Apostle himself was engaged in making tents and strictly condemned those who, under the guise of piety, did not want to engage in any work. We hear some, he wrote to Thessaloniki, walking around disorderly, doing nothing but slyly walking around, engaging in empty talk. We forbid such people and pray in our Lord Jesus Christ, that they who work in silence may eat their own bread (2 Thess. 3:11-12). So bodily training is useful, but to what extent is it useful? Eating in small amounts is beneficial, says the apostle. Why is it so little useful? It is also of little use because everything earthly is not durable, it appears for a short time and disappears like vapor (James 4:14); It is also of little use because it is far less important than everything directly related to the soul, to its eternal salvation. What do all earthly sciences, all spontaneous acquisitions mean in comparison with the immortal soul? So, no matter how honorable your spontaneous occupation is, no matter how many benefits it brings you for earthly life; Remember the word of the Apostle, physical training in small amounts is useful. Engage in bodily training, but nothing more than little useful; Be careful that, by doing more than it is worth, you do not offend the dignity of the godlike soul and expose it to the dangers of its eternal fate. What good is it for a man if he gains the whole world but loses his soul? Everything earthly, no matter how honorable it may be, will end for you, pass by like a fast wave, rush by like an elusive wind, disappear like intangible steam. What will you be left with? With a soul chasing the wind. What a poor, what a pitiful fate! ABOUT! look for an activity that you can rightfully say is not in the least useful. The Apostle contrasts physical training, which is of little use, with piety and by this very fact indicates the advantage of piety. His direct opinion about piety is that it is useful for everything. What vast importance is given to piety! Is this how the world judges piety? Poor world! how shortsighted he is! According to the judgment of the Apostle, for every condition, for every title, for every age, for people of all times and nations, piety is the most useful acquisition - the most necessary. The Apostle applies his teaching about the importance of piety to two periods or situations of our life, to time and eternity. Godliness is useful for everything, the promise of the life of the present and the future is useful for everything, since it belongs to everything that is better promised for this temporary life and everything that awaits us joyfully in the future. It is so vain and unfair to say that piety is an unnecessary and useless thing for the world. No, this is the best, most necessary treasure even for our earthly life. It forms the strongest support for the family and civil life of people. Think about what holds the whole world together? By the laws of God, by the will of the Almighty. How does a person want to create happiness for himself, while with a criminal will he steps out of the boundaries assigned to him by the will of God, and is indignant with passions against the orders of God? The Word of God is true, the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are at their prayer, but the face of the Lord is an wrathful face, a just face, against those who do evil, who consume their remembrance from the earth (Ps. 33:16-17). My listeners! if you value family happiness, if your children and their peace are dear to you, be rich in piety - it will bring down the blessings of God on you, on your home, on your children, on their future. Oh my God! who does not see the bitter fruits of sin? What does luxury entail? What follows carnal debauchery? What does the passion for honor and glory give? Where does the discord and strife among you come from? Is it not because of the passions that are warring in your members (James 4:1)? A curse from the Lord is upon the house of wickedness (Prov. 3:35), but the house of the righteous will stand, and its tabernacle will prosper with long life (Prov. 14:11). Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this, everything you need for earthly life, will be added to you (Matthew 6:23). This is the teaching of God's revelation! And the experience of centuries also tells us. Earth is not heaven; here on all the paths there is bitterness; but pious souls, and by the special order of God, are under the yoke of troubles. But the fact is that wickedness does not know how to use either happiness or misfortune; and for piety, suffering is joy. – “I know how to live in poverty, and I know how to live in abundance; I learned everything and in everything - I learned to be full and to endure hunger, to be in abundance and in lack” (Phil. 4:12), this is what a Christian says and stands above the upheavals of fate. Faith teaches you to surrender your will to the will of the Heavenly Father and to look calmly at the storms of earthly life. What is there to fear for someone who has nothing to lose on earth after he has given up everything he has to the Lord? If God is for us, who is for us? A Christian cares about one thing - about pacifying the passions of the heart and healing the soul from sin. But when he sighs over weaknesses, cries over mistakes, longs for the truth that he does not have, God, rich in mercy, gives the soul assurance of its adoption to heaven through Christ Jesus; – The Spirit of grace, descending into her depths, consoles, instructs, strengthens, and vivifies her for deeds of piety. And how strong is the soul, strengthened by God’s power! Who will separate us from the love of God? she says. Is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or trouble, or a sword? In all these things we overcome for the sake of him who loved us (Rom. 8:35, 37). Is this what happens in times of trouble to souls untrained in piety? It is a pity to look at these poor souls. You see just as much baseness, as much cowardice in misfortune as there was pride in happiness, as much outbursts of despair and hopeless sorrow in trouble as there was self-confidence in bright days. The vanities of the world, sometimes stormy, sometimes persistent, do not give us either the time or the zeal to concern ourselves with our eternal destiny. And we don’t think, we don’t care about what we need in eternity, what will be most dear to us beyond the grave. Oh! brethren! For life beyond the grave, we need only Christian piety. It’s scary to think (what it will be like to endure) that beyond the grave there will be an eternity of torment for the unclean sinner. ABOUT! serve the Lord, not passions; In whatever way you can, serve. Do you have excess wealth? Do not waste it with the life of a dissolute son, use it for the glory of God, otherwise you will burn in a cool fire. Don't you have enough money? Are you poor? Endure poverty, endure for the Lord, do not anger Him with the desires of others, or by murmuring about your lot; be patient, mourn your sins, of which there are so many. Is anyone in authority? Guard the truth, defend oppressed innocence, wipe away the tears of the widow and the orphan, do not glorify yourself, but God. Otherwise you will be afraid at the court of the world Judge. Are you oppressed by the judgment of unrighteousness? Was yours taken away from you? Do not reproach people, give judgment to the Lord, prepare an answer for your deeds. Cherish, my friends, the rules of piety. It is not visible from earth how great the bliss is ready for piety. But it is great, as it is undoubtedly, because God is good and righteous, because He is faithful who promises us rewards. Beloved, now we are children of God and have not yet appeared, it has not yet been revealed to us, what will we do? But when He appears, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is (1 John 3:2); This is what one secret viewer tells us. When Christ appears, your life, then you will appear with Him in glory (Col. 3:4), says another messenger of God. You see, what is revealed to us about the future glory of the Christian life is so significant, so important that if we thought about it, it would not even occur to us to pursue earthly pleasures, which are so empty and harmful. Lord Jesus! turn away our eyes so as not to see vanity. Good and Almighty! create, that we may see Thy one and only saving will for us; Make it so that with a sincere heart, until our last breath, we repeat your holy word, the only thing we need. Amen. Homily on the day of the Vladimir Icon of the Mother of God Stay close to each other (Eph.4:32). This is what the Apostle commanded the Christians of his time. Shouldn't I say the same to the Christians of this country? Obliged by the title to see on the ground that the brethren abide in the faith (Acts 15:36), I see with sorrow that there is a need to repeat here the commandment of the Apostle, that we must desire for the shepherds and flock of this region, so that there are no vain complaints, enmity and quarrels between them. The point is not that those who are obliged to supervise others, or who are asked about others by their superiors, hide real disorders and crimes. Hostility and sneaking are indecent and offensive to the Christian conscience. What a beautiful sight people are who have one heart and one soul! (Acts 4:32). And how indignant the feeling is at the sight of those who seem to live to be at enmity with each other and quarrel! Nature itself, our very heart tells us that enmity is an unnatural state, a state that should not exist. Our God is a God of disorder and enmity. He is the God of peace and love. Our soul itself tells us this, and it condemns in us any hostility towards another. Every time the Prophet Elisha passed through one village, he was lovingly received by a pious woman and found peace in her house. The prophet, grateful to his good wife, once said to her, “You have surprised us with all this care.” What should you do? Do you have a word for the king or the prince? What do you think, with such a challenge from a man great before God and people, did the pious wife answer? She said: No, I am living among my people (2 Kings 4:8-13). What a great answer! There is nothing, the wife says, for me to complain to either the king or the prince, I have nothing to seek from either one, I live among the people of God’s people, who are all my own. That's how I thought, that's how the kind soul spoke. And how can a good soul think otherwise? Can she consider another guilty or capable of evil before blaming herself? Can he seek advantages for himself over others, feeling his weaknesses, his sins, his shortcomings of various kinds? What makes you take, my dear, so cruelly, to degrade another, to so persistently seek exaltation for yourself and humiliation for another! A sense of justice, you think. You're wrong to think. You are deceived by your pride. Self-love expands your desires, extends your demands beyond the limits of justice, and, not receiving satisfaction, becomes irritated against others. Self-love has aroused in you dreams about your merits and the shortcomings of another, and you look at everything through his glass, and not with your own eyes. It’s a well-known fact that if you look into blue glass, things appear blue; if the glass is red and objects appear red. When you complain about your humiliation and the injustice of others, who told you that you are right and not others? you say it yourself, your pride assured you of that! Irritated by the perceived injustice of others against you, you have lost your correct view of things. They are stained from the glass through which you look at them. How easily, how quickly and how imperceptibly for us passion brings a fog to our vision, colors before our eyes the objects we look at! ABOUT! If you looked at yourself and at others in pure self-awareness, illuminated by the rays of the heavenly teaching of Christ, would you say about yourself, where can I find such a sinner as I am unfortunate? who has a greater need for leniency and forgiveness than me, covered from head to toe with untruths? Should I complain about others? Should I blame my neighbor? Should I seek advantages for myself? She said: No, I am living among my people. So says a kind soul. She thinks of others in nothing less than the best way possible. He considers them to be his relatives, people of the people chosen by God and preserved by God, kind, God-fearing, loving law and truth. Is this how you judge others, my brother? you who send denunciation after denunciation to the court against another? In your erroneous opinion, your superiors are unjust, and your brothers commit injustice after injustice; Everyone is wrong for you except you alone. Beware, my brother! The Apostle recognizes as grave sinners those who despise the authorities and speak evil of the authorities. Michael the Archangel, he says, did not dare to utter a condemnatory reproach against the devil; but these slander what they do not know (Jude 1:10). Who told you that others value the truth less than you? Who assured you that others, even those who are respected in society, against their conscience do not recognize in you those virtues with which you boast only at your own discretion? Do you consider yourself right, but condemn others whom you don’t know at all? Isn’t it strange, isn’t it pathetic, this position in which you put yourself? You think about yourself that you are almost a saint, and zealous for God and caring for your neighbors; and others, in your opinion, are empty people, careless about their souls, devoid of grace! Does your Christian conscience reason in this way? A simple Israeli woman condemns you. She didn't talk about others the way you talk about them. And who did she judge so modestly, so cautiously? About the Jews. And you boldly condemn Christians and the Christian authorities! Who will embitter you, the apostle tells us, will you be like unto good? (1 Peter 3:13). You see how the apostle does not allow the very possibility that others would want to insult us, if only we ourselves imitate what is all-good. Truly, who would want to insult someone who responds to insults with love? Will he who is ready to be insulted not feel that all the beauty of love and meekness is on his brother’s side, and all the vileness of malice is on his own side? No, it is not others who are the reason that you are engaged in incessant litigation and quarrels, but your unhappy passion, a fire for coals and firewood, and a slanderous husband in a rebellious quarrel, says the wise one (Proverbs 16:11). This means that just as firewood is food for fire, so a slanderer’s food is enmity and quarrels; he cannot live without them. This is My commandment, that you love one another as you have loved (John 15:12). This is what our Lord says to us Christians. If anyone, then especially Christians should love each other, and not be at enmity with one another. This is the will of the Lord for them! They must love each other as the Lord loved them. How did the Lord love us? He loved us sinners (Rom. 5:8), He loved not the righteous, but those who are guilty of everything before the Heavenly Father. This means that we must love others, even if they were truly unjust before us and before God. He loves sinners so much that he prayed for his crucifiers on the cross: Father, He said, let them go, for they do not know what they are doing (Luke 23:34). This means, but the will of the Lord, and we must not only cover the insults of others with love, excuse their injustices with weakness and ignorance, but also pray for them. The Lord, setting us an example with His life, does not reproach us, does not forbear suffering, but surrenders to Him who judges righteously (1 Peter 2:23). This is what He commands us to do. He told us to love our enemies, bless those who curse, do good to those who hate (Matthew 5:44), pray for those who offend (Luke 6:28), and attack (Matthew 5:44). Christians should be clothed, as God's election and holiness, with the belly of generosity, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering, accepting one another and forgiving, just as Christ forgave them to eat, so do they (Col. 3:12-13). Tell me, my friends, is there anything in such dispositions commanded to Christians that is consistent with the spirit of hostility and snitching? Or is there anything similar to Christianity in the case of a slanderer and a slanderer? No, and it can’t be. I say to your shame, the apostle wrote to the Corinthians, “is there not one wise man in you who can judge between his brethren? But brother with brother, i.e. Christian against Christian is sued even before the infidels. It’s no longer a shame for you to have litigation among yourself. Why don't we offend you more? Why are you no more deprived (1 Cor. 6:5-8). Do you see why the apostle condemns the Corinthian Christians? He condemns the fact that the offended, instead of electing judges from among themselves to resolve mutual displeasures, turned to secular judges. Condemns for the fact that they did not patiently endure insults, did not pacify indignant feelings with the spirit of Christian love; insulted a Christian by starting a lawsuit with one another. How will the slanderers and slanderers be justified before the apostolic court, those who not only cannot tolerate insults and trumpet them everywhere, but also say and write what no one thought to do to them? ABOUT! they more than insult the name of the Christian, they dishonor the name of the Christian, they desecrate it. Everyone will know this, just as my disciples are, if you have love for one another, said the Lord (John 3:35). The difference between Christians, the essential characteristic of Christians, is love, love that covers the sins of others, forgives undeserved insults, forgets insults; He who does not have such love is not a true Christian. Who is the one who not only does not forget the insult, but attribute to his neighbor in court what he did not do at all? It must be said that he is likened to the original slanderer of people and God. Even though you, the offended one, may not be able to stand at the heights of patient self-denial, you may not be able to endure insults with love. The Lord showed you a court that is not the one you choose. The Lord said, if your brother sins against you, go and convict him between you and him alone. If he doesn’t listen to you, take one or two more with you. If he does not listen to them, the commandment of the church (Matthew 18:15-16). You see what order has been established for the Christian court! The first degree of Christian justice is the admonition of the guilty in private. Are you offended? Go to the one who offended you, go not with feelings of annoyance and pride, but in a spirit of love and meekness. Go and expose him. Let a brotherly court open between you and the offender, where conscience is the witness, and spiritual admonition is the record keeping. Reveal to the one who has offended him the injustice, show the severity of sin for his soul; remind us of the world court. Explain the matter as your conscience understands it. Even if he didn’t reconcile with you after that, you still shouldn’t come to the authorities with a complaint, you shouldn’t expose your brother to a public court. According to the Savior’s instructions, if the sinner does not listen to your admonition, take one or two more with you. Let good, pious people, whose love for truth is known to you and your brother, sort out your case with your brother; let them show you and your brother which of you is right? Let the voice of outsiders join your voice in order to have a stronger effect on the conscience of the sinner and more successfully turn him to the path of duty and love. Let it be open to you and your brother that love for truth and brother makes you consider your brother guilty, and not offended pride, not any other passion of yours. If the court of conscience is rejected by your brother, then you can, with a clear conscience, hand over your brother to the public court. Look at yourself to see if you are doing as the Lord commanded! An unjust accusation brought against a brother before a court is called a sneak. What an expressive name, consonant with misfortune. For whom is it a problem? Of course, by intention, for your neighbor. What a cruel intention! What atrocity in man! How to look at a slanderer, if not as a terrible person! If he is not terrible to himself, then that makes him even more terrible. A slanderer is a disaster to one's neighbors. There is no peace from him either for his superiors or for his neighbors and acquaintances; it only arouses anxiety and fear, sorrow and suffering. He is a malignant ulcer of society. A sneak threatens disaster not only for others, but also for oneself. Who is most distrusted? A slanderer is suspicious even when he tells the truth. Who is feared and despised? Slanderer, he is so low and dirty in his soul. Who is very little engaged in good deeds? Slanderer; he only thinks about harming others. Whose house is ruined, whose children are without bread, whose fields are desolate? At the slanderer; he has no time to take care of either the house or the children. Who do conscientious bosses speak ill of? About the slanderer as an irreconcilable enemy of general peace. What kind of life is the life of a slanderer? Flour. Having attached one end of the matter to the fate of the other, he ties himself with the other end, he must constantly take care so that the other does not become free, he must also take care of himself so as not to get into trouble. The matter began with malicious joy, and its continuation is a series of worries and worries, sorrows and deceived hopes. And how often it happens that a ditch of destruction and fossilization falls into a pit that has been made, and its disease will return to its head and its unrighteousness will descend upon its top (Ps. 7:16-17). And human truth usually assigns to the slanderer the same punishment that he wanted to subject the innocent to. Should we talk about what executions the Lord appointed for slanderers? If you forgive a person their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. If you do not forgive men their sins, neither will your Father forgive you your sins (Matthew 6:14-15), so said the Lord. You know, brethren, that the world of grace visits only the sons of peace; if where there is no peace, but the spirit of enmity and malice reigns, then even then, as the servants of the blessed world teach peace, it returns to them without touching the children of enmity. What can the children of enmity expect for themselves in eternity if they remain here without grace? They are the unfortunate sons of Gehenna, fat victims of the flames of hell. These are not our words. The Judge of the universe speaks to those who despise His will about love: depart from me, cursed into eternal fire, prepared by the devil and his angel (Matthew 25:41). I say this without shaming you, but as my beloved child I am punishing you (1 Cor. 6:14). May the God of love and peace be with us all. Amen. Section IV. Words and conversations for Sundays Conversation during the week of the Myrrh-Bearing Wives, at the Khoroshevskaya Convent And the time of conversation is Holy Week. the myrrh-bearing wives, and the place of conversation - the abode of women who have dedicated themselves to the Lord, show that it is very proper now to talk about the myrrh-bearing wives for the edification of those listening. When the Sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene and Mary of James and Solomia bought spices (Mark 16:1). Who were the Myrrh-Bearing wives? St. Mark, among the blessed Myrrh-bearers, points first of all to Mary Magdalene, i.e. born in the Galilean town of Magdala, the same one from which, according to his own story, Jesus cast out seven demons (Mark 16:9). So, Mary Magdalene received special grace from the Lord; but she, according to the Gospel, paid for the good deed with special love to the Lord. Mary of Jacob, the second myrrh-bearer, was, according to the evangelist, the mother of James and Josiah, or according to the expression of St. Mark was the mother of James the little and Josiah (Mark 15:40). She, along with Mary Magdalene, followed the Savior to the very grave (Matthew 27:56). In the story of this feat, St. John, she is called Mary of Cleopas, sister of the mother of Jesus, - Cleopas, after her husband, who was otherwise called Alpheus. Jacob the little, her son, one of the 12 apostles, is called James of Alpheus (Matthew 10:3; Mark 5:18). Salome, indicated by St. Mark between the myrrh-bearing women, in the narration of the evangelists turns out to be the matter of the sons of Zebedee, the apostles John and James (Matthew 10:2), the famous sons of thunder. According to St. Mark (Mark 15:40) looked at the crucified Savior together with Mary Magdalene Salome, and according to St. Matthew (Matthew 27:56), that was the mother of the sons of Zebedee. In addition to Mary Magdalene and Mary of James, St. Luke points out among the myrrh-bearers John and others who are not named. Byshe, he says, Magdalene Mary, and Joanna and Mary of James and the rest with them (Luke 24:10). Who was this Joanna? St. Luke writes that the Savior, who went around the cities with preaching and miracles, was followed not only by the apostles, but also by certain wives, who were healed of evil spirits and illnesses, Mary, the blamed Magdalene, from whom seven demons departed, and Joanna, the wife of Khuzan, Herod’s steward, and Susanna and many others, who served Him from their possessions ( Luke 8:1-3). So Joanna was the wife of Chuza; Herod's steward, a rich and honorable man, and she was one of the women healed by the Lord; she, like Magdalene, accompanied the Savior during His preaching and, being as grateful as she was rich, willingly used her property to serve the Lord. According to St. Luke, we cannot doubt that Susanna, who was among the followers of the Lord, was also among the myrrh-bearers, especially since, according to St. Mark (Luke 25:40–41), the women who followed Jesus into Galilee and served Him, i.e. the very ones that St. speaks about. Luke, were in Jerusalem during the crucifixion of the Savior and looked with sorrow of love at the crucified Benefactor and their teacher. Then, among the other myrrh-bearers, we can most likely place Mary and Martha, the Lazarus sisters, who loved the Lord so much. So, here are the myrrh-bearers indicated by the evangelists: Mary Magdalene, Mary of James, Salome, Joanna, Susanna, Mary and Martha, the sisters of Lazarus. What a common and lofty trait is revealed in these wives even before they brought the dear myrrh to their Savior! Of course, it also meant no little that, according to the evangelists, they followed the Savior through Galilee. But crowds of people followed the great wonderworker, and about some of those who followed Him He Himself said, Amen, I say to you, seek Me, not as you saw a sign, but as you ate the loaves (John 6:26). It’s another matter when we see the same women at the cross of the Savior, where the shame and horror of death hid the divine glory of the heavenly messenger from the eyes of people. The Shepherd is amazed, His disciples are scattered in horror; Peter himself, who promised to die with Jesus, denied Him three times. But the reverent women did not abandon Jesus even in the midst of the horrors of death. They followed Him to Calvary, watering His path with tears of compassion. They were with Him at Golgotha, and did not take their eyes off their beloved Teacher; some from afar measured His suffering with a compassionate feeling, others stood at the very cross. Neither the fury of the mob, nor the malice of the scribes and Pharisees, nor the insolence of the soldiers could remove them from the divine Teacher. They then looked where He was buried (Mark 15:47) and sat opposite the tomb (Matthew 27:61). Wives-imitators of myrrh-bearers! tenderness of love, fidelity of love are the predominant characteristics of your gender. Dedicate to the Lord the difference of your sex, following the example of the myrrh-bearers. Do not allow your hearts to be humiliated by objects unworthy of love. Be faithful in your love for the Lord. Do not be disturbed by thoughts of cowardice when meeting temptations, whether illness will visit one of you, whether unusual changes in everyday life will meet you, be your soul with the Lord, to whom you have become ignorant. Guard your heart with the vows made to Him; Do not deviate either in thoughts or desires, much less in deeds, from service, obedience, self-denial, purity, which you promised to preserve until the grave. Buy aromas and anoint the body of Jesus, or, according to the story of St. Luke, having prepared aromas and myrrh, prepared aromas - dry incense, and myrrh - fragrant ointment, both of which are very expensive and for what use? may they anoint the body of Jesus to give honor to their beloved Teacher and Lord. This is for whom one must sacrifice everything dear. Wives of the world! Learn from the myrrh-bearers what you need to pay dearly for. Incense, expensive ointments, expensive jewelry are beneficial to the soul when they are used for the glory of the Lord. Otherwise, what do wives expect for themselves when their incense echoes the stench of passions and expensive clothing reveals only the ugliness of the soul? What do they expect when temptations destroy innocent souls redeemed by the Lord? Let them remember what the Lord said about such women of Zion, even though they come with a high neck and anointing their hair and stepping on their feet, drawing their garments and playing with their feet, the Lord will reveal their shame. And instead of a good stench there will be a stench, and instead of a belt they will gird themselves with rope (Is. 3:16-17, 23). Votive virgins! Don’t you ask how you can imitate the myrrh-bearers when you have neither fragrances nor peace? Bring the fruits of your labors to the church of the Lord for its maintenance and decoration; show compassion to the sick and poor, in whose person Christ appears to you; finally, bring tears of contrition for your sins, which take away from you those spiritual treasures that you could offer as a gift to the Lord. These are the offerings that the Lord expects from you. And early in the morning, one day from the Sabbath, I came to the tomb, and the sun arose. The myrrh-bearing wives were so busy caring to honor their beloved Teacher that this concern did not give them sleep. It's early morning and they are already heading to the grave. The most vigilant of them even comes to the tomb more than once. St. Matthew says, having been made one from the Sabbaths, i.e. at the dawn of the first day of the week, when the darkness of the night was just giving way to light, when nature was just awakening from deep sleep, St. the wives are already rushing to the holy work of grasping the Lord. So vigilant were the myrrh-bearers to glorify the Lord! How fitting, how beneficial it is to proclaim the grips of the Lord in the deep morning! What is a person? He is the king, he is the head of visible nature. Is it proper for a king to sleep when his inferiors are already performing their due service before the King of kings? Shouldn't he begin a song of praise to the Creator before the creature submissive to him begins it? And how easy it is to pray at midnight and morning! Thoughts are then pure, sensations are alive, the soul is free from the impressions of the heavy earth, resting nature does not occupy or entertain itself, man is all with himself and the Lord. At midnight we will rise to confess the destinies of Your righteousness, says David before the Lord (Ps. 119:62). At midnight, Paul and Silas praying, at the mercy of God, says the book of the acts of the apostles (Acts 16:25). Without communion in prayer, the gospel also tells about the Lord Jesus himself (Luke 6:12). And St. The church appoints midnight and morning for prayer. And how dangerous it is for everyone to indulge in carefree sleep! “Behold the bridegroom comes at midnight, and blessed is the servant; he will be found vigilant; but the unworthy one will be found despondent. Take care therefore that my soul is not burdened with sleep, lest it be given over to death and be shut out of the kingdom.” What happens to today's Christians? Yes, some people are surprisingly alert for the whole night, but for what? They spend their time like pagans. And there is no trace and no thought in my head that a trial is about to open for one or another of them. ABOUT! unfortunate ones! Go up to the church during the morning prayer of the church, who will you find there? Some church ministers. I fear for those who have dedicated themselves here to serving the Lord. Sisters in the Lord! God knows, I'm scared for you. You have made a vow to devote your time to prayer. How do you perform it? What will you bring to the Lord's judgment? How? During Matins, your church is empty too! Who are you? Why are you in the holy fence? Or do you think that you can laugh with impunity at the abode of prayer with your life? And you laugh at her, you disgrace her when you transform her from the abode of prayer into the abode of serving the whims of the flesh. “What should I do? They say. You need food and clothing, it takes time to acquire both.” Who gave you the charter of caring Marthas? What prevents you from allowing two or three of you to perform the services of Martha out of obedience, so that everyone else remains blessed Mary? Or did you only beat the air when you made vows to fulfill the rules of community life and prayer? Come to your senses, be afraid of your situation, think about what awaits those who break their vows to God. My God! what kind of blindness? I like to always be at the service of my whims. For whom is hell if not the slaves of the flesh and self-will? They exchange a conversation with the Lord for a conversation with petty objects of vanity. And they still think of being close to the Lord. Have mercy on yourself. You will cry, Lord - Lord, open the doors for us, and the Lord will say: we do not know you. And when she entered the tomb and saw the young man, she was dressed in white clothes and was horrified. He said to them, do not be dismayed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, crucified; he is risen; he is not here, this is the place where he laid him (Mark 16:4–8). True love of St. the myrrh-bearers are not left without reward. They were the first to hear the news of the resurrection of the Lord; the heavenly messenger, illuminated by the glory of spiritual purity, appeared to them and revealed that their beloved Teacher, Whom their enemies had crucified, was no longer among the dead. In the story of St. We see Matthew even more. When the myrrh-bearers went to convey the words of the angel to the disciples, “behold, Jesus met them and said, Rejoice! They came forward, grabbed His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus says to them, do not be afraid; Go and tell my brethren that they should go to Galilee, there they will see Me” (Matthew 28:8-10). God! Everything is possible for You, it is possible for You to revive our cold hearts with faithful and vigilant love. We are unworthy of Your grace, but according to Your great mercy, do not deprive us of mercy, so that we too will meet You with Your chosen ones in Your glory. Amen. Word for the 4th week of Easter Woe to the world from temptation, woe to man Moreover, temptation comes to them (Matthew 18:7). Woe to those who are tempted! Woe to the seducers! says the Lord. My listener! Don't you and I also belong to one or another class of unfortunates? Or perhaps it happens to us that we fall into both categories of unfortunates? Woe, woe! For whom is it not scary? It is necessary to become closely acquainted with those to whom grief is announced, so that, as far as possible, we can ward off this and that grief from ourselves. This time let's look at those who are tempted. Let us consider the guilt of those who are tempted and the means of saving ourselves from temptations. There is peace for many who love your law, O Lord, and there is no temptation for them, sings St. певец с опыта ( Пс.118:165 ). This means that if someone is tempted, he shows in himself a lack of love for the law of God. Not to love God's law - how criminal, how offensive, how destructive for our immortal soul! When can there be order, peace, happiness in the depths of our soul, if not when everything in it is accomplished according to the law of God? The commandments of the Lord are light, enlightening our thoughts, feelings, desires, and deeds. He who truly loves the law of God will not exchange it for any statutes of the world, for any rules of the spirit of the time, and therefore remains inviolable to the temptations of the world. И как быть иному? When has the spirit of the times not been the spirit of Antichrist? It is in vain to say that everything in the world is getting better. Don't expect anything better from the spirit of the times. Что такое дух времени? The spirit of criminal self-will. Таков он был прежде; This is how he is now and cannot be otherwise. The spirit of the times is the spirit of lies and deceit. He lies, exposing new truths that seem to be revealed to him, he has only opinions, and the truth is always the same, he lies, exposing his jealousy for the truth, not the truth, but his passions, he loves. Now he praises this, tomorrow another, over the rules and thoughts that he considered exemplary 5 years before this, he laughs now, and after another five years, if not before, he will begin to laugh at those with whom he is delighted now. He never knew or loved pure truth and only changes his methods to deceive people. Should we talk about the spirit of our time? The younger generation judges everything in its own way, makes its own decisions on everything, assigns its own rules to everything, does not recognize any other authority than its own will. Progress, progress, it says, and does not tolerate anything old. The holiest, most immutable truths are subjected to mocking and contemptuous judgment. A righteous child judges evil for himself, but the outcome (behavior) of his own is not ism; A child has high eyes for evil, but he exalts himself everywhere, says the wise man of God (Prov. 30:12-13). Isn't it true that this description describes our young progressives as accurately as possible? But, if you want, and an addition to the description, the child evilly curses his father and does not bless his mother (Proverbs 38:11). What morality! Debauchery is an ordinary life; They don’t even believe that it is possible to live differently. Amazing dazzle! How can one not see that the improvement of people is a desirable thing for everyone, but it can be accomplished according to the laws of the Eternal, which are immutable and unchangeable! How can one not see that fashionable self-will is stupid and criminal, when it so bravely, so impudently neglects the lessons of experience, so familiar with the application of the rules of the Eternal to the conditions of the time and the inclinations of people! How, it seems, will not notice that self-will, so proud and selfish, preaches progress for its species in order to give scope to its passions! This is the nature of the spirit of the times! He is charming for the people of the time, because they live according to the will of time and for time. Woe to the world from temptation. It may not be easy to go against the flow of time, it may not be easy to stand against the charms of the spirit of the time. But - moral courage is an essential part of Christian virtue; Christian self-sacrifice requires complete sacrifice of oneself in cases where virtue encounters obstacles or the danger of falling. Therefore, the one who is tempted exposes himself to be a very weak Christian. He is carried away by evil suggestions, those that bring death into the soul. He bows first to Jehovah, sometimes to Baal, does this suit him? Unfortunately, the more often he bows to false gods, the weaker his will becomes, the more he degrades the dignity of a person for whom only God is. In the temptations of sin, do not seek agreement and unity; there are constant discrepancies and contradictions; the people of the century, the people of the time, are also fickle in their charters, just as time is changeable, as the vagaries of passions are changeable. And the poor will, which allows itself to be carried away by the contradictory and contradictory temptations of sin, suffers violence and torment. From time to time, weakening the will for good by the passions of temptation, a person finally reaches infancy for good and low cowardice before any temptation of sin. Looking for a Christian here is not smart work. We ask, is this a person? No - this is a sad shadow of a person. Woe to the world has been meted out. Соблазняющийся показывает в себе беспечность о спасении своем. Is it not carelessness towards salvation that is visible when all the means of salvation are ready for us, but we do not use them and are carried away by sin? Do they not show carelessness about their soul when they do not use the weapon of faith to fight temptations and spiritual dangers? The Lord does not allow such sinful temptations to reach a person that a person cannot overcome; помощь Его всегда готова для нас, лишь только призовем ее молитвою искреннею. Therefore, if temptations are overcome by all means, a person is tempted and falls, his fall is the fruit of his inactivity, laziness and negligence. Lot was not carried away by the corruption of his fellow citizens. Авраам не следовал современным поклонникам идолов. The chaste Joseph was not carried away by the wicked proposal of Pentefriev’s wife, but said, how will I create this evil verb and sin before God? (Gen.39:3). St. Isidore of Alexandria, despite the fact that military life is always noisy and surrounded by temptations, fulfilled the duties of his service and at the same time did not abandon fasting, prayers and good deeds, and then imprinted his zeal for eternal salvation with the blood of martyrdom. Blessed is the man who endures temptation and, having been skilled, receives the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him (James 1:12). This is what the apostle teaches. What can one expect who is tempted, who loves not God, but the world, which is so weak for good and careless about itself? Is it surprising that sooner or later he should be punished for his love of sin? What can you expect from sin other than death and disaster? Ahab, led by their wives to worship idols, Israel, seduced by the Midianites into debauchery, can expect nothing for themselves except execution and the wrath of God. Oh! if our Savior, who was so meek and rarely, rarely rebelled with threats against sinners, proclaims: woe to the world from temptation, there is no doubt that this grief is too dangerous and terrible, there is no doubt that it extends not to one earthly life, but will follow into eternity. Woe to the world from temptation! How can you save your soul from temptations? Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune, said the Lord (Matthew 22:45). Our hearts are fields on which weeds can easily be sown, as soon as we do not pay attention to ourselves. It is necessary to stand guard over your soul. Be sober, be vigilant, teaches the Apostle Peter (1 Pet. 5:8). Stay awake; Stand in the faith, take courage, be strong, teaches the Apostle Paul (1 Cor. 16:13). Two especially thoughts should be constantly on guard in the soul amidst temptations, the first is that evil does not cease to be evil because many people like it, and the law of God does not lose its power over us because many do not fulfill it. This thought will dispel the darkness of temptations, either frightening our thoughts with their multitude, or seducing the imagination with the nobility of their followers. Then we must remember that how good it would be if there were no temptations on earth, but since in earthly life we ​​are all sinners, and some of us reach the point of persistence in sin; then until the end of the world there will be temptations on earth, the need is to come with temptation (Matthew 18:7), said the Savior. This thought, placed as a guard over the soul, will drive away its sadness about temptations and encourage it not to increase the number of temptations. Wakefulness is also necessary during such guards. Many, many outrageous thoughts and feelings can invade and slip into the soul beyond these guards. Our thoughts and feelings determine the activity of the soul. Without paying attention to thoughts, we can get carried away by bad impressions and fall. In the same way, not paying attention to feelings, we can easily allow them to degenerate into passions and bad habits. By being vigilant over ourselves, we will keep our conscience on guard, and its voice, resounding in our soul, will keep us from creeping into sin and driving away the insidious enemies of our soul. If the householder had been vigilant, he would not have allowed his house to be broken into (Luke 12:39). “Demon,” says St. Demetrius, sober and awake, walks like a roaring lion, looking for prey. Be always sober, stay awake and don’t fall asleep to avoid the snares that are ready for you. Always be careful, always active. You can either defeat the enemy or be defeated. It cannot be otherwise. Do not expect peace and quiet in this century; silence and freedom are not your destiny. While you live here, be always ready for battle and... battle. You walk on spring ice, don’t be carefree; You are at war with the world, fight.” 4 Prayer must be combined with wakefulness. Prayer frees the soul from temptations also because it occupies the soul with holy thoughts and feelings and does not give place in it to criminal feelings and desires. The one who prays shuts himself up in the secret cell of his soul and here he finds spiritual treasures, he finds the kingdom of God, which is within us (Luke 17:21). Prayer, not allowing the person praying to be scattered among various objects of the illusory world, serves, in the words of Climacus, “a reliable bridge for crossing the waves of temptations and enticements.” 5 The most powerful help of prayer against temptations depends on the fact that it introduces the power of God into the soul, which is able to extinguish all waves of passions and dispel the seductions of the flesh and the world. The most dangerous enemy for the soul is arrogance, especially when it needs to deal with temptation. Why did Peter fall? From arrogance. “Even if everyone is offended because of You, I will in no way be offended, even if I die with You, I will not deny You” (Matthew 26:33, 35), this is what he said to the Lord and then he was afraid of the woman. The saving rule of St. Paul, “If anyone thinks to stand, take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor. 10:12) External means also mean a lot for the soul in protecting itself from temptations, such as, removal from everything that can have a dangerous impression on the senses and, in particular, removal from persons, places and objects that please our corrupted nature. Our feelings, not protected from external tempting impressions, can easily bring temptation into the soul. “The eye has seen,” says St. Ambrose, and turned into a feeling, the ear heard and the intention changed, the smell wafted and a good thought stopped, the lips tasted and the crime belched; the sense of touch was shaken and the wicked fire flared up.” 6 So, to avoid temptations, you need to avoid everything that has a tempting effect on the senses. Thus the Savior forbids a lustful glance at a wife (Matthew 4:27–28). And St. Demetrius inspires, “flee your gaze from someone else’s beauty, like mortal poison, so as not to fall into the depths of destruction; Having stumbled on this, we will not be left without sorrow and heaviness.” 7 King David kept himself deaf when his enemies slandered him; thus he protected the soul from vexation, anger and revenge (Ps. 37:14-15). Stricter than taste and smell, it is necessary to keep in check the sense of touch, which, once diffused throughout the body, quickly transmits shocks to the heart and easily excites the weeds. In particular, beware of persons who are tempting to morality. To everyone who is attentive to himself, his own conscience will tell that the cause of his temptations was not so much natural weakness, which is so often referred to, as a reluctance to move away from persons dangerous to spiritual purity. Israel was faithful to their Lord until they entered into communication with the Canaanites, but when, contrary to God’s prohibition, they became friends with them, they adopted from them both idols and pagan debauchery. If your right eye causes you to stumble, remove it, says the Savior. If your right hand causes you to stumble, you will be cut off and turned away from you (Matthew 5:29-30). Explaining these words of St. Chrysostom teaches, “The Savior here speaks not about members of the body, but about friends and relatives, because they are harmful and introduce temptations. The Savior seems to say this: if you love someone so much that you rely on him as your right eye, and if he seduces you, corrupts your soul, then cut off such a person from yourself - leave him forever.” 8 Avoid places where temptations are sown, either by teaching and advice, or by ridicule and reproaches. In vain did Peter, relying on himself, enter the court of Caiaphas; his firmness was subjected to strong temptations here. Flee, flee, from the midst of Babylon and save your soul, says the prophet Jeremiah (Jer. 51:6). The wise one teaches: do not go on the path of the wicked, but despise the lawless path (Proverbs 4:14). Just as contagious air is harmful to health, so seductive places are dangerous to morality. These are the theaters and spectacles against which Chrysostom thunders with all the force of his denunciations and reproaches. Each passion feeds on its own food. For a miser, money is sweet, for an ambitious person - outward honors, for a proud person - self-respect. But whatever the objects that caress passion, beware of them, so as not to feed the snake in your soul. The inclination to sin is deeply hidden in our soul, and we feed it every time as soon as we come close to objects that are pleasing to sinful inclinations. Sin has not yet been committed if we turn away from it, but it has already managed to bind us with an invisible force when approaching objects of passion. When tempting objects are before our eyes, at first we are undecided whether to evade the temptation, but then our conscience, deceived by the insidious suggestions of passion, yields to the desires of an unclean heart. So, whoever puts his foot in the snare of temptation must know that his foot will be stopped (Job 18:8-9). If it is not possible to move away from tempting objects, prepare yourself for them with a clear awareness of all their danger - this will weaken the power of a dangerous encounter, if not completely destroy it. Let us be attentive to ourselves and strong for good; Let us open our feelings only in order to embrace the works of God’s hands and glorify the Lord. Let us be careful and active, like sailors; and just as they do not lose sight of the lessons of experience, let us also unswervingly adhere to the commandments of God, so as not to stray from the path of salvation. Amen. Word for the 5th week of Easter Woe to the world from temptation. Woe to man Moreover, temptation comes to them (Matthew 18:17). It would seem, why should people seduce people? Sin is so disgusting to the general feeling! And yet, temptation comes by the grace of man. How does this happen? Sin is definitely a thing not worth wanting. However, people love sin and prefer it to good works, when they do not do good and do bad. Some do not even take the trouble to think that they are doing something bad; others vaguely and sometimes see that they are doing something bad, but they continue to do something bad. In this way it happens that the lust of hair, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life rule in the world (1 John 2:16). The people of the world, preferring the bad to the good for themselves, act in exactly the same way in relation to others. Hence, in the world there are not only harmful examples of life, not only words, writings, pictures that seduce, but also attempts to lure another into sin, either by caresses or by violence. This is how temptation comes. Others think that temptation means only gross and common sins, and since they themselves do not commit such sins, they place themselves far from the grief of the seducers. In vain! No matter how small the sin may seem, no matter how insignificant the word or action that is not in accordance with the law; but if it gives a reason for sin, causes another to sin, it is already a temptation. Brethren! the temptation that threatens grief is not as far from the range of our actions as it seems, as others would like. Therefore, as a warning, you need to pay attention to grief. announced to the seducer. Woe to that man, temptation comes to him. And what should we do otherwise? By harming another, the seducer harms himself and causes destruction to his soul. Cursed is everyone who deceives the blind in the way (Deut. 27:8), says the word of God. If the one who deceives the blind on his way, or the one who throws stones at the feet of the blind is cursed, then does not the one who puts stumbling blocks to another on the path of eternal salvation betray himself to the more grievous wrath of God? Ahar was severely punished for stealing one gold coin from an offering dedicated to God (Joshua 7:20–25). After this, it is scary to think what kind of execution will be given to those who steal from Christ the Lord the souls purchased by His blood. For whom is Gehenna assigned? For the seducer of the devil. If so, then there is a place in Gehenna for seducers of people. Their moral darkness, their moral disorder are similar to the anger of the devil, they also involve another in death, and also enjoy evil, like him. Therefore, the fate of the devil must await them in eternity. Scary but true. The state of the seducer is terrible. To the burden of his own sins he adds the burden of the sins of others. What a terrible weight on it! If it is difficult to answer for one’s sins, how can we resist, how can we survive before the judgment of God’s truth, when we still bear responsibility for the sins of others, committed with our participation? David prayed in fear and trembling before the Lord, to spare Thy servant from strangers (Ps. 18:14). If there is one thing that especially threatens seducers with destruction, it is the often encountered inability to correct the lives of people seduced by them. It is easy to create the most terrible fire, but it is not easy to put it out. It is easy for seducers to arouse the flame of passion in others; but it is not easy to extinguish it. Let the seducer who has come to his senses sincerely wish the seduced one to convert, let him sincerely advise him to come to his senses and stop on the path of sin. But do those who are carried away into sins easily take the best advice to heart? Oh! most often they turn their backs on good advisers, unless they rebel against them with the hatred of offended pride. Add to this that the person corrupted by the seducer, having gone wild in depravity, has already transferred his depravity to another and a third person. That’s not enough to torment the seducer. It happens that when he, having come to his senses, strives with his soul to correct evil, to return to repentance those who are mired in sin, through his fault; they have already crossed over and... another life, leaving children taught only debauchery. After this, it is natural that uncorrected sin, but sin that has spread across the earth in the form of a terrible infection, is punished by the justice of God while still on earth. The seducers of Israel were destroyed among the number of 24 thousand (Numbers 25:9). The right hand of God weighed heavily on the children of Elijah, in fact, not because of theft, but because by their behavior they served as a temptation for the people (1 Samuel 2:17). The house of Jeroboam was destroyed because of Jeroboam's guilt. The leader of the clan sinned and caused Israel to sin (1 Kings 15:30). Particularly close to destruction are those seducers who, according to their rank, must take care of the salvation of others, and meanwhile destroy others with temptations. Both the virtues and the vices of people of the lower class die with them, and only the world court will reveal them before the eyes of the universe. And - they seduce others, but not many, and their example does not make a lasting impression. Another thing is people of the upper classes. Their affairs pass from mouth to mouth, from one circle of people to another circle, from one country to another and a third country. Their life is before the eyes of society with all its small features. No weakness is hidden from others. With their nobility and power they give shine and strength to their vices. Therefore, their temptations produce destructive effects on the society around them. Often, out of vanity alone, the lower ones try to imitate the higher ones, even in obvious vices. Low people think to put the stamp of nobility on criminal actions by imitating the vices of noble persons. What a sad lot of supreme seducers. Thus, seducers are cruel to themselves, violate their duties towards themselves and thereby destroy their souls. They are also cruel towards their neighbors. By leading others into sins, they show themselves to have hard hearts, unfamiliar with pure love for their neighbor. The beloved disciple of Christ says, everyone who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no offense in him (1 John 2:10). This means that seducers do not walk in the light of true faith and are unfamiliar with true love for their brothers. Those who seduce others outrage and wound the conscience of their neighbors, depriving them of their most precious treasure - spiritual innocence. “The innocence of the soul,” says St. Vasily, there is, as it were, a surface of clean and transparent water. Throw one stone at it, and you will set in motion not only the point of contact, but the entire circle. The excitement will spread from circle to circle to the very edge of the stream; and having reached the bottom, the stone raises the hitherto calm silt, and, agitating the water, causes a dirty and muddy puddle to look like.” 9 What a pitiful occupation for a seducer! This is the work of a savage. Those who seduce others are stealers of spiritual treasures from the brethren. “We can call them kidnappers,” says St. Gregory, not only those who plunder our earthly treasures, but also those who, through seductive bad behavior and bad examples, rob us of our spiritual acquisitions and wealth. 10 Moreover, seducers must be considered murderers, since they take away the life of the soul from those who are seduced, pouring into it the poison of spiritual death and destroy the one for whom Christ the Lord suffered (Rom. 14:15). The devil is called a murderer because he sows evil and kills a person with it. Do not think that you are not a murderer if you give bad advice to your brother; if you incline and lead him to sin, you kill his soul. Seducers sin so gravely against their neighbors! Seducers violate their duties in relation to God. We are obliged to live in such a way that others, seeing our good deeds, glorify our heavenly Father (Matthew 5:16). Seducers with their deeds dishonor the God whom they confess with their lips. Not only do they not show reverence for the Heavenly Father in their deeds, but, by dragging others into sins with their lives, they clearly oppose the will of God, which is so concerned about the salvation of each and every one (1 Tim. 2:9). They brazenly destroy the work of human salvation, which was so dear to the Son of God - they kill people with eternal death, as if mocking the Lord the Savior of people. How terrible is their crime! Isn't he considered a great criminal who dares to lay waste the royal palace? Man is the creation of God’s hands, not purchased by the blood of the Son of God, a building that surpasses in beauty and grandeur everything that is wonderful and beautiful in the visible world. Don’t you know that you are the church of God, and the Spirit of God lives in you, the apostle teaches (1 Cor. 3:16). And this highly artistic church of God is desecrated and devastated by seducers. They are not worth the wrath of God! If anyone corrupts the church of God, says the apostle, God will corrupt him (1 Cor. 3:17). Brethren! The state of seducers is terrible! How much we must strive, how much we must work, so that we may be without stumbling blocks to everyone, even until the day of Christ (1 Cor. 10:32). Amen. Word for the 6th week of Easter Woe to that man, temptation comes to him. If grief is terrible, ready for seducers, how can we not take care of measures that could protect us from such grief? What remedies are there for this grief? Since they seduce others in two ways - either in word or in deed, then the means that protect seducers from sin can also be twofold - in word and in deed. In order not to tempt others with words, be careful in the use of words - keep your tongue in check. Imagine more often the disastrous consequences that are caused by even idle talk; Remember firmly that at the terrible judgment of God we will give a strict answer to every empty word and you will not be frivolous in using the gift of speech to the harm of your neighbors. Imagine more often how, by the grace of your jokes, by the influence of your impudent comments on holy objects, your brethren either approached unbelief and criminal coldness, then lost the purity of their souls, and you will be horrified by the frivolity in jokes, by your audacity in condemning everything, even inaccessible to you. The tongue, according to the word of the apostle, is fire, and a crowd of unrighteousness, uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison (James 3:6). It kindles hatred even between friends. So, if you begin to tame him, how much evil you will stop between people! Let not every corrupt word come out of your mouth (Eph.4:29). Let all uncleanness below be called in us, as it befits saints - and foul language, and blasphemies, or blasphemies that are not like (Eph. 5: 3-4). Put away all blasphemy and obscene language from your mouth ( Col. 3:8 ). Let your word always be mixed with salt in grace ( Col. 4:6 ). The Monk Pamvo, having once heard the words of David, decided to keep my ways, so that I would not sin with my tongue (Ps. 38:2), he was so amazed by them that after that throughout his life he did not utter an idle word and was very careful in his conversations. When they asked him about anything from the Holy Scriptures, or about an important matter, he rarely gave an answer before three days, and sometimes he did not give it before three months. So he was afraid of leading others into mistakes and sin with rash words. Padrojay St. Pamve and your word will not be a temptation to your neighbors. So that our deeds do not serve as a temptation for others, we must not only beware of obvious sins, but we must conform our behavior to the moral state of the people among whom we live. The majority of people, as we know, consist of weak people, quick to sin, little acquainted with true piety; they often judge the friends of virtue by themselves, by their habitual way of thinking and deeds, and are easily drawn into sin by any reason to sin. The work of Christian love is to treat infants in Christ with meek but prudent love. Have love in your soul and love will not allow temptation in our lives (1 John 2:10). The weaker our brothers are, the more care they require to protect them from temptations. According to the apostle, the strong should bear the infirmities of the weak, and not live for their own pleasure. Without a doubt, it is not easy sometimes to endure the whims of a brother’s passions, so as not to irritate his anger by refusing a favor; but love puts a brother to rest, without thinking about his own peace. “Let us not,” instructs St. Chrysostom, refuse any humiliating deeds for our brothers. Even if we had to serve an ignorant and poor person, even if it involved great labor, even if we had to cross mountains and rapids for this, we must endure all this to save our brother. God cares so much about the soul that he did not spare his Son. Let us also take care to save our brother from temptation.” 11 Sparing the weakness of people, God himself applies himself to their condition, so as not to present an opportunity for temptation. God hid the body of Moses so that the Jews would not turn it into an object of adoration (Deut. 4:6). So that the dispute with Lot would not cause temptation to the Canaanites, Abraham gave Lot also part of the land that he himself desired (Gen. 13:7). St. Cyprian depicts the actions of Eleazar Maccabee this way: “Eleazar not only conformed to the condition of the young men, but also to the condition of the elders and the weakness of the brethren, so that his old age would not be the cause of temptation and destruction for youth. That’s why he wished better to lose his life in agony than to be a temptation for anyone.” Holy conformity with the shortcomings of our weak brethren requires that we appear in everything as pure, innocent, blameless children of God (Phil. 2:15). In particular, be careful for your brother when doing indifferent things. Actions, in themselves indifferent, are, in their consequences, the cause of temptations. It is good, says the apostle, not to eat meat, nor to drink wine, nor because of it your brother stumbles, or is tempted, or faints (Rom. 14:21). By the same token, if he tempts my brother with cruelty, I will not eat meat forever, lest I tempt my brother (1 Cor. 8:13). St. Chrysostom explains the words of the Apostle as follows: “The Apostle says, it is good not to eat meat, not because it is unclean, but because a brother is tempted and becomes weak. And what about meat? Abstain, he says, from wine and everything that only serves as a temptation; because saving a brother cannot be compared with anything.” 12 In order not to provide an opportunity for temptation for the Jews who had turned to the faith, the apostle circumcised Timothy (Acts 16:3), and then he himself cut his hair according to his vow (Acts 18:3). However, while recognizing the holiness of applying our actions to the lifestyle of others, we should not go to extremes. If more good can come from a certain action than evil from temptation, there is no need to omit the beneficial action. Moreover, fear of temptation should not deter us from fulfilling our duties. In that case. We would not be the ones to give the temptation, but others will come up with it. The crucified Jesus was a temptation for the Jews, but for the apostle, but for every believer He is God’s power and God’s wisdom, and therefore the apostle did not want to know anything so much, the apostle did not want to preach anything so much as Christ crucified (1 Cor. 1:23-25). Fear of temptation should not lead to pretense in behavior. Only someone who is guilty of conscience has a reason to hide himself, but someone who is pure has no reason to hide. Pretending it would be a sin against his conscience and, therefore, a temptation for another. The Monk Theodore was sitting at the door of his cell in torn clothes when a layman came to receive a blessing from him. The student hastened to bring the teacher other clothes, but Theodore remained in the same one. When the layman left, the disciple said to the Abba, what are you doing, Abba? Did a person come to you to benefit and not to be tempted? “And from now on I command you,” answered the monk, to tell everyone the real truth about me, and not to act as they do in the world. When I eat, say that Theodore is eating; when I sleep, say that Theodore is sleeping. Only one who has a reason to hide cannot be called completely pure in his soul.” Glory to our God forever and ever, Amen. Word on the Sunday of All Saints, in the cemetery, in the Church of All Saints 13 Have you, listeners, ever wondered what this church means, in which we have gathered? The church, dedicated to all the Saints, stands on the site of the dead. What is the idea behind such a church? what kind of edification? I can’t believe that they built St. without thought. church, without purpose were spent on decorating it. Now that we have gathered for a spiritual holiday in this church, it is fitting to reflect, if you have not been reflecting, it is fitting to resume reflection, if you have been reflecting, on the meaning of this church. What do all the Saints to whom this church is dedicated speak to the faith? That the faith in which they believed is a pure and holy faith, and, therefore, one that we must maintain and preserve. The mere fact that the saints of all countries and peoples, not of one, but of different centuries, observed the same faith, serves as a sure sign that their faith is the true faith. A lie cannot agree with itself, but certainly contradicts itself, not now, then tomorrow, not in one case, then in another or third case; dexterity, combined with perseverance, manages to hide the disorder of lies for a while from some, but not forever. Only truth is true to itself everywhere, true to itself, despite the fact that it is simple and artless. And therefore the faith of the saints, always and everywhere agreed, bears the stamp of truth. Next, what does it mean to glorify the saints with signs and wonders? On the one hand, this is a manifestation of God’s grace, which has elevated the internal sanctification of the heart to external actions, on the other hand, this is a visible seal of God’s favor for the saints, teaching reverence for the will of God. In whom, according to the Savior’s word, can miraculous grace appear? These signs will follow for those who believe, in My name demons will be destroyed, new tongues will speak, the serpent will be lifted up, etc. So, in one who has a living, fruitful faith, in whom faith by the grace of God has been raised to the predominant principle of life, to the principle that sanctifies all his actions, signs can appear in him. So, miracles are a visible sign of the holiness of the persons working miracles, evidence of the holiness of both them and the society or church where the miracle worker was raised. At the same time, who, in fact, can perform miracles? One God. So, if saints work miracles, then this also means that God acts in them and through them, that they are messengers of God, confirming with miracles the will of God they proclaim. See below. Isn’t it true that the whole life feat of some saints related, in fact, to the preaching of the faith? Such is the feat of the martyrs, confessors, saints and teachers of the faith. So, he who glorified these saints glorified their faith for us, or, what is the same thing, confirmed with miracles that their preaching is holy, their teaching is pure, their gospel is the gospel not of earth, but of heaven. And since the confession of faith that the holy teachers maintained and preached was the same as that contained by the church, he who glorified the saints glorified at the same time their church, or its teaching. Thus, the glorification of the saints by miracles is the seal of God placed on their church as a sign of its purity and pleasingness to God. How should we thank the Lord that we were born and raised in the holy Orthodox Church, glorified by the pure life of the saints and the signs performed through them? That is why it is in vain that societies that have apostatized from the church decorate themselves with pompous names; they do not have the seal of God on them, there is neither undoubtedly grace-filled holiness, nor signs of God. These are societies created by human arbitrariness, without the favor of God, the creation of people, not God. Here is a society of schismatics not far from us. Ask if any of the saints were among the apostates from the church like them? No. Were there any holy wonderworkers among them – schismatics? No. Demetrius of Rostov was glorified by the Lord, but he persecuted the schism with cruel denunciations. The saints were glorified - Innocent of Irkutsk, Mitrofan of Voronezh, but they labored for the church, and not for the schism. Where are the famous among the schismatics? True, more than once it happened to hear and read praises of some Solovetsky sufferers. But what kind of sufferers are these? What did they die for? For rebelling against the Tsar and the Fatherland? Truly, they accomplished a holy feat! Truly worth the name of the sufferers! And what were their other deeds? Their comrades, while under the siege of Solovetsky, were ashamed to speak even before a civil court about their abominations. And these people are exposed by their impudent shamelessness to the ignorant as sufferers. This shamelessness extended so far that it even pointed to the incorruption of these sufferers. It wanted to pass off the bodies of the rebels, which had lain on the ice of the bay for the winter, as incorrupt. This is more than just lying, but lying against the Holy Spirit who glorifies the saints. This is what it means to be arbitrary! What do the saints of God say for our moral edification? One cannot hear any other lesson from the saints other than a soul-saving lesson. They tell us that without piety all the distinctions of the world, wealth, honors, glory are vanity and insignificance. In fact, in whose honor are we celebrating today? In honor of those whom the world either did not know or did not want to know - except through persecution and malice. He was stoned, he was despised, he was killed by the sword, he died, deprived, sorrowful, embittered, wandering in deserts and in mountains and in dens and in the pits of the earth (Heb. 11:37-38). We glorify such people now, after they have been glorified by the Lord. Where are the celebrities of the world? How did they not end up among those glorified by the church and the Lord? Yes, they didn’t get in if they weren’t among the saints. And how many glorious and powerful people there were in the world, from whom kingdoms and nations once shook! How many rich people there were who did not know how to count their wealth! How many scientists there were who possessed extensive, deep knowledge of nature! And all these big names have disappeared, or are disappearing. Their glory has flown by like a fleeting sound, or is ready to disappear like a distant hum. What does it mean? The fact that earthly differences and advantages given by time are absorbed by time, but do not at all constitute the inalienable dignity of a person; the fact that for our eternal existence completely different advantages are necessary - those for which the saints are blessed. These advantages are humility, patience, purity of soul and body, fear of God, love. These advantages are not erased by time, because their measure and basis are not the fickle opinions of people, not the accidents of the earth, which change everything, but the eternal, unchanging will of God. He who is rich in these distinctions may mean nothing in the world, but he is great before the Lord; let him not be learned, not eloquent, not reason magnificently, let him not be known on earth otherwise than as a simple-minded poor man, his knowledge of Christ the Lord will be recognized beyond the grave, his glory will begin there - and glory incomparable with any earthly celebrity. This is the lesson given to us by the glory of the Saints! And those who lie near this church are not silent to us. And, surprisingly, they teach faith and piety the same lesson as the saints. The departed also tell us that wealth, honors, fame without good deeds are vanity. Ask anyone of the rich people lying here, what did he take with him from his treasures? If piety did not take care to make even a small use of wealth, you yourself see that it is not at all necessary for a dead person; Naked he came from his mother's womb, and he lies naked in the grave. Where is the beauty of the face, where is the slender figure with which the youth of the maidens shone before she lay down here? The celebrity of rank and family did not leave its shine on the bones laid in the grave. Splendor and poverty, as you see, lie side by side here, equally making up the food of worms, a lifeless corpse, dry bones. Youth! come and study here the purpose of our short and disastrous life. Elders! the grave tells you, correct the misdeeds of your past life; only the piety of youth and old age will survive death, and only this one will go with us there - to defend us at the judgment of God. My listener! believe the words of the wise, remember your last words in all your words, and you will never sin (Sir.7:39). What is needed most of all, what can most benefit our brothers and sisters lying here? They will say that deeds of mercy performed in their name are useful. I have no doubt that they are useful to the deceased; The God of love and mercy loves works of mercy; Having helped the beggar and the prisoner, you have provided it to Me, says the Lord the Judge. But, brethren, the pagans also knew how to be merciful - and they were not at all deaf to the suffering of the afflicted. Can a Christian really do nothing more than a pagan? Is Christianity really so meager in the means of salvation? Oh, it can't be? How can you help the dead as a Christian? There is a benefit that is definitely Christian, and a benefit that is definitely beneficial, better than which there is nothing on earth, it is a bloodless sacrifice of the body and blood of Christ, offered by the Holy Church. What are all our deeds before the justice of God, not protected by the atoning blood of Christ? On what can we base the hope of salvation for ourselves and others, if not on the reconciling death of Christ? Therefore, if you could hear the voices of your brothers and sisters from the other side of the tomb, how much living and fiery gratitude would you hear for remembering their names at the bloodless sacrifice? And at the same time you would hear the voice of their love for you about yourself; Treasure, treasure the Orthodox Church and faith, in it are treasures of grace for the living and the dead; pity your unfortunate brothers, who chose for themselves, instead of the holy church, rich in the gifts of heaven, a thin, dilapidated church, a chapel of schism; there is nothing, nothing with which to protect her unfortunate children from the terrible judgment of God’s truth. What does it mean, my listeners, that the deceased lie here at the Church of All Saints? That they are given and accepted under the protection of the saints of heaven. I say accepted. How can the Saints not accept those who are of the same faith with them in everything, who sought one Lord, who walked the same path? How can the saints not accept it when they love the Lord and their brethren so much? And what a true defense - the saints! The Lord is so attentive to the prayers of the saints! True, the schism calls on the same saints for help, and he says, Father Nicholas, Father Sergius! But the point is whether St. accepts them. the inhabitants of heaven for their children? While self-willed and stubborn they run away from that holy Mother who gave birth and raised the saints of heaven; while the impudence of some of them even spews blasphemy against the holy Mother of all saints - the Church of Christ, is it true that the saints should accept with love the voices of such children, no matter how frequent, no matter how loud they are? It is true that the saints are indignant at the schism. Let the unfortunate ones hasten to be reconciled with the saints before the grave. This is the significance of a church in the name of all saints over the graves of the dead! Let us use this church for salvation and for the glory of the name of God, wondrous among the saints. Amen. Homily for the 2nd week after Pentecost, when visiting the city of Dorpat Those who are not hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the creators of the law, these will be justified Driven by duty to the pleasure of seeing this city for the first time, glorious by the deep long existence of Orthodox Christianity in it, glorious by the latest enlightenment, according to the order of the church, I encounter the words of the Apostle, not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the creators of the law, these will be justified. I’m not sure that the meeting of two circumstances has to do only with the hail, and not with the visitor to the hail; but in any case, I am obliged to offer a word about words that are so useful for everyone. The Roman Christians, for whom the apostle wrote these words, turned to Christianity from Jews and pagans. The Jews exalted themselves over the pagans because the law was given to them by God himself. Those who converted from the Jews to Christ did the same. If you look only at the fact that the law of God was given to the Jew and given by God Himself, then this advantage of the Jew over the pagan is really important. And the royal prophet was consoled by the fact that God was known in Judah, His great name was known in Israel (Ps. 75:2). No ancient people had such a law as Israel had; In no ancient nation were so many great deeds connected with the law as were accomplished during the promulgation and confirmation of the law of Israel. How could one not have such an extraordinary advantage in mind? Why, the language, Moses himself said, is so great, he has God, draw near to him, for the Lord is our God in all, even if we call upon Him? And whose language is great, whose essence is justification and judgment, according to all this law, which I give before you this day (Deut. 4: 7-8). And the apostle was not silent about the advantage of his relatives according to the flesh; and he spoke of them, they are the Israelites, to them belong the adoption and the glory, and the covenants, and the law, and the ministry, and the promises (Rom. 9:3-4). And, however, the same apostle, after he said, those who have sinned in the law will receive judgment by the law, he says, not the hearers of the law are righteous before God, but the creators of the law, these will be justified. What does it mean? Why is it so that listening to the very law of God does not yet lead to bliss, knowledge of the most beautiful rule of life does not yet make a person right? It would seem, isn’t it a great thing, isn’t it a high pleasure, isn’t it a happy destiny to enlighten the mind with the knowledge of sublime objects? How many feel superior to others when they become superior to others in mental education? Isn’t it consciousness itself that says that one gains and does not lose anything when one acquires knowledge; do they elevate and not degrade the soul when they enlighten their mind? And especially when they come to know the works of God, when they introduce the law of God into their inner knowledge, is there any room for doubt that this is a great acquisition, pure pleasure? All this is true, brethren; but such a truth that needs to be defined. Let us be attentive to the soul, and we will open this border in our soul. Agree that it is not natural for the soul when it is forced to live by one thought, or when it is allowed to prevail in it to a force that has no right to prevail. The soul is not destined to live by thought alone, but it has both feeling and will, and the will has governmental power over the soul. Let us imagine that in the whole bodily organism one head is alive and intact, and all other members are dead, or at least barely breathing life. What would you call such an organism? You will say that something is wrong; it is something more than a deviation from order. Doesn’t the soul mean the same thing when a thought lives in it about everything else, when thoughts indicate an endless striving forward, and poor feeling, and poor will, not to mention other forces, barely get their share of minutes of some life, some action? In this case, the soul, little by little, gradually, but imperceptibly, will turn into a skeleton of thoughts, into the dry skeleton of a spiritual organism. Give an illegal advantage to any part, to any whole, the most excellent whole will be upset. No other consequence can be expected even when knowledge without works of the law predominates in the soul. There is no doubt that ignorance is not bliss; the life of the soul, the salvation of the soul begins with the knowledge of the law, the understanding of the will of God. But let the activity of thought be limited to this - the understanding of the will of God, necessary for the correct life of the soul. This will be lawful activity, correct activity, which will be beneficial for the whole soul. Brethren! The legislator would be strange if the law were given only so that the law could be known. This would mean that either they give a law that cannot put anything in order, or they give a law only so that, seeing from it their own disorder, they are left with disorder. They deceive themselves, the apostle teaches, when they think that everything was done in relation to the law if they were hearers and not creators of the law (James 1:22). Isn’t it strange, isn’t it funny to see in the mirror the indecency of your clothes, the uncleanliness on your face, but do not adjust anything in your clothes, and do not rush to wash the dirt from your face? If anyone, says the apostle, only listens to the word and does not do it; then such a one is like a man who sees his face in a mirror - he saw himself, walked away, and immediately forgot what he was like (James 1:23-24). The law of God was given to us so that we not only know it, but also fulfill it. And how strict is the law of God, how extensive are its requirements! If anyone keeps the whole law, but sins in one thing, he will be accused of everything (James 2:10). Self-will moves and spoils the boundaries of the law, but He who gave the law will not leave him without vengeance; for every idle word, for every idle thought He will demand an answer. We live obliviously, but this does not mean that we are out of danger; we are careless in our own position, we live as if there was no one above us, but the inexorable truth is awake over us - it will expose the slightest deviation from the holy will of God. Arise, sinner, wake up from your destructive sleep, so that your inexorable guard does not find you unprepared for an account. Many people say on the day, Lord, Lord, is it not in Your name that we prophesy, and in Your name we cast out demons? And the Lord will tell many more than he knows you. What do we expect from just knowing the will of God? No, knowledge of the will of God not only will not save us from judgment, but will only serve to condemn us if it is fruitless in us. No matter how magnificent and complex our knowledge may be, fruitless knowledge is destruction. A slave who knows the will of his master, and does not do anything, will receive many punishments. This is what the truth says. This word is terrible for the poor Jew, who knew from the law the will of the heavenly Lord. It is much more terrible for us, Christians, for whom the will of the Heavenly Father is even more known. If the word spoken by the angels was firm, and every disobedience received a reward, how will we escape the wrath - careless about such salvation? (Heb.2:2-3). The word about our salvation was announced by the Lord himself, the only begotten Son of the Heavenly Father, transmitted by eyewitnesses of the word; in both cases, God bore witness to the word with signs, wonders, various powers, and divisions of the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Is it all in vain? Oh, not in vain! A land that drinks the rain that falls on it many times and grows only thistles is an unprofitable land, close to a curse; its end is burning (Heb.6:7-8). The word of God does not return empty; it either turns into a word of life for those who carry it out, or becomes a fire that consumes the disobedient. Christians! Let us fear a fate more threatening for us than for the Jews. It is true that we are weak in order to fulfill the law, and, therefore, in order to be justified before God. But the law is not to blame for our weakness, but ourselves; and therefore it does not lose its power over us because we are powerless to fulfill it; Our job in such a situation is to recognize our weakness, repent of our sins, shed tears that we have prodigally squandered the wealth of the Heavenly Father, and in deep humility to pray for help. Heavenly help will not be denied to us. Ask and you will receive. Help is ready for us, as long as we are ready for it. The Spirit of grace waits only for us to pray to Him with a contrite spirit for the healing of our infirmities. They complain about our complete inability to do good, about the lack of the very will of good, of the very prayer for help. But believe me, brothers, this is not the voice of true self-knowledge, but the cry of crafty carelessness, which only wants bliss and peace. This is not what the gospel truth says about us; it shames arrogance, but it does not favor negligence, pointing to the law that wars in us against the spiritual law; it shows in us both the delight in the spiritual law according to the inner man, and the desire for good (Rom. 7:18-24), points to the lawful deed written in our hearts (Rom. 1:19, 2:15). They complain about the vanity of the world, about everyday worries. But from whom does the vanity of the world come, if not from ourselves, if not from our inattention to our salvation? Is it our whims that make the world worry? Is it not our passions that give rise to thousands of needs and shortcomings in life? Reduce the demands of the passions, and there will be no obstacles to the fulfillment of God’s will from the world. “God looks at faith, not at our works.” Yes, He requires living and fruitful faith, but eternal fire is ready for the barren tree; To barren knowledge, which destroys both time and the strength of the soul in useless contemplations, you cannot expect anything else except eternal condemnation. Imagining myself full from the mere thought that I am full is ridiculous; the same means to say, faith is enough, but the soul does not need works. Blessed is he who hears the word of God and keeps it. Amen. Homily for the 3rd week after Pentecost Do not worry about your soul about what you eat or what you drink, nor with your body, in what How can one not take care of what is necessary for earthly life? How not to worry about food and clothing? Our clothes are not sewn by themselves, our food is not prepared by itself; our houses do not open themselves and do not heat up in the cold. In addition, earthly things can be used for the benefit of eternal life; we can use them to serve our neighbor in his needs; we can use them to serve God. What kind of concern for earthly things does our Lord not command a Christian to have? Concerns about earthly things are then criminal in a Christian when he seeks earthly things without thinking about God’s providence. Then his concerns are the concerns of a pagan who did not know the true God and did not have firm faith in His providence. And how many there are today toilers of the earth who work on the earth without thinking about God! Although God has not left them today without food and clothing; although he invisibly and inexplicably gave them help in the most extreme needs, however, they all look with anxiety at the future, as if the future depends on their worries. Another says, now I have few children, and they require a lot of care. What will happen to me when there are many of them? Now the children are still small and there is so much going on for them. What will I do when they grow up? What if I get sick or die, who will feed the children? Another has no children and is also worried about the future, I will grow old and will not be able to work - but there are no children, who will feed me? Judge whether such worries suit a Christian? They are worried about the fate of what does not yet exist, they are worried as if everything in the world is not passing by their worries and worries. Every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights (James 1:17). Whoever took care of you can add one little bit to his age? Will He, the All-Good One, when He gave birth to your children, leave them to die of hunger? Or does He, the Almighty, not know that childless old age needs food? This is the message of your heavenly Father, that you require all these things (Matthew 6:32). Work in peace of conscience, but do not forget that the success of every undertaking depends on God. Therefore, pray before starting a task for its success, pray at the end of a task, giving thanks for the end. Any concern we have for earthly things, without trust in God’s providence, is sin and makes us unworthy of God’s blessing. Further, our worries about earthly things are criminal even when we want to have more earthly goods than we need for our short life. How much does a person need on earth? Do we not hear how the children of nature are content with too little? And are there many among us whose wealth is limited and almost poor, and who live in peace? Why the anxiety of others, who are endowed with much in abundance? Why do they say that when we own a lot, we don’t have enough? Because these people are whimsical, because in addition to the needs of nature, they have invented or acquired for themselves many of their own needs, the needs of insatiable passions. They have clothing to cover their bodies from the harmful effects of the elements; but not only that, they want to have rich clothes, and not one, but two and three. They have healthy and fresh food, but they do not like simple food, they need refined food; They also have money to purchase other necessities of life, but give them a lot of gold. Judge whether such behavior is appropriate for a Christian, whose desires should be moderate and needs limited? Or is this not the behavior of a pagan whose passions are unbridled, whose desires are limitless? The Apostle instructs Christians who have food and clothing to be content with these (1 Tim. 6:8). To desire earthly things more than is necessary for earthly life can only be a passion for the earth. Are earthly goods worth being addicted to? They are all so unreliable, they rot and deteriorate, they burn and drown, they are kidnapped and disappear. All of them only amuse the soul for a while, but do not give it either happiness or peace; Moreover, for the momentary pleasures of them, the soul pays with anxieties of conscience, a feeling of emptiness and boredom; and with others it happens even worse, for others the excess of earthly goods completely befuddles, leading to oblivion of God, to luxury and dissipation, to pride and arrogance, to cruelty and inhumanity in relation to others. Sad, pathetic state! That is why the apostle says, be those who use the world as if they do not use it; For the image of this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:13). Should we say that worries about earthly things are extremely criminal when, to acquire temporary goods, not honest labor, not the service of conscience, but criminal means are used? In this case, caring for earthly things would not be approved by another pagan. The state rewards the official’s work with a salary and provides him with a pension for his old age. But others, in order to enrich themselves, deceive their superiors, distort the truth, cover up the guilty and subject the innocent to trial and condemnation. Is this a Christian thing? Some traders, wanting to make a quick profit, charge triple the price for goods and labor compared to what they are worth. Is this a matter of Christian conscience? Another worker secretly robs his owner, who pays him a fair wage for his work, and without whom he, perhaps, would not have bread. Isn't this the work of a bad pagan? Others do not want to know the commandments of the Apostle; if anyone does not want to do it, let him eat (2 Thess. 3:10); they live idlely, run around working and deceive people in the name of the Lord in order to receive money to satisfy bad habits. ABOUT! how severely they will be judged at the judgment of God. Everything acquired through unrighteousness will be food for the fire of hell, which will burn the doer of unrighteousness. The only salvation from the eternal misfortune of the unfortunate is to return what was taken untruthfully to the rightful owner; and Christianity proposes that what has been acquired through untruth, after satisfying the offended, should be distributed to the poor. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you, said the Savior (Matthew 6:33). Concerns about earthly things must be preceded in us by concerns about heavenly things; Before concerns about the home and body, concerns about eternal salvation should take first place. What is more valuable – the soul or the body, the earth or the sky? If we observe the legal order in the desires of the eternal and temporary, then thoughts about earthly things will be holy. Moreover, the Lord loves us so much that in this case he takes upon himself to prepare everything we need. As soon as you seek the eternal salvation of your soul, what you need for your body will be provided. That is why those who work day and night for the earth are all the more pitiful, all the more unjust, but do not remember heaven even on Sunday; and they spend money and labor to clothe and feed their family decently, but to decorate themselves and their family with a sacrifice for the church, a deed of alms, is not even on their minds. The scripture very correctly calls them the sons of this age (Luke 16:8), they live according to the spirit of the time and for the time - they chase the wind, fame, glory, but they have no time to think about their eternity. What a sad situation! What awaits them beyond the grave? Brethren, take heed how dangerously you walk, not as if you were unwise, but as if you were wise, understanding what is the will of God (Eph. 4:12). Living according to the will of God, we can be happy both on earth and in eternity. But by chasing after earthly blessings not in accordance with the will of God, we are preparing only grief for ourselves. Let us be smart for our peace. Amen. Homily for the 6th week after Pentecost I tell you, everyone is angry He brought the judgment against his brother in vain (Matthew 5:22). These are the words of the Lord from His lengthy Sermon on the Mount. In the Discourse on the Mount, the Lord warns against various false thoughts that were instilled in the Jewish people by the Jewish scribes. Among these unfair thoughts was the thought that it was enough to fulfill the literal requirement of the law, but there was no need to worry about spiritual dispositions. This is how the Jewish teachers explained the commandment, thou shalt not kill; they said that the commandment prohibits forcibly taking the life of another and nothing more. Thus, the Jewish teachers taught only outward honesty and did not care about inner purity. The Son of God says to his followers, if your righteousness does not fail any more than a scribe or a Pharisee, you can enter into the kingdom of heaven. Hear, as it was said to the ancients, thou shalt not kill. I say to you, everyone who is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment. Let us reverently examine the teaching of our Savior on wrath. Anyone who is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment. The Savior declares that the guilty’s anger is in vain. Consequently, He does not condemn all anger at all. And certainly not all anger is sinful. When our Lord saw that in the church of God they were selling and buying as if in a market, He took a whip and with a whip drove out the offenders of the holy church from the church. Do not, He said, make my Father's house a buying house. This is the anger and wrath of the all-holy. This anger is holy zeal for the glory of the Heavenly Father, to whom the church was dedicated. In anger at the wickedness of the Jews, who poured themselves a calf of gold and bowed to him as God, Moses broke the tablets of the law received from God. Ap. Peter indignantly rejected the gifts of Simon the Magus, with which he wanted to buy the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Thy silver, he said, shall be with thee unto destruction (Acts 8:10). Ap. Paul wanted to come to the Corinthians with a stick in order to admonish some of them how to live as a Christian. Thus there are cases when it would not be holiness not to show anger. Fair, lawful, sacred to the anger of father and mother at the unrest and dissipation of children. God's judgment would fall on them, as well as on their children, if they turned a blind eye to the children's disorder. Remember Elijah. In the same way, every boss is obliged, in order to maintain the power of the law, to act not only with mild measures, but also with strict ones. He is happy if he does not need to express anger at his subordinates, but he is unhappy if, having the need to act strictly, he acts weakly; he harms himself and his subordinates. And every sincere Christian should grieve and be indignant when he sees impudent blasphemers of the holy faith spewing blasphemies against the truth of God, otherwise his coldness would be wickedness against the Lord. Thus, anger based on a legitimate reason is holy and righteous anger. Another thing is vain anger. Anyone who is angry with his brother is guilty of justice in vain. When is anger in vain? Ah, if you look at anger, what it is like in people, you will have to look and it will not be easy to find it when it is not in vain. They get angry and lose their temper at things that have every right to the attention of grateful love. Your father, your friend, your boss tell you about your mistakes with a sincere desire for the best for you. And you respond to words of love with words of indignation and abuse, shower them with objections, reproaches, reproaches, and insults. Come to your senses, why are you angry? Why are you trampling holy love in the mud of your wild feelings and thoughts? Good Joseph tells his father how his brothers offend him and after that they do not want to talk to him and decide to sell him into captivity, to the mortal chagrin of his father. Is their anger against Joseph just? It happens that they get angry at things that are hardly worth even a passing glance. They are angry because they are lost, disappeared or destroyed, an object of earthly vanity, an object of criminal addiction, whereas they should be rejoicing that the destructive temptation has disappeared from their eyes. It’s a shame to say, but it must be said that some people pour out their anger even on the dumb, even on soulless things. It also happens that they are angry at a matter worthy of anger, but they are angry in a way that they should not be angry. Is it not vain anger when in anger they use such measures against sin that only irritate and do not pacify sin? A careless, unintentional insulting word, instead of being covered with silence, or corrected with a word of affection, you pursue with abusive words, words of slander and frantic anger, are you fair? Your child has made an unimportant mistake, and you lose your temper, make noise and shout. What is this for? Don't you think that a child will not notice the injustice in your anger? It will notice your injustice and ignore its mistakes. Be angry and do not sin, says Scripture (Eph.4:20), i.e. be angry at an illegal deed, but in such a way as not to transgress the boundaries of justice. Is it difficult after this to see how criminal, how guilty, vain anger is? He insults our love for our neighbor, which is so sacred to the Christian soul. Love, says the apostle, is long-suffering, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not remember evil, covers all things, endures all things (1 Cor. 13:4-6). And from the history of the saints we see that until holy love penetrated their hearts, they were impatient and hot-tempered, but they became meek and soft when the gospel, gracious love took possession of their hearts. So do not look, you will not find in vain anger either meekness or forbearance of love; he does not cover, but reveals, the weaknesses of others; he knows no excuses for his neighbor's mistakes. He does not value not only peace, not only honor, but also the life of another. From harsh words, from insults and insults they come to murder. An ardent husband fights (Proverbs 15:18). A man violently incites a quarrel, and a sinful man will stir up a friend and spread slander among peaceful people (Sir.28:10). Anger is criminal in its sources. In others, he is the fruit of pride, which values ​​​​its own space too much and therefore rebels with indignation against the most empty meetings, against the fact that a cup or chair is not served to one’s taste. In others, anger is the fruit of pride, which places a high value on one’s own personality and takes a little inattention from another as a cruel insult to oneself. The one who vividly remembers his weaknesses and sins, who sees himself lower than everyone else in terms of the corruption of his soul, has no time to worry about anger at another. Anger is guilty according to the actions it produces in our soul. Like a storm in the air, so is vain anger in the soul, thoughts, feelings, intentions, desires, everything is in disorder, everything is upset from anger, so that the light of God is not visible in the soul; the rational soul, the soul with a free will, with god-like powers, turns into a spirit of malice and fury. How many injustices, how many sins are caused by vain anger! Both lies and untruths run like a stream. There is no mercy for your health, your honor, or your life itself. Doesn’t it also happen that one who is inflamed with anger utters blasphemy against all that is holy? The wrath of God does not bring justice (James 1:20). Oh! if anger produced great devastation only in the souls of the weak, it would be sad, but not amazing. The ascetics of God learned through experience that even in their souls, anger, allowed due to weakness, caused great harm and removed from them the Spirit of grace, which is the spirit of love and peace. Thus, it is clear why the Savior pronounces a severe sentence on vain anger. He condemns him, albeit with varying degrees of anger. Anyone, He says, who is angry with his brother is guilty of judgment. This is a verdict on the anger that boils in the soul, but has not yet expressed itself in words and deeds. Whoever speaks, the Savior continues, to his brother, cancer, an empty man, is guilty of eating the host. And those who say, ugly, soulless man, are guilty of fiery hell. This means that whoever expresses his anger in the reproachful name of his brother, which is called an empty man, is as guilty as if he had been judged before the highest judgment seat of man. If anger reaches an extreme degree, so that the angry one calls his brother the most reproachful name, which the Jews called unscrupulous, soulless, then this is a sin that exposes the guilty person to Gehenna. Brothers and sisters! Beware of anger like fire. How to escape from it, especially when it partly depends on irritability of temperament? Imagine more often and more vividly the ugliness of anger. To do this, put yourself in the place of another and ask how it would feel for you if another showered you with abuse for an unimportant mistake? Having placed yourself in the position of a responsible person before an angry person, you will quickly and clearly understand the injustice and baseness of vain anger, and you will easily notice how little is needed in order not to humiliate your own soul through the outrages of anger. Then, as often as possible, keep in mind the example of heavenly meekness given to us by heaven in the person of the Savior. Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, says the Lord and our teacher. And truly how great, how divine was His meekness! With what insults did the Jews persecute Him throughout His earthly ministry! To have a demon, they talked about the Son of the Heavenly Father; He is a friend of publicans and sinners, a violator of St. Saturday, others shouted. And what did He not endure when he was betrayed into the hands of his enemies by a traitorous disciple? And for all the insults, for all the slander, for all the ridicule, for all the beatings, slaps, spitting - not a single word of anger, not a single movement of indignation. Christ suffered for us, says the apostle. Peter, leave us an image, so that we may follow His footsteps... Those who reproach us are not reproached, nor did we threaten them while suffering, but we betray them to him who judges righteously (1 Pet. 2:21). Finally, like any sin, like any mental illness, you cannot be healed from anger on your own, without the help of God’s grace. Therefore, pray, pray earnestly to the Lord, so that He will send you a spirit of meekness and patience. In order to give the power of love for another over the power of anger, - praying in the movement of anger for your neighbor; speak from the depths of your heart, “Lord! forgive the sins of the one who insulted me - he is a man, like me.” Believe me, prayer will give peace to your soul. May the God of grace and mercy be with us. Amen. Homily for the 7th week after Pentecost Overcome evil with good (Rom. 12:21). They say to a sorrowful heart, why mourn? Everything is fine in the world, everything is in order on earth; if there is disorder, untruth, violence, this only diversifies the picture, but does not spoil it. Useless consolation! Not smart thinking! A heart struck by sorrows does not believe in either consolation or speculation, because through experience it recognizes the injustice of speculation, because it feels and senses not only reality, but also the caustic power of evil. Is it smart to think when it goes against experience? Our opinions will not make the damned earth a paradise; selfish, evil wisdom cannot be recognized as worthy of love. No, instead of hiding evil from ourselves, we need to think, we need to take care of how to defeat evil so that it does not consume us and others. Where can we get weapons against evil? Where to learn the art of defeating evil? Conquer evil with good, teaches the apostle. Is this possible? Will this lead to victory? Conquer evil with good. It would seem that it should be said, conquer evil with evil. Then victory seems more likely. Try it, take up the weapon with which they attack us. Repay for slander with slander, for insult with insult, for blow with blow. What will happen? Instead of one slander - two slander, instead of one insult - two insults, instead of one blow - two blows. Let the retribution continue, what will happen? One multiplication of insults, one triumph of evil. Will one side weaken and the evil will end? Not at all. The weakened one will gather her strength, and the proliferation of evil will continue. Will one side lose their life? And then evil is not defeated, because the most terrible evil has triumphed - murder. Thus, paying for an insult with an insult not only does not destroy evil, not only does not stop its progress, but strengthens the evil. That is why the apostle says, if you bite and devour one another, take heed, lest you be destroyed from one another (Gal. 5:15). Attempts to correct a sinner with angry words, abuse of anger and hatred will not lead to the goal. The sinner then sees sin and untruth in the mentor himself, and thus pays all attention not to himself, not to his mistakes, is concerned not with correcting himself, but with better considering the untruth of another; Moreover, the unjust act of another only excites him to anger against the unjust mentor, and thus adds new wounds of sin to the previous wounds of his heart. This is what the fight between evil and evil leads to! You will say, you would like to defeat evil with good, you would like to be reconciled with the enemy; but he doesn't want to put up? But is it complete? Come on, do you sincerely want this? Look inside yourself. You consider him your enemy, and he considers you an enemy. Which one of you is right? Look around. If the evil began because your kind word was misunderstood, then a calm explanation of the matter is needed, and not slander, and not anger. But what if you did more? What if the enmity began because he said a few unpleasant, although fair, words, and you showered him with stinging reproaches like hail for not understanding the truth? Perhaps he said something unpleasant and then wanted to make up for the unintentional unpleasantness with the affection of love, but you pushed him away with coldness and even contempt. Perhaps you also spoke about him offensively for his honor, undeservedly due to his deeds and dispositions. If all this is so, then in whom is it necessary to defeat evil? In yourself. Conquer him with the consciousness of your wrongdoing, hasten to make amends for him with deeds of love. Conquer evil with good. You say, “We cannot reconcile our neighbor, why waste words for him?” But why did you think so offensively about your neighbor? Why do you think that only you have a kind heart, that only you are generous, and the other doesn’t want to be kind at all? If you do not remain insensitive to selfless love, to the silent patience of the innocent, why do you deny your neighbor the same moral ability? Is it not more decent for a Christian to expect better from others than from himself? If pride keeps you from taking the first step towards reconciliation with your brother, are you a Christian? Let us assume that the enemy will not easily reconcile with you. But think that he is a man, and condescend to human weakness. Think that good things do not come for free. Victory is not acquired without heroic deeds. Sow the seeds of the world and do not forget that it takes time for the seed to first sprout, then the stem will sprout, and then the fruit will appear. The disease does not suddenly yield to the power of medicine; repeat more than once to pour oil and wine on your wounded heart. Is it easy for you to spot mistakes in yourself? Is it easy, having seen her, to confess to her sincerely? Is it easy to correct her after confessing? Why don't you do the same to another? Why do you demand that another be, or suddenly become an angel? Do not demand more from others than you expect from yourself. Do not forget that if you are bad, if you pray that God will forgive you your sins, that He Himself will teach your heart goodness, which is so little submissive to goodness, you in the same way must forgive another for some of his stubbornness; just as for yourself, should you pray to the Lord for him to soften his heart? Where is the source of all good? By the same Lord, for you and for him. In you and in him, pure goodness is accomplished by a single grace. How, another might think, can evil be defeated when it acts offensively, and a Christian does not like to allow himself defensive confrontation? Not only can it be defeated, but it was defeated, precisely in the very way that. consider so many things wrong. What an enormous evil fought against the primacy of Christianity! And the rulers of half the universe were against him, and the judges, and the priests, and the crowds of the people armed themselves with everything against him; politics and religion, philosophy and the blind mob shouted, death to Christianity! And what a small flock the flock of Christ’s disciples was! How poor it was in external aids for the fight against the wisdom and strength of an embittered world! “God has chosen the foolish things of the world to put to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to put to shame the things that are strong; God chose the base things of the world and the things that are despised, and the things that are not, to destroy the things that are” (1 Cor. 1:27-28). How is the strong defeated by the weak and famous by insignificance? Patience stood against persecution, faith stood against unbelief, and against the malice of the tormentors they silently bowed their heads to the sword. And paganism disappeared. And Christianity took over the world. You say, these were times of extraordinary gifts of grace, extraordinary action of the power of God? Is it true; but why forget that nowadays people are not burned at the stake for the name of Christ? Meanwhile, has grace ceased? Not at all. And Christ the Lord promised to always be with believers. And the Spirit of grace persistently abides in the church. And it is said in prayer, ask and you will receive. What was the matter? Because we are cowardly, because through cowardice we allow unbelief into our hearts. Otherwise, when, Lord, were You not close to all those who called on You? Whose prayer remained unknown to You, O Omniscient One? Whose prayer did you not listen to, O all-merciful one? What help could not Thy all-powerful hand give? Let us assume, my dear, that your enemy is too stubborn in evil to become good from your love. Does this relieve you of the obligation to overcome evil with good? Not at all. God's love never ceases to pour out its mercy on the evil as well as on the good. Do the same thing. Victory will then remain with good, since the enmity of your neighbor will be covered by your meekness, since, despite the sorrows that hostility will shoot at you, you will stand firmly in faith and love, not yielding an inch to evil. What will your enemy do to you with his enmity? He cannot cause you true, real harm; on the contrary, he can bring a lot of good. Your friend loves you so much that he doesn’t see all your shortcomings. But stand before the face of your enemy, and no one will describe your weaknesses to you in more detail; he looks at them vigilantly, not missing a single offense, and speaks about them without diminishing their guilt. So, listen to your enemy calmly, carefully, and then to how many victories over evil your enemy will lead you! The less room we give for sin in our hearts, the more attentive we are to ourselves in order to cleanse our unclean hearts through sorrows and use suffering for spiritual advancement, the higher and higher will divine love lift us above the calamities of the world and above the malice of evil. Listen to what strong love for the Lord says about itself? Who will separate us from the love of God? Is it tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or trouble, or a sword? In all these things we overcome for the sake of him who loved us (Rom. 8:35–37). You see, there is no evil in the world, there are no disasters that could defeat love, over which it would not triumph. One more question, if only the good need to defeat the evil, how will the criminal be punished? But my person was not given the right to be tried over anyone. If only my face is insulted; I commit the matter to the Lord; vengeance is Mine; I will repay, says the Lord (Rom. 12:19). If the matter concerns not one person, but society; and then it is not for me to judge this - my duty is only to tell God’s servant, who does not carry a sword for nothing. Authority is established by God; she is entrusted with the right to fight evil with punishments. But even the government itself, if it is Christian, does not want to take revenge with evil for evil; it only protects the innocent from evil, and prevents or stops the crime so that the villain does not die and others do not die. It is governed not by the evil of vengeance, but by the good of philanthropy and truth. Thus, if a criminal is punished, then he does not experience the evil of vengeance from the authorities, but the humane truth blocks his path to evil. May the God of peace and love strengthen love in our hearts, for temporary and eternal peace. Amen. Lord, save me, I am perishing (Matthew 14:30). A sick person cannot help but feel pain, and it is natural to desire freedom from the disease. It is natural for someone who has fallen into trouble to be burdened by trouble and to seek deliverance from trouble. Whatever the wound, the living wants to live and deviates from everything that threatens danger and harm to life. This is how the Apostle Peter prayed when the drowning began. But, given the variety of troubles in life, it is natural to first and most of all want to get rid of the trouble that is heavier than others. Otherwise, you can often be cowardly. It is apparently not difficult to recognize a more or less severe misfortune; the more pressing it is, the heavier it is. But how often they make mistakes! How often people are faint-hearted! Why? Because they do not quite correctly understand and remember which threatened side of life is more worth it for us to take care of. What heaviness, if not physically, then morally, can more offend us? Let us think carefully, against which disaster do we most need to ask for help from above? What is the most terrible evil in the world? What many troubles confront the poor wanderer of the earth! Oh! so many that it is not easy to categorize them. However, how to distinguish them? Let us for the first time, according to the duality of our body, divide them into two types, on one side let us put the troubles that affect the visible organism, our physical life, on the other – the troubles that offend the soul. Well? Do we recognize the former as more serious than the latter? If the soul is more valuable than the body, more valuable than the earth, then spiritual troubles are, of course, more important than the troubles of external life. In fact, what is everything else that we have in comparison with the soul? The soul is the image of God; it constitutes the very thing that elevates man above all visible creatures, that puts him in communion with God himself. Is it possible to put spiritual troubles on a par with the troubles that affect our visible life, which disappears like vapor? However, not every mental insult is more important than physical grief. Thus, if frivolity prefers an insult to honor to the loss of life, it does not prefer common sense. Why? Because an insult to honor is a punishment for the secret sins of the soul, and, therefore, can be accepted as an excellent cure for a sick soul; and the unauthorized loss of life, without returning anything to the sinful soul, constitutes senseless suicide. How can we know which evil we should consider the most terrible evil? It is not difficult to agree that evil, which is the source, the cause of all other evils, is more important than other evils. Retain this commanding evil, you will block the source of evil and remain calm from the touch of all other evils. On the contrary, allow the ruling evil to reach you, you will suffer not only from it, but all other disasters will come to you as inevitable companions of the basic evil. What kind of evil is this that rules over all others? This is sin, brothers! Where do all the disasters in the world come from? Where do the diseases come from? From sin, which gave rise to death and disease. Where does poverty and disadvantage come from? From sin to sin there was contentment in everything. Where does the shame of dishonor come from? Because of sin, they sinned and began to be ashamed, ashamed, in fact, of sin, which there is no more dishonest. What was man like before he sinned? He was calm, healthy, cheerful, happy, without any needs, without any grief. He sinned, and the earth began to bring him thorny grass, the creature began to sigh with the sighs of earthquakes, thunder and storms, they began to give away children in agony, they encountered illness, decrepitude, and death. Troubles surrounded and began to oppress man from everywhere - troubles at sea and on land, in the desert and in the city, troubles from one’s own and from strangers. What does sin bring us every day? Where do family life disorders come from? Where does the disorder in civil life come from? Is it not from the passions warring in our hearts? I am not pointing out those passions that so obviously deprive people of health, property, and good name. The most subtle abuse of power is accompanied by subtle but caustic evil. Pride indulges in drunkenness and kills reason; wisdom, not tempted to have God in the mind, is given over to the unskilled mind to do things that are not like it (Rom. 1:28). Self-interest does not so much fill the house with wealth as it fills the soul with worries. Deceit falls into the pit it was preparing for another. Therefore, if there were no sin, there would be no troubles in the world? Yes, that's true. Try it and be convinced. Let there be no untruth in acquiring wealth. How many complaints and groans will fall silent! Thousands will be clothed and fed, because the greed of a few will not take away bread and peace from the many. Let the luxury stop. Instead of worries and anxieties, contentment will settle in the house. How many evils will you prevent by restraining one uncontrollable evil - your tongue! To see what power a holy life has over physical evil, read the history of the saints. The poison did not harm them, and the fierce beasts served them, and the fire did not burn them, and the water did not drown them. ABOUT! sin is the most terrible evil in the world. Flee sin, at least so that earthly disasters weigh on you as little as possible. Most of all, pray not that you are rich, healthy, in honor and respect - pray that the Lord will help you get rid of passions, bad habits, and sin. True, in temporary life it is not always noticeable to us how sin accumulates disasters for us, like its own rent. It even happens to see that the righteous suffer on earth, while the unrighteous succeed in their enterprises, their oxen are fat, they cannot fall. But do not worry, do not envy those who commit iniquity. If not here, then their share will come to them there. Do not be embarrassed by the suffering of the righteous. Temporary hardships, loss of health and wealth, the unknown for people serve those who know how to use them only as a means to acquiring the best blessings, to success in spiritual perfection, without which everything else is nothing. If, according to earthly experiences, visible losses are only a cure against sin and a means to perfection, then, therefore, according to earthly experiences, evil in the proper sense is only sin. What will be revealed behind the coffin? How will sin appear there? There hell and Gehenna will show that the payment for sin is not as small and easy as it seemed to frivolity before the grave. There it will be revealed that the sorrows of virtue have prepared eternal rest for virtue, while the luxurious rich man has nowhere to take even a drop to cool the fire that burns him. ABOUT! then people will say, it would be better to endure thousands of deaths than to burn in fiery hell; It would be better to boil in worms your whole life on earth than to endure it like a never-ending worm; It would be better to rot in stinking wounds from cradle to grave than to torment in joyless darkness for an eternity. If we, brethren, could imagine the terrible cruelty of the torments of Gehenna, your mortal life would not be able to withstand fear. Sinners will then cry out to the mountains to fall and cover them from the presence of Him who sits on the throne. But the mountains will not hide Him from His sight, and the fury of God’s wrath will strike the defenseless, and the smoke of their torment will ascend forever and ever (Rev. 14:11). Oh, eternity, eternity! how formidable you are to the unfortunate sinner! What does the longest period of earthly sorrow mean, what is the most severe suffering of time in comparison with the eternity of the sinner’s torment? A year of painful illness seems unbearable to us. But add millennia to millennia, rows of millennia to other rows, and all this is not eternity, which is threatening for a sinner. Have mercy, have mercy, O Lord, on Your creation; save, save me, in the image of fate, from the destruction of sin! They will say, “not every sin is so terrible; there are minor sins; they, of course, can succumb to the severity of grave sins.” Oh brothers! If it is true that there is a difference between sins, it is also true that people’s opinions about sins largely do not agree with the truth. People say that it is not important to lie sometimes, joke at the expense of others, or amuse others with oneself. Is it important not to be in church today or tomorrow, not to fast, not to pray in the morning or evening, etc.? We will not examine whether each of these sins is light and small. Let's think about the fact that every sin, if we repeat it more than once or twice, but never cleanse it with repentance, cannot in any way be considered small. No, in this form it is so difficult that it can drag us into Gehenna as unrepentant sinners. Considering both to be small, do they not reach the point where they consider no sin great? Throw a pebble from the top of a mountain, with its blows it will carry away two others, and three, when united, push away even a large stone; The further the pebble rolls, the greater the number of satellites, including very great ones. The same thing happens in our soul from so-called minor sins. Look around, my poor soul, how many sins you have that are included only among the small ones, and how many sins are caused by those small sins! Then count how many great good deeds you have, the weight of which could keep you from falling into Gehenna! It is a sin to joke frivolously, and sin, like a worm, wears away the soul more and more; frivolity laughs at piety and leads to a godless life; frivolity neglects the rules of the church and soon begins to neglect Christianity; frivolity considers it a small thing not to dedicate Sundays and holidays to God, and begins to spend them not only in idleness, but also in debauchery. Oh my God! save us, we are perishing. Why do we feel so little the weight of sin, while the troubles of time are unbearable? Brethren! Each of us has probably seen or heard that just before death, patients begin to feel light. And in a particular member, the disease is sometimes so strange that the member is ready to fall away from the body, but no pain is felt. May God deliver everyone from dying insensibility in spirit. Getting used to strong drinks, do you notice their destructive effect on the body? Meanwhile, the further they go, the closer they bring him to destruction, to death. The habit of sin also produces exactly the same thing in our soul. We are born in sins, and as soon as we begin to use our powers, we begin to get used to sin. Getting used to sin, we begin to neglect its effects on us, and at the same time we begin to love what we should not love. Thus thoughts become dull, feelings become corrupted; the great becomes small and the small becomes great; temporary benefits, temporary peace, temporary honor, temporary wealth become so important that they do not see anything important behind them. That is why they are afraid of the loss of temporary things and do not think about sin, they are amazed, worried, lose their temper if they are deprived of children’s fun, and not least, are not concerned about the fact that they have nothing to appear in eternity, at the judgment of God. That is why it is so often necessary to listen to the word of God, where the meaning of the temporal and the eternal is shown. Do not quench the spirit, but kindle it with prayer and good deeds. Brethren! While there is time, while we have in our power ways to save ourselves from sin, let us use ways to save ourselves from the most threatening disaster for us - from sin. Let us not be cowardly, let us not be meaningless when we encounter temporary sorrows. First of all and most of all, let us pray to the Lord to give us strength to be saved from sin, to the glory of His holy name - the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Homily for the 11th week after Pentecost I told you all this, as if you were working It is appropriate to intercede for the weak (Acts 20:35). This is what Apostle Paul said to the Ephesian Christians! If the apostle considered it necessary to remind the Christians of his time about the duty to help the weak, will you be surprised, my listeners, that I want to remind you of the same duty? If you could prove by deeds that you remember well and fulfill this duty, then the servant of the word, expressing joy in your fidelity to your duty, would wish you to improve more in love for the weak. But what if the many orphans wandering homeless through the streets of a rich city, the many poor people who do not know where to lay their heads or how to cover their nakedness, speak without words about the need for a reminder of their duty to the needy? People did not come up with the law, “love your neighbor as yourself.” This law is inscribed in our hearts, where no human hand touches; it was given to us by the One who gave both me and you one soul, one body, with the same needs, so that, loving you, I love myself. It is clear that by this law we are obliged to love not only those close to us, by kinship or tribe, to whom the affinity of blood draws us, not only those close to us, by the same or higher status, which disposes us to mutual rapprochement, but we are obliged to love also those whom poverty or illness has humiliated before us. They are also people like us, with the same image of God, with the same abilities and needs. They are also children of the same Father in heaven. They are also assigned to the same high goal. If we must love them as ourselves, what does this mean? This means that we must sacrifice for them everything that we sacrifice for ourselves. What don't we sacrifice for ourselves? This means that we must protect these dressed in rags, suffering from cold and heat, from the elements just as we protect ourselves; We must shelter, feed, and educate these homeless orphans, wandering without supervision, without education, without shelter, as if they were our own children; these sick and decrepit must also be looked after as we wish to be looked after in illness and old age. Is it easy for us to ask others for help? Let us understand how difficult the condition of the mother of hungry and naked orphans, whose shame sealed her lips to beg rich pride for help. Let us understand that in the person of the suffering poor man our own nature suffers, the suffering of which we do not feel only because we do not want to understand. Christians! why know us that we are Christians? Of this all understand, for you are my disciples, if you have love among one another, says the Savior (John 13:35). Love is the distinctive, essential sign of a Christian; love is the soul of Christian society. That is why, at the worst time of Christianity, before the end of the world, the love of many will dry up due to the increase of iniquities. And ordinary societies governed by earthly authorities, due to the close ties that unite their members with the unity of earthly goals, are called a single body. The community of Christians is primarily a united and harmonious body; it is governed by a single Head - Christ the Lord, to the same unearthly goal - to eternal salvation, in the spirit of the same law - selfless love. You are the body of Christ, says the apostle, and in parts you are members (1 Cor. 12:27). If we are members of a single body, if love should bind us so tightly together, then is there a place between us for indifference to the poor among us? Is there a place for the haves to own everything only for themselves, and leave the have-nots to the mercy of poverty? When one member suffers in our body, the others also feel pain, heaviness, and weakening. And when the yoke of poverty and misfortune crushes our neighbors, do we - members of a single body - remain indifferent to the suffering of our fellow members? Are we living members? Our head is Christ, to whom, naturally, we must obey in everything. And what was the entire earthly life of our Lord marked by? Deeds of mercy, deeds of charity to the poor, sick, paralyzed, and crippled by illness. What does the very descent of the Son of God onto earth mean? Again love for the suffering, the Son of God took on the image of a slave in order to accomplish the salvation of humanity upset by sin. That is why His convictions to deeds of mercy were so frequent and so urgent. Blessed are they who have mercy, He says, for they will receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). He taught that the poor are His brethren (Matthew 25:40); that the less hope there is for us to pay for our services to another, the better for us, when you create a feast, call the poor, the weak, the lame, the blind, and blessed will you be, because they have nothing to repay, but he will reward you for the resurrection of the righteous (Luke 14:13-14). Let us note, brethren, that our Lord, demanding from the rich man, apparently, the most disinterested love for the poor, does not leave him without hope of payment. Yes, those who apparently have nothing but tears and poverty have much to share with the rich man. There should be no other way in the body of Christ; there is nothing useless here. Prayers of grateful poverty are more valuable than gold; they reduce the blessing of God to charitable love; they enrich her with gifts of immortal reward. Christians! we know what a doctor does with a useless, rotten member of the body. He cuts it off. There can be no other judgment for hard-hearted Christians. What does it mean for a Christian to be insensitive to the suffering of his brothers within the body of Christ? What does it mean for a Christian to be unappreciative of beneficent love? It is not only a useless member, but also a harmful one - useless because it does not provide assistance to others, harmful because, without providing assistance to its members, it multiplies the suffering of the whole body and creates a burden for it through its inaction. Whoever spares his life only for the enjoyment of life will lose everything; such is the judgment of the Lord. Whoever wants to save his soul will destroy it (Mark 8:35). Do not be surprised that a Christian society without Christian mutual love suffers from various disorders over time. This is God's temporary judgment - a harbinger of the terrible judgment of eternity over self-interest. Depart from Me, cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angel. Be hungry, and you will not let Me eat. You were thirsty and did not give me a drink, so the terrible Judge will say to the sons of covetousness at the last judgment (Matthew 25:41–42). Holy Rus'! Blessed Rus'! Why are you so blessed by the Heavenly Father? While in the West everything is terribly worried, you stand calmly, like a powerful giant. Why is this? Because holy love, selfless love, was and remains the beginning of the life of your people; because your children consider it a mercy of God to visit the poor and the stranger, “We ask for mercy,” they say to the stranger; and your poor have prayed and are praying for your charitable love. ABOUT! May the heavenly Father preserve in you the holy heritage of the fathers! Let the rich, whether out of ignorance or pride, not consider themselves connected with the poor. But even the pagan conscience will agree that we all live only by the grace of the Heavenly Father, and He does more good deeds for us every minute than we can do for others in our entire lives. Therefore, gratitude alone for God’s benefits obliges the rich to take care of the poor. Who gave the rich man the wealth he owns? The works of a rich man? Even if he truly worked to acquire wealth as much as his wealth is worth, then who gave him the strength to work? No! From Him alone are riches and glory; in His hand are strength and mercy magnified and strengthened by all (1 Chronicles 29:12). And so, the rich man’s wealth is not his property, but a gift from God. The rich man can only humbly and sincerely thank the beneficent Heavenly Father, and pour out gratitude in acts of charity to the poor. This is the sacrifice that he can make, and that the Lord expects from him! Do not forget about charity and fellowship, for with such sacrifices God is pleased ( Heb. 13:16 ) If the wealth of the rich man is the gift of God, then this gift is given, without a doubt, with a purpose and purpose worthy of the wise and holy Giver. Why was the gift given to the rich man? Is it for the rich man to satisfy his whims and oppress the weak? But for whom is hell with its torments prepared, if not for fornicators and carnivores, if not for oppressors, weak poverty? Is it so that the rich man can live carelessly in idle peace, for himself alone? But not a single speck of dust in the world exists for itself, without movement useful for others. Or is the rich man endowed with wealth only to pass on a rich inheritance to his children and relatives? But if the purpose of rich parents is limited only to preparing treasures for children and relatives that are decayed by decay and stolen by thieves, and does not concern moral needs, does not enter the realm of the spirit, then what is the purpose of wealth itself? The assignment of useless disrepair, which must be transferred from hand to hand by father to son and son to grandson, carefully and carefully, not at all daring to make any use out of it. The goal is too empty, to say the least. So what? What is wealth given for? So that by deeds of charity the rich man acquires eternal salvation for himself. Make for yourselves friends of unrighteousness from mammon, so that when you become poor, you will be received into eternal shelters (Luke 16:9). A high example is offered to the rich - the mercy of the Heavenly Father. Be merciful, as your heavenly Father is merciful (Luke 6:36). How much a rich man must work when using his wealth in order to get closer to a high example! But if wealth was given to the rich man not for the rich man, but for the poor, does it mean that the poor, living idle, has the right to demand a share of the rich man’s property? Doesn't mean that at all. Wealth is given to the rich, not to the poor. Even though the rich man is nothing more than a steward of someone else’s gift, the gift was given to him for the purpose of stewardship, and not to the poor man. Until the poor man is given wealth, if he took it, then with what name, by what right, would he take it? With the name of a predator, by right of a robber who takes away what is given to another. Where is the place for a predator if not in hell? The rich will give an account of their wealth, and a strict account. But the poor will not be responsible for the rich in the use of wealth. Let him prepare his report. He will be asked to answer how he endured poverty. The idle rich man belongs in hell, but there is also a place for the idle poor man. I told you all this, as it is fitting for those who labor to intercede for the weak. Amen. A word for week 12 on your first visit to the city of Izyum Yes, understanding each other in encouragement love and good works (Heb.10:24). Getting acquainted for the first time with the pious inhabitants of this city, I encounter the apostle’s thought about Christian acquaintance. Let us understand each other, says St. Paul, in encouraging love and good deeds. It is impossible not to pay attention to the apostle’s instruction on dating when one involuntarily pays attention to it. Let us understand each other in encouraging love and good deeds. What does it mean? If then, as the apostle says, keep in mind the messenger - Jesus Christ, he commands us to pay all attention to the messenger - Christ Jesus (Heb. 3:1), then his words, let us understand each other, mean, let us keep each other in mind, we will recognize and know each other. Why keep this in mind? To encourage love and good deeds, in order to encourage each other to love and good deeds, to love as the quickening principle of activity (1 Cor. 13:1), to good deeds as the fruits of living love (Matt. 5:16). So, the main thought of the apostle is the thought of our mutual assistance in the matter of salvation. The union with which the faith of Christ unites us is closer and more holy than the union of any other society. And the members of civil society unite into one society not so that everyone knows only himself and lives for his own personality; on the contrary, every member of society has a duty to promote the good of his fellow citizens; Every member of society has a duty to prevent evil that is dangerous to members of society. Under the Head of Christ the Lord, we are all members of one spiritual body, we all live the life of the same Spirit of the Comforter, we all go towards the same goal - to eternal salvation, we all must follow the same path - the path of God’s commandments. How can the members of this high, spiritual society not take care of each other? How not to mutually encourage each other to spiritual perfection? “If one member suffers,” says the apostle, “all the members suffer with it; If one member is glorified, all members rejoice with it; God balanced the body by giving more honor to the less perfect, so that all members would equally care for each other” (1 Cor. 12:24-26). Thus the apostle encourages each and every one to help each other in the matter of eternal salvation. What makes Christians different? What is their advantage? The Savior all understands this, for you are my disciples if you have love for one another (John 13:35). And this commandment of the Imam is from Him, says the disciple and teacher of His love, that he who loves God loves his brother; If anyone says that I love God but hates his brother, it is a lie (1 John 4:20.21). If love for a brother is so holy and so necessary for a Christian, then isn’t it also holy to take care of the spiritual perfection of a brother? Otherwise, what kind of love would it be that would not want to do anything for its beloved brother? Love for one's neighbor, according to general confidence, should extend to everything that relates to his benefits, even in his earthly, physical life. Shouldn't she be more concerned about his spiritual perfection? The soul is higher than the body and spiritual goods are more valuable than the goods of the transitory world. The salvation of the soul is such a great thing that the angels of God are ready to serve it. How can a person refuse to serve this salvation when it comes to saving his brother? How often do the apostles remind Christians of their duty to encourage one another in love and good deeds! Instruct one another, every one, until he has brought reproach, lest anyone be hardened from us by the flattery of sin (Heb. 3:13). See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, lest a root of bitterness springing up cause harm and lest many become infected from it (Heb. 12:15). We pray, brethren, admonish the disorderly, comfort the faint-hearted, intercede - support the weak, be patient with everyone (1 Thessalonians 5:14). With what insistence do the church fathers tell us about the same thing! "How? says St. Chrysostom Your neighbor's sheep fell on the road, and you don't think you'll tell your neighbor about it? Is the soul of your neighbor less worthy of attention if you see it stricken or lost? The house of your fellow citizen has been engulfed in flames, and you cannot look at this disaster with indifference. Why doesn’t the state of another touch your heart when he is engulfed in the flames of passion?” But they will say, does everyone have to be a teacher? What will the church teachers do then? Truly, the apostle does not allow not only everyone, but even many to be teachers. Be not many teachers, brethren, he says (James 2:1). The apostolic teaching teaches that God gave his church some apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, others shepherds and teachers (Eph. 4:11), which means that it is not given to everyone at will to appoint himself as a teacher of the church. Just as in an organic body the foot does not take over the work of the eye or ear, and the hand is not the head, so in the Church of Christ it would be disorder if a layman assumed the title of teacher of the church. But understand, my listeners, that this apostolic teaching does not prohibit what we are talking about. It prohibits, firstly, taking upon oneself arbitrarily, without the calling of God, the position of public instructor of faith and piety, and secondly, by indicating certain teachers of the church in the church, it prohibits teaching without their guidance and knowledge, especially contrary to the decrees of the teachers of the church. After this, it is obvious that the apostolic teaching, separating for the pastors of the church the field of public service of the church, leaves behind us, brethren, the field of private, home, teaching of piety. And how vast is this field! How many opportunities present themselves every day for, according to the apostolic commandment, to encourage each other to love and good deeds! ABOUT! If we lived the way true Christians should live, how much we could help each other in spiritual improvement! We know a lot of people, we meet a lot of people, we see each other, we spend time, but how and why? What are we talking about? What do we mean? What do we let each other go with? They come together to talk about this and that, but completely unnecessary for the soul; they say to sharpen their tongues over the shortcomings of their neighbors, to ridicule one, condemn another; repeat with additions an immoral or stupid word heard from a neighbor; or, what is even worse, they are concerned with how to involve an inexperienced soul in the matter of frivolity and generously endow it with the burden of dirty thoughts and feelings. Tell me honestly, are such acquaintances, such relationships worthy of the name of a Christian? And how easy it is to replace them with an acquaintance who is completely noble and intelligent! Instead of talking about wild emptiness, say two or three words to a soul that loves God; Instead of rotten words of slander and ridicule of frivolity, give your friend two, three, thoughts of St. Gospel, this work is not hard. Love is such a high, holy feeling. Why, by her movement and in her spirit, one cannot say immature youth or forgetful maturity, beware of people for whom conscience is not so dear; beware of books in which there is nothing but emptiness, or the seductions of lies and sin, treasure those churches where God and His grace are? How useful such words would be to you and others! Why don't they say them? Or is it more difficult to speak words of piety than words of sin and lawlessness? There and here the words are from the same letters. Why did this happen? For lack of love for your brother? Oh! hurry to make up for this deficiency while there is time. If we love the Lord, if we reverence His holy will, if we value our salvation, then not only should not a single rotten word come out of our mouths to tempt others, but our whole life, all our actions should be praise to the Lord, and therefore an edification to others for salvation. The Apostle writes to the Galatian Christians, whoever considers himself to be something, when he is nothing, deceives himself; Let each one test his own work (Gal.4:3-4). By this he does not exclude the duty to encourage each other to love and good deeds, but only teaches in what spirit we should fulfill this duty. Correct, he says, in a spirit of meekness, but also take care of yourself, lest you fall into temptation (Gal. 6:1-2). The Apostle warns caring for others against dreamy pride, from that pride which, not understanding itself and its work, condemns without condescension to weakness, denounces with cruelty, teaches with arrogance. The apostle's instruction is especially relevant to our time. Nowadays, few are concerned with matters of their conscience, proudly confident that everything is fine in their souls, things are going as well as possible; in our time, everyone, considering himself smart, judges the government, the leaders, the judges, and the shepherds; discusses every new resolution, every new order and there is no mercy for anyone or anything, everything is wrong, everything is bad, everything is good for nothing. My friends! take care of yourself in advance, - this is what the apostle commands; Take a closer look at yourself, won’t you see the affairs of your conscience neglected and in terrible disorder? won't you have to change and rebuild everything in your soul? won’t you even have to admit that your life is a real infection for society? Then, if your conscience is still worried about social unrest, you, of course, will not talk and shout about them with those for whom talking about them is not necessary and cannot be useful, you will meekly and respectfully convey your opinion about them to the people in charge, vested with the right and power to change the order of public affairs. In this spirit and in this form, the deed you perform will be holy. Lord, merciful and generous! Inspire us with the spirit of meek love, caring for the salvation of those whom You love so much, so that Your holy name may be glorified among us. Amen. Homily for the 14th week after Pentecost Friend, how did you come in here, not having wedding garments? He kept silent (Matthew 12:12). He kept silent. Oh! How is this silence not silent! How terrible it is for you, my poor soul! He kept silent. This means that the guest is without joy in his heart. Guest and - with a heavy thought in his soul. He kept silent. From what? From myself. He came as a guest to the king, and appeared in torn and unclean clothes. He kept silent. And what was there to say? What was there to defend yourself with? Should I say poor? But how many other poor people have been called together, and all the others are dressed differently from him. Poor? But - poverty could prevent you from dressing splendidly, but it did not prevent you from dressing neatly. He kept silent. Yes, I felt that there was nothing to justify myself with, and the guilt was too great. Guilt offends the king, who is as great in his royal rank as in his mercy, attentive even to the poor. He kept silent. And you, my poor soul, how often you want to excuse yourself, and only increase your guilt! The Only Begotten Son of God descended to earth, united the Divinity with humanity, founded the church, enlightened by the light of His teaching, washed by His most pure blood, sanctified by the spirit of His grace, and, like a pure bride, places her with Him on the throne of glory. The Heavenly Father, rejoicing in the love of His Son for His creation, calls everyone, accepts everyone to participate in this wedding celebration - earthly and heavenly, temporary and eternal. And all of us, brothers, are called to this triumph, all without distinction, both poor and rich, both great and small. We washed ourselves in the baptismal font and put on the robe of Christ’s merits. How beautiful, how pure, how precious is the garment given to us at the baptismal font! It is woven from the merits of the Son of God, it is made white with the blood of the eternal Lamb of God. But where is she? Where are these precious clothes? And we have also been given grace-filled means to decorate these clothes. We have been given the means to whiten it, even if uncleanness comes upon it. What if we appear before the face of the King of Heaven, not having a wedding robe? What if the King of earth and heaven, at the last judgment of earth and heaven, came in to see those reclining, in me or in another of us, and saw a person not clothed in a wedding robe? A Christian sinner is in no way excusable before God. How do we apologize? How can we justify it? Shall we say that we are weak, we are infirm, the seed of passions remained in us even after baptism? But we have been given grace that is strong in weakness. Is she really just powerless for me? How many people subservient to us reign in heaven! They wore the same flesh as ours. They felt in themselves the same weaknesses as in us; they also struggled with passions, were also overwhelmed by thoughts of sin, but won. Elijah, subservient to us, prayed, and heaven was closed for the earth for three years. Why are our abysses, spewing out the filth of sins onto the earth, not closed? Why is there no limit to our thirst for gold, no end to our ambition, no measure to our dislike for our brothers? Day and night we are not satisfied with sin, day and night we drink the water of wickedness. Who is to blame? Everything that you ask of My Father in My name will be given to you, these are the words of the Lord, this is the promise of the faithful in the word! Everything, do you hear, everything that we would ask for the salvation of our souls, everything will be given to us, the Heavenly Father will not refuse us anything. Why don't we pray? Why don’t we devote an hour a day, not a minute a day, to prayer? Day is in worries, night is in dreams, weekdays are for the earth, holidays are for passions, and we put a rotten soul with rotten flesh in a coffin. You who eat My flesh and drink My blood will have eternal life (John 6:54). Who is driving us away from this eternal life? Who prevents us from tasting this true food, this true drink? The weakness of our nature, despite the strength of grace, not only does not take away the opportunity to observe the bright robe of baptism in its purity. It does not take away the opportunity to decorate it with the splendor of the virtues of Christ. The grace of the Spirit gives strength to ascend from perfection to perfection, to the full image of heavenly beauty - Christ the Lord. I can do everything about Jesus who strengthens me, says a sincere disciple of Christ. Without stopping at the first degrees of perfection, he strives further - to the honors of the highest rank. What can we say about ourselves? Circumstances are to blame, they say. And how many sins are justified by circumstances! He made friends with the company of forgetful people, and with him drinks the cup of sin. How can I say, I can live differently when a change in life threatens me with so many troubles! And one of his acquaintances will judge, and another will be offended, and a third will begin to ridicule him, and his relatives will look at him as if he were a stranger. But, my dear! there, at the court of the universe, you will be judged for your deeds, and not for the deeds of your acquaintances; They will tell you, friend, how did you come in without a wedding robe? What do you say then? Do you dislike reviews of frivolity? Be ashamed. You prefer communication with sinful people to communication with the Lord, you renounce the love of God in order to enjoy human love. Do you think that you are cooking for yourself? Whoever is ashamed of Me before men, whoever denies Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father, says the Lord. Is your heartfelt connection dear to you, is it strong and strong in you? But if the eye of your gum tempts you, remove it and take it away from you. It is better for you that one member of yours should perish than that your whole body should be cast into fiery hell (Matthew 5:48). Even if it were so hard, if it was so painful for you to break the connection with a person, or with society, with the habit of heart and thought, how painful it is for you to part with your right eye, you must break the connection, you must end the dangerous friendship, so as not to perish for all eternity. They know and feel that lies and deception, untruth and appropriation of someone else’s property are grave sins. But how they want to excuse all this in themselves, how they want to cover it all up and decorate it! My fortune, my trading activities, my position in the world entail all this with them. In vain! No condition forces you to lie, steal, or deceive. The condition forces you to work and that’s all. Need, they say does not know the law? Of course, need, as a physical necessity, is not subject to the law prescribed to freedom. But there is a need that is caused by the arbitrariness of freedom, and there is a need that is overcome by freedom. You need to look around to see what need is pressing you. Let us assume that it is not your passions, not your whims that have created your need, but are they not the ones that prevent you from overcoming your need for the Lord? If we sincerely loved the Lord, what would we not decide to do for Him? Those who sincerely loved the Lord sacrificed to Him not only worldly contentment, not only honor or monetary gain, not only peace and extra health, but life itself. Is it not told to us, seek first of all the kingdom of God, and not earthly peace, and not coolness in life? Isn’t it said to our cowardice that if you seek the kingdom of heaven, the eternal salvation of the soul, then everything else will be added to you? Well? Can God really fail to keep His promises? Your conscience will tell you that He did not refuse when they prayed to Him earnestly; He Himself ordered your affairs when you trusted in Him. ABOUT! how little help there will be apologizing for everyday needs! How coldness towards everything heavenly, hiding behind the needs of everyday life, will be exposed! How condemned, how shameful will be the senseless over-concern that has neglected all the gifts of grace and its own eternal salvation for worldly needs. They excuse themselves by ignorance of God’s law and the inconvenience of knowing God’s will. It is a very common thing to hear such an apology from someone who was born in simplicity and raised in the worries of life; It’s a very common thing to hear words from him, I don’t know book wisdom, I had neither the time nor the means to learn the law; I’m a dark person, why should they punish me for this? ABOUT! no - and this hope is not reliable! The robe is not bridal at all, but dark. Dear brother, you complain of ignorance; therefore, you know, therefore, you yourself feel that ignorance is a bad thing. Have you cared about acquiring the knowledge necessary for your soul? Think about it; You have learned a lot, a lot in your life, which, however, is not necessary for eternity. You have enough time and energy to learn what is useless and even harmful to your soul, why do you know so little about what is necessary for eternity? Can't you read books? But you could read the will of God in your soul, you could see your sins in your conscience. Well? Conscience is blackened; the soul is a foreign thing, it is not known at all. Are you complaining about ignorance of the books of salvation? Therefore, you know that you should know the contents of the saving books. But couldn't you, without reading books, listen to books? Couldn't you be in the church of God, where every day you could be heard by reading and singing? But you don’t go to church very often, and when you do, you don’t stand in the church, but in the market place. You listen to the word of God as if you had not heard it, you listen coldly, carelessly, absent-mindedly, so that not a single grain penetrates into the depths of your heart. Think about it: will ignorance of the law excuse your sins? Oh! Nor will anything justify that ignorant knowledge of religion, which had all the means to know religion, but turned to only earthly knowledge. Isn’t it strange, isn’t it painful to hear conversations about faith that expose gross ignorance in relation to the simple truths of faith? Isn’t it painful to hear - after you hear that the same people show great knowledge about subjects that are completely unnecessary for eternity? How much frivolity there is in judgment! How much frivolity there is in life! Why? Because we never learned faith as we should have, we never thought about faith as we should have thought about it. How will these people be justified at God's judgment? Will they say that upbringing is to blame? It is to blame, but there was time to correct the bad lessons of upbringing. Lots of things to do, lots of activities? Then they will know, then they will feel the high dignity of the truths of faith, they will know that the truths of faith are more important than all the activities of life. We are not quite thin yet, others say. We do not forget the church of God, we do not take what belongs to others, although we do not give ours; comply with the demands of the authorities; we live soberly. If there are weaknesses, if there are omissions of duty, who is without weaknesses? But will these people be judged there the way they judge themselves? Will they be justified there, as they justify themselves? Will the garment of their outward righteousness be accepted as a wedding garment? No, not at all! They will be told that the good pagans were clothed with such righteousness. And you are Christians; you have been given grace to acquire purity of heart; you were given grace to perform feats of self-denial. Where is the purity of heart? Where are the feats of fighting passions? What use is made of the gifts of grace? If another pagan was content with civic honesty, then the gods of the pagan were blind, but our God sees our hearts, sees and condemns our selfish desires. If a Jew was carried away by the appearance of his service to God, it is excusable for him when so many rituals were demanded of him; and we are told that false worshipers are those who do not worship God with a sincere spirit. Oh Christians! Let us be afraid of our inattention to the great name that we bear. Will the Lord recognize us by our deeds that we are Christians? The outward decency of life is not yet Christianity. I am weak, upset by my habits, says the lazy Christian. He knows that his life is woven from sins, and he has no good deeds; knows that he must prepare his wedding clothes. But the habit of sin keeps him in laziness, has tied his hands and feet, and he does not take a single step to save himself. Who is to blame? He himself fell in love with sin, he himself became accustomed to sin. Why was it necessary to allow sin to dominate the soul like a sovereign master? Why not stop the bad habit when it was still weak. But so be it; may you become a slave of sin. Why remain a slave? Why seek God's freedom? Is the path to that blocked? No; As I live, says the Lord, I do not want the death of the sinner. The Lord does not want the sinner to perish in his sins. The door of repentance to salvation is open to everyone. Why did this happen? Arise from your sleep and rise from the dead. Wake up, gather your strength while there is still time. I have grown weak, repeats the lazy Christian. In vain! There are forces, but they are used for the wrong reasons. Look, for money or honor, for bread or fun, there is a lot of strength; why not for the Lord? For the earth and sin there is a lot of work, a lot of worries, a lot of donations, why not for the salvation of the soul? ABOUT! sigh from the depths of your soul about your inattention to eternal salvation. Decide to leave the path of sin without thinking about getting used to it. And publicans, and robbers, and fornicators, washed with tears of repentance, were accepted into the kingdom of heaven. Follow the lead of saved sinners. I’ll improve yet, says the lazy one. But what if you die in your sins? Death, of course, is not given to you to know when it will come to you. And what are you waiting for? Isn't every minute of sin a condemnation for you? What are you waiting for? Shouldn't all of our time be devoted to the Lord? What are you waiting for? The minutes approaching death, when you will not be able to control yourself? What then will be the appeal to God? ABOUT! wake up from your sleep, rise up immediately, or you are lost for eternity. Brethren! The all-merciful God speaks through the mouth of the prophet: you who now live in Jerusalem, and the men of Judah, judge between Me and My grapes. What else will I do to My grapes that I will not do to Him? I waited before him, let him bring forth the grapes, and let him make the thorns (Isa. 5:3–4). Let the Christian conscience judge every Christian, what has he done in comparison with the care of God’s love for him? Heavenly Father! unrequited, unrequited we are before You. Save us from Your terrible judgment. According to Thy mercy alone, not according to our works, save us, to the glory of Thy and Thy only begotten Son and life-giving Spirit. Amen. For we are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, that we may walk in them (Eph. 2:10). It's easy to make a mistake; but a mistake in faith is very important, since it has a connection with the fate of a person beyond the grave. “If the work of our salvation is accomplished by grace, then we have nothing more to do; if others prescribe strict regulations and impose burdens on themselves and others, then this is human arbitrariness, a matter of misunderstanding or false understanding. Our business is not in works, but in faith.” This is what some and even many people think. Is this reasoning correct? The Apostle teaches, “We are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” Here is part of what some, or many, offer. Truly, according to spiritual life, we are a new creation of God, created in Jesus Christ. The image of God, imprinted on man at the first creation, is darkened, spoiled, and upset by man’s first sin. To recreate it in man, the God-man introduced into human nature a new beginning of life, the life-giving grace of the Holy Spirit. Unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God, said the Savior (John 3:5). Therefore, everyone who is saved is saved only by the grace of Christ. By grace you have been saved, and this is not from you, it is God’s gift - such is the apostolic teaching. Whether someone believes in Christ, or suffers for Him, whether he is just beginning spiritual life, or has succeeded a lot in it - this all depends on grace. It has been given to you not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for Him, the Apostle told the Philippians (Phil. 1:29). He says the same thing when he says, “We are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus.” What does the apostle say next? Is it what some people say? From the fact that we are a new creation of God in Christ, does he conclude that we do not need to do anything more for our salvation, that we do not need good works? No, he says something completely different. We are a workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works. You see, he considers good deeds to be the goal of the very creation of a new thing. According to his teaching, this is why we were created in Christ Jesus, this is why the new creation was made, so that we would do good deeds and not bad. And it would be strange to be otherwise. Is it really for this reason that Christ the Savior suffered for us, so that we, purchased by His most pure blood, would freely fatten our body, turning it into a dwelling place of unclean passions? Is it really for this reason that we received the grace of the Holy Spirit in the baptismal font, so that the spirit of our pride would offend it with its wild impulses? Are the invaluable gifts of Christianity given to us so that we can mock them by using them unworthily? And what do those who leave the will of a Christian without good use want? We pray that the grace of God may not be received in vain by you, the apostle prayed (2 Cor. 4:1). What do they mean? What is not enough is to accept the grace of God; it must not be accepted in vain; it is necessary that it does not remain unused; It is necessary that, like an expensive talent, it be carefully preserved and used for its intended purpose - to advance in salvation. Everyone is given his own gift of grace, but whatever it may be, whether it is a gift of charity, or a gift of patience, a gift of service to others, or a gift of solitary service to God, whether it is a small or great gift, no one is allowed to hide a talent in the ground with impunity. The grace of God was accepted, without it we were without the gift of God, but woe to us if we do not take advantage of the grace we have received. Pitch darkness awaits careless slaves. Sin has corrupted our spiritual nature, created in the image of God. But sin did not destroy the image of God in us; the gift of God is stronger than the work of man. Along with certain concepts of the Divine, there remains in humanity a certain, albeit weak, sense of goodness, and a certain, albeit weak, desire for the holy. What can be known about God was known to the pagans; those who did not have a revealed law, according to the inclination of nature, created in accordance with the law of God. If so, if some forces for good remain in fallen man, how can a Christian not use them for his salvation? How to leave the gift of God unused? Wouldn't this mean disrespecting both the gift and the Lord of the gift? If a pagan, as far as possible, multiplied the talent given by nature, could a Christian be worse than a pagan? They think that they exalt grace by allowing it to do everything in us without ourselves. No, this does not elevate, but degrades grace. Grace, as a gift of God, can neither destroy nor leave without the use of another gift of God - freedom. Otherwise, both would offend the wisdom and greatness of the Lord of grace and freedom. On the contrary, strengthening human nature, weakened by sin, is what is completely befitting of the grace of God, and befitting human freedom. And grace does this in us. The same forces with which the sinner opposes the will of God are directed by grace against sin, endowed with strength to fulfill God’s law, and elevated to triumph over vicious inclinations and habits. The same members that served as instruments of impurity and lawlessness, under the influence of grace, become instruments of righteousness and holiness (Rom. 6:19). The same freedom with which a person did the will of the flesh and pride, sanctified by grace, accomplishes the feats of mortification of the flesh and self-abasement, rises to its highest perfection, to liberation from slavery to sin. Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17). That is why the grace-filled rebirth is called the renewal of man (Eph. 4:24), or is compared to the fermentation produced in dough by leaven. The Kingdom of God is like leaven, says the Savior (Matthew 13:33). If the whole matter of salvation is from grace, how did it happen that participants in the highest gifts of grace were subject to a fall? Of course, no one will allow himself to blaspheme grace so as to attribute these falls to it, and not to human will. If the whole point is in grace-filled faith, why the injunction to love the Lord with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your thought? Why the injunction to strive against sin until you bleed, to purge passion from the heart, even if it were as dear to the heart as the eye, like the right hand? Why the injunction to renounce oneself and, with a cross on our shoulders, to follow in the footsteps of the One who was crucified for us? No, God’s claims to us are not as limited as they dream. And so - it is clear that it is not sincere piety that speaks; it is not a matter of deeds, but of faith. No, this is not the voice of piety, but the voice of a corrupted nature, craftily deviating from the path of Christ, trying to somehow justify its reluctance to perform Christian deeds. Sincere ascetics of piety taught the wrong thing in word and deed. I mortify my body, said the apostle, so that by preaching to others I myself will not remain a lazy slave (1 Cor. 9:27). If we live by the Spirit, then we must walk by the Spirit (Gal.5:25), i.e. If we have received the Spirit of grace, then we must live not according to the desires of the flesh, but according to the principles of spiritual life. How did the holy martyrs and martyrs reach heaven? They gave their lives to torment and suffering, to reproach and death, just so as not to betray their Lord. The saints of God freely spoke the truth to the mighty of the earth, defended the truth against heretics, sacrificing peace, health, and sometimes life. The venerable fathers and venerable mothers endured severe internal sorrows, struggling against the passions. Here are sincere followers of the gospel teaching! These are the true preachers of Christian piety! Faith without works is dead. This is faith in thought, not in heart, not in life. With such faith, worship is soulless, says nothing to either the heart or the imagination, since faith does not go beyond one thought. With such faith, they become bored with slow worship in order to rush to the crossroads of earthly life. But, oh my God! if they are already bored with talking with You, then what will Your cross be? Why call ourselves worshipers of Christ? With such faith, they do not consider feats of self-mortification or feats of fasting necessary. But, listeners! Is Christianity already in the name alone? Are Christians not already commanded to crucify the flesh with its passions? With such faith, one cares about one thing - the education of the mind. Tell me, my friends, is Christian life already a matter of one thought, the work of one mind? No, it is the work of our whole soul, of the whole person; it is a feat of all our strength, our entire being. If we leave any need of our being without spiritual food, then our souls will not be brought to heaven; neither the lame nor the crippled are allowed there. Demons also believe, and sometimes they tremble, but where is their place? Therefore, if they have once said that it is not a matter of works, but of faith, then do not expect a genuine Christian life, a genuine Christian perfection. It would be insulting to the name of a Christian to openly refuse the words of the Savior about this or that duty of ours, and that is why, repeating the letters of Scripture, they say, we must do this, we must live like this. And then, under the influence of a false thought about faith, they abandon their determination and do not reach the end of the feat. Remembering this or that saying of Scripture, they want to live Christianly, they begin to live; and the thought of a falsely understood faith weakens determination and robs the soul of the sincerity of love for the path of Christ. That is why they talk so much about living faith, but do not have living faith! That is why you will never meet with complete determination to live for the Lord, you will never see life at the height of perfection on which Anthony and Chrysostom stood! The best thing you will find on this path is that they reach halfway to the sky. Otherwise, it’s scary to think where they are going. Brethren! do not open your ears to suggestions contrary to the teachings of the Orthodox Church. May God, by His grace, preserve our hearts in faith and love for eternal life. Amen. Conversation on the 17th week after Pentecost The Gospel we are reading today provides us with an example of how we sinners should ask the Lord for help in sorrows and needs if we want to be heard. Let us explain the gospel story about the Canaanite woman. And Jesus departed from there and went to the countries of Tire and Sidon. And behold, the Canaanite woman came out from those borders and cried out to Him. Who appears before the Lord Jesus? Canaanite woman, native of Tire and Sidon. The Canaanites are the people who distorted the very foundations of the laws of nature. These are pagans, but pagans are the worst, the most unclean. From this very people there was a woman who appeared to Jesus while He was on the borders of Tire and Sidon. St. Luke, in reference to her origin, calls her a Syrian Phoenician or Canaanite, who lived in Syrian Phenicia or Canaanite, and in reference to the properties of her people, he calls her Hellenic, i.e. pagan. Where did the idea of ​​coming to Jesus Christ come from? Evangelists Mark, Mark 3:8, and Luke, Luke 6:17, testify that even before the incident with the Canaanite woman, rumors of the Savior’s miracles reached Tire and Sidon, and this rumor caused many of the inhabitants of that country to come to Jesus Christ, having heard what He did when they came to Him; the same rumor brought the Canaanite wife to him. When the wife heard about Him, St. Mark, who had an unclean spirit, came and fell at His feet. Cry to Him, saying, Jesus Son of David, have mercy on me, for my daughter is angry with evil. A touching sight! The wife appears at the feet of Jesus Christ, the mother begs for her daughter, tormented by suffering, and does not ask, but cries out for compassion, and not for the daughter, but for herself, asks for mercy, since the daughter’s suffering tormented the poor mother, and was so terrible that the daughter did not feel it and, all the more, tormented the mother’s heart. He didn’t give her a word! What does it mean? The one whose lips exude so much love and compassion for everyone is silent for the unfortunate mother. The one who calls to himself the most ungrateful Jews, who inflicted so many insults on him with their unbelief, coldness and even obvious hatred, does not deign to answer the one who herself came to Him with love, not knowing either the law or the prophets. The act is truly amazing! The disciples of Christ were also indignant. And His disciples approached, I prayed to Him, saying, let her go, as she was crying out after us. The amazed disciples do not dare to ask directly for their wife, they ask as if for themselves, as if crying after us. And truly, it was hard to hear the cry of the unfortunate mother, and this mother is left without help, even without an answer. And the students ask the teacher to at least let his wife go. He answered and said, “I was not sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” Wonderful wisdom of the Savior! He supports the confused disciples in their bewilderment. For what? In order to bring them, through the bitterness of the feelings they experience, to the conviction of the injustice of the popular opinion they share about the pagans, and at the same time to show to what extent this opinion is fair. The pleading wife is in no hurry to give help, thereby increasing her zeal. I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. First of all, the will of the Heavenly Father. Christ is His messenger, and must fulfill the will of the one who sent. The will of the Heavenly Father for the salvation of people is such that the Savior must appear among the Jews and for the Jews. Whatever the Jews are, they are the people chosen by God, the great Prophet and Messiah was sent to them; for them he must perform the earthly feat of charity and teaching. That is why his silence is for the pagan! Did the prophets foretell the will of God about the salvation of the pagans? So. Everything depends on the will of God, and not on the merits of people; by her will, the salvation of the pagans should also be revealed; no matter how the Jews think, we must wait for when and under what conditions this saving will will be revealed. She came and bowed to Him, saying, Lord, help me! No matter how decisive, apparently, the Savior’s refusal to help is, the Canaanite wife does not stop asking Him for help. Previously she called Him the Son of David; Now he calls me Lord. Previously, she asked Him as the Messiah of the Jews, but now she hears and agrees that the one sent to the Jews should refuse to help the pagan, and she turns to the Lord for help. You are the Lord, she says; You are strong and powerful, both the sea and the winds listen to you. Omnipotent! help me. So her faith grows when she encounters obstacles. Her grief, intensified by refusal, reveals in her more and more spiritual vision, and she sees in Jesus more than the enlightener of the Jews, she sees in Him the Lord of all, the Lord of heaven and earth, the ruler not only of the Jews, but also of the pagans. He answered, saying, it is not good to take away the child’s bread and damage it with a dog. The language of the Jews called the Gentiles dogs for their lives. And the Savior speaks in the language of the Jews, as much for the disciples who have not yet renounced the opinions of the Jews, as much for the Canaanite wife for her humility. If, He says, it is not good to take away the children’s bread and give it to dogs, then is it proper for you to give the grace appointed for the Jews? She humbly realizes that the Savior’s judgment, no matter how humiliating it may be for her, is fair. She realizes that she definitely belongs to the dogs, her soul is so unclean, and that she is not worth the grace that is assigned to the Jews. Nevertheless, she does not give up her plea. What is her hope for help? For even the psalms eat of the grains that fall from the table of their masters. In the very fact that her situation is very poor, she reveals the basis for her hopes for help. Whatever the dogs are, she says, when they are hungry, they stand under the table of their affectionate masters and receive their share of the crumbs falling from the table. So, Lord, I am an unclean pagan, no better than dogs, but exhausted by suffering, exhausted by the vanities of pagan life, I expect Your mercy, not that which the chosen people of the Jews enjoy and which I am completely unworthy of, I expect only that mercy so as not to be deprived of Your mercy, I expect mercy only from Your great mercy towards the sinners themselves. Jesus said: O woman, great is your faith, let it be as you wish. Faith is promised the benefits of the kingdom of grace. What about the other children of Abraham according to the flesh? All promises belong not to the children of the flesh, but to the children of faith. Your faith is great, the will of the Heavenly Father for the salvation of the pagans is already being revealed in practice. May your wish come true. And it was fulfilled, she was healed. Here, brethren, is an example of a prayer heard by the Lord. Pray as the Canaanite woman prayed, and your prayer will be heard. Pray for needs that would be worthy of the attention of the Heavenly Father, as the Canaanite wife, the mother of her suffering daughter, prayed. Pray earnestly, without interrupting your prayer with vain thoughts. Pray, at least you see that the prayer is not immediately fulfilled. God's advice is not the same as human advice. Pray with submission to the advice of God, may the Lord’s will be fulfilled for you, when and how He knows to fulfill it. Pray with a deep consciousness of your sins. Until there is humility in the soul, until there is a deep consciousness of one’s weaknesses, grace will not descend on you, no matter how high your understanding of Christ the Lord and all the mysteries of faith. The Lord then called the faith of the Canaanite woman great and then called it capable of accepting His grace, when the Canaanite woman recognized her uncleanness, recognized it as no better than the uncleanness of a dog, and not when she called Him Lord. Do not interrupt your prayers with a feeling of unworthiness. On the contrary, the more you find yourself sinful, the more constantly you pray, as those who need God’s mercy more than others. By the measure of your sins measure only your humility, limit your pride, but do not measure it by God’s mercy, which is limitless. Are you too sinful? Call upon the Lord, according to Your boundless mercy, have mercy on us. So the Canaanite woman prayed and was heard. Yes, you too will be heard. Amen. And it came to pass that He should meet the people, that there might be heard the word of God and stood (Luke 5:1). It was a wonderful sight to see the people surrounding the Lord on the shore of Lake Gennesaret! An immense multitude of people surround Him, and everyone is in a hurry to come closer to Him, everyone is trying not to be far from Him - for what? Yes, you heard the word of God. Without a doubt, there were quite a few fathers of families here who had so many worries about life; there were many wives who took care of the house and children; there are many slaves and slaves who are not dependent on their own will; There are many people selling and buying, who have heavy worries about buying and selling in their souls. But - this time everything was abandoned by everyone; this time, they were in a hurry to use the time only to listen to the Teacher of Israel. Of course, these people lived, like us, brothers, in various connections with the world; were carried away by human dreams and vanities; desired more than one should desire. But then an opportunity opened up to hear the word of God, and hearts were aflame with another desire. They surrounded the Lord, so it was necessary to get into the boat, retreat a little from the shore and from here teach the word to those who were eager to hear the teaching. And the nations sat down from the ship. Brethren! If someone were to say about one of us that he is very careless about salvation, I think that such a word would sadden him, if only not offend him. And, however, why is it that we listen so little to the word of God, the word so necessary for our salvation? How to explain the strangeness to yourself? Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it, speaking a true word (Luke 11:28). But you must admit that there are very few now who listen to the word of God; I’m not talking about those who create. What is this from? Why do we so little desire to listen to the word of our Lord? Perhaps, is it not because the word of God is already too familiar to us, so there is nothing to listen to? Doubtful, very doubtful, to say the least. What if we imagine ourselves as knowing a lot, when in fact we know too little? Even more often you can meet those of us who definitely know a lot, and don’t know a little - the only thing we need. They also know what is happening in the sky, beyond the regions of the air; Do you know what is hidden in the hidden depths of the earth, does not know only what their soul is like, is it alive? They know enough about the science of numbers, they know how to count and subtract, multiply from themselves and take from others, determine the series of probables and achieve undoubted benefits. But they don’t know, they don’t understand, they don’t even think to what amount their spiritual debts have increased, in what coin they will have to pay for them in the next world, and how they could pay for them here. They understand the science of living with people, they know through whom and how to get rid of the troubles of life brought on by their own sins; But don’t ask if they know how to save their soul; the dangers of Christian life, about which the word of God speaks so much, the means to warn the soul from the fire of passions, about which the word of God teaches so often and in great detail, the fate of the unrepentant sinner beyond the grave, which the word of God depicts in such a terrifying form, all these are subjects that they have hardly ever touched in thought, much less in their hearts. What a miserable situation! We are told: philosophize on things above, not on earth ( Col. 3:2 ); earthly treasures will not follow us for eternity, and if they do, then, given our passions for them, it will be to our destruction. Does everyone know this enough, at least enough, not to live for one earth? Is it because they don’t listen to the word of God because it is already too well known? “Even so, some say, that is not why many do not listen, but we do not listen to the word of God because, as we all too know, it is boring.” My God! And Your word is boring to us! And You, Who are all sweetness, all light, all life, and especially for us, wounded by sins, and You spoke to us a word that is boring for us! Where are our consolations after that? Where is the light for us? Brethren! Have we, Christians, reached the point where we don’t know who our God is? Or do we, as pagans, need to be brought to the consciousness that the word preached to us is the word of God himself? If we, as Christians, receiving the heard word of God, accepted not just the word of man, but as it truly is the word of God (1 Thessalonians 2:13), then have we considered the words that the lips uttered, calling the word of God boring? Let's look around and think more carefully. True, some objects are interesting to us only until they are known. But what are these objects? Small objects, unimportant objects, empty objects in their content. It is very natural that our curiosity in relation to such objects is soon lost; naturally because there is nothing to recognize in them; they are so empty that as soon as you look at them and they are imbued with your gaze, all that remains is to throw them away; let's say more - if such objects occupy us in any way, it is not because they seem to provide life-giving food to our spirit, but because they flatter an unsettled imagination, a corrupted sense. Let them believe this with attention, let them think, why, for example, do they read so-called easy books with such thirst? Hand on heart, everyone who reads them will say that such books are definitely easy, i.e. completely empty; They are empty even at the first strict glance at them, and they are also empty based on experience, because after reading them once, they will not pick them up the next time. And yet, have you read it? Why? Because the soul is sick, and for no other reason. But tell me, whose conscience will allow itself to say that the word of God is not more important than such books? The Word of God is so important, so lofty, so vast in its content that eternity would be enough to exhaust its content. Who understands the mind of the Lord, or who is His adviser? We are the imams of the mind of Christ, says the apostle. And this mind of Christ, this boundless mind of God, is not revealed to us in the word of God? What truths, bright for the mind, joyful for the heart, will not the word of God reveal to our attention, if only we would heed it! Containing the mind of God in its writings, what an inexhaustible wealth of information it must contain! Many demands from different sides of our spirit can be presented: but to all demands we would find answers, instructions, directions in the word of God, if only we looked. But, most importantly, it depicts the very truths that are necessary for our salvation: it contains the very things without which our spirit cannot live, it depicts the basic laws of our spirit itself. The verbs that I spoke to you are spirit and life (John 6:63), this is how the Lord himself spoke about his word; His verbs communicate life, without which there is no life; His words animate the spirit, without which our spirit is earth and flesh; His words are received by the spirit, since without life in the spirit a person is both deaf and blind. In it, in the word of God, is the source of consolations that truly revive the heart, for which the heart will never punish us; in it is the source of true light, which will never bring any darkness to our thoughts. How sweet is the words of Your mouth to my throat! More than honey in my mouth. The law of the Lord is pure, endures forever, and, therefore, can never be considered unnecessary. The commandment of the Lord is bright, enlightening the eyes and, therefore, always saving for our darkened gaze. Think, is it possible to set a limit to the study of the word of God when it is the law for our limitless spirit? Think about it, is it true what they say that they know the word of God too well, and are bored because they are too well known? ABOUT! not true, blatantly not true - both. So, our question remains unresolved. Why, let us repeat again, do so few listen to the word of God? What does this mean? Is it that the preachers of the word of God are not eloquent? Or perhaps that these are not those preachers who are appointed by the word of God? Let's look at both. Are preachers not eloquent? Let's assume that this is true. But is it true that this is why they do not listen to the words of God? Of course, no one will deny that Paul the Apostle was a powerful preacher; His preaching won millions of pagans and many Jews to Christ. And, however, the same strong preacher did not seem to everyone to be a capable preacher; his very same preaching about the cross, which for those who were being saved was the wisdom of God, seemed to many to be madness; his same preaching, which for many was the power of God, was a temptation for others (1 Cor. 1:23–24). You see - the preacher is the best; But not everyone likes the sermon; many people run away from the sermon. The point is obvious - the preacher is not to blame. But it’s not this preacher’s fault; it’s others who, being unable to make the sermon entertaining, force people not to listen to the sermon, are to blame? Brethren! do not forget that we are talking about a preacher of the word of God, and not about a world speaker. Do not forget that the power of the Christian word is in itself, in its strength and spirit, and not in the decorations of others. The apostle Paul is a model for you for the Christian word: my preaching, he says, is not persuasive words of human wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and power (1 Cor. 2:4). Therefore, when looking for eloquence in a preacher, you are looking for what is not essential, and are not looking for what you should be looking for first of all; listen to the word of God in the form and for the purpose in which and for what it was given, and you will not be left without benefit. To show you how little your apology for the eloquence of a preacher justifies you, I point to thousands of simple hearts who listen with deep edification to an ineloquent preacher, for whom the simplest church song speaks a lot to both the mind and the heart. Add to the simplicity of a simple heart submission to the Supreme Leader of the shepherds: then you will see that it is not the fault of the preacher that you do not listen to the saving word of God. What can I say to those who complain about some illegality of church preachers of the word of God? It is difficult to give answers to someone who, when proposing a question, does not understand what he is asking about or what he is demanding. The Word of God recognizes as its legitimate preachers those who know the word of God. The Apostle speaks with approval of Timothy: from childhood you know the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation (2 Timothy 3:15). And he himself instructs him: hold fast to the sound teaching which you have heard from me, with faith and love that is in Christ Jesus (2 Tim. 1:13). The Orthodox Church demands the same from its preachers; it requires those who are to be ministers of the word to study the word of God from childhood. And in itself it is clear that it is too strange to see a preacher of the word of God as a man who, without understanding the word of God at all, was familiar with just a few traditions, known to the apostle as fables. The mercy of the Lord Jesus protects the Orthodox Church from such preachers. What is lacking in church preachers for their legitimacy? Is it that perhaps they accepted honor without being called to honor by the Church? Yes, and this requirement is necessary. The Apostle of Christ said: no one accepts honor to himself (Heb. 5:4); and the church council, repeating the thought of the apostle, determined: “if anyone, other than the cathedral churches, gathers for himself and, without caring about the church, wants to create the church, I will not sit with him as a presbyter by the will of the bishop: let him be anathema” (Gangra Council, pr. 6). God! Grant a meaningful heart to comprehend the terrible judgment of Your Church to those people who arbitrarily, with such forgetfulness, manage the affairs of Your Church. Brethren! According to the true word of the Lord, His church stands and will stand until the end of the age (Matthew 16:18), and until the end of the age the Comforter Spirit will act in it through the successors of the apostles. So, woe to those self-proclaimed and self-appointed preachers who accept the service of the word and God without being sanctified to do so by the Spirit of the Church, the Comforter Spirit! The Church did not know and does not know other preachers of the word of God except those appointed by the word of God itself; she mourns for the society of people, which by its disobedience has been reduced to the pitiful necessity of listening to people of whom it itself is at times ashamed; she grieves with deep sorrow, because she sees how the rebuke of the Lord is being fulfilled over the community of the disobedient, which threatened to deprive the disobedient not of earthly goods, but of hearing His word: and I will send, said the Lord, not a famine of bread, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord (Am. 8:11). What are the reasons why there are few who listen to the word of God? Is it not that too many earthly affairs burden our lives? True, earthly life requires a lot of worries and takes up a lot of time. It is also true that no one should consider it illegal to engage in the required knowledge of the duties of each state. Whoever is called by his calling, let him abide in that. If the Lord of our hearts finds another title necessary for us, which will give us more freedom for spiritual pursuits, He, through our prayer, will introduce us to this other title. All this is the holy truth. But is it true that it is the occupation of titles that prevents us from hearing the word of God? Is it really possible that any activity sanctified by the word of God leaves no time at all to engage in the word of God? Ah, brothers! This cannot be. It cannot be that any good deed interferes with another good deed. On the contrary, as soon as they leave a good deed under the guise of something that they imagine needs to be done by someone else, then most often it happens that either the deed with which they replace the good deed was not a good deed at all, or at least has ceased to be a good deed. Time for everything. You shall do six days, but the seventh shall be for the Lord your God: this is what the Lord himself said even when he gave the law for the Jewish people. The Lord set aside one day for himself, and left six for everyday affairs. This is the distribution of time, about which even the hard-hearted Jew did not complain and had no reason to complain; The seventh day is an untouchable day of rest. What do Christians do on the seventh day? Where are they? What are you doing? Should I go to church to listen to sacred readings and singing? Is it in the house of God to learn the law of Christ? How do they spend their time after the time of worship? And they don’t want to devote one day a week to savingly thinking about the Lord! And one day is taken away from the Lord and His law! Should we then ask whether those who profess the name of Christ are engaged in the word of Christ in their free moments, for a period of six days? No time, they say. Not true. Ask your conscience, and it will point out hours and even whole days spent in idleness. absent-minded, if not something worse. We have enough time to commit sins; we commit them every hour; but there is no time to heal a soul perishing in sins! Brethren! There is no reason for us to invent excuses for our sins. Neither the word of God, nor the preachers of the word, nor the pursuits of life are the reason that we listen to the word of God so little; the reasons for this are in you, in our passions, in our negligence towards spiritual salvation. Lord, do not turn my heart (even if it has turned) into words of wickedness, not to bear the guilt of sins! Amen. The Gospel we are reading now tells us about the miraculous resurrection of the son of the widow of Nain. In this event, the evangelist distinguishes three circumstances: the meeting at the entrance to Nain, the resurrection of the young man and the feelings of the people. Jesus went to the city called Nain, and His disciples and many people went with Him. As soon as I approached the gates of the city, I behold died. Jesus walked with his disciples to Nain, a small city of Galilee, and, at the entrance to Nain, he encountered a dead man. It seemed like a random meeting in which there was nothing to notice. At least, this is how many people judge everyday events and pass by events without attention. But are these people right? They would be fair if everything in the world went on just as without thought, without mind, without order, as their life goes without thought, without mind, without order. But because people want to live as it happens, the world of God does not cease to follow the known paths determined for it. A hair from our head will not fall without the will of the Heavenly Father. And the sparrow does not remain without the supervision of the Almighty. There is a time, a weight, a measure for everything; The waves of the ocean are stormy, but their movements are also in the will of God; the desires of a sinful soul do not correspond to the will of the Heavenly Father, and therefore are so unfounded, so indistinct, but even so there are boundaries - punitive justice, and thus the omnipotent will determines the end that corresponds to its plans. We all live under the control of Providence, and our every step is known to Him and calculated by Him. Behold, when she died, she was the only begotten son of her mother. What a sermon for those who follow Jesus! A young man died in the prime of his life, and his youth did not protect him from the cold of death; the tears of the mother, a lonely widow, were in vain; neither friends, nor acquaintances, neither distant nor near protected him from the blow of death. How can you not think about this sermon? Dear brother! Do you and I think that we too will have to die? Or do we live as if we will never die? The Nainsky youth, apparently, did not belong to that youth that carelessly squanders the freshness of life, without being occupied with a single important thought; and the widowed mother was not one of those widows who died while eating while alive. The approach of the Lord to them shows something completely different about both. But between us - is it so? Between us and old age, he thinks only about how to live. Life deceives us every day, every hour, and we become more careful. Every day the lamas speak about death; here and there they stop living when they thought only of enjoying life. Our very life resembles death more than life; for with every breath we lose parts of our life. And yet, do we think about death? Are we preparing to go beyond the grave? Do we firmly remember what awaits us beyond the borders of this life? Life on earth was given to us to prepare us for eternity, and as soon as we step beyond the grave, they will demand from us an account for every minute of life on earth. Where is our preparation for eternity? What will happen to me, Lord, if this hour is my last hour on earth? Oh, “Lord! give me mortal memory and tenderness.” Brethren! It is certain that we will die, but we don’t know when and how. Why do we live here so carefree? Oh, if only we remembered death! How easy it would be for us to live on earth for eternity! Temporary sorrows would not weigh us down with such a burden; worldly pleasures would not attract our soul irresistibly; carnal passions would not drive us to madness. A glance at the dry bones remaining after a body exhausted by earthly cares would show us how empty everything is that does not bring us closer to the Lord, how vain, how useless our labors are for the earth. A look at a rotten body would tell us that a body without spiritual treasure, without deeds pleasing to God, is less than earth and ashes, that we are too reckless when we destroy the soul for eternity to decay and stench. The coffin preacher would instruct us that the pleasures of the earth are not for our joy if we do not use them for the glory of God, for the salvation of the sinful soul, that everything earthly will remain on earth and we need to appear at the judgment of God only with our deeds. If we remembered death and judgment, the grace of God, like the dew of heaven, would descend on our souls, pacified by the thought of death. God's help would descend to us after every prayer, animated by aspirations to heaven, and not to earth. The unexpected meeting of Cain is accidental only on the part of people, since what happens in the world does not depend on them, but it is not accidental on the part of our heavenly Lord; He shows us in everything that He does not want the death of the sinner, but He arranges all circumstances, both small and great, to arouse in our hearts repentance and love for His holy will. Look at the mother of the Nain dead man, what mercy she receives during an unexpected meeting. And she was a widow, and many people from the city were with her. And when the Lord saw her, he was merciful to her, and said to her, do not cry. The widow's position was bitter; she had only one consolation on earth, and that was taken away; there was one son, a beloved son, as only one can love one’s only begotten, and he was kidnapped by death, she was left alone on earth. How sad her fate was is also shown by the fact that many people from the city were with her, moved by her grief. With joyless sorrow she followed her son's coffin. Could anyone console her as needed for her soul? There were many people from the city with her, but he could not return to her the joy of her heart. And now, when there were no human hopes, the power of God appears. What an accident! What a wonderful meeting! Death meets life, inconsolable sorrow with the Source of all consolations, helpless weakness with the omnipotent power of God. So, the Lord is close to us with His help even when we are losing everything on earth. People and happiness, wealth and fame in the world, nature with its gifts - everything can leave us, but the Lord alone does not leave us. With what love does our Lord and Savior take part in the joyless widow! And when the Lord saw her, he was merciful to her, and said to her, do not cry. Understand this wonderful love of Him Who is the Lord of the visible and invisible worlds. The King and Lord of the entire universe pays attention to the poor widow, takes part in her grief and, while she did not utter a single word of prayer, He Himself, prompted by love, hastens to console the grieving woman. Having seen her, the Lord was merciful to her. And how merciful? He hears the cry of a joyless mother from afar. You can understand what this cry was like, how much emotional anxiety there was in it. As the dew of heaven silently descends on a thirsty earth, so the Lord comforts a suffering mother. And I tell her, don’t cry. How much meekness there is in this participation, how much tenderness in this consolation, how much strength in this reassurance! What sublime meekness, what majestic simplicity, what tender power! Not without intention the evangelist said, The Lord is merciful. Exactly, this is the work of the God-man. Whatever the type of your grief, mourning soul, do you think that the voice of heavenly Love does not apply to you, do not cry? Oh don't think about it. Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest, says heavenly love. Do you hear? Love calls all those who are burdened to Itself; peace is ready for everyone. Our passions promise a lot of entertainment, a lot of pleasures, but how soon does the poor heart learn that the pleasures of the passions are too bitter! The human mind has built many systems of human happiness, but how fragile all the constructions of a mind not imbued with the spirit of the Gospel turned out to be! Only the sweetest Jesus provides true consolation for all earthly sorrows. No one's heart opens up so wide for the suffering pilgrims of the earth as the heart of the Lord Jesus opens. No one is able to console a soul torn by sorrows as much as the Lord Jesus consoles. Widows and orphans, sick and poor, come to the Lord Jesus! He will comfort you all, give you help to everyone, no matter how severe your sorrows and calamities may be. He knows our weaknesses and illnesses, for He is the Son of man; He can give all help, for He is the Son of God, the true God. Look what He did for the hopeless widow? And I touched the bed that was wearing the stash. It was enough that Christ touched the bed, and those who carried the dead understood that He wanted to do something extraordinary. And, sure enough, something extraordinary happened. And speech, young man! I tell you, arise. And he sat dead, and began to speak; and gave it to his mother. Only His word, Arise, is at work here. Whose verb can be as powerful as His verb? And he said, arise, and he sat dead. The dead rose with one word. Only the Lord of Life and Death can act like this. Only His word gives existence to non-existence. - Thus, in the Nain miracle, Christ Jesus solemnly showed that omnipotence, which alone can give life to the dead, is essential to Him - that He is the Son of God, the Son equal to the Father, as omnipotent, that He, like the Father, has life in Himself and can give it to whomever He wants. Reverence, Christian soul, before your Lord! If He is ready, out of His love, to show you help, then He, by His power, can. He is the Lord of life and death. The darkest future is beyond the grave. By the same power with which He restored life to the disturbed parts of the physical body, healed dry hands, gave hearing to the deaf, sight to the blind, healed lepers, restored life to the whole lifeless body - with the same power, with the same verb, He will one day call to life the dead of the entire universe. Accept the fear of all and praise God, saying, as a great prophet has risen in us, and as God has visited his people. The feelings of the people, struck by the action of omnipotence, were first of all expressed by fear; they saw and felt that the omnipotent was with them, God Himself with His power, and it was natural to be afraid. Who, feeling the nearness of the Almighty, would not be filled with sacred awe? If we, while God is always and everywhere present in us, feel so little fear before His great name, it is because each of us needs to pray, “Lord! plant in me the root of good things—Your fear in my heart.” Witnesses of the miraculous resurrection, excited by reverence, praise God. With a grateful heart they ascended to God, the only One who creates wonderful things; They attributed to Him what no earthly power could accomplish. They said with gratitude, The great Prophet has risen in us, God visit His people. What did the Jews mean when they spoke about the appearance of the prophet? After a long time since there had been a single prophet among them, it was pleasant to encounter the thought of the appearance of any prophet. But the Jews were then waiting for one famous prophet. They even thought of recognizing the forerunner of John as not just any ordinary prophet, but as a prophet-Messiah. So now they talk not just about a prophet, but about a great prophet, the great prophet has risen. Thus, there is no doubt that they recognize in Jesus Christ the prophet whom Moses promised to Israel when he spoke, the Lord your God will make you a prophet like me from your brethren (Deut. 18:15). The witnesses of Nain's miracle see this prophet in Jesus. From now on, the words God visited His people receive a special meaning. Israel sees that God has finally honored him with a long-awaited visit, sent the Messiah, whom the prophets and righteous people wanted to see and did not see. And this word went out throughout all Judea about Him, and throughout the whole country. Everywhere - throughout the entire country of Judea and in the adjacent Galilee, news of an extraordinary miracle and a great miracle worker spread; Everywhere they spoke with spiritual consolation about the great visitation of God. For us, brothers, we know more than one miracle of Cain. It is revealed to us in full light who Jesus Christ is to us; not only the miracles of the Gospel, thousands of miracles in the history of times after Jesus proclaim to us that Christ Jesus is our Lord and Savior, the only venerable and glorious one. But are we talking about the name of Jesus among ourselves? Are the messages we convey every day to the glory of His name? What are our daily conversations about? A conversation about a favorite subject is the most pleasant conversation for a loving heart. Think how much love we have for the Lord Jesus, when in our many daily conversations there is hardly one about the Savior and salvation! Moreover, now they seem to be ashamed to talk to others about faith and the name of Jesus; they do not recognize it as necessary to sanctify at least the morning and evening with grateful praise to the Lord Jesus; They do not consider it necessary to have before their eyes the image of their Savior and Lord; What, he says, is all this for? Oh, how great is our coldness towards the One to whom every glance, every hearing, every word should be devoted! Brethren! Let us not be frivolous in our life. Let us be attentive to the ways of God. Let us be grateful to the Lord who benefits us, in order to glorify His great name together with the Father and the Holy Spirit. Amen. In everything and in everything, our Lord Jesus is the best teacher. In everything and in everything He is love and wisdom. How easy it is to learn from Him the truths of God, eternal salvation! Go to the field, go to your garden, there you will find the lessons of salvation that Christ offers. Every field, every field will tell you what you are and what you should be? Our soul, for ourselves, is a mystery, and its salvation is an even deeper mystery. How many sages and how many highly intelligent teachings have been proposed about the soul! And everyone was far from the soul they were talking about and from the meaning of those they were talking to. The Savior offers a simple parable, points to a simple subject and explains the history of the soul, revealing its deepest secrets. Why is there so little change in my soul for the better? Why does she remain the same as she was before, with sins and habits of sin? So many instructions, so many strong lessons have been taught to me in life, and I am the same sinner as before, I even lost many of my former desires for good, I began to do things that I had not done before, I do not feel the hatred of sin that I once felt. Why is this? The Lord explains with the parable of the seed. The seed is the word of God. The heavenly teaching about the kingdom of heaven is the same as the seed; and the field on which it is sown is the soul. Whatever the field, such is the fruit you expect. The difference in the fields represents different states of the heart. Come forth and sow your seed. And as he sowed, it fell on the way, and was trampled under foot, and the birds of the air attacked. Such is the condition of some people. This state can exist in each of us. To everyone who hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand, the evil one comes and takes away everything that is in his heart (Matthew 13:19). A seed that falls by the roadside will not bear fruit. The ground on the road is so hard, so trampled, that the seed remains on the surface; it is easy for a bird to spot it and it will carry it away. Whose image is this? those who listen and do not understand the words; This is an image of frivolous people, distracted by worldly life. Their heart is open to all the delights of the world; the customs of the sinful world trampled their soul like a road. Sow as much as you want on this road, nothing will grow. They listen without attention, read without the desire to understand; they listen, but do not hear. God's word, whether menacing or fatherly tender, does not reach their hearts; their thoughts are here and there, but eternity and the salvation of the soul attract little attention to themselves; if they listen to the word of God, it is not as the word of God; if they stand in a church, then they are not as in the church of God. Their memory can collect many holy and lofty truths, but in their heart there is no truth, there is lies and darkness. Then the evil one comes and takes the word from their hearts, so that those who do not believe will be saved. He comes because they themselves live and breathe in the region of the air where his domain is. He will take the word out of their hearts, because the word was not hidden in their hearts, because the delight of the evil one is destruction, not the salvation of man. That is why one can see in them a readiness to laugh at everything holy, to reject the obvious truth, to laugh at people and their good rules, at honesty and virtue, to laugh senselessly, but only to laugh. The apostle said about these people, they walk in the age of this world, according to the prince of the powers of the air, who work in the sons of disobedience (Eph. 2:2). Pathetic, terrible condition! To be without acceptability for truths, to be without the ability to believe is the most terrible situation; there is not even the beginning of good in it, the soul cannot live without thought, it is impossible to live spiritually without spiritual thought, without faith. What should such a person, or in such a state, do? Is there really no hope for the best? ABOUT! The Lord is ready to accept everyone. You just need to start where you haven’t started; it is necessary to gather one’s thoughts, to turn one’s gaze from the world to heaven, from the pernicious age to the threatening eternity for the sinner. Let them believe and be sure that when everything passes, only the word of the Lord about terrible judgment on sinners will not pass. Let them put themselves before the Judge of the universe, before the One who will once say, depart from Me, the curse into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angel. Poor soul! tremble, come to your senses while there is time - soften your field with tears of repentance, strike it with contrition and the cry of your heart. Hurry to the church of God to listen to the best judgment about yourself, leave the pernicious world with its senseless depravity. Turn more often to thoughts about death and hell, about the corruption and emptiness of everything that remains on earth. Pray to the Lord, pray more often, so that He awakens you from your sinful sleep. He is good like no one on earth, He will give you tears, if you don’t have them, and spiritual strength, if they are completely upset. He will restore your saving faith. Do not hesitate to turn to the light. You still have a lot of work to do. And the other fell on the stones, and became cold, dry, and had no moisture. Here is an image of a different kind of mental state! The seed falls on a stone, which is lightly covered with earth; the grain soon comes out as beautiful greenery. Looking at this greenery, you will think how rich the fruit will be! But then the sun rises, scorches with heat, and the greenery withers; the sun still rises, and the very root dies, because it was not deep in the ground and did not have the necessary moisture. This is what happens to our piety when there is no depth of piety in us. Those sown on stones signify those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy; but those who have no root believe for a time, but fall away during temptation. If they talk about the superiority of virtue, about the bliss of the righteous, about the torment of sinners, about the wonderful providence of God, tears flow from some eyes, the soul is full of feelings of either joy or sorrow, ready to sacrifice one or the other, for the good. The greens are wonderful! Piety is living, fiery, but as long as there is no temptation, as long as there is no sorrow or persecution for the word (Matthew 13:21; Mark 4:17). But now an opportunity for patience presented itself. Here we need to overcome several obstacles to goodness. It is necessary to endure an undeserved insult, to endure an unexpected grief. Here frivolity smiles insidiously over our piety, impudence disgraces it; the one to whom we did good pays with treason and insults us. You have to endure and - what? There was no good in my soul. The former delights, tears, vows disappeared. The one who offended was repaid with an insult. The soul was burdened with misfortune to the point of cowardice, to the point of murmuring. What joy, what delight in the Jewish people when the Lord miraculously feeds them with bread, when He heals their sick, and raises them with a word from their deathbed. Hosanna! They cried out to Him when He walked to Jerusalem, and branches rushed through the air to His feet, and His path was covered with clothes. But when Jesus was taken by his enemies; the same people shouted, crucify, crucify Him! It's scary to think about such people. And how many there are! Brethren! when the grace of God touches your heart, when a good word, a holy thought sheds light and warmth in your soul, take care of good feelings, keep them as deeply as possible in your soul, hide them from human eyes, from the noise and conversations of the world. Let a good feeling, a good determination, invisible to anyone, grow in the depths of your soul. Don't trust yourself either. Do not indulge in the delights of your heart. Let contrition or joy reach greater strength. They will achieve strength from the very fact that they remain in the soul, without evaporating from the heart. The path is long, there are many trials; do not waste your energy untimely, do not be rash. Begin to carry out your good intention and holy determination, without putting it off until tomorrow, but not with fervor, which will soon cool down. Remember often the weakness that can betray you, and ask the Lord for strength. Have you decided to do good? Do good with firmness, but without presumption. Let actions, and not feelings alone, show that you have become different people. Be children of God even in adversity. The sun's ray is necessary for the grain to ripen. And adversity is for us what a ray of sunshine is for a plant. Under their influence, firmness of will, strength of love, and liveliness of faith are formed in a patient soul. So that God’s plant does not perish, it is necessary, it is necessary, that the word of Christ finds depth in the heart and can take root. If this happens, then there are still enough dangers for him. And another fell in the midst of the thorns, and the thorns grew and crushed them. You see, - and, while there is enough depth in the ground for the grain, and, while there is where it can take root, and it takes root, and then it may happen that it will not bear fruit. This misfortune happens to good grain when bad herbs grow along with its sprout; the bad grass takes strength and, growing, drowns out the good. The same thing happens to some people. The grain that fell among the thorns signifies those who hear the word, but when it departs, it is choked by the cares, riches, and pleasures of this life, and the fruit does not ripen. These people do not reject the word of God like the first; in them it is not like in the second, for the word of God there is a place not on the surface, but in the depths of the heart. What is missing from them? The fruit does not ripen. Why? It is impossible to live on earth without worries. But necessary concerns about earthly things, as permitted by the will of God, cannot be harmful to anything holy in us. These are not the worries the Lord is talking about. He speaks of those caring ones who are concerned not so that they may have what is necessary for the earth, but so that it may be for them on earth as it is in heaven. There is no end to their worries, no rest. Both during the day and at night, and on weekdays and on holidays, there is anxiety and vanity. In such a situation, how can holy thoughts and holy desires not die out in them? Wealth is a gift from God, honor is given to us by others, pleasure is a state of feeling. There is no harm in all this. But the charm of riches (Mark 4:19), but the pleasures of this life—this is what constitutes thorns for eternal salvation! The charm of wealth, honor and pleasure is created by our soul itself. In the earth as it is today, there are good seeds and there are bad seeds. Exactly the same - in the soil of our soul. It is a misfortune for us that we are already born with bad seeds, with a tendency towards sensuality, with a tendency towards pride. But destruction appears when we cultivate these seeds in ourselves, creating and diversifying the seduction of wealth, honor, and pleasure. This is why crushing worries are born, leaving no room or time for saving worries. Honor, wealth, pleasure become idols of the heart, for which they sacrifice all that is holy. Passions, exciting one another, lure the soul into the impenetrable jungle of sins and bad habits. That is why the narrow path of Christ becomes a terrible path, which they are afraid to step on. That is why good desires do not ripen; good deeds are imbued with impure thoughts and feelings. Evil grows in the soul, sins multiply day by day. Those who want to get rich fall into misfortunes, become entangled, as in a net, in meaningless and harmful desires, which plunge them into destruction and destruction (1 Tim. 6:9) Judas, Christ's disciple, chosen without a doubt because there was much good in him. But what did the charm of the silver pieces make of him? Traitor. The one who asked the Lord what I will do so that I may inherit eternal life, kept all the commandments. But when it was said, sell your property and give to the poor, he went away in sorrow, for he had much to gain (Matthew 19:16-22). Mayor Felix eagerly listened to Paul's sermon about truth, abstinence and future judgment, and was even deeply amazed by the sermon. But what then? Now go, - when I have time, I’ll call you, said Felix. Why not finish the job now? Because he loved honor and money more than salvation (Acts 24:24–26). Brethren! Let's not deceive ourselves. As long as we nourish this or that passion in ourselves, we will not mature for a blessed life. If a field is overgrown with thorns, as much as you want, everything will be lost. One way or another, the thorns must be pulled out. It hurts to part with passion, but no more painful than to suffer forever. The inconvenient rich will enter the kingdom of God, said our Lord. Who can be saved? asked the students. What is impossible from man is possible from God, answered the Lord. And maybe the Heavenly Father wants to save us; it's up to us. Those who rejoice should be like those who do not rejoice; and those who buy, as if they did not acquire; and those who use this world, as if they do not use it. For the image of this world is passing away (1 Cor. 7:30–31). Here is the duty, and the means - to fulfill the duty! We will die and everything will remain here. Why not leave everything to yourself? Why burden the soul with something that is as empty as the wind, as rotten as dust? May the God of grace and generosity give us the strength to know, love, and bring forth the saving word in the glory of His holy name. Amen. A word for the 22nd week, at the all-night service, about wealth Is wealth really a crime? Is poverty really salvation? The rich man is in hell, the poor Lazarus is in the bosom of Abraham. Is it really because the first one is rich and the other one is poor? Rich and poor! it's about your eternal fate. We must understand the Savior's parable about the rich man. A certain man is rich. The Savior does not say that the wealth of this rich man was gathered up by iniquity; does not say that in order to enrich himself, he took away his neighbor’s property, oppressed him, withheld from the mercenary the price of his labors, acquired someone else’s property at the cost of deception, lies or violence. This means that this rich man was still a decent man. Nevertheless, he suffers in hell. For what? Dressed in purple and fine linen, he loved clothes invented not by necessity, but by vain luxury. Purphyra and fine linen, in ancient custom, were royal clothing. Brave fashion made these clothes the clothes of the most luxurious rich people. And our rich man did not want to remain among the ordinary; he wanted to become taller than others, he wanted to appear as brilliant as possible; he did not need the clothes of many, the clothes of fashion were ruinous. It would seem, what kind of trouble is it for a rich person to dress decently, although not like many? Is clothing a sin? It is not a sin while it is a matter of need, but a sin when it is a matter of passions; It is not a sin while it protects modesty, but it is a sin when it shows shamelessness and destroys purity. Not much is needed to protect yourself from cold or heat, but cold and heat know no fashion. It doesn't take much to dress appropriately for one's condition. But how limitless are the whims of the world! How inexorably ruinous are the desires of vanity! They are not satisfied with the clothes of their fortune in order to ruin their fortune. They are not satisfied with the clothes that God prepares for each country, and they buy clothes invented by the self-interest of a distant country. They spend money to acquire the fruits of frivolity, only to then be tormented by complaints about poverty. They want to dress like not many others. Why? Isn’t every garment a mourning with which sin has covered us? You understand, like Nazis, while you have sinned. Then they hastened to make girdles for themselves. Why diversify this mourning? If there are people who have baseness, if there are many people who have the slavish will to imitate the example of others in ruining their home, weep even more for the unfortunate slaves. But why love baseness? Is it really possible to spread the moral infection on those around you, to irritate the rotting souls of the poor, to increase the strings of your soul and be proud of your strings? How many sins, how many passions there are in this passion for clothing! Frivolity and frivolity, vanity and pride, gossip and harshness, temptation and shamelessness, wastefulness and stinginess, lies and deceptions, dissatisfaction with oneself and envy of others! Are these things necessary for a happy eternity? Christians! For us, followers of Christ, refined clothing is least becoming. Christ is our head, in a manger, on straw. Should we be ashamed of a simple bed? Christ is in poverty, dishonored, spat upon. Should we think about splendor, about pomp? His head is crowned with thorns. Why the outfits on your chapters? He is covered with deathly pallor. Should we covet artificial beauty? If the pagans loved the ornaments of the flesh; if the Jews finally adopted the art of the pagans, like the rich man of the gospel, it is a shame for us to introduce pagan life into our society. Let's not flatter ourselves. If we begin to follow the pagans, we will not see heaven. The rich man had fun every day of the sample. Why did you say that you can’t live cheerfully when you have the means? This is how the world thinks now, and uses wealth for sin and debauchery. What abominations they don’t allow themselves just because they can do everything, they can buy and sell, even hell. But, oh my God! does wealth really free the rich man from any debt to You? No! It complicates the path to virtues, abstinence, moderation, humility - seducing people into sin with the ease of committing sin. What a misfortune! He who is rich by being rich is not authorized to be less temperate, or less chaste, or less attentive to eternal salvation. On the contrary, the more dangers for salvation there are in abundance, the more determination is needed to combat the dangers, the more temptations his life presents to him, the more he must fear his weaknesses, his passions, his flesh, the more he must moderate desires, cut off his will, fight with himself and with temptations, so as not to perish. They will say, why not allow yourself a few fun hours? True, if this desire for pleasant hours is aroused by the thought of God, if they have fun for God, and not without God, who will blame such gaiety? But it’s a pity to watch when a young man frivolously leaves his parents’ home and spends the goods that his parents’ love endowed him with on someone else’s side. He does not feel that he is squandering goodness ungratefully; he does not see how close bitter poverty is to him, the frivolous one. Brethren! Isn’t this what life is like for those who are carried away by impulses to live in joyful freedom? Without attention to the rights of the One to whom our whole life should be devoted, hours and days, weeks and years pass like a dream, frivolity wastes the gifts of the eternal, without thinking about their purpose and our future. And by hereditary right we are strangers on this earth; and the sins of each of us further remove us from the Lord; Who doesn’t conscience tell us that we are wandering in the desert of passions, waterless and cold? What is more decent for us, carefree fun, or important concerns about ourselves? Oh! often we need to cry over the multitude of our sins; It is often necessary to shed tears in order to water with them the seeds of goodness in our souls. It is good to go to a house of weeping rather than joy. The good thing is that, surrounded by gaiety, we forget about our weaknesses, our sins, and get carried away by them; and looking at sorrows and sorrows, more or less, humbles us. Where did the cheerful life of the rich man take him? While he himself lived in bliss and luxury, ate and drank so deliciously, spent so much on himself, poor Lazarus was dying of hunger and disease. Every day the rich man could see the unfortunate man lying at his gate, but he walked past him coldly and turned away from him with contempt. The dogs, although not so merciful by nature, were more compassionate towards the helpless sufferer than their master; they came and licked the blood flowing from Lazarus’s wounds, but the rich man abhorred these wounds and did not think of tying them up. What cruelty! What callousness of soul! Why is she? Unfortunately for the rich man, this is one of the corrupting effects of his most abundant life. Placed in an independent position by his wealth, the rich man, little by little, loses the clarity of thought and vividness of feeling in order to understand and feel how bitter the life of the poor man is. Not encountering obstacles for himself in anything, he gets used to thinking about himself with grief, he stumbles only over himself, he lives for himself alone; his neighbor ceases to exist for him with his needs and grief; the rich man becomes deaf to the groans of the sick and the requests of the poor; and when he hears them, he does not believe in their sincerity, he despises poverty as a vice. ABOUT! May God deliver you from such a state of mind! How to awaken this soul, lulled by pride and pride? How to move her to mercy? You were hungry and did not give Me food, you were thirsty and did not give Me something to drink, you were strange and did not know Me, naked and did not clothe Me, - the Lord will say to the unmerciful at His judgment. These words will seem strange to the arrogant pets of abundance. They are accustomed to thinking of beggars only as despicable people, worthy of disgust. How can they guess, how can they understand that the Lord Himself appeared to them in the person of the poor and begged them for mercy towards suffering people? But there they will be brought to their senses, their eyes will be opened to the fact that their hardness of heart, while insulting the creation, insulted the Creator, that their hardness of heart towards the brethren was hardness of heart towards the One who is called and is the Father of all. Each state is entrusted by the Lord with its own business, the judge with truth, the shepherd with his flock, the rich man with the task of doing favors. Mercy is the common duty of everyone, but especially of those who are given the means to give alms. Mercy is the rich man's primary duty. This is his calling, this is his work, for which he is appointed by the Lord. His activities, his way of life make it difficult for him to perform other virtues, for example, prayer, fasting, etc. In return, he is given the opportunity to acquire salvation through the proper use of the wealth sent to him. In return, the poor and the sick, the blind and the crippled were entrusted to him, so that, imitating the love of the Heavenly Father, he would protect their life and peace. How much a rich man would gain for his soul if he firmly remembered his heavenly calling! If then, as he calls the rich guests to a sinful feast, he had tried to remember whether there were any hungry and wasting away from hunger, and had hastened to feed them, wouldn’t his feast have been more moderate, his pleasures purer, his soul closer to heaven? If then, just as he was ready to spend gold on luxurious clothes, he had thought about whether there were his fellow naked people who had nothing to protect themselves from the cold, he would have moderated his extravagance and curbed his passion for living in fashion. You see, brothers, one virtue would have taught him many other virtues. Do not be flattered, the rich man’s infidelity to his title, like the infidelity of everyone, cannot be left without vengeance. So it is not wealth that destroys the rich, but the use of wealth. What kind of poverty saves the poor? The answer cannot be offered in this conversation, which is already not short. If your love wants to listen, he will be invited to leave in the next conversation. God! Let Your word be for the salvation of Your servants. Amen. Word for the 22nd week, at the liturgy, about poverty In the previous word we talked about which of the rich cannot be saved. It would be a sin to ignore poverty in this church. The Savior preferred poor Lazarus to the rich one, preferring him by the fact that he called the poor man by name, a certain man Lazarus was poor, while he did not call the rich man by name, but only said, a certain man was rich. Let us consider what kind of poverty this is, which the Savior so honored in the person of Lazarus? There was a beggar named Lazarus. Poverty, in all its degrees, no matter how low it may seem to the sons of the age, without depriving us of one of the essential advantages of man, contains much of this; what a luxurious rich man should wish for himself. Let all earthly sorrows be the fruit of the ancestors’ deviation from the will of God. But the all-good and wise One arranged it in such a way that even the bitter fruit of sin can turn into health for a sick soul. According to the fate of the providence, poverty provides conveniences for a better life that wealth does not have. How many sins, how many temptations does his poverty relieve the beggar, while these temptations are inevitable for the rich! The depravity of luxury is unknown to the poor; Poverty does not make the flesh fat and does not nourish voluptuousness. The alarms of fame and gold are too noisy to be contained in the humble corner of poverty. If poverty deprives you of many earthly benefits, it also leads you along a path free from many dangers. True, poverty does not yet become a virtue because it represents convenience for salvation. But let them gratefully accept these conveniences of salvation provided by Providence to the poor. There was a beggar named Lazarus. Lazarus endured real poverty, poverty so naked that he would have been glad even for grains if they had fallen for him from the rich man’s table. So, the soul of Lazarus did not know that poverty that creates poverty for itself, without being poor in the means of life or, at least, in strength. Criminal is that poverty which, despising the watchful providence of God over it, warning it against the dangers of wealth, is indignant at the slight shortcomings of life and struggles with all its might to enter the path of abundance that is unworthy for it. We do not mean that impatient poverty, which uses obviously low means of enrichment - gambling, deceit and theft. May the light of heaven illuminate this perishing poverty, so that in time it may see the depth of its destruction! In addition to this poverty, there are many among us whose condition is far from being painful, but who show alarming dissatisfaction with their condition; not being poor, they consider themselves oppressed by poverty and are ready to curse poverty. Why such impatience? From passions. Some are tormented by a passion for money; others - a passion for frivolity. The one who, out of passion for money, deprives himself of the necessities of life, is pitiful and low in the general opinion. Poverty is filthy, covering itself in rags just so as not to spend an expensive penny. But, believe me, at the judgment of God those souls are just as low who sigh anxiously about the splendor that is inaccessible to them, about the luxury that they are not able to have. The same soil, the same rot, lives here and there. There is no fancy table, no smart clothes, and they shout: we are poor. God gives clothes that are simple but comfortable; sends food that is not complex, but healthy. Everyone is not happy with this. They say how black it is! How hard it is! Oh, if only you could look into your soul! Oh, if only we would listen to the judgment of our conscience about ourselves! Then they would see how black their ingratitude is towards the Heavenly Father; how dirty their soul is with its petty, base, criminal desires. Then everyone would say from the fullness of their hearts, Lord! I walk unworthily on this earth; I breathe the air unworthily. So great is my guilt before You! So far am I from being worthy of any of Your mercy! All lazy beggars will not see bliss until they give up laziness. Not in order to condemn our brothers, but in order to show love for their salvation, we say, let them come to their senses! To get rid of poverty, all they lack is the love of work. They will have to answer heavily before the court of God both for the strength they leave without exercise, and for the deceptions of people that are offensive to their conscience. Do they think that the Lord does not see the deceit of their hearts? Do they think that by calling themselves the brethren of Christ, they are boldly insulting Christ the Lord? Do they think that they were given strength and health - not in order to exhaust them in the service of passions? A certain Lazarus, who lay before the gate, was poor, and the desire to be satisfied from the grains falling from the rich man’s meal. Great was the poverty of Lazarus; This is not poverty imagined by idleness and passions; This is real poverty. But shall we include Lazarus among those beggars whose poverty is a consequence of their vicious life? There is not a word or a hint in the Savior’s words that Lazarus belongs to this category of beggars. The Savior notices in him, besides poverty, only a terrible illness, and in all likelihood, the illness was the cause of his poverty. So, poverty generated by passions, do not expect the fate of blessed Lazarus; Abraham's bosom does not belong to this poverty. The prodigal son, who squandered his wealth in a foreign country, remains to begin the work of salvation through repentance. The Heavenly Father is ready to receive him - the repentant one. His fate is bitter if he does not feel his guilt, if he does not hasten to return to his father’s home. The poor man, who has squandered God's gifts on debauchery, wanders in this life like a shadow and melts from hunger. And then, if he does not repent, what awaits him, besides eternal, but useless repentance, besides the torment ready for the sinner? It’s hard for him here to fight both poverty and the bad habits he’s acquired. But in order not to suffer forever, one must endure temporary suffering. The matter of spiritual salvation will require many feats from him, a long struggle, so that his soul is cleansed of passions, so that his soul is ripe for the bliss of the Father of believers. Oh, if only he would come to his senses! Job was struck blow after blow, but he did not sin in anything before the Lord. The Lord is given, the Lord is taken away, he said. This was exactly the situation of blessed Lazarus. The Savior notices one desire in him - the desire to be satisfied from grains. But this desire for food, this sigh for grains, escaped from the sufferer’s chest against his will; they are caused by nature, which requires food to maintain life. This sigh is not a sigh of envy towards the luxurious rich man; this sigh is not a sigh of dissatisfaction with the inequality of one’s lot with that of the rich man. This sigh is the sigh of hunger itself. The spirit of Lazarus remained silent, no matter how great the languor of hunger was, no matter how severe the physical illness was. He was silent, submissive to the will of the Provider; he was in awe of the destinies of the One who knows whose heart can be close to heaven on the path of suffering, and shares sorrows and joys according to the need for them for eternal life. Here is an example of blissful poverty! Neither the gospel nor common sense will condemn you, sufferer of life, when, suffering from lack of everything, struck by a serious illness, you feel at times the deprivation of what you need, you feel pain. All living things want to live and are disgusted by what hinders life. It is impossible in the order of nature not to feel pain when the body is cut. Some of the martyrs were above even these sufferings, even rejoicing while enduring them. But this was a work of special grace. It is enough for our weakness if, struck by disasters, we remain silent before the destinies of God, recognizing their greatness and our sins. It is enough for us if we endure sorrows and hardships without being indignant at sinful passions, if we do not allow bitterness against our brothers who stand above us to reach our hearts, and if we do not allow ourselves to judge anyone other than ourselves. At the same time, it is necessary that our submission to the Lord be unchanging, so that turning to the Lord caused by grief is not temporary. He who endures to the end will be saved. The soul, faithful to the one who called it to sorrows, grows in spiritual perfection with patience. The more she humbles herself under the strong right hand of God, the more sincerely she recognizes the baseness and destruction of sins and passions, the more abundantly the grace of God will descend into her depths, the more powerful her love for the Lord will become. If one learns patience through grief, then spiritual art is born in the soul - the ability to distinguish what is truly useful from what is harmful, what is unnecessary from what is necessary, what is deceptive from what is real. Then they understand that we have brought nothing into the world and will not take anything out, and therefore they remain content, having food and clothing (1 Tim. 6:7-8). Then they do not delight the sight, do not amuse the ear, do not captivate the heart with things that disappear like smoke. Then they sincerely repeat the words of the Lord that it benefits a person if they gain the whole world, but lose their soul (Matthew 16:26). If they do not stop on the path of patience and art, if their soul does not return to the vain world, behind spiritual art there is hope - high freedom of spirit, expecting everything from the Lord. Then the soul pours out in prayer to the Lord, in sincere, fiery and at the same time childish prayer. Losing sight of the earth, she turns entirely to heaven, expecting strength from the Lord, from the only Lord. And this hope is not like worldly hopes, it will not deceive, it will not bring shame. He is given consolations that cannot be compared with any pleasures of the world. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them is the kingdom of heaven, said the Savior (Matthew 5:3). The bliss of spiritual poverty depends on this and consists in the fact that the poor in spirit, having God in his heart, has with Him everything necessary for the immortal spirit. A soul humbled by sorrows is not burdened by sorrows, because it does not consider itself entitled to earthly joys, because it lives in hopes of eternal joys, before which all earthly sorrows mean nothing. The fire of God's love, kindled in the heart by trial, ignites in the humble soul the unclean desires brought about by the evil world, and calls the soul to live for the one and only Lord. Who is without sin? And poverty of spirit cries for its sins and with tears washes away the filth of sins; she vividly feels the insult caused by sin to God, and with deep contrition restores peace in conscience and union with grace. Blessed are the poor in spirit. It is not said, blessed are the poor, but blessed are the poor in spirit. Bliss then follows poverty in temporary things, when the spirit is humbled by poverty. Then the kingdom of heaven opens in the heart and, upon separation from earth, lifts the soul to the heavenly villages of saints. Humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, and He will exalt you, my poor brothers! The earth denies you its joys; give it up too. Then, for the deceptive consolations, you will be consoled with the most lasting and best joys. Do not turn your heart to the world, which has betrayed so many of its friends. And the faithful Lord will lead you along the short path of temporary sorrow to eternal peace. Be faithful to the title to which the Lord has called you, and He, who is always unfaithful, will fulfill His word over you; to the one who overcomes I will give to sit with Me on My throne. Amen. And pray to Him all the people of the Gagarin country take away from them (Luke 8:37). Strange act of the inhabitants of the Gadarenes! The Lord healed their brother, who suffered terrible torment, healed the one who terrified them all with his condition and actions, who broke chains like threads, did not live in a house, but in coffins, and did not allow anyone to pass by his home. And, however, the Gadarenes pray to the Lord to remove them from their borders. The Gadarenes hear a story about how a man was healed, in whom a whole legion of demons lived; and this experience of inhuman power allowed them to see that their country was visited by an extraordinary guest, who passes by, doing good and healing all those who were raped by the devil (Acts 10:38). And, however, instead of receiving and holding with reverent and grateful hearts the doctor of souls and bodies, such as the world has never seen, they ask that He move away from them! What is this strange state of the Gadarenes? The evangelist says that the behu are possessed with great fear. But what is this fear? Why is he? Isn’t this the same fear that forced the demons to cry out to the Son of God: what is Jesus, the Son of God, to us and to you? Thou hast come before the time to torment us. It's scary to think, but in reality it was like that. The Gadarenes were afraid that they had lost their herd of pigs, and in fear that they would lose other similar treasures, they asked the Lord to leave them. How gross is the ingratitude of the Gadarenes! How great is the ignorance of their darkened hearts! Brethren! So that we do not fall into any temptation of ingratitude before the Lord, let us think about the duty of gratitude. The Apostle teaches us to give thanks in everything, for this is the will of God for Christ Jesus in you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). God's will for us is such that we thank Him. This does not mean that He needs our gratitude, but it means that gratitude before Him is a matter of truth and a matter of salvation for us. What is gratitude? Gratitude is that sweet disposition of love for God, by which a reverent soul sees and feels the various benefits of God, values ​​each of God’s benefits dearly and turns them into the glory of God. And so, isn’t it natural, having eyes, to see the gift presented to the eyes? Isn't it natural, having a feeling, to feel joy about the gifts we receive? Isn't it natural, having the will, to want to repay the gift? Yes, and in the court of people, an ungrateful person is considered a low person, less than a person - and rightly so; for judge whether he is a man who, having eyes does not see, having ears does not hear, having a heart does not feel, having a soul does not breathe? No, this is an idol, the likeness of a man, and not a living man. If a stone does not accept or takes in little water, this is in the order of things; if weak grass does not grow on solid rock, and thrown grain turns to dust, this is also in the order of things. But God did not create the human heart as a stone, and the soul that God gave us was given with the ability to bear fruit under the influence of the light and moisture of God. It’s so low, it’s disgusting to both God and nature to be ungrateful to anyone. But has the beneficial right hand of God been shortened for us? Is there really nothing to look at, nothing to rejoice at, nothing to raise a grateful hand for when thinking about God’s relationship to us? ABOUT! It is easier to measure the spaces of the heavens and the skies, and the depths of the abyss of the sea, - it is easier to count the breaths exhaled from the heart and the weight of the inhaled life, than to measure and find out the greatness and number of God’s blessings. Who gave us life? And what kind of life? What a wonderful creation man came from creative hands! God created him in His own image and likeness, making him a little less than an angel (Ps. 8:6). How do we live? He who has not given himself existence is unable to preserve it. By Him and only by Him, the All-Good and All-Effective, we live, move and are (Acts 17:28). The husband's feet are straightened by the Lord. Our houses, our cities and kingdoms are built by him. What shall I repay to the Lord for all that I have repaid? (Ps. 115:3) I am a fallen creature before You, Heavenly Father! What should I expect for myself if not trial and condemnation? The wages of sin is death (Rom. 6:23). But, oh infinite goodness! We have moved away from You, and You are looking for us and calling us, Adam! Where are you? Son of the Eternal Father! You found and took the lost sheep for Your ramen. Sweetest Jesus! The faces of the angels are amazed at Your love, which sacrificed Yourself to redeem us sinners (Rom. 9:33). And who, if not the Spirit of grace, the spirit of Christ, creates in people a pure heart and a right spirit? Brethren! Everyone can know and feel how our soul, upset by sin, only comes to life for God when fervent prayer brings down the dew of grace upon it; All. our contentment comes from God. How can we not thank our Lord? How grievous, how excessively great is our ingratitude when we do not thank Him. so many things that benefit us! Do you repay the Lord with this, you people are boisterous and unwise - Moses reproached Israel. Is it not this Father himself who created you and created you? We. Christians, even more than Israel, received gifts from the Heavenly Father. How great is our foolishness, how great is the cruelty of our hearts, when we do not recognize with a grateful mind and heart the benefits of God! Christian soul! listen to how the Heavenly Father complains about ungrateful Israel; He calls heaven to be a witness and earth to be a hearer of His complaint. Hear the sky, inspire the earth, give birth to sons and exalt; and they rejected Me. He denounces the rational Israel with the example of a foolish animal. The ox knew him who acquired it, and the donkey knew his master's manger, but Israel did not know Me, and My people rejected Me (Is. 1:2-3). An ox recognizes its owner because he treats him like an owner; a donkey recognizes his master by the manger in which he puts food for him. But Israel does not recognize the Lord even because of His good deeds. What a strong reproach to Israel! Christian soul! Doesn’t this reproach fall on you more heavily? Awake, rise from the humiliation into which the sin of heart hardness has plunged you. Confess your misfortune to the Lord and pray to Him to enlighten your mind and inflame your heart with grateful love. Brethren! a whole life is not enough for us, all the strength of soul and body is too little to adequately repay the Lord for His good deeds to us. Why do we feel so little of God’s good deeds? Gratitude sees and acknowledges the good deeds of God, and does not lose sight of what has been received from the Lord. So, if we thank the Lord little, it is, of course, because we do not see the good deeds of God. How does this happen to us? A proud mind recognizes only its own merits and ascribes to itself what it has, even what it only thinks it has. Can one expect grateful reverence before the Lord from pride? Pride does not pay attention to much that has been received from above, as if it were a small thing unworthy of attention, but when looking at something else, it is comforted by itself; this, he says, was acquired by my calculations, this was brought to me by my skill. Pathetic self-delusion! And I am poor, and poor, and blind, and naked before you, Lord! Christian soul! Convict thoughts of pride in yourself by reflecting on the immense weakness of our nature; repeat to yourself the word of the apostle, who distinguishes you from others? What do you have that you wouldn't get? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you didn’t receive it? (1 Cor. 4:7). Strongly and often weakens in us the feelings of gratitude before the Lord and that human thought that considers people great in intelligence, in nobility, in power to be the culprits of happiness. But if everything, both great and small, is a gift from our one Master, if the great ones do for us no more and no less than what the Heavenly Father wants to bestow, then isn’t it strange to give honor to the servant and forget the master, or to give the honor to the servant that follows the master? Doesn't this mean the same thing as creating idols for yourself on earth, changing the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of corruptible man? “Neither plant nor drink, but God giveth the increase,” says the Apostle (1 Cor. 3:7). Whether by our hand, or by the hand of others, the seed of goodness was thrown into us; Was it our hand, or the hand of others, that watered the sown seed? If God does not grow the good seed in us, all our labors are in vain. The farmer throws grain into the furrow. How much is needed for a mature ear to appear! And much of this is not at all in the power of the farmer. Light, warmth, moisture, without which the grain will remain dead, are in the power of the Lord of nature. It’s exactly the same in our affairs. The frivolous carelessness of our pride passes by the works of God without a thought about God, with the confidence that these are matters of daily order, caused by our forces, or the forces of gifted people. We are fed, watered, clothed, but by whom? We don’t know, it seems to us that it should have been and was. We awaken from our unconsciousness, we grieve and are offended only when something happens not according to our desires; then we present in our souls some rights in our favor, as if someone had committed to us to conduct our affairs without us, without obliging us to anything; then it turns out that we are ready to recognize God as the giver of everything, only for some reason we are very unhappy this time, as He seems to forget us - us, who until that moment did not think about Him at all. What daring frivolity! What senselessness of pride! The Apostle Paul writes about the pagans, who did not understand God, not glorifying God or giving thanks, but having become futile in their thoughts and darkened their foolish hearts, God gave them over to an unskilled mind to do things that are not like them (Rom. 1:21, 24, 28). This is the path along which they descended to the depths of wickedness and depravity. Ingratitude occupied too important a place here. The ancient peoples knew God. But they did not honor Him worthy of His glory, they did not thank Him worthy of the benefits they received from Him. Their hearts became cold to the mercies of the Most High and their love for Him weakened, knowledge about Him was lost; darkness and desolation, vices and impurity increased; the man stood in line with the dumb, who eats his fill of food and is not more concerned with anything than crude satiation. The willful wickedness of ingratitude is finally punished by the most extreme uncleanness, which the pagan soul fell in love with. Brethren! The same thing can happen in the hearts of Christians. Look around. If God is good to pour out grace on the graceless, then He is also just to punish wickedness that despises the gifts of His goodness, careless about bearing fruits worthy of His mercies. Otherwise, the execution of God is the natural fruit of ingratitude; because ingratitude brings spiritual devastation into the soul, drowns out its best dispositions and instills savagery in it. On the contrary, a grateful soul, the more often it turns to God with gratitude, the more it expands in love for Him, illuminated by the life-giving light of His perfections; and the more freely she opens before God, the more extensively she opens before Him, the more capable she becomes of accepting the gifts of His grace. It is an undeniable fact that in any case it is necessary and necessary to open the heart in order to receive something from above: widen your mouth and I will do it, God tells us. God is good, He only expects us to approach Him for gifts, and He does not hesitate to give them to us. Thus, our ingratitude only rewards us with poverty, while gratitude attracts to us from above an abundant dew of new mercies and bounties. How can we not thank the Lord? Or more precisely, how can we thank Him worthily? We are poor, poor in everything. Everything we have is not ours—neither goods, nor strength, nor time. But He is so good that He accepts His gifts as the gift of our thanksgiving. He is so good that He looks with love at our consciousness both in our weakness and in the greatness of His love. He is so good that He deigns to accept the exercise of the powers and abilities bestowed by Him, and exercised with His grace, as our acceptable sacrifice. So, do you want to be grateful before the Lord? Sanctify your strength by serving the Lord; do not be lazy, do not refuse to come to the church when called by the church to offer praise and thanksgiving to the Lord; nothing can be more necessary for you than the Lord; don't forget Him. Whatever you eat, whatever you drink, whatever else you do, do everything for the glory of God. Do you wish not to be an ungrateful land, destined for destruction? Dedicate to the Lord what He has blessed you with; Bring Him the fruits of your labors, may He again send blessings on your labors. To him who has it will be given and he will have abundance. Do you want to be grateful to His love? Do His will and hasten to atone for sins with repentance, abandon desires that are displeasing to Him. Do not despise the riches of His goodness and meekness and long-suffering, as if you do not know that the goodness of God leads you to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The Lord himself tells us, since you alone made these least of my brothers, let us create for me (Matthew 25:40). So, here is another means and the closest means - to express gratitude to God! Give your poor brother what you can; in the person of your brother, the Lord will accept your gift from you as a favorable sacrifice of gratitude to Him. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all (Rom. 16:24). Amen. It is about Him that every creation is made grows into a holy church in the Lord, oh In it you too will be created in a dwelling God's spirit (Eph. 2:21–22). The apostle presents a beautiful picture. He depicts the Church of Christ in the form of a building, harmoniously constructed from different parts, and in the form of a plant, gradually rising higher and higher. This is what he says about the whole church of Christ. This is what he says about every believer! By the power of the Lord Jesus, the entire building of the church, according to the word of the Apostle, united from parts into one harmonious whole, grows into a church holy for the Lord, a pure, immaculate, perfect church, like the heavenly church. By the union of the same Lord, you, believers, are created, coming from perfection to perfection, so as to be the eternal dwelling place of God himself. So, my listeners, let our strengths be unequal, let the circumstances of our earthly life be unequal; but everyone must strive for the honor of the highest calling of God, to grow more in Christian virtues. Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48). Who is this said to? to the hermits alone? Only virgins? Only members of the sacred clergy? No, everyone has been told; everyone is commanded to grow in spiritual perfection in order to draw closer to the Heavenly Father with the qualities of their soul. Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. The perfection of the Heavenly Father is a model for our perfection! What a tall example this is! Who dares to think after this that he lives quite well? How do they allow themselves to consider every reminder of the correction of life as an injustice against the individual, every piece of advice of love as an insult to their soul? Be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Why? On the one hand, because our true perfection consists in the conformity of our actions with the good and all-perfect will of God, on the other hand, because man was created with the ability to live in accordance with the will of God. Man, until then and man, still strives for his God. Otherwise, is he a man when he fulfills only the needs of the dumb? My listeners! The Apostle praised the pagan virtues in the pagan. But he did not praise and does not praise pagan virtues in a Christian. A Christian is given more strength and means to perfection than a pagan or Jew. That’s why they demand more from him. The fire has come to the earth, and how I want it to ignite already! Our Savior spoke. See what the Lord Jesus expects from his followers! He expects fiery love, unquenchable love, unchanging jealousy, a constant desire for improvement for eternal life. Why was the Son of God crucified before our eyes? Why did the God-Man shed his blood on the cross? Is it really so that we would swear with our lives over His suffering for our sins? It’s scary to think what we are doing, carelessly having fun in the rapture of passions, considering the sins of every minute of our life as small. The God-man, through bloody suffering, asked the Father for the heavenly Spirit of grace, ready to lead us to angelic purity, even with all our weakness. Is all this really in vain? We will be afraid at God's judgment if we appear there only with pagan honesty. No, we do not belong here (1 Cor. 6:19). We have no right to use either time or energy for anything other than serving our God. We must advance from day to day in love for the law of God, grow in grace and knowledge of our God (2 Pet. 3:18), become more and more perfect in virtues pleasing to Him - our Master (2 Cor. 3:11). That is why the innocent love of parents for their children and the natural desire to protect their life and health are criminal in us if we slow down or abandon serving the Lord for them. That is why anyone who is afraid of being ridiculed for piety by frivolous people and, out of false shame, does not move forward along the path of piety, will be covered with eternal shame at the world court (Matthew 10:23). They say, “We are weak, should we go higher and higher? Let those who have been given strength, who have the desire to live only for God, work on this!” There is no doubt that those who are given more strength must work harder. But our weakness in no way relieves us of the obligation to strive for the highest perfection. On the contrary, if we feel our weaknesses, then for this reason we must be vigilant over ourselves in order to gain victory over our weaknesses. Why does sin take over us every hour, every minute? Because we give him the freedom to do with us whatever he pleases. Our misfortune does not come from the fact that we are weak; The power of God is ready for us against weakness. I can do all things through Jesus who strengthens me, says the apostle, who is a man like the rest of us. But this is why we do not move forward on the path of salvation, because we become worse and worse, because we feel bad about our infirmities, are cheerful and calm, as if completely healthy, satisfied with ourselves, as if we need nothing. I am rich and have become rich and demand nothing, says the forgetful sinner, while he is poor, and poor, and blind, and naked (Rev. 3:17). Does anyone who does not feel hungry require food? Does someone cry who does not feel any pain or loss? Where are our tears for our spiritual ulcers, if we feel them? Where are our sighs, where are the groans of the publican about our sins, if we recognize ourselves as sinners? Where are the prayers for heavenly food if we feel spiritual hunger? So my listener, who sincerely feels his weaknesses, with the help of God’s grace, will always follow the path to perfection. He will not stop at any degree of perfection, because he knows that there is still a lot missing in him. He will not stop for a minute to admire the path traveled, the completed tasks, because he remembers that the shore is far away, and there are many mistakes back. Forgetting what is behind me, but reaching out to what is before me with zeal, I pursue the honor of the highest calling, this is what the one who ascended from earth to heaven said about himself. Sin leaves no one until the grave. Therefore, you need to stay awake until the grave, and cleanse your heart until the grave. Sin is weakened in us by intense labor. But the work of sanctifying the soul is not a matter of a day, it is a feat of a lifetime. Blessed is he who hungers and thirsts for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6). The same should definitely be said about each private virtue. There cannot be a single good deed in us that could not be better, in which there would not be a lack of purity or sincerity. If God has given you some zeal for prayer, acquire even more zeal for prayer, and never think that you are a decent prayer worker. Otherwise, you will be unjust before the truth and harm yourself in the feat of prayer. No one lays his hand on the head and in vain is led back into the kingdom of God. It is impossible for us, morally impossible, to stand on one degree of goodness if we do not stretch forward; because, stopping for any reason for good, we already live for sin, without exercising our feelings and will in good, we become weaker in love for good; not caring about using the talents given to us, we become criminals. Remember Lot's wife. Run without looking back from the temptations of sin. Otherwise, sin will deceive the soul, and you will suffer. Flee from the suggestions of passions in order to hasten to the heavenly fatherland that awaits you. Kindle your love for him with a sense of fear of the dangers that surround us. Frivolous laziness can relieve oneself of the duty to go forward along the path of salvation. But the holy will of God does not prevent him from doing so. The Word of God clearly points out to us “our duty to continually grow in spiritual perfection, when our condition on earth is in the form of a voyage, which must continue continuously in order to achieve the goal; then, in the form of a plant, which must gradually develop; then in the form of warfare, which should not subside either day or night, in view of the enemy, who is strong in malice and deceit. The foolish virgins fell asleep for several hours, when suddenly a voice sounded, “The groom is coming.” The poor rushed to buy lamps; and the groom is already in the palace and they are told at the door of the closed palace, it’s too late. We are commanded to be continually watchful, continually growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (2 Pet. 3:18). The perfection of spiritual life is a ladder, the lower end of which is on earth and the upper end is in heaven. “Exercise in virtue,” teaches St. Basil, like a ladder, that ladder that blessed Jacob once saw, one part of which was close to the earth and touched it, and the other extended even above the sky itself” (Creations, I, 184). Do they not think that the Lord may be pleased with some of the warmth of His services? A vain, criminal dream! “Because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of my mouth,” so says He faithfully in His word (Rev. 3:16). I conclude with the word of the apostle, for this sake take up all the weapons of God, so that you may be able to resist on the day of cruelty, and whatever you have done (Eph. 4:13). Amen. Our life is short. But it cannot be said that she does not require care for herself. You can't live without food, you can't live without clothes. This means that taking care of life itself requires taking care of food and clothing. But how easily a person moves from worrying about what is necessary to worrying about what is unnecessary! How easily the unnecessary becomes necessary for him! In the parable we are reading today, the Savior, warning against worries about what is unnecessary, shows us the danger of passion for what is unnecessary. Watch and be guarded from covetousness, for it is not from someone who is always in abundance; his belly is from his wealth (Luke 12:15). This is how the heavenly Teacher began his instruction about covetousness! Look, He said, beware of wanting to have much more than what you need. A blind man wanders, not seeing the hole into which he is ready to fall, and the voice of love tells him, beware, you are going the wrong way. So the Lord who loves us with tender compassion tells us, beware of the passion for self-interest, there is danger in it for you. We are short-sighted when we think that wealth is not necessary for life? But the Lord, to justify his warning, says that life does not depend on perishable possessions, even if there is a lot of it. Where is the source of life? In God. Whether you take the physical life of a bodily organism, or the spiritual life of the soul, in another sense, life is given and supported by God. And is it so smart to bother about a lot, when a person’s life does not depend on either a lot or a little, and spending energy on acquiring a lot can destroy the life of the soul? He spoke a parable to them, saying: A certain rich man had a field to eat (Luke 12:16). The Savior explains his main idea about passion for many things in a simple parable, close to the concept of everyone, in the example of a rich man who owns a field. “Some rich man, he says, happened to have a field with a good harvest.” Take note, listeners. The Savior does not say that a good harvest of the field depends on the labor used for the field. The agronomy of the rich, as in our time, undoubtedly admired the harvest of the field as the fruit of its labors. But the Savior did not say a word favorable to the dreams of human agronomy. And could he say? The Lord commanded to cultivate the land by the sweat of his brow. But no matter how much you invent ways to better cultivate the land, even a weak harvest will not appear in the field if God does not send it to the field during the rain and does not give it the necessary warmth during the rain. Our rich man forgot about this truth of experience. And that is why there is no desire in him, no thought to thank God for the good harvest of the field. How many in our time, blessed by the abundance of fields or the success of trade, thank the Lord, the giver of all blessings? Oh, brothers! Beware, the ungrateful field is struck with the wrath of curses. The owner of the field was a rich man. From whom, if not from the Lord, did he receive wealth? God is so good to him that he also increases his wealth and sends a bountiful harvest to his field. What is all this for, if not in order to soften the rich man’s hard heart with an abundance of goodness, to arouse in him feelings of gratitude to undeserved mercies, to awaken contrition for sins that call forth the wrath of God? And - the rich man remains without attention to the goodness of God. And thinking within yourself. What would a rich man think a lot about when there is a happy harvest? What to care about? He has a lot of bread, as he himself sees; all possible needs of his house can be satisfied, even in the event of a future crop failure, his granaries are full; and they are built, of course, in such a way that they contain far from less than what a rich man needs. What should he think about? What to think about? If there is more bread than the rich man needs, is it a duty to distribute what is not needed to the poor? And this is an easy task and it will also get rid of the unnecessary things that worry the rich man so much. Moreover, the rich man must pay the debt of his soul. The poor are people just like the rich man. If he feels sorry for himself, how can he not feel sorry for the poor man? Doesn't man really feel sorry for humanity? Moses ordered to leave sheaves on the field for the poor, ordered to help the poor in his needs. We are all children of one Heavenly Father. If a rich man is merciless towards a poor man, then he insults not just one brother, but also the common Heavenly Father. Meanwhile, distributing unnecessary things will bring so much joy to those in need! How grateful they will be to the rich man! It’s clear that giving to the poor what they don’t need is not only easy, but also very pleasant and soul-saving. But holy, peaceful thoughts, holy desires are far from the soul of the rich man, driven out of it by vain worries. He is thoughtful. He is suffering. Poor rich man! he suffered even then, when he had little bread, and he suffers now, when there is too much of it; He was tormented by the possibility of a bad harvest, and he is tormented even by the happiest harvest. Isn’t it clear that the peace of the soul, the happiness of life, does not at all depend on whether someone has a little or a lot of earthly blessings? And thinking within myself, saying, “I will create, as if not the imam,” where will I gather my fruits? That's what the rich man is doing! He has a lot of superfluous things that he doesn’t need, but he doesn’t want to part with them either; he wants to collect more and more. His granaries are full, and he is worried about where to collect the extra bread? This is a man who gets rich through avarice and avarice (Sir.11:16). He collects what he doesn’t need, just to collect it. What pathetic greed - greed of the unnecessary! Behold, I will create, I will destroy my barns, and I will build more of these, that’s what the crazy rich man came up with! To destroy granaries is wisdom for him! Building new ones in order to lock up what is not needed is a lucky find of the mind! Truly something worth thinking about! And I will gather all my life and good things. Unhappy! He is already straightforward, he already without shame calls the wealth of the fields his property, and not a gift from God. My life says it is my good life, not a gift from God. What brazen ingratitude before the Giver of blessings! The rich man, of course, heard the words of the wise man, wealth and poverty are from the Lord (Sir.11:14). He, of course, also heard the words of the prophet, did you create strength for yourself by your cunning or your meaning and attract silver and gold from your treasures? (Ezek.28:4). But proud of what he managed to get into his hands, he forgot the One from Whom he received everything. I will collect all my good things. The fruits of the fields are the good thing of the miser. He no longer knows any other good. All my good things are here, he says with delight, looking at the treasures of the granaries! ABOUT! What humiliation has this unfortunate soul reached! Eternity and eternal blessings are neglected; gifts of grace rejected; the needs of the immortal soul are neglected. What will happen to this soul, on the other side of the tomb, where its corruptible treasures will not pass, and it has not a single thread of incorruptible goods and there is only wickedness of the heart? And I say to my soul, to my soul, that many good things lie ahead for many years - rest, eat, drink and be merry. Every word is evidence of nonsense, every step is a step forward on the path of madness! And I give a river to my soul - is it with sound reasoning? Let's see. Imashi good - as if and exactly imashi, as if and exactly their ruler? There are many blessings lying around, who assured you that a storm or fire will not lift them into the air, or that they will not be stolen by thieves? Lying for many years, but many years were bought by you? Are they your inalienable property? River to the soul, rest. Does this mean that the poor woman did not know peace until then? So, until then she had only suffered? Why? What was disturbing her peace? Greed of self-interest! But will this thirst stop? The poor man himself feels that there will be no peace, and that is why he forces his soul to be at peace - be at peace, he says. ABOUT! He cannot force his soul to be at peace during a life that is so inconsistent with its eternal needs. River to the soul, eat, drink, have fun. How? – Can the soul eat and drink? These are words of pure nonsense! And what nonsense! Soul, eat, drink, be merry, aren’t these words of godless nonsense, for which there is neither eternity nor judgment beyond the grave? Our spirit will flow like soft air. Come, let us enjoy the real good things. Let us leave everywhere a sign of joy, for this is our cup (Wis. 2:3, 6, 9). This is how the rich man finally reasons! This is what his passion for earthly goods brought him to! At first he forgot about God and the needs of the immortal soul. Now he has lost both faith in God and faith in the afterlife! He already lives only a wordless life. What a terrible condition? God said to him, madly, this night they will take your soul from you, and what you have prepared, to whom will they be? God says to him, crazy! The crazy rich man lost sight of God's rights over his soul. But the truth of God does not lose its rights to it. The truth of God loudly demands an account from the soul, so that its voice and madness are heard. Crazy! This very night your soul will be taken from you. That the rich man reached the point of madness, we have already seen. His madness assumed enormous proportions. Revealing all his madness to him is unnecessary work. It is enough to point out that side of his madness, which is perhaps close to his gaze. He said that he would live and enjoy blessings for many years. But then death, which he did not expect at all, tells him that he had been meaninglessly promising himself for many years. Crazy! This very night your soul will be taken from you. Here is a death that you did not expect and a death that you did not think about. Now they will demand your soul not with the call of meek love; but by the will of the strict truth of God, by the voice of the powerful Lord and formidable Judge of yours, forgotten by you so long ago. He, the Lord of heaven and earth, has servants for this purpose; they will extort your soul from you. Until now you didn’t know or didn’t think about them, but they know their job and don’t forget it. Job's wise friend also knew about deadly angels (Job 33:23). My listeners! The afterlife in recent times of corruption was not only forgotten by the wicked rich man, but it was ridiculed, rejected as a dream. But before the gaze of the menacing death, the afterlife opens up to the soul with amazing clarity; she now sees what she had not thought about before, what she did not want to believe, she sees not only the eternity awaiting her, but also the world of spirits belonging to the world of eternity. And all this only to the horror of the wicked. Foolishly, this night they will take your soul from you, and even if you have prepared it, to whom will it be? What a sharp evidence of the rich man's madness! He collected wealth for himself; collected a whole life and with such painful anxieties; collected so that he could finally enjoy the fruits of his labors. But death comes to him in those moments when he was just thinking about enjoying the benefits. Why all the labors of his life? What do they mean now if not acts of meaninglessness? Who will get the rich man's wealth? The prophet has long warned people that they will perish and leave their wealth to strangers (Ps. 48:11). Even the wise Sirach said, “Gather from your soul; you will gather others and enjoy their good things” (Sir.14:4). The rich man didn't want to believe it. But now, even against my will, I must believe; his dear blessings, his dear treasures, are no longer his. Now they will enjoy His goodness. Who are these others? If these people are thin, dissolute, how soon will the rich man’s carefully preserved treasures disappear from them! How easily they will be appreciated by them! If these people are quite kind, but, clouded by unexpected happiness, they become spoiled by it, it will be even worse for the foolish rich man. What would happen to the rich man if, following the voice of love, he distributed at least part of his treasures to the poor? And now so many lovely treasures only torment the rich man. They collected tacos for themselves, and not for God’s sake! This is the fate of everyone who gathers for himself and does not grow rich in God, says the Savior in explanation of his parable. Notice, listeners, how the Savior portrays every self-seeking person! They collected for themselves. All his life he only collects for himself, accumulates piles of unnecessary things around himself, not using anything for his immortal soul. Among the riches, among the treasures of the world, his soul has nothing - it is empty and naked, languishing with hunger and thirst. The covetous man is poor in soul because he is not rich in God. A soul can be rich only if it lives in God, becoming richer day by day in grace and good deeds (1 Tim. 6:18); when, according to God’s commandments, she loves her neighbor as herself, and most of all God, and everything she does, she does for the glory of God, then she blossoms like a tree by the flow of water. After that, it is quite clear that every self-seeker will decay and die like a crazy rich man. My listeners! Let us firmly remember the Savior’s instruction about the danger of attachment to earthly things. Let us be very careful of this evil spirit. If, standing at prayer, if, standing in the church of God, you think about the house, about the household, or about the progress of trade, beware - the spirit of self-interest, if it has not started, then it wants to make a nest in your soul; hasten to drive away the evil spirit from yourself by the power of the Savior’s instructions. If the beggar’s pleas for help do not sufficiently touch your soul, do not force you to willingly give him what is unnecessary for you, shudder in your soul, the destructive spirit of self-interest wants to overpower your heart, and it will be a terrible disaster if it does. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with us all. Amen. In the gospel we are reading today, we see the healing of one unfortunate woman. The healing is remarkable in terms of the disease and the effect of the healing, and especially in the consequences of the healing. And they taught together from the congregation on the Sabbath. And behold, the woman had a sick spirit for ten years, and was without disobedience, and was not able to lift herself up at all (Luke 13:10-11). What a pitiful condition of the poor patient! She was a slut - she was hunched over and could not get up to stand straight. Therefore, she could neither walk straight nor lie freely; I couldn’t see the faces of anyone passing by, bent to the ground. How many ridicules of frivolity must she have suffered for her position! How many other troubles! And she remained in this position for 18 years. Of course, it didn’t happen without her trying to help herself with medical means. But her position did not change. Her illness was of a special kind, which cannot be alleviated by human medicine. She was “possessed with sickness from the spirit,” says the evangelist. “Satan bound her,” the Lord testifies (Luke 13:17). Why is this so? Is it not a punishment for sins? But the Savior, when healing her, did not say, your sins are forgiven, as He said when healing those suffering from sins; He only said, you are free from your illness. He even calls her the daughter of Abraham and, of course, not just by her carnal descent from Abraham, but by the qualities of her soul. The very ones who did not look peacefully at her healing did not say anything unfavorable about her life; and these righteous people would not fail to expose to everyone the stains of her life, if there were any. Do not ignore the fact, listeners, that the Savior found her in the synagogue listening to the Sabbath service. This means that, despite her suffering state, she diligently devoted the Sabbath day to prayer and listening to the word of God. So, there is no doubt that this sick woman in body was not sick with any spiritual passion, and, therefore, her illness was not a punishment for sins. And yet, she was bound by Satan for 18 years! How to explain her position? Her position is that of Job. Was it because of Job’s sins that the Lord allowed Satan to strike Job with a terrible illness and a number of different troubles? No, Satan did not dare to point out any grave sins in Job. He only said that Job was pious because he was happy; let, he said, be allowed to test him with misfortunes - then they will see whether he will bless God? And the Lord allowed his servant to be tested for his glory. This was also the situation of the wife who suffered from the spirit. A serious illness was sent to her only to test her love for God, so that her soul would be perfected through sorrows, grow and strengthen in virtues. And she patiently endured the ordeal for 18 years. Blessed daughter of Abraham! My listeners! We often happen to see various kinds of sick people, as well as other unfortunate people. Let us beware of pronouncing a reproachful judgment on their lives. Perhaps the unpleasant-looking sufferer whom we pass by with contempt is the chosen favorite of heaven and secretly prays for us. In no case will we make a mistake in our attitude towards the unfortunate only when we look at the unfortunate with humility in our hearts and with sincere love. Seeing you (the sick woman), Jesus invited her and said to her: “Woman, you have been released from your illness.” And lay your hand on your hand, stretching out your arms. How much love there is in our Savior! As soon as He saw the suffering woman, His first glance at her was the gaze of compassionate love; He told the sick woman to go to the heavenly doctor. “Poor wife! He says to her, “You are freed from your illness.” What majestic simplicity in the action of the Almighty! These are the words of the Creative Word. “And he laid his hands on her. And she immediately straightened up.” Why do you think it was necessary to lay hands on the sick? What did it mean? The word of the Son of God in itself is a powerful word. But in order for His effect to peacefully transfer to the sick woman, it was necessary to accept this effect with the quiet faith of the sick person; and the effect of the word for a meek soul was threatening and its acceptance was made difficult by the trembling of the soul. That is why the Lord adds to the action of power the action of His love - he lays his hands on the sick person. It was then, and not following the word of the Almighty, that the suffering woman straightened up. Eternal love begins and ends its work with love. And glorify God. The elder answered the council, indignantly, on the Sabbath, Jesus healed, saying to the people, “There are six days, it is worthy of dividing in the day; aim at those who come, and not on the Sabbath day.” This is one and the same work of the Savior - the healing of a sick soul by one soul is accepted with reverent gratitude, and by the leader of the synagogue - with indignation. Strange human hearts! And the healed woman glorified God. And how could you not praise God? The work that happened to her was the work of God. The one who suffered from an incurable disease for 18 years was healed with one word, isn’t this the work of the Almighty? Isn't it a visit to heavenly goodness? Who would not reproach the healed woman if she remained ignorant of God’s unexpected blessing? The healed woman was grateful, she praised the Lord out loud to everyone. She praised her Savior in the synagogue, although she knew how hostile the synagogue was to Jesus. Such sincere gratitude! But the elder of the synagogue is very indignant. He is shown to be offended that the sick woman was healed on the Sabbath. The peace of the Sabbath has been disturbed! And where! In the synagogue, where he is the leader, in the synagogue - before his eyes! Can he tolerate this? He addresses instructions to the people. But why doesn’t he turn to Jesus with reproof? If the peace of the Sabbath is broken by healing, then the Physician broke it; deal with Him. A straight conscience, a clear conscience, speaks about guilt directly to the guilty person. And the leader of the synagogue speaks about Jesus’ mistake to other people’s ears. Apparently, the zealot of truth felt that his conscience was not clear. And look how strange the instruction to his people is. He repeats the words of the Sabbath law faithfully (Ex. 20:3, 10). But how he applies them to his work! In these days, he says, take aim when you come, and not on Saturday. What does it mean? Should sick people stay home on Saturday? Shouldn't they be in the synagogue to hear the law? Why such disfavor towards the sick? In those days, take aim. But does it depend on the will of the patient to be healed on the second or fourth day of the week? And if the sick person was healed on Saturday, according to the commandment of the synagogue teacher, he must say, no, I am not healed yet, only tomorrow can I praise God. It cannot be said that the Jewish teacher is speaking nonsense. It's a pity! The Lord answered him and said, O hypocrite, does not every man on the Sabbath remove his ox or donkey from the manger and water his shed? This daughter of Abraham, who was bound by Satan for ten years, is it not good enough for her to be released from this bond on the Sabbath day? The Savior exposes the defender of the Sabbath rest by his own actions. If, he says, the law on the Sabbath does not prevent you from showing compassion to livestock, and allows you to water a donkey or an ox on the Sabbath when they are thirsty, shouldn’t you show compassion to a sick woman who has been tormented by Satan for 18 years? Notice, listeners, that no one told the Savior how long the sick woman had been suffering; and He speaks of this with such certainty, “it has been seventeen years since Satan bound her.” He also knows the unusual origin of her illness - “Satan bound her.” Thus, the people, out loud to whom the denunciation of the zealots of the law was spoken, had to recognize in Jesus both the great miracle worker and the wondrous seer, from whom the past is not hidden and before whom the world of spirits is open. And when I say this to him, all those who oppose Him are ashamed, and all people rejoice over all the glorious ones who come from Him. And the people - people simple in heart and sincere in piety, accepted the teachings of the Savior with an open heart and rejoiced at His triumph. The very enemies of Jesus were ashamed of their untruth, feeling the irresistible power of His words, but for how long? Let us turn again to the head of the synagogue. Hypocrite! Jesus tells him. What is the name for? He was zealous for the law, for the glory of God. Even if he was wrong, he misunderstood the Sabbath law. But for a mistake it was enough to tell him, you, friend, are mistaken. Why is he a hypocrite? You see, listeners, the Lord knows the heart. Could he see what was going on in the soul of the leader of the synagogue? Evil lurked there, just like people like him. The leader of the synagogue was annoyed not for the Sabbath, but for himself; He was bitter that behind the greatness of Jesus, his name, the teacher of the Jews, was not visible; Beneath his zeal for the law was hidden envy of the glory of the Nazirite Teacher. As often happens between us too! Like the leader of the synagogue, one loses his temper by pointing out the mistakes of another. How, he says, can one tolerate such things? This is a blatant injustice! This is a temptation! And others, listening, think how noble. Human! How bravely he defends the truth! But - in fact, our defender of honesty stands not for honesty, but for himself; he cares about his name. Poor thing, he himself doesn’t see what’s in his soul; and if sometimes he notices, he closes his eyes to open them to something pleasing to his vanity. ABOUT! Why do they defile the truth with the wickedness of the heart? Why do they captivate the soul, forcing it to serve sin under the guise of good? How they spoil, how they destroy the soul! It can get to the point where she completely loses her taste for the truth and begins to accept as truth only what pleases one passion or another. Envy is the most subtle and most disturbing pride. How much poison she spills around herself! How much destruction he builds for others! Not understanding themselves, not understanding the secret movements of their sinful soul, they persecute talents useful for society, denigrate the actions of noble hearts, persecute the innocent, and sometimes to the point that he, exhausted by his soul, goes to the grave. They do not understand that in their imaginary evenness there is a fight with good and truth, and, consequently, a fight with God, the source of truth and goodness. You, who are so indignant at the lies of others, look around, are you not more worth the indignation of others? Look around, don't you have to talk about yourself, a hypocrite! The name is unpleasant, but believe me, it is a useful medicine for your sick soul; take it more often, repeat to yourself about yourself, a hypocrite! Then you will not be carried away by vanity and envy to insult innocence. Then, when you encounter the real mistakes of another, you will either cover them with condescending silence, or you will say a few necessary words with meek love and prudent compassion. Then you will not only not stand up for yourself when defending the truth, but for the sake of the truth you will willingly endure the unpleasant. God! guard our hearts from envious pride. Let them sing praises to Your wondrous deeds like the strings of a harmonious psalter. Amen. And we began to deny everything together (Luke 14:18). In the parable of the guests invited to the Great Supper, the Lord Jesus showed how the Jews were disposed towards the kingdom of God, which opened with the appearance of the Son of God on earth. Rich people, elders of the people, teachers of the law, who were supposed to serve as examples of goodness to others, refused to enter the kingdom of grace. The Kingdom of Christ was not a worldly kingdom; and their hearts were tied to the earth. In response to the heavenly title, one said, “I bought a field, I need to inspect it”; “I bought five pairs of oxen, I don’t have time,” answered the other. Others were carried away by the frivolity of the world and did not listen to the gospel; “I took a wife for myself,” said their representative. Sad situation! It cannot be said that all these people were not aware of their duty and did not recognize the importance of the new title. No, those who indicated the purchase of the field and oxen said, “Forgive us to the lord; We feel that we should go, but things get in the way.” This is even more pathetic. They are aware of their duty and do not fulfill it. The Supper of God is ready for us, the listeners. And we are invited to her by the servants of the Son of God. The Lord loves poor people so much that He will not stop inviting them to His supper until the end of the world. But don’t they even now respond to the title of God with mere excuses? Unfortunately, many, recognizing holiness and piety, recognizing their duty to God, neglect piety under various pretexts, renounce it, each in their own way. What are the excuses of our time from the title of God? “We are not averse to Christian piety, some say, but worries about the house, trade, and work take up all our time; we have no time to engage in piety.” It is not difficult to notice that these excuses are very similar to the excuses heard in the parable. So they say, “I bought a field, I need to inspect it; but I bought five pairs of oxen, I don’t have time.” And yet they think that with the excuses of our time they can get into the kingdom of heaven? The occupations of trade, farming, and service are in themselves legitimate occupations, and, therefore, in themselves they cannot interfere with piety. Do them with the fear of God, with thoughts of judgment and eternity, do them without envy and anger, without deception and lies, and they will be pious. Engage in them as much as the thought of your first and most important duty allows - about duty to God; stop them when you are called to serve God and go serve God, then the activities of your rank and home will be holy. “We are overwhelmed by needs,” you say. But who suppresses you with them if not you yourself? Who took away from you the need to serve God and placed on your shoulders the need to serve only in the home or trade? Didn’t the Lord Himself tell you, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you? (Matthew 6:33). Are you concerned about the peace of your home, success in your career, and the happiness of your trade? But wasn’t it told to you that if you begin to seek the kingdom of God, the salvation of your soul, then everything else will be added to you? Egos are not human promises, so deceptive; this is God's promise; But is God unable or unwilling to fulfill what he promised? But you, not trusting God, take care of everything - and what comes of it? And you take away time from piety and catch the wind, the fruits of your lawless labors perish before your eyes, or are squandered by your children. No, it is not legal concerns that interfere with piety, but lawless care that knows no limits. He who has accustomed himself to manage his time and labors in accordance with the commandments of God, and sets the gospel measure to the desires of his heart, has enough time for piety. In calm trust in the One who gives food to the birds of the air (Matthew 17:26-30), he does not torment himself with worries about earthly things. Through his labors he acquires what is necessary for life, but not only does he not call the fruits of his labors small, but gives a portion of them to those in need. On the contrary, greed for temporary goods is always dissatisfied. Do they give her what she needs? There is no rest to acquire more. Are you sending more than you need? He builds buildings to trap everything in them as food for decay. Having become attached to the earthly, they do not think about anything, are not worried about anything, do not love anything except the earth. Wife, trade, distinctions - that’s all their treasure; their heart is right there. Complaining about lack of time? How do they spend their time? They get up, clean, walk, eat, ridicule, slander, and pass unclean things to each other. ABOUT! Why slander the faith of Christ, as if it, prescribing piety for official and family people, demands the impossible from them? If there were family and official people who pleased God with their piety, it is clear that they did not demand the impossible from anyone, demanding piety. Are you a craftsman and have a family to look after? Joseph was a carpenter; but he was honored to be the betrothed of the Most Holy Virgin and became one of the saints for his righteous and God-fearing life. Are you rich? But hardly richer than Abraham or Job? Follow their example, be kind to strangers, feed orphans and widows, help the unfortunate, and your wealth will open you the entrance to the heavenly dwellings of Abraham. Are you a judge? Samuel was a judge of the entire people of Israel, and when, relinquishing the title of judge, he called everyone to say if he had offended anyone, everyone blessed the Lord for him. Here is an example of how you can be a judge pleasing to the Lord and people! “I got married and therefore cannot come,” said the third person invited to the supper, and did not even consider it necessary to ask for an apology. Such is youth that is flighty! “Young people, they say, love to have fun; why deny her that? She will have time to pray. We are secular people, others say, to match our youth; the world would condemn us if we went to church; You can’t go against the general opinion.” If youth is frivolous, this does not mean that it is right. But if masculine maturity follows youthful frivolity, this is a pity. Are Christians ashamed to be Christians? Can this be expected? Or do they understand what they are ashamed of? They are usually ashamed of the unclean, the base, the despicable. So, do they understand that by being ashamed to be pious, they are showing that they recognize Christian piety as baseness, as an object of contempt? What terrible wickedness in a Christian against Christianity! Are they ashamed to worship the Creator of heaven and earth? Are they ashamed to glorify God with the faces of angels, to stand reverently with the cherubim before the terrible mysteries of Christ? Are they ashamed to be in the assembly of the followers of Christ and in communication with the inhabitants of heaven? Are they ashamed to protect themselves with the cross of the Lord Jesus, that cross which constitutes the strength and glory of Christians? Are they ashamed of Christian behavior, without which life on earth is darkness and decay, and after death - torment? What then remains honorable and worthy of respect for them? Is it really a life of pagan debauchery? ABOUT! people who like to consider themselves educated! Don't you want to love and praise the life of dumb savagery when you are ashamed of the life of reason? “We will be condemned for our piety,” they say. Who will judge? If the gospel of Christ approves of you, then none of those whose minds and hearts are in the right place will condemn you; on the contrary, they will rejoice before the Lord for your life, worthy of a man and a Christian. Who can judge you? If they are judged by the fans of vanity, by people whose life is an insult to common sense and a dishonor to the name of man, can you really, in conscience, value their judgment? Look around, what are these people not condemning? When frivolity spends the night playing cards and loses the last property of his wife and children, they do not judge. They do not condemn either extravagance or stupid vanity in themselves. And a drunken life and an unclean life and a life of deceit and trickery are many, many, if it brings a smile to their lips; but not contempt, not disgust, not deep sorrow, on the contrary, they themselves share this life. And can you, in good conscience, value the judgment of such people? And can you consider yourself a Christian, appreciating the judgment of such people? ABOUT! Remember the terrible sentence of the Lord, whoever is ashamed of Me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, and the Son of man will be ashamed of it when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels (Mark 8:38). There is no doubt that people who breathe peace will consider it a crime in you that you will live not according to their rules, not according to the rules of the sinful world, but according to the rules of Christ. They will be very unhappy that your actions will not be like their actions; your life without words will expose their disordered life and will serve as a reproach to their conscience. But really, the love of people, no matter who they are, should be more valuable to you than the favor of God? Do you really want to neglect the will of God, the commandments of Christ, just so as not to endure troubles from people, even those close to your heart? Who should you obey more than people, or God? “Still, you say, it’s better to live the way many people live. Why go against everyone? If your eternal salvation is dear to you, then no matter how painful it is, you must go against the frivolous world. The path followed by crowds of peace-loving people leads to hell; but the path to the kingdom of heaven is a narrow path and not many follow it. The Lord himself told us this, whose every word is her and amen. Many are called, but few are chosen, He said, and concluded with his parable about those who are called. We must follow the example not of many, but of the saints. When did pious people not shy away from communication with the sinful world? Noah separated himself from his wicked contemporaries. Abraham left his native land and spent the rest of his life as a wanderer. Lot fled from Sodom. They will say, now is the time of Christianity? But the spirit of the world even now is the same as it was under Abraham and Lot; he only changed a few things in his clothes. Nowadays there is no worship of idols, but the lust of hair, the lust of the flesh and the pride of life, which created and multiplied idols, still rule the world. ABOUT! leave many. What do you care about them? Many will not save you from judgment for your life. Everyone will be responsible for themselves there. Thank the Lord if He helps you correct your sick soul. If many live poorly, hell is spacious. Be afraid that you won't end up there too. “The wife, they say, is young; How can I deny her and myself pleasures?” Oh! The love of spouses is a holy thing, but above all is love for the Lord. The immortal soul was created not for a wife, but for the Lord. Not the wife, but the Lord - everything for us - both the Creator and the Provider and the Savior and the Judge. First of all and most of all we must love the Lord. Whoever loves anything other than God with all his heart sins gravely, and will be responsible for this with the suffering of eternity. It cannot be otherwise. Nowadays they consider it a rule to inflame carnal love with novels; Easy books are pleasant books, they say. Detrimental frivolity! They do not understand that carnal love is an open enemy of love for the Lord, they do not understand that this love, so actively nourished and kindled, is the enemy of both the health of our soul and the connection of marital and social good; They don’t understand that the drink they enjoy is poison. Youth says: “When old age comes, I will have time to pray.” Youth loves to have fun. Why deny her that?” ABOUT! youth! - youth! do you understand what you want? Do you want to offer God only old age, exhausted by years and passions? Do you want to give your pure, living, immaculate soul to sin, but do you think of sacrificing your soul, soiled in the dirt of life, cold, and exhausted, to God? A body that is immaculate and has youthful strength, in your opinion, should belong to sin, while a decrepit and sickly body, completely incapable of work, should belong to God? Are you thinking intelligently? Who told you that God's law is written only for old people? Who told you that living in the spirit and not in the flesh, humanly and not bestially, is only appropriate for old age? What do you want? Do you want to give in to your passions? What will happen to you? And your physical body will be upset and your soul will not be capable of anything. What do self-willed young men carried away by passions bring into families and society? Disobedience, insolence, insults, malfunction in everything, intolerable disorder of any order? What are they to the church? Children almost lost, for whom her labors were lost without benefit; She cries for them, the angels cry. On the contrary, the fatherland will see in you a useful servant, the family will see joy and honor, you yourself will see peace and contentment, heaven will see a pure spirit dear to it, when from your youth you cultivate piety in yourself. And how easy it is to learn piety at your age! Your will is flexible; How long will it take to give her direction to everything noble and high? Your heart is tender as wax; the instructions of the fear of God will be imprinted on him without effort. The soul is alive, unspoiled by the rules of light; - how receptive she is to the beautiful rules and truths of the holy faith! “I’ll make it, there’ll still be time,” you say. ABOUT! no, there won’t be that wonderful time that is now at your disposal. It’s hard to learn piety in old age. Sinful dispositions do not pass away, but grow over the years; bad habits become old in the soul; passions nurtured in youth grow with the heart. Sin is a mountain stream, which the further it runs, the more it increases. It is good for the young man if he bears the yoke in his youth. And who assured you that you would live to old age to repent of the sins of your youth? The Word of God teaches us, and experience also says: the fear of the Lord adds days, but the years of the wicked will be shortened (Wisdom 10:27). May the Lord, by grace, confirm in our hearts the sincere determination to live holy, until the grave. Amen. About the rich prince (Luke 18:18–29). For everyone our Savior was love; He accepted everyone to Himself, listened to everyone, offered everyone what they needed for the soul; received the kind with joy; comforted sinners with meekness; a poor man and a small child approached Him freely; He did not reject the rich who sought spiritual wealth. When He came from Galilee to the borders of Judea, the Pharisees came to Him with questions about divorce, and He resolved their questions; then they brought the children to Him, and He blessed them. Then a certain prince approached Him, and the Lord entered into a conversation with him. The story of this man’s reception is all the more worthy of attention because in the Gospel we more often see poor people near Jesus than rich people. And a certain prince asked him, saying to the good teacher, what, having created the eternal life, will I inherit? so says St. Luke, and below notes about this prince, he was very rich; and St. Matthew calls the same man a young man. So, this is a wonderful man, he is a prince, and also a young man, and also a very rich man, and he asks what, having created, will I inherit an eternal life? We would offend our conscience if we thought whether the prince was only proposing an important question in order to tempt the Lord. The Gospel story in no way gives us the right to be such judges of the prince. On the contrary, St. Mark says that the prince approached Jesus with complete sincerity and reverence, and someone came and bowed down on his knees, asking Him. It is clear that he was not a frivolous man; despite the fact that the prince is young and rich, he deals with an important subject and studies it with spiritual compassion, with reverent attention to the importance of the subject. Isn’t it true that it can be pointed out with consolation not only to the elders of Israel, but also to Christians of our time? Think about it; Is everyone like him interested in the important question of what I will do and inherit an eternal life? Don't some of us spend whole days calculating how to be richer? Doesn't worrying about how to become a step higher than another take away sleep from others? Meanwhile, the gospel tells us, woe to the rich! We know the judgment against those who aspire to the first places in the assemblies. So, isn’t the rich young prince of Israel a shame for our time? Jesus said that you said good things to me? No one is good, only God is one. The young prince, although he was a good prince, although he sincerely sought what was necessary for his soul, he had not yet completely renounced the circle of those like himself, was not yet free from the opinions of modern people, following the example of most of his contemporaries, he saw in Jesus only a simple teacher and speaks in the language of a secular person, Good Teacher! And the Savior denounces the words of secular politeness, if you, the Lord said, recognize me only as a simple teacher; then why do you call Me good? Why do you ask Me what you should do to gain eternal life? No simple teacher can know what can lead you into the kingdom? Even less can such a teacher be called good; in God is the source of goodness and wisdom - He alone is good. In saying this, the Savior does not deny that He Himself, as the Son of God, is all-good; on the contrary, He brings the prince closer to this very thought. He seems to be telling him, either don’t call me good when you consider me only a human being, or be more attentive to me and don’t judge me by the example of the crowd. Here is a lesson for people of the so-called higher tone! They make it a rule to shower people with magnificent names, to greet them with words that, according to their inner consciousness, do not apply to those people at all, but which they apply to them out of so-called politeness, out of decency, in order to say a pleasant word; They flatter pride and flatter with consciousness, and yet they say it’s necessary; - they give poison to a sick soul and say, this is how it should be! Brethren! This is not how it should be, for every idle word we will give an answer to the Lord; our words must be faithful to the truth of God, the word of God. Keep the commandments, says the Savior to the young man, do not commit adultery, do not kill, do not steal, do not bear false witness, honor your father and mother. He said, all this has been preserved from my youth. Or, as St. more fully conveys. Matthew, if you want to take it into your belly, keep the commandments. Verbs for him, what? Jesus said, you cannot kill a hedgehog, etc. The young man said to Him, “I have kept all this from my youth; what have you not finished yet? (Matthew 19:17–26). Jesus, adds St. Mark, having looked at him, loved him (Mark 10:21). The good young man did good and was ready to do good. As soon as the Savior reminded us of the commandments necessary for eternal life, as soon as he said, if you want to take them into your belly, keep the commandments, he quickly asks which ones? Looking at his deeds from the outside, he thought that he had fulfilled the commandments, however, he assumed that in order to get closer to God, for the highest perfection, in order to enter a new kingdom, some more sublime feat was needed, what did he not complete? Don't you see that this young man not only has many good deeds, but also has some humility - the beginning, in fact, of spiritual life? He is not only on the path of salvation from eternal death, but also on the path to spiritual perfection, to the kingdom of Christ, although he has not yet entered the kingdom. That is why the Lord, with the gaze of love, showed him His favor, His love. To his question what commandments are needed for eternal life, the Lord answers that these are the commandments that were given at Sinai. The young prince thought that the former commandments were hardly needed to enter the new kingdom. But the Lord of the Old and New Testaments says that both then - in the Old Testament, and in the new time, obedience to the commandments of God is necessary, they express the will of God in order to be worthy of blessed eternity. Let the law be given to curb the passions of Israel, but is a Christian without passions? Doesn’t he feel within himself another law, warring in his members, even to the grave? And what is needed in order to finally reach the level of the highest perfection, in order to be clothed in the full image of Christ? It is necessary to go through a difficult path of various temptations in advance; one must tame the passions by obeying the commandments that scourge the passions. Truly happy are those who, together with the young prince of the Gospel, can say that from their youth they tried to keep the commandments. One can hope a lot from them in the future - for their highest improvement. But how many similar people are there among us? Where is the innocent youth between us? Where is mature age without mature vices? Where is old age, not decrepit from sins? Do children today know, do older people feel in their souls, what the fear of God is? Do they study the commandments through their lives, do they live their lives according to them? And speaking to him, you have not yet finished one thing, all that you have left, sell it and give it to the poor, and have treasure in heaven, and come after Me. The young prince, because he fulfilled the commandments, was worthy of the Savior’s love. And yet, according to the judgment of the Savior, he still lacked one thing, namely, to distribute his property to the poor and follow Jesus. Why do the Savior say that what the prince lacked for complete perfection was to distribute his property? Is it possible that everyone who has property is deprived of spiritual perfection by its possession? How to understand this? How can one imagine the condition of the young man and the Savior’s demand? The fact is that the prince not only had a lot of acquisitions, but also loved acquisitions; the illness of his spirit, from which he lacked perfection, was that he was addicted to wealth. Otherwise, he would undoubtedly have fulfilled the Savior’s demand; his kindness would have been enough to distribute his property to the poor; for he loved his neighbors. So, what the Savior demands from the young prince, with all the particulars, expresses such a universal demand, renounce the dear, dear to your heart, for the sake of your Lord. Is the Lord asking too much? Oh! What does the Lord of our heart have no right to demand from us? Everything that belongs to Him belongs to Him and should be dedicated to Him. Another will say, “Where can I get the strength for such donations? I am weakened by sins. But who is to blame that you have weakened yourself with sins? Be perfect, just as the Heavenly Father is perfect, this is said to everyone. And this will is as good as it is fair, for what better could a person desire than for him to approach his Lord in perfection? Let the sinner grieve that he lost his strength due to his lost will, but let him also know that God’s rights over him are not lost. Another thing is that God does not require special donations from everyone with a special title. He, the wise man of the heart, always demands what needs to be demanded, and what everyone could bear, according to the state of their spirit. So He demands from the young man exactly what he lacked for complete perfection, and what he could have accomplished if he had overcome himself. To make his feat easier, the Lord also offers him an incentive consistent with the state of his soul. Wealth was precious to the young man. The Lord does not take away his wealth, but only transfers him to a safe place in heaven, does not ruin him, but only exchanges for him a perishable treasure for an incorruptible one. And have your treasure in heaven. Come after Me, added the Savior. And this is not a new requirement, but an old one; only it is presented from the other side, and again to the relief of the young man. Having taken off thin clothes, one cannot remain naked; having given up a favorite thing, it is natural to love the better one for which the one was given up; having renounced himself, his will, his passion, all that remains is to follow the Lord. The young prince, accustomed to consider himself happy with wealth, did not yet know how to be happy without wealth; the Lord suggested to him that he would learn this from His example and teaching. If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (Luke 9:23). What the prince hears, without a doubt, he did not hear from any Jewish teacher, nor did he read from any pagan sage. So sublime is the teaching of the Lord, although at the same time it is completely simple. When he heard it, he was grieved, for he had much wealth. What a pity! There is only one step left towards higher perfection, and the good prince grieves and does not want to take this step. He kept all the commandments from his youth, and does not want to fulfill the one, the best one. The thought that he had to lose all his acquisitions weighed him down so much that he could not decide to fulfill the will of the Lord. This is what your passions mean, brothers! Until they demand from us what is dear to our hearts, we seem to ourselves and other people to be kind; if we demand renunciation of the idol of the heart, we will not take a step forward; demand what you want, just not renounce your favorite object, then they will do everything; but touch the idol of the soul, it’s completely different. How painful it is to look at a Christian soul, a soul that desires good for itself, but which is entangled in a network of passion! The love of money is idolatry, says the apostle. And this is an obvious truth. But tell that to the money-lover; he will blame you. That’s enough for me, he’ll say, I’m not a drunkard, I don’t offend others, on the contrary, I did a lot for the common good, carried out this and that position; what else do they want from me! This is why losses are so hard for us! This is why we, visited by the right hand of God, faint! The Lord, who knows our illnesses, our secret passions, which we sometimes ourselves do not notice in ourselves, takes away from us what fed this or that illness of your soul, what served as food for passion. All that remains is to thank the doctor of our souls. No, we are still grumbling. Seeing him, Jesus became sad and said, “It is not convenient for those who have wealth to enter the kingdom of God, for it is more convenient for me to pass through the ears of a needle, before the rich can enter the kingdom of God.” The Savior does not say this regarding the fate of the good young man; his fate is unknown; Perhaps his grief, his struggle with himself turned into the grief of repentance, and he changed in life. Having looked at Jesus, St. Mark, verb, how inconvenient, etc. (Mark 10:23), i.e. The Lord turned his judgmental gaze on others with similar dispositions of heart, and said that it is too difficult for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God; more difficult than for a camel to pass through the ears of a needle. The disciples were horrified at His words. The most sincere disciples, since they had not yet been introduced by the grace of the Spirit into the mysteries of spiritual life, were amazed, even frightened, by the Savior’s verdict on the rich. Jesus, having answered again, said to them, why would it not be convenient for those who trust in wealth to enter the kingdom of God? (Mark 10:24). God is here; instead of the words, having wealth, it is said that it is difficult for those who trust in wealth to enter the kingdom. So, the Savior speaks not just about rich people, but about people who trust in wealth - about people whose all hopes, all joys are contained in wealth. Yes, you can have too little and yet be in your soul with desires for a lot; You can be a poor man and carry a thirst for money in your soul, rely on money only as the support of life, and then they will say, like a rich man, it is difficult for you to enter the kingdom, as difficult as for a lord to enter the ears of a needle. Moreover, brethren, it is easy, having wealth, to become attached to wealth in your heart; It is rare that the rich can part with their wealth without sorrow. Remember who the Lord's chosen disciples were? Poor fishermen. Who were the disciples of the apostles? “You are not many wise according to the flesh, you are not many strong, you are not many noble,” the apostle testifies (1 Cor. 1:26). In the ranks of the martyrs who voluntarily gave their lives for the Lord, how many rich people do we see, how many strong in name and honor? A little! But what was sown among the thorns is, hear the word, and the sorrow of this age and the flattery of riches choke the word and become unfruitful (Matthew 13:22). The seductive benefits of wealth, the sadness and worries that wealth entails, suppress good desires in the soul. And how much evil charming wealth brings into the soul! How many injustices are done in order to acquire wealth! lies and deceit, envy and hatred alternate in the soul, and there is neither place nor time for good deeds. And the more they acquire, the more they thirst to acquire, and at the same time they burden their souls even more with sins. That is why the evangelist simply says that no matter how convenient those who have wealth will enter the kingdom of God. He who heard it decided, who can be saved? He said that what is impossible with man is possible with God. According to the Evangelist Matthew (Matthew 19:25), the apostles and St. asked the Lord about this. Mark narrates: the disciples were terrified, they marveled too much (Mark 10:25-26). What made the apostles fear and ask who could be saved? The apostles were poor; It would seem that they had nothing to fear for themselves given the terrible verdict about the rich. But the apostles thought that if the entrance to the kingdom is so narrow; if to enter it one must give up everything, it is difficult to find a poor person who does not have something that can prevent him from entering the kingdom; they were frightened by the thought of the greatness of the donations that must be made for the kingdom of heaven, they must give up everything, they thought how difficult it is, how strange it is! This is what the apostles thought, while their minds and hearts were not yet cleansed and were not enlightened by the Comforter Spirit. Jesus looked at them and said: The Lord understood their thoughts and calmed their worried thoughts with a gentle gaze. What is impossible with man is possible with God, He said. What a weak person, upset by sin, weakened by bad habits, is not able to do on his own, the power of God can do in him; he cannot free himself from spiritual blindness in order to clearly see his sins and infirmities; cannot overcome the weakness of his will in order to enter with full faith into the feat of self-sacrifice and reach the end of the feat. No matter who this person is, whether rich or poor, educated or uneducated, it is impossible for everyone to achieve spiritual perfection on his own. But what is impossible for man is possible for God. Let the weak one turn with prayer to the All-Powerful, and the All-Powerful, in His goodness, will give him everything; the power of God will strengthen him to fight passions. Let him lay down his infirmities before the Lord, in hopelessness for himself; God is faithful - help will be sent. The Lord assures us with an oath that he does not want the death of a sinner and is ready to give everything necessary for our salvation. Brethren! Let’s not forget the good qualities of the young prince, let’s not forget what his wealth did not allow him to do. Amen. A word for Week 81 at the all-night service, against slander Do not lie to each other while you are naked the old man with his deeds (Col. 3:9). In the world they consider it a pleasant activity, an innocent pleasure, to make jokes at the expense of another, to slander, to gossip; and - the one who is more able to slander than others is considered a more pleasant person than others. But is this the way Christian teaching views this activity of Christians? Christians! One must believe in Christian teachings, which is a common practice for many. I would not like to say unpleasant things to people who like to listen to pleasant things for them. But St. Scripture does not say a pleasant word about slander. It depicts slander in the darkest colors, like the darkest vice. It calls the throat of the slanderers an open tomb (Ps. 5:20); their tongue is like the heat of a serpent (Eccl. 10:11); The poison of asps, he says, is under their lips (Ps. 139:4). Those who bring reproach are the most foolish, according to the judgment of Solomon (Proverbs 10:18). The Apostle Paul places slander among the most vile vices, such as drunkenness, theft and others (1 Cor. 6:3, 10). And he teaches, do not lie against one another, having put off the old man with his deeds (Col. 3:9), i.e. convinces not to lie against each other because slander and slander are the work of the old man, alien to grace, or, as he says elsewhere about slander, it is the work of the pagan (Rom. 1:30). Do not slander your friend, brethren, the ap exhorts. Jacob (James 4:4). Judge not, lest ye be judged, says the Savior himself; He, as you see, threatens to sue the formidable Judge for slander. In order to fully understand both the strict judgment of Scripture about slander and the relationship of slander to the pure Christian spirit, let us pay attention to the relationship of slander to Christian love and justice. Love is the difference of Christianity; love is a necessity for a Christian. Is slander peaceful or hostile with love, an essential part of a Christian? A pleasant activity for many people is as friendly with love as water is with fire. Love wants to do only good to others; and slander? Love, commanding us to love others as ourselves, commands us to do for them the very thing we want for ourselves, but what about slander? It does exactly the opposite. How does Scripture depict Christian love to us? Love, says the ap. Paul, patient, merciful; love does not envy, does not boast; she is simple-minded and does not remember evil; she does not rejoice at the mistakes of another, does not laugh at them, but mourns over them; she is forgiving, does not ridicule her weak brother, but feels sorry for him; she rejoices in her neighbor only in truth and goodness (1 Cor. 6:4–7); if he wants to correct the mistake of another, then he speaks about it to the other in a spirit of meekness, with tender compassion (Gal.6:1). Ap. Peter adds that love not only does not reveal the weaknesses of another, on the contrary, it tries to hide them from the eyes of everyone, even from itself, under the cover of kindness, although it takes care to turn the one who has lost his way onto the straight path (1 Pet. 4:8). Is this what slander does? We are not talking about gross slander. It too clearly insults tender love for one’s neighbor, and its words, tone, and methods are so brazenly offensive, breathing with furious anger. Such slander, of course, is not liked in the noble world. The slander that educated people allow is, in my opinion, very kind. But is it kinder in spirit than gross slander? Alas! it is far more evil than him! inflicts wounds unnoticed, but introduces the most burning poison into them (Ps. 56:5). It throws arrows from afar, but the arrows are the sharpest, piercing right through (Ps. 58:8). It jokes and, jokingly, kills the peace and life of another. It doesn’t so much speak as it lets you guess, but one word, one movement, one smile is more stinging than chatty abuse. You don't believe; you think that social courtesy is timid in order to be too cruel to another. Beware. Where necessary, she very bravely mixes lies with truth, passes off guesses as events, turns suspicions into verdicts, with a bold hand changes reality, spilling the color of her black soul onto everything and - calmly kills the honor and happiness of another. “You can’t imagine,” says the kind man, how painful it is for me that they say this and that about so-and-so (and no one else has ever said anything bad about him); I would be ready to do everything to close his story; but - it is already public” (that is, through him) and begins the story in order to decorate it with new inventions, contrary to how it was told before. If necessary, the kind slanderer will first describe the respected face with brilliant colors and then throw a few shadows, but with the sharpest contrast to everything bright. This is what is called, decorating the victim with flowers in order to then stab him to death. How many tricks, how many tricks, how much ingenuity - and all just to harm another! Isn't this cruelty? Is this not an insult to Christian love? And they are still satisfied with their courtesy, while there is as much Christian love in it as in the demon. My friends! What is in someone’s heart flows from their tongue. If love lived in our hearts, then our language would be an expression of love. What do they talk about in our societies? There are only conversations, only words, stories about how he lives badly with his wife, how she humiliates herself with shamelessness; how this or that official is incapable of business, or how this and that boss is blind, or how another one went broke on balls. All you hear here and there is gossip, ridicule, caustic words, insidious hints, feigned regret. ABOUT! My God! and this in a Christian society, a society that should live only by love! Christian justice demands that we do not harm our neighbor and forbids us to plot against him anything that we do not want for ourselves; it demands from us the same truthfulness, the same faithfulness to words and deeds, in our relations with others, as we desire from others in relation to ourselves; she demands that they not appropriate anything that belongs to themselves. To what extent is slander true to justice? As much as love. Let's start with the disposition to speak ill of others. Who gave us power over our brother's good name? Let the brother make a mistake, let the brother sin. God is the judge over him, his affairs are subject to review by his superiors. Why does an uncalled judge take it upon himself to judge and condemn his brother outside of a legal court? And on what did you base your evil stories about others? That's what others said! What if others lie, and you need to lie? If others lie, you should have verified their words with reality before repeating the lie. But partly I myself saw what I was saying about someone else. My friend! if you have not seen your brother’s soul, then you can mistake the dark Satan for a bright angel and vice versa. Are you fair in slandering your brother? Not at all. Justice requires you not to touch your brother’s good name, just as it requires you not to touch any of his property. What would they call you when you stole something belonging to a neighbor? A thief? Do not be angry that they call you by this name, when you are not ashamed to publicly take away from your neighbor his property - his honor. In your slander, courage turns out to be insolence, meekness to be weakness, piety to be hypocrisy, caution to be pretense, simplicity to be stupidity, justice to be cruelty. And you don’t think that you are being unfair. ABOUT! My God! How passion blinds people! Why does it happen, listeners, that those who love to torment the name of their neighbor with slander really dislike it and flare up with anger and indignation when slander concerns themselves? Let us suppose that in their impatience, with which they accept the wounds of slander, pride also participates. But we must be fair to them too; they are offended by slander and out of a sense of justice. Thus, their own experience shows them that they are also unfair to their neighbor when they allow themselves to insult him with slander. Let us, in order to sincerely feel the injustice of our ridicule, expose ourselves more often to the shots of ridicule of their weaknesses. Let them listen, without giving room to anger, how they will be accused of bad deeds, which they did not think about, and give their actions a meaning that they did not associate with them. Then, having compared their position with the position of others, they will see that they need to moderate their passion for ridicule, they must admit the injustice of their slander. Notice, listeners, another feature of slander is cowardice. The slanderer usually only sarcasticly attacks those who are absent, he sarcasticly in those moments when, as he sees, they will not repel the attacks of his anger. If our wit notices that there is a friend in society who will not allow a friend to be denigrated with impunity, or there is not a friend of face, but of virtue, who will not fail to stand up for insulted innocence, the slanderer is silent, like a fish. What does it mean? This is new evidence of his injustice. He is a low coward because only justice fears neither enemies nor friends, and boldly speaks about the truth. He is unfair to the point that he is vile and he himself feels his vileness. So slander is a vice, because it is condemned by Scripture; it is a vice, because it insults Christian love; it is a vice because it offends justice. But it is still a terrible vice, but its destructive actions. The wise son of Sirach says, a scourge creates scabs, but a tongue ulcer crushes bones. Many fell with the edge of the sword, but not as one who fell with the tongue (Sir.28:20-21). You, who without hesitation give freedom to your evil tongue! Have you ever thought how much trouble and suffering you cause people, how many bitter tears you make people shed? There, an innocent person, whom you slandered in the eyes of his superiors, is consumed with grief, a whole family suffers, left without bread, because the one who fed it lost his position, slandered by you. Here is a merchant languishing in poverty, whom you deprived of credit; the servant remains idle and in need, for whom your slander and suspicions have locked the entrance to all houses. Elsewhere, a young maiden is killed by grief, the color of her virginal purity has withered in the opinion of the world, burned by your burning tongue; and there sits a worthy teacher without the means to live, whom you described as an evil and mediocre person for his severity towards laziness and vices. Do you think, unfortunate one, that heavenly justice does not see what earthly justice does not see? Do you think that so many evils and misfortunes caused by you will remain without vengeance by the all-seeing Judge? You don’t see it here, but beyond the grave they will show you the entire enormous volume of disasters caused by your slander. Ap. Jacob compares the tongue of the evil one to fire, which spreads the faster the more food it finds and finally devastates the whole forest. Behold, the fire is small, he says, and it burns great things. And the tongue is fire, babbling, a storehouse of unrighteousness (James 3:5). Truly one evil word, a rumor spread from one poisonous mouth, passing from house to house, from society to society, what terrible traces it leaves behind! These spouses were bound by bonds of tender love and mutual trust and were comforted by their children, caring one before the other about their peace and upbringing, and the poisonous slander of helpful people formed the poison of hatred in their hearts, they live in seductive separation, children without the supervision of a father or mother, their relatives at home - in anxiety and enmity. These brothers, these relatives, these friends, who so sincerely loved each other and with their love united entire families into happy and contented circles, now not only themselves became enemies of each other, but several societies appeared hostile to each other. Why is there such a disaster? Alas! Several speeches of an evil tongue that reached them caused a terrible fire. The Dathans and Avirons do not care that their slander and slander against the rulers prevents disobedience among subordinates, the progress of common affairs is stopped, and thousands of innocents suffer. The pagan man is terrible in his city! He will trouble others and spread slander among the peaceful (Sir.9:23, 28:11). My friends! let our conversations be such that we do not have to answer for them with torment in eternity. Amen. A word for the 31st week, against slander the old man with his deeds (Col. 3:9). And I also want to talk to you, beloved, about slander. The sin of slander is so heavy that it will take you a long time to weigh its weight. Meanwhile, others want to excuse themselves for this sin. In the present case, let us weigh the severity of slander according to its beginnings and consider the excuses that are put forward to justify oneself in slander. If slander by its actions is a grave crime, then it is the same by its beginnings. The main source of his spoiled pride. since self-love appears in us in different forms or in different private sins, then slander is the fruit of one or another type of self-love. Pride, the first offspring of self-love, satisfied with itself, is not satisfied when a superior or equal appears in its thoughts, whose merits crowd and crush it. The situation is unpleasant! A sincere admission of one's shortcomings could ease a troubled soul. But pride turns to the shortcomings of another and begins to make fun of others out loud at the expense of offensive greatness, pours out ridicule and witticisms, for lack of actual ones, invents mistakes and errors, makes even the well-intentioned actions of another appear ridiculous; in a word he portrays an unpleasant person in such a way that others laugh at the poor victim, and the priest is pleased with himself. It would seem, what is there to be happy about? Is it because they don’t sense the logs in themselves, but point out the speck in another’s eye? Or by the fact that satanic pride was amused in oneself to the point that it gave birth to the rage of ridicule, offensive to one brother and tempting to several? The passion to rule over others also arms itself with slander and slander when it sees that others are ready with their abilities to acquire power, if not higher, then equal. Remember Haman. He slandered a whole people before the king and is ready to destroy the whole people, just because Mordecai did not want to humiliate himself before him. ABOUT! how fertile passion is for all kinds of slander, for the most vile lies, in the courts of kings, in the houses of nobles, in the tents of military leaders! And where does she not appear with the corrupting breath of slander? And in societies of rural simplicity, how many suffer from disputes about power, erupting in the rage of slander! Does vanity want to be different from others in some way? I want to shine with some advantages, I want to occupy others with myself. And here it comes out to catch the wind! How to catch him? An easy way to distinguish yourself before a superior is to flatter the superior; and - so, in order to please the higher one, they slander before him about the one who is not liked by the higher one. What do they not dare to do in order to gain the favor of the highest? How to attract the attention of society? It is very possible to amuse society at your own expense, there are enough objects, but will you add shine to yourself? Talking about practical things means there is not enough money, there is little point. It's easier to show off something funny in someone else's eyes in front of society. And this is where the mind came from, which is not useful! Two, three similar wits gave help. And the fun began. As soon as one joke was thrown, a hail of caustic ridicule and slander of the most caustic and evil began to fall. What fun is this, listeners! ABOUT! If you looked into the depths of your soul, how pitiful you would seem to yourself, chasing the wind and causing so many wounds to your soul because of the wind! There is also slander of the poor-faced envy. Tormented by the happiness and glory of others, the envious person would like to destroy this happiness and this glory. But the means of violence are either impossible or dangerous for him. A weapon that is easy to harm another is slander; the most cowardly hand can throw it. And the envious person mercilessly attacks everything that weighs on him. No matter how pure the life of a high-ranking person, envy will cover it with an ugly paint, present intentions in a black form, and give actions a look at its own discretion. An example of this is the holiest of saints, our Lord Jesus Christ. Throughout his ministry to His people, His life was a procession to Calvary, under a hail of arrows thrown by the scribes and Pharisees. Neither His lofty teaching, nor miracles, nor the holiness of life tamed envious malice; she only became more and more irritated against Him. The slander, maliciously multiplied and insidiously arranged, prepared, organized and finally committed that atrocity from which the earth trembled and the sun darkened. Hatred, taking possession of the human heart, extinguishes in it any sense of love and justice. She pours out her bile on the hated one in the most shameless slander. A person who, due to lack of abilities and a bad life, has lost his place, instead of turning indignation against himself, does nothing but condemn his superiors for injustice and various weaknesses, his subordinates for base flattery and intrigues, a stream of slander flows from his tongue, he finds pleasure in depriving others of the respect that he himself cannot deserve. Love, rejected and turned into hatred, showered the chaste Joseph and Susanna with the most unfair accusations. A woman who turns burning jealousy into hatred becomes satanically evil. There are no convictions that would soothe her seething hatred, no requests that would soften it, no favors that would touch her. In order to destroy a hated person in public opinion, she stops at nothing, pursues the object of hatred with all her cunning and showers him with all caustic slander. These are the reasons that dispose people to slander! All of them, as you see, are unclean, dirty, vile. And such and such an activity is called enjoyable! Oddly enough, people justify such an activity in themselves, or at least want to excuse it. “Secular slander, they say, is not the fruit of the intention to harm one’s neighbor, they only want to enliven the conversation, to pleasantly occupy society.” But let’s not say that wanting to amuse people with emptiness is not a lofty desire; Let us not say that, according to the instructions of the Apostle, only words that are useful for edification in the faith, capable of delivering grace to those who listen (Eph. 4:29), should come from the lips of Christians (Eph. 4:29), but according to the word of the Savior, we will give an answer for every idle word. Let us not question those who want to amuse others with slander: do they really slander without evil intentions? Let their conscience answer them themselves: are they not, according to the words of the wise, deceitful against their friends, and when they see them, they say that they have committed a game? ( Proverbs 26:19 ). We will only say that if you do not watch your heart, it is difficult for one or another passion not to express itself in words. Let’s assume that you don’t want to harm your neighbor with ridicule. But does your slander lose its malignant effects? Does it stop harming its neighbor? No, your caustic mockery does not make the other person feel any better, then you jokingly throw arrows at him. Your joke is no fun for a brother when it deprives him of his valuable property and his good name. And what is your heart, which is able to amuse itself at the misfortunes of another, to enjoy his sufferings! Sorry if your fun is called satanic. “Of course, they say, slander is vile, but is a pleasant story about the real weakness of another guilty?” But you, who slander your neighbor, tell me, with your hand on your heart, is everything that you say bad about another really true as you imagine? Any increase in reality is a lie, it is the truth, against which there is nothing to be said. And the flowers with which you decorated your story, the exaggeration of the weight of the mistake made one way or another, two, three, features with which you increased the volume of the event - all this turned your supposedly innocent story into slander. I’m not saying that you are not a judge of the heart and therefore are not able to know the dispositions with which this or that was done to your neighbor. “Shouldn’t we really say bad things about someone else, if not for his benefit, then as a warning to others?” ABOUT! speak what is useful for others, but do not break the laws of truth and love. Christian zeal cares about the salvation of our neighbors, but not about their dishonor. If she speaks about the misdeed of her neighbor, for the benefit of others, she points out the dark image of vice, without tormenting the feelings with the causticity and dirt of colors, speaks about weakness carefully so as not to betray truth and love, speaks not so much about the personal sin of a brother, but about the holiness of the common duty to love goodness, and finally speaks how to speak. If then, as your brother’s sin was a secret and what you know about it was not fully known to you, you, obligated to protect your brother’s honor, expose it to others; Are you fulfilling your duty towards yourself and others? ABOUT! You bring out sins that are dead to people from their darkness and with their stench you infect innocent hearts, seduce the weak and destroy the innocent. “It was not from me that the slander came out first, if it is slander; I conveyed what I heard,” says another in his defense. But does this justify you, my friend? If the other person was not modest, this does not remove your responsibility to be modest. If another was carried away by the anger of passion, is it really necessary for you to follow his example? You have to do your thing. Something offensive to the honor of your neighbor has reached your ears; let it die in you (Eccl. 19:10). Otherwise, by disclosing it, you expose yourself to responsibility for all the consequences. You have heard both, but your job is to believe what you hear, so as not to accept fables as truth for yourself, much less present fables as truth out loud to others. “Am I guilty, says another, that I conveyed unpleasant news to another as a secret, and he divulged it?” But you, my dear fellow, realize that what you know about someone else should not have been retold, but you retell it yourself, aren’t you blaming yourself? Do you realize that you shouldn’t harm the honor of another, but you tarnish it yourself? You ask another to keep a secret that is offensive to his brother. Doesn't this mean saying that another should be more lenient towards his brother than you yourself, be less unfair than yourself? Do you excuse yourself for weakness by not keeping a secret? But why then, when you recognize yourself as weak, do you not want to think that another and a third will be no stronger than you and will pass on to others what is offensive to their brother, in a form more offensive than you passed on? Why didn't the thought of the unpleasant consequences of your immodesty stop you from being immodest? What if, by asking another to keep a secret, you only wanted to deprive the accused of all means of acquittal, so that his honor would be tormented with impunity? This is not only a crime, but a crime of the blackest intent. ABOUT! You, who have to judge for every idle and every harmful word! Forgive us if the good name of our brothers has suffered because of our thoughtless words. Give us strength so that we do not lie against each other, after we have put off the old man and his deeds. Amen. Do you remember, listeners, what the Savior said about the rich when the rich young man refused to follow the Savior? It is more convenient to eat, said the Lord, I will tell you to pass through the ears of a needle, so as to bring the rich man into the kingdom of God. But, the Savior added: what is not possible with man, is possible with God (Luke 18:25, 27). And so, to justify the last words of the Lord, we are presented with the example of Zacchaeus. This example shows precisely that a rich person can be among the children of Abraham. How can this happen? Let us listen to the Gospel story about Zacchaeus. And (Jesus) entered the passage of Jericho. And behold a man called Zacchaeus; and this one is an old publican, and he is a rich man. Zakiyah was not only a publican, which meant tax collector of state taxes, but also an old publican - the main tax collector. Jericho, where Zacchaeus lived, was a rich city; trade in palm forest and balsam made it glorious and prosperous. Therefore, it is not surprising that the main tax collector of customs duties in commercial Jericho was a rich man. And you sought to see Jesus, and were unable to do so from the people, because you were too young. And the man climbed onto his buttock and saw that he wanted to pass by it. Hearing about the miracles and teachings of Jesus aroused faith in Jesus in Zacchaeus; faith aroused the desire to see Jesus. Zacchaeus seeks the happiness of seeing Jesus. But here are the obstacles, age is small. Small stature makes it difficult to see Jesus in a crowd of people. What to do? Push through the crowd to get closer to Jesus? For a famous rich man, a man of such importance in the world, to jostle among people of all kinds is delicate. Moreover, Zacchaeus, as is noticeable, did not consider it convenient, without prior acquaintance, to enter into intercourse with Jesus. What to do? I want to see Jesus, but how to see? Looking for a high place, a tall tree? Very ticklish. In view of many people to climb a tree? In view of everyone, stay on the tree? This means setting yourself up as a target where the ridicule of youth, the barbs of wits, and the talk of the crowd will fall. Zacchaeus understands and feels this very much. And yet, he decides to do anything just to see the Lord. Great determination! Zacchaeus decides on troubles, on humiliation, just to fulfill a holy desire, for the Lord he enters into a struggle with the light and its opinions, this is a feat worthy of a high soul! Such a feat is not easy for a rich man; but if it is necessary for salvation, one must choose it. How long will you worship on both knees? Prophet Elijah spoke to Israel. If the God of Israel is your God, why do you not give up your wicked desires? Why doesn’t your whole soul serve Him, your true Master and God? You feel your bad situation, you feel the need for a change in life; but false shame prevents you from starting a different way of life, but vanity keeps you on the path that so surely leads to destruction. Have pity on yourself. Imagine the shame that will cover you, exposed at the world court. Imagine the endless sorrow that will torment you for your betrayal of the Lord, for your insane dooming of yourself to destruction for a pernicious world. Is it difficult to go against the customs accepted by the world? Is it hard to expose yourself to the world? But if a certain monetary turnover promises us benefits; If there is a hope of getting glory for your work, what are you not willing to do for money? What kind of work is not done for honor? Why is there no such determination, no such constancy in our love for our own, eternal salvation? Why do you need more sacrifices for money, more work for honor, than for the Lord? The fact is that they do not begin to do good, do not begin to do it, in order to turn to the Lord in humble prayer for help. If you are confident in the holiness of the enterprise, in its need for the soul, pray to the Lord and walk cheerfully on your way; do not humiliate your soul before sin. Let people not understand you! God knows and covers you. Will you lose your glory here? They will return it there. Will people here laugh? The Lord will console you here and there. At least you had the opportunity to endure ridicule and slander for your good deed; don't step back; Without battle there is no victory, but for the winner there is a crown - he who endures to the end will be saved. Zacchaeus's determination to cause trouble for good did not go unrewarded. Zacchaeus considered it a blessing to have just looked at the Lord; and the Knower of the Heart, seeing Zacchaeus’s disposition, consoles him with unexpected joy - he visits Zacchaeus’s very house. For this reason, Zacchaeus did not stop at just the first feat. Warmed, inflamed by the love of the Lord, he then, like foolishness, murmurs against the love of the Lord that visited the house of a sinful husband, shows by deeds that a wonderful change has occurred in his heart, and by deeds testifies to his gratitude to the love of the Lord that visited him. God! he says, “I will give half of my property to the poor.” Why does Zacchaeus, grateful to the Lord, turn with grateful love to the poor? This is because the rich Zacchaeus could do good precisely by doing good to his neighbor - because from the rich it is first of all required that he live not only for himself, but for the poor. Wealth was not given to the rich man for his own sake; the rich man is God’s agent, a person entrusted with making orders worthy of prudence, worthy of the will of God; His report also includes the poor. This is God's will for the rich man! The poor will be punished for lack of patience, for grumbling about poverty; a rich man will be reminded of Lazarus if he left him wounded in front of the gate, without a piece of bread, while he himself ate and drank luxuriously. God is loving (John 4:16). He wants poverty to be supported by the generosity of the rich, and the rich to find consolation in the grateful prayer of the poor. For the father of a family, the most pleasant pleasure is when he gives pleasure to his children. The same is true for the Heavenly Father. You are hungry and give Me food, you are thirsty and drink Me, you are in prison and a visitor to Me. Lord, when do I see You hungry or thirsty or strange? Since you have made one of these least of my brethren, you have created one for me, says the Lord (Matthew 25:34–40). He who is cold to the sufferings of poverty is indifferent to the groans of poverty; he vainly assures himself that he loves the Lord. If we do not love our neighbor, whom we see, how can we expect to love God, whom we do not see? My neighbor bears the image of my heavenly Father, how can I not help my neighbor, how can I not share with him what I have? You, to whom God has given the means to do good to your neighbors! Do God's will for you, so that you have something to come into that life with, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, comfort the sad, visit the prisoner in prison. Blessed is he who has mercy on the poor and needy; on the day of cruelty the Lord will deliver him (Ps. 40:2). He who stops his ears, who does not listen to the weak, will call him, and will not listen to him (Prov. 21:13). I assign half of my property to the poor, Zacchaeus said to the Lord, and I keep half for myself, but not even that for myself; I am holding it in order to pay those who have been offended by me, and if I have offended anyone in any way, I will return it in fourfold. If Zacchaeus left the other half not for himself, why doesn’t he distribute it to the poor, as he distributed the first? This is because someone else’s property cannot be disposed of at will; someone else’s property must be given to whomever it belongs to. Honor the Lord with your righteous labors, and give Him the firstfruits of your fruits of righteousness, says the wise king (Proverbs 3:9). Zacchaeus acquired wealth as honestly as many do. One half, without any dispute before the conscience, is recognized as the property of his honesty, and of the other half, only the fourth share is considered to be unjustly acquired. And yet, Zacchaeus also had unjust gains. And is it easy to avoid sin by acquiring wealth? Isn’t it most often acquired at the price of unrighteousness? Isn’t it more common to pay for it by insulting one’s neighbor, sometimes secretly, sometimes openly? If so, what would be the meaning of alms from such wealth? Isn't it the same as the alms of a predator? No, let the rich predator give what was taken away to the one from whom it was taken; truth demands that untruth be made up for by satisfying the truth. It’s a different matter when there is no opportunity to make amends for a lie. Then turn to the help of mercy. If I offend you in any way, I will return you fourfold. The Law of Moses said that if anyone is caught stealing, he pays four sheep for a sheep; if he himself announces the theft, then take him twice (Ex. 22:1). No one accused Zacchaeus of embezzlement. And, however, he imposes on himself the penalty that was collected by law from the convicted predator. Such is repentant love! She not only pays the truth, but pays with a payment that the truth did not require; it fulfills not only the letter of the law, but also what the letter does not say. She wants to suffer in order to bring the Lord fruits worthy of pure repentance; subjects himself to punishment in order to humble himself as much as possible, to feel his guilt and untruth as deeply as possible. So, the second feat of the repentant rich man should consist in the feat of grateful love. Repentance must be justified by deeds. The former cruelty towards the beggar brother must be replaced by generosity. Did you get your wealth without sin? It is necessary to punish yourself for untruth with an open consciousness of untruth. Truth demands that everything that belongs to someone else be returned according to its belonging, but love expects that the reward be not only full, but also multiplied to the point of excess. Is it a pity to part with earthly things? But if he does not part, the rich man will not see eternal blessings; moreover, he will pay with eternal torment for untruths. To hope for evangelical rewards, one must practice evangelical virtues. And the pagan loved the one who loved him, and paid the debt according to the demands of righteousness. A Christian must do more; he must reward the offended twice. May the God of grace and mercy enlighten us all to salvation and give us the strength to do saving deeds. Amen. Section V. Words and Discourses for Saints' Days and Celebrations Homily on the day of worship of the chains of the Apostle Peter, in the church of the Kharkov prison castle Be Peter slept between two soldiers, bound by the iron snake dwema, guards and the keeper of the prison was before the door (Acts 12:6). Peter, the supreme apostle, an example of ardent faith and sincere piety, sits in prison, bound with two shackles, guarded by guards. Isn't this a strange phenomenon? It is also strange that, according to the voice of the church, we gathered to worship Peter’s chains. What joy is it to kiss the prisoner's shackles? And where are we gathered? In a prison house. Are we not making a mockery of suffering innocence, whose place, it seems, is not at all in prison, although we see it here in the face of Peter? Given that we know the great face of Peter, the worship of Peter’s chains is very natural and those who would not consider them worthy of respect would be strange. If every thing belonging to a great person attracts general attention, then the chains of the Supreme Apostle, of course, are worthy of reverent respect, especially since all the greatness of Peter was a matter of the great grace of God. In the book of the Acts of the Apostles we see the experience that the most inanimate things that were used by the apostles were imbued with the power of God’s grace. There we read that Paul’s tyrants, i.e. His headbands exuded healing for the sick when faith touched them. The chains of St. were exactly the same. Petra. This is enough about respecting the faith. Let's take a closer look at whether prison suffering is necessary for the righteous or for sinners? Shackles and prison seem to us incompatible with the thought of innocence. And the saints of God kissed their chains and rejoiced in their suffering. Why is there such a difference in views on the same subject? Because the saints of God put the will of God above all else and knew from experience how saving this will was for them. To purify gold from various impurities, fire is needed. Thus, painful trials are also necessary for the saints of God. The saints of God were deeply aware of this truth, knowing themselves well and glorifying the judgments of God. Those who are judged by the Lord are punished, let us not be condemned with the world, said St. Paul (1 Cor. 11:32). Temporary disasters, including shackles and prison, while constraining the flesh and its desires, do not constrain the freedom of the spirit, but open it and facilitate the ascent of the soul to God. Losses and sorrows reveal to the attentive the impermanence and vanity of worldly goods, which without this could deceive the soul. Temporary suffering, cleansing the spirit of impure desires of self-love, gives it patient firmness, imparts spiritual art, and teaches hope that does not remain in shame. We rejoice in suffering, says St. Paul knows that tribulation makes patience workable, and patience is skill, and skill is hope; but hope does not put to shame (Rom. 5:3). Only difficult circumstances of life purify, elevate, strengthen, reveal true love for God, without this there are only temporary impulses of piety, more often the strength sleeps and weakens in inaction. Lord, I am ready to go with You to prison and to death, said the ardent Peter, not tested by sorrows (Luke 12:33). But experience showed that he was not yet ready for that. He had to cleanse himself with tears of repentance, then endure troubles and sorrows in preaching Christ to the Jews, gradually renounce his will until another led him where he wanted, then he ascended to the highest degree of love, courageously endured imprisonment and chains, joyfully endured wounds and dishonor, and fearlessly accepted martyrdom. Prisoners in this prison, but destined for the freedom of Christ! We have no doubt that there may be innocent Josephs among us, and human justice, in fact, because human hearts are inaccessible to it, will probably classify some of you as thieves and robbers. But this does not mean that any of you has the right to complain about your situation. Remember that the saints of God considered chains and prison to be a work of God’s love. Did innocent Joseph lose heart under the weight of the troubles that befell him? Did he rebel indignantly against human judgment or against the weakness of his brothers? No, on the contrary, he told his brothers, “It is not you who have bestowed on me, but God” (Gen. 45:8). Suffering innocently! Praise the Lord who sent you here. Loving innocence, He expects her to excel in love for Him, to improve in repentance for weaknesses, in patience, in prayer, gratitude and self-denial. Isn't this His good will for the innocent? If temporary tribulations are necessary for the righteous, what about sinners? For them, shackles and prison are a matter of God’s truth and, at the same time, God’s wondrous love. The truth of God cannot leave human wickedness without vengeance, God cannot but turn away from sin. Especially when sins and wickedness spread their infection onto others and throw the affairs of entire societies into disorder, the ruling truth of God cannot but rise up in defense of the moral order. The repentance of the penitent, to a certain extent, carries out in itself the work of God's judgment, striking itself with sorrow for the sins committed and trying, as far as possible, to correct the disorders committed. But what to do with souls who are unbridled in their passions and who do not feel their error? The punitive truth of God declares its voice in relation to forgetful sinners in the sentences of the human court, in various sorrows and temporary hardships, in prison and chains. Happy are those who obediently fulfill the sentence of truth eternal in time and temper the desires of the passions with the fear of God's judgment, if they do not completely return to the paths of high Christian life. Otherwise, the eternity awaiting the unrepentant sinner is terrible. What do all kinds of temporary sorrows mean before the terrible torments of eternity? The blows of the vine, inflicted by the hand of a gentle, intelligent mother. When one of us has an extremely dangerous, contagious wound on his body, everyone recognizes it as a blessing if the operator cuts out that wound with its roots; The operation can be painful, but it is life-saving. In the same way, when the Lord sends suffering and sorrow to admonish forgetful sinners, is not His wise love for sinners visible in this? Imprisoned in this prison by human righteousness! Look around, who are you before the righteousness of God? In your own conscience, in the light of the Gospel, can you well know who you are? What if most of you are actually guilty of the crimes of which human justice accuses you? What if you have done much more unclean deeds and iniquities than the short-sighted human eye could expose? What if the secret wickedness of your soul, subject only to the judgment of God, has multiplied to such an extent that it brings against you the judgment of God, more severe and formidable than the sentences of human truth can be? What can you do? ABOUT! Repeat often the confession of the prudent thief - we endure what is worthy of our deeds. This confession will glorify the truth of God, and the repentance aroused by it will attract God’s mercy to you. In the voice of human justice the voice of God’s justice sounds for you; listen to it and repent of the wickedness of your soul. Fear the brazen insensibility with which the other robber hung at the Lord's neck. How close this unfortunate man was to his Savior and Lord! But he did not know himself, therefore he did not recognize his Lord. He did not realize the heinousness of his crimes; He remained deaf to the reminder of them made by the court of human truth and therefore did not seek heavenly mercy. Be afraid of this situation. Pray, pray more often with the prayer of the prudent thief, remember us, Lord, when you come into Your kingdom. The repentant thief was not tormented by grief over the fact that he was hanging on the cross and dying a shameful death; he lamented only about his sins and prayed to the Lord for forgiveness. I have many sins, he thought, my sins are grave; I am under the wrath of God and I am worth nothing more, but You are the Lord, merciful and strong; It will mean a lot to me if You remember me, a sinner, in Your kingdom. Remember me, Lord, when you come into Your kingdom. My friends! You too should follow the example of the clever robber. Do not allow a single sound of murmuring against your lot to escape from your hearts; bear your fate complacently; behave meekly; more often bring to mind the sins of your past life, the sins of your flighty youth, the sins of self-loving courage, the sins of days and nights, sins against your soul, sins against your neighbors, sins against the Lord. ABOUT! If only you would come to your senses! How many sins you would see in yourself! Then they would recognize their imprisonment as happiness and would hasten to bear fruits worthy of repentance - humility, purity of soul and body, kindness, humility, obedience, love of truth, fasting, prayer. Almighty and most gracious God! Remain with Thy grace in this house, may it be a school of Thy holy will, everywhere for us wisely good and saving. Amen. Conversation on the day of Archangel Michael Where do we get the tares from? (Matthew 13:27). How often, looking at the events of the sinful world, one has to ask oneself the question, where do these tares come from? For example, the events of our days - how amazing they are! Two Christian peoples have come under the banner of the false prophet Mohammed and, therefore, the enemy of Christ and are persistently trying to humiliate and weaken the Christian people in order to support the people of the false prophet. Isn't this a strange phenomenon? Where do these tares come from? Meek Abel and bloodthirsty Cain, submissive Jacob and greedy Esau - what extremes! What kind of mixture of evil with good, malice with angelic kindness? The human mind has been working for a long time and has been working for a long time to solve the question of the origin of evil in the world. And how enviable are the fruits of his labors! ABOUT! How can we not value Your teaching, our heavenly Teacher! You and the question of the fate of the world, which has been solved for so long and not resolved by the abstract contemplations of philosophers, are resolved with a parable close to the concept of every villager, the parable of the tares. My listeners! The parable of the tares is offered to us in the gospel we are reading today. And rest assured, on the day of celebration, this parable was offered to the angels not without concern for our disposition towards the angels. Let us take a closer look at the Savior’s parable about the tares. Offer another parable to them, saying: Make the kingdom of heaven like a man who sowed good seed in his village (Matthew 13:24). A man sowed good seed, and did not throw anything else into the ground except clean, fresh, good seed. Didn’t you sow good seed, say those who know it closely (Matthew 13:27). He sowed in his village - in his own field, cultivated with his own hands, where everything was done for the goodness of the field. This is an image! Who is this sower? What does the field mean? The Savior himself explains both. He who sows good seed is the Son of man, and the village is the world (Matthew 13:37–38). He is the incarnate goodness of God, He, whose very incarnation is a pure grain of wheat for humanity (John 12:24). He alone is the sower of good. Without stopping his work, He sows the seed - from the very beginning of the world. He also sends His servants to sow the word of God, but also heavenly truths - His property and servants act according to His will and by His power. He is the true light, which enlightens every person who comes into the world (John 1:9). Whoever is truly enlightened is enlightened by Him; whoever is inspired by the love of goodness is inspired by Him; whoever grows to full spiritual perfection is restored by Him. He is the eternal Word, by Him all things were created and hold together; He is God and from Him there is nothing but good (John 1:2-3). And the village is the world. His field in which He sows is the universe, and not any society of so-called pure people, not any society of holy souls. The whole world is His present kingdom on earth, which will be followed by the heavenly kingdom of the Father, just as the harvest from the field passes into the barn. This is the origin of all good things in the world! As a sleeping man, His enemy came and all the tares in the midst of the wheat and departed. When the grass and fruit have grown, then the tares appear. The master's servant came and decided, Lord, did you not sow good seed in your village? Where do we get the tares from? He said to them, the enemy man has done this (Matthew 13:25-28). What a profound teaching on the origin of evil! When the grass has grown green and the fruit has grown, then the tares also appear. When the grain sprouted and began to ear, then the tares also appeared. And before that they were not visible. Eastern tares are very similar in appearance to grains of pure wheat, so it is difficult to distinguish them, and yet this plant is one of the poisonous ones, it makes you dizzy and very sick. Isn't this the story of all the bad things about us? Will we soon recognize the action of passions in ourselves? Judas, of course, thought to be thrifty, and not passionate about money, when he began to carry the ark; Even then, as he was already a thief in his soul, he said that this world might be sold to be and given to the poor. The unfortunate man did not see himself. Only when he became a traitor to his Lord did he see who he was and hang himself. ABOUT! "God! Enlighten my eyes, so that not when I sleep into death, and not when my enemy speaks and strengthens himself against him.” My friends! Evil does not seem evil to us at the beginning. Take whatever passion you like; at first it is not noticeable or appears under some guise of good; only the destructive consequences reveal it to us. If unclean thoughts freely enter your heart, are you afraid of them? You consider this a small thing. But what happens next? When David looked at Bathsheba with unclean eyes, he did not think that adultery with intentional murder would follow, and, however, it did. This is the story of every sin! The devil sows tares, says the Lord, by sleeping people. So, no need to sleep. Be sober and watchful (1 Peter 5:8). Watch your heart, examine your feelings and inclinations, verify them with the word of God, the scriptures of the Fathers, and spiritual experiences. ABOUT! if we were attentive and careful, so much bad would not happen between us. Otherwise, look at the kind of supervision parents have over their children these days! Either they teach nothing, or they teach a lot, but not the fear of God, they allow you to read the most empty books and shun the one that is most necessary. What is adopted in society? European education, the half-asleep answer, and will not see that this is nothing more than paganism, a frivolous, frivolous paganism, greedy only for earthly comforts and completely carefree about its fate beyond the grave. ABOUT! wake up, good people! Enemy man do this. This is the initial origin of evil! Here is the initial culprit of sins! Enemy man do this. God is not the author of evil. From Him there is only one good; He did everything for our salvation. If anyone began to look in God for even a reason for evil, he would act against his good conscience; he would speak against Christ the Lord, while not only the teaching, but also the very appearance of the God-Man in the world is living evidence of any assumption about the communion of holiness with evil. The owner of the field talks about the tares, I didn’t sow them, the enemy man did this. How can the owner not know what he did and didn’t do on the field? The Son of God speaks, and the tares are the son’s enmity, and the enemy who came from is the devil (Matthew 13:38–39). How can the Son of God not know what is happening in the world? He is the Creator of the world and He upholds all things by the word of His power (Heb. 1:4). People are not bothered by the power of the devil; they pass him off as a figment of the imagination. But people don’t understand themselves either. Otherwise, how long will it take to be convinced that in the teaching of the Son of God, the One who came down from heaven to teach only the truth, the thought of the devil resolves the question of the origin of evil in the world? The devil differs here from evil people, he is a sower of tares, and they are tares; in him is the beginning of evil, and they are the work. Enemy man do this. We also have a tendency towards evil; Even in your youth it is revealed in you; the evil thought of a man is attached to him from his youth (Gen. 8:21). But where does this inclination towards evil come from in us? From the devil, who has corrupted humanity at its very roots. He was a murderer from the beginning and did not stand in the truth, because the truth was not in him (John 8:44). He has not ceased and does not cease to nourish and develop in people the inclination towards evil. He walks around like a hungry lion, looking for someone to devour (1 Pet. 5:8). Not loving truth and goodness for himself, he does not love them in anyone else, and loving lies and wickedness in himself, he sows them among people, to their destruction. He is the enemy of God and everything God has. The Savior justifies not only the Creator of the world, but also the provider of the world in relation to evil. The slave decided to him, “Do you want it, and let me weed out (the tares) as we go?” He said, “Not when you delight in the tares, you also delight in the wheat.” Leave both to grow until the harvest (Matthew 13:29–30). It is hard for faithful slaves to look at the fact that together with the faithful honorers of the name of God, the wicked live safely and crowd them out. Like reverent slaves, they reverently ask the will of God about the wicked, and the Lord reveals His will to them. What does the Lord want in relation to the wicked? Doesn't He want us to look indifferently at evil, at sins and wickedness? ABOUT! No! He listens with pleasure to his servants when they speak with sorrow about the tares and call them by their name. He is angry when we accept black as white and white as black (Is. 5:20). Does he not condemn the severity of civil authorities in punishing evildoers or repelling the sword of an unscrupulous neighbor? And no, the Lord speaks to the ministers of His church and teaches what should and should not happen in His spiritual field, and not in civil society. What is His will? Reverent servants ask the Lord whether it is His will that the wicked should be destroyed by them, just as weeds are destroyed in a field? And the Lord answers, no! In the same way, two of His disciples, upset by the cruelty of the Samaritans, offered Him whatever they wanted. Are we saying that fire will come down from heaven and consume them? And the Lord rebuked them (Luke 9:54–55). So this is His will! No, it is said decisively and clearly in response to the question of the extermination of sinners from the earth. A spiritual field is not like an ordinary field where weeds are pulled out. The slaves did not sow this field, they did not see how the enemy of God sowed tares in it. It is not for them to decide the final fate of the spiritual tares; it's the owner's business. Leave both to grow until harvest. The Lord wants both the good and the bad to remain on earth until the final outcome of everything. Let it not be that when the tares are taken into rapture, ye shall also take away the wheat also. The Lord is so kind to His servants that He explains to them why they cannot weed the spiritual field, and why He wants to leave the tares along with the wheat until the harvest? Faithful slaves, smart slaves, are good at distinguishing ripened wheat from ripened tares in the field. But for now the field is covered only with greenery, and they can mistake the wheat for tares and pull out the good plants. What does the earthly life of ascetics of piety mean? The struggle against sin and the struggle to the grave, but their perfection is in heaven. Are there many among them who, during the course of their lives, move in spirit from maturity to childhood and from childhood to adulthood, or do they experience falls along the way? We, perhaps, will take them for tares. Meanwhile, the temptations of the world, the deeds of crafty people, their malice and flattery, only cleanse the soul, only help it to see its weaknesses more and more clearly, to feel its guilt more deeply and deeply, and little by little to weaken the forces of sin within itself. Gold is purified by fire from impurities. The mixing of good and bad people in the world provides the former with thousands of opportunities to improve in goodness, to acquire patience, meekness, humility, kindness, and love. How can slaves be allowed to weed out the tares? The roots of the tares are so intertwined in the ground with the roots of the wheat that even the most diligent slaves, pulling out the tares, would unintentionally spoil many expensive plants. The life of the righteous on earth is closely connected with the life of sinful people, and ties of kinship, and the similarity of dispositions of the soul and external circumstances, so that a slight shock in the fate of some is not without shock in the lives of others. On the other hand, God is good to the bad. He does not want the death of sinners, but wants them to understand the truth and be saved. With the warmth of his goodness, the life-giving rays of his love, He wants to soften their hardened hearts and awaken new life in them (Rom. 2:2-6). He refers to their examples of piety among his chosen ones as evidence of their laziness, as lessons of their ignorance, as a denunciation of their bad life. And was it only Saul who became Paul? How many carefree pagans turned into ardent confessors of the faith when they looked at the selflessness and firmness of the martyrs! Praise and glory to You, our wondrous provider! The small as well as the great plant, the weak as well as the strong, the admirer of virtue are in your care. You are as good as you are wise. Who but You can know when the time for Your great harvest will come? Who else but You can know when all Your servants destined for bliss are ripe and the measure of human iniquities is fulfilled? ABOUT! eternal love! give us strength and zeal, to be even weak wheat plants, so as not to turn out to be tares. And at the time of harvest, as a reaper, gather the tares first and bind them into sheaves, as I burned them, and gather the wheat into the barn. But the harvest is the end of the age, and the harvesters are angels (Matthew 13:30, 39). You cannot always be the tares along with the wheat. The owner of the field is picky and truthful. The end of the century will come and the truth of God will be revealed in all its greatness. What the Lord did not entrust to His earthly servants, He will entrust to the Angels. Let them not dream that angels are a dream. This is a terrible reality, just as the earthly servants of the Lord are real; to those who know the spiritual world they are known as spirits of knowledge of high and strong power. The angels, according to the will of the Lord, will gather from His kingdom all temptations and those who create lawlessness, they will gather the wicked from the whole universe and will not make mistakes in anyone, they will gather the seducers and the seduced, the disciples and teachers of wickedness and - how scary it will be to see each other there! How terribly they will torment one another with reproaches and curses! Bind them in sheaves, sinners will be divided into ranks, the proud will be united with the proud, the slaves of the vile flesh with those like them, to the torment of deceived hopes, multiplied by their evidence. And not a single ray of heavenly hope will illuminate the wicked; the sky will hide from them. But this alone is not the torment of the wicked. Having burned the tares, the wicked will be thrown into the furnace of fire (Matthew 13:42). There is fire here and there. And, of course, the fire of Gehenna will not be the same as the fire fueled by tares, but there will be a fire and a fire that is all the more terrible, all the more searing because it will not be the fire of the present world. She will cry and gnashing her teeth. What a terrible image! There is cold inside, and fire outside; There is despair and horror inside, and a burning flame outside. It is terrible to fall into the hands of the living God (Heb. 10:31), so terrible that it is impossible to depict it in modern language. You who create temptations in life without thinking about eternity! Think about it, look around, so that you won’t stand as tares among the wheat for long. A reaper walks around you and reaps the old man and the blooming youth, the strong man and the weak child. It will reach you too. And where will you end up? Those who commit iniquity will be thrown into the furnace of fire. ABOUT! repent while there is time for repentance; fix your life while you have the means to fix it. Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43). Devotees of truth and piety! your life on earth is hard, a life blackened by slander and reproach, but there glory will illuminate you like the light of the sun; there awaits you a bliss that cannot be understood here. “Have ears to hear and let him hear,” the Lord said in conclusion, making it clear that one must remember His parable about the tares too firmly. ABOUT! the faces of heavenly spirits are the executors of the future formidable will of the Almighty! Now is still the time of goodness; pray for us, that the strength may be granted to us to use the time of goodness for good, to the glory of the Triune God. Amen. Homily on the day of St. Nicholas in the Nicholas Convent Many came to one elder, experienced in spiritual life, with the desire to receive from him something useful for the soul. Everyone asked the elder what they thought needed to be asked about to their liking. And the good old man answered everyone, and refused to answer anyone. But one of the visitors never asked him anything, but was a diligent visitor to him. The elder finally asked the visitor, unlike the others, what does it mean, my son, that you don’t ask me anything, but come to me? It’s enough for me, father, said the young man, that I look at you. Here we are, brothers and sisters, now with St. Nicholas. I do not reject the possibility that if someone else asks about anything, Saint Nicholas will give an answer to the question; with faith and fervent prayer, everyone can receive. But it is even easier for us weak ones, following the example of the meek youth, to learn good things from the life of the saint. The holy face of the saint is before us. What does this heavenly face tell us? How does the life of the saint shine most brightly? Thou art the graceful, wondrous and merciful wonderworker who appeared to us, we sing to him. So his heavenly face is heavenly love ready to help everyone. This is what he tells us without words! He is truly a saint in heaven - in his labors for his earthly brothers and sisters. Is his name at sea? He is there with help. Is the one oppressed by the court begging for him? He hurries to him too. Is bitter poverty crying about its helpless lot? He also endows poverty with what is necessary. Where does he not appear, called for help? On earth he was the guardian of purity, oppressed by needs. And in heaven he is marvelous with his love for those in need. Let love for others be a holy deed for us too, to the extent that we, through weakness, can accommodate the holy deed. Love for others - what a high feeling it is! what wondrous perfection is this for the one who has it! God Himself is called love. God is loving, says the Apostle John (1 John 4:16). How much it means to a person when he adorns his soul with the distinction of God himself! He who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him (1 John 4:16), says the apostle. What more can a person desire when God dwells in him? And love for others brings God down into the heart. ABOUT! forgive us, Heavenly Father, our blindness! we value heavenly love so little. We insult You by insulting our love for brothers and sisters. You lift us from earth to heaven. You bring us closer to You, who is all love. You long for the highest perfection for us, wish them the highest happiness, demanding from us love for everyone; and where are we going in our blindness? We hasten from the earth to the spirit of evil, to the one who is a torment to himself and to everything close to him. What a pathetic blindness! This commandment I command you, says the Son of God, that you love one another (John 15:17). Here is another voice of the Divine, calling us to love! and what a strong, what a convincing voice! The voice is not the will of the Almighty, but the voice of boundless love. The Son of God desires, the Son of God gives a will to us, as to his children, that we love each other. Everyone understands this, just as you are my disciples, if you have love for one another (John 13:35), He says in explanation of His will. Mutual love is so pleasing to Him, so high in His eyes, that it is only by it, and not by signs and wonders, that they can distinguish His disciples in us. Is it really possible not to want to be disciples of the Son of God? Or may the voice of Divine love, calling for love, not act on our soul? And Christ’s disciples repeat to us the same will of the Lord. Above all, have diligent love for one another, the apostle tells us. Peter (1 Peter 4:8). I am not writing you a new commandment, writes St. John to the chosen lady, but also the imams from the beginning, let us love one another (2 John 1:5), I propose that commandment, which is contemporary with the gospel of your Lord. Ap. James calls love for one's neighbors a royal commandment, the fulfillment of the law (James 2:8). Brothers and sisters! Do you feel it is necessary to love God? ABOUT! This is the most sacred thing, you say. But let us not deceive ourselves; without loving each other we cannot be in love with God. The Messenger of God told us long ago that if anyone says that I love God but hates his brother, it is a lie (1 John 4:20). This is true, just as God himself is faithful. If we are not able to overcome the offended pride in ourselves, so as not to persecute with malice the small and close image of God, how can we expand so much in love as to sacredly love the infinite One, whose image is imprinted on our brother? He who loves him who gives birth also loves him who is born of Him (1 John 5:1). All people are children of God by creation and even more by rebirth in Christ Jesus. He who loves a father loves his children. And whoever neglects children, whoever is angry with children, of course, has neither love nor respect for the father. It's so simple, so natural. To offend someone whom God loves so much, to offend our neighbors, for whom, just as for me, the Son of God was crucified, for whom, like me, the highest gifts of grace were granted, does not this mean offending God himself? What are the multitude of your victims? says the Lord. Come below and appear to Me. And if you bring Mi semidal, it will be in vain; censer is an abomination of Mi. My soul hates fasting and holidays and your new moons. Even if you increase your prayer, I will not hear you. (Isa.1:11-14). What does it mean? Why is God so angry? Why does God so reject the very service to Him that He established through His servant Moses? Learn, the Lord continues, to do good, seek justice, deliver the offended, judge the orphan and justify the widow (Is. 1:16-17). So, this is what the wrath of God is for! This is why the Lord rejects offerings, prayers, and fasting! For untruths against one's neighbor, for coldness, for cruelty, for anger against one's brother and sister. Be careful, my friends, to offend your love for your neighbor in any way, so that otherwise your deeds of love for God will not be rejected with indignation. We would like, they say, to be faithful to the commandment of love, but we have so few ways to fulfill it. I have no health for myself, says one, how can I serve another? I don’t have money, says another, what will I give to the poor? I am such a small person, says the third, how can I be useful to others? But are these words of spiritual sincerity? No, otherwise they would not be presented as an excuse for coldness in love, but would serve as an incentive to deeds of love. The Church, the apostle teaches, is also like a regular bodily organism, where each member is assigned his own work and each member cannot do without the services of the other; the eye does its work and serves the hand and foot; the ear performs its service and is useful to more than just the head; Each finger, each joint, each nerve, each thread of blood has its own task and each brings benefit to the body and its parts. Only dead, spoiled, rotten things are useless or harmful. So if you and I, my listener, do not want to be useless, rotten members of the Church of Christ, we must work for others, each according to our strength and means. The impossible is not demanded of us. But everyone can and everyone should serve others. Is it an honor to be a rotten member in the body? Or are we not afraid of the words of Cain, food is my brother’s guardian? (Gen.4:9). Brothers and sisters in the Lord! If the soul lives by the love of Christ, how much strength and means it has for deeds of love! Every action, every activity of her, spreads peace and tranquility around her. Respect for elders, greetings and helpfulness for equals, sad participation in sorrow. Has the other sinned? Love covers sin. Is someone else angry? Doesn't notice it. Did anyone fall? He lifts as much as he can. Are you weak from work? Helps the weak. To protect the peace of another and especially the highest, love sacrifices its own peace. Even if she has neither health nor the gift of a word of comfort, she prays for another, and prayer, you know, is powerful. The love of a father, the love of a mother sometimes speaks a stern word, but in this word there is no sound of anger or malice; it is peaceful and calm and, starting from the heart of a lover, reaches another heart, like healing oil. What actually compresses our heart for deeds of love? Self-love and its fruits - pride, self-interest. How can I serve the lower me? says pride. How can I give to others what I need myself? speaks self-interest; Am I being paid properly for my services? How can I not take care of my peace and health and waste my strength for others? says pride. Brothers and sisters! rarely out loud to others, but this is exactly how we justify or excuse ourselves for being cold towards others. Is this good? No, why call bad things good? You must reveal before your conscience the evil in all its nakedness. With such beginnings in life, with pride and its bitter fruits, we will not get into the kingdom of heaven. By loving ourselves so blindly, we only destroy ourselves. If anyone wants to be first in you, let him be a servant to everyone, this is the will of God, saving for us. Anyone who exalts himself will humble himself, and everyone who humbles himself will be exalted, said the Lord. We must live not for ourselves, but for the glory of God's name. In this knowledge of love, for He, the Son of God, laid down His soul for us, and we must lay down our souls for our brethren. Children! let us love not in word or tongue, but in deed and truth (1 John 3:16.18). This is the apostle’s instruction about love! We have learned, he says, love from the fact that He, the Son of God, laid down His life for us. Therefore we must lay down our lives for our brothers. You see, according to the instructions of the apostle, we should not spare either strength or health for others; only in this case will we be disciples and followers of the Son of God. Love in words and not in deeds is deception; We must show through our actions that we have love for others. ABOUT! Let us protect our hearts from the disastrous ways of self-love, selfishness and pride. Saint of God, strong in love for his neighbors and strong before the Lord with this love! ask the Lord for the oil of mercy for our poor hearts - love for our neighbors, not cooled by the breath of self-love, so that, rejoicing in the deeds of your love, together we glorify the Lord of love and our lives. Amen. Word on the Nativity of John the Baptist Great was he whom truth itself called the greatest of those born of women. From birth and even before birth, heavenly signs show him as an extraordinary messenger of God. How will people receive this extraordinary messenger of God! They will somehow take advantage of what he will reveal to them for their own salvation! Somehow they will do what he commands them to do, as the saving will of heaven! How people took advantage of the preaching of the Baptist and the Forerunner, we already know, listeners, and what we know does not make our souls happy for the people of the Forerunner’s time. But let's not condemn those people; Let's turn to ourselves. The Baptism of John was a great gift from God for people. But incomparably more important is the baptism that Christ the Lord established for us. The baptism of John was a baptism of repentance, calling people to contrition for sins, but did not give strength to begin and complete a new life. The Baptism of Christ, as baptism not only with water, but also with the spirit, brings about spiritual rebirth in a person and invests him with the powers necessary to fulfill the good and perfect will of God. The baptism of John was a baptism into the coming Savior of the world; That’s why salvation, that’s why complete grace still remained to be expected. The Baptism of Christ is the baptism of the Savior of the world who came. If Christian baptism is so important, then, without a doubt, strict attention to the responsibilities that this baptism imposes on us is also necessary. At the first thought of our baptism, the name that we have borne since our baptism easily comes to both me and you, listener. As those baptized with the baptism of Christ, we are called Christians. What kind of name is this that imprints us? Is this really just the voice with which they want to distinguish themselves in everyday life? Was this word really invented for the needs of earthly life? No, this name, pointing to the work of Christ accomplished in us, also points to the works that we promised to fulfill until the grave. This name shows us not as citizens of the earth, but as cohabitants of heaven, calling us to live not for the world, but for the Lord, not for time, but for eternity. By receiving him in the baptismal font, we took upon ourselves great vows and important responsibilities. The first vow that you and I, listener, made at holy baptism is the vow of pure faith. He who is baptized with Christian baptism is baptized, according to the word of the Lord, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. This means that the person being baptized undertakes to be a confessor of the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, undertakes to know and firmly hold in his soul that great Name that has deigned to reveal Itself in a new revelation, to believe in this Name sincerely, with all his soul and in the way that It deigned to reveal Itself, and not as it would like to be represented by the thoughts of a proud mind, the dreams of a self-willed imagination. This faith is important for everyone. Whoever has faith and is baptized, said the Lord, will be saved, but whoever does not have faith will be condemned. Since baptism is the door to the kingdom of Christ, the church, caring for the salvation of all, does not allow itself to allow anyone to remain without entering this door of salvation; she imparts the grace of baptism to the children of believers at their very entry into the world, and then devotes them to faith in the triune God. She places the sacred duty of teaching baptized children the faith of Christ on their recipients. on shepherds, but most of all this responsibility lies with you, fathers and mothers of the children born to you! She entrusts the fate of your children to your love for children, to your care. Are your children dear to you? Is their temporary and eternal fate dear to you? He who blessed you in the name of your parents expects from you more than concern for your physical life. He will severely punish you for your negligence in the Christian education of your children. You are concerned about arranging the temporary happiness of your children, you worry, fuss, worry, lest your children be forced to lead a poor life, without money, without fame, and you try to clothe them with the splendor of worldly education. I do not condemn this concern as long as it does not exceed its limit. But do you care, at least as much, that your children know Christ the Lord, so that they do not at heart become pagans, ignorant of God and His works for us? The tender soul of a child in itself so easily accepts thoughts about the holy and eternal, since the holy is the purpose of our life itself, since the holy is given to the Saints along with life, and is multiplied by rebirth in the baptismal font; All that remains is to educate this dear, unappreciated, dear seed of God in the soul of a child. And yet they are in a hurry, and still in a hurry, to drown out this seed with the thorns of worldly thoughts, earthly children. What comes out of a soul created by God, from a soul regenerated by the Holy Spirit? Earthly, insignificant, the creation of human hands. But shouldn’t we first ask you, parents, how you are progressing in your faith? Yes, it cannot be that parents, who feel the dignity of the holy faith, its necessity for time and eternity, would be indifferent to the state of faith in their children. Does this mean that mature parents are like foolish children in faith? What a shame! You, who as a child dedicated yourself to the name of God and lived for so many years, really didn’t have time, really didn’t have ways to reverently study Christian truths? And the strength was ripe, and there was a lot of time, and the ways were open to everyone, not only to learn, but also to accept with the heart the teaching of Christ. For which of you are the doors of the churches of God shut? where every day the faith is proclaimed, either in simple, sweet songs, or in the teachings of the fathers and teachers of the church, or in the most inspired scripture? They usually refer to their studies, to the affairs of earthly life, in order to excuse themselves for ignorance of the lofty objects of faith. Oh! If we had not retreated in heart from Christ, such excuses would not even have come to mind. In addition to the fact that everything has its time, there is always time for thinking about faith. What prevents you from carrying the name of God in your mind and heart, no matter what your hands are busy with? Only passion for the land can interfere. They say that studying the truths of faith is the job of teachers of faith, not ordinary people. But let me ask you, my dear fellow, are you a Christian? If you are a Christian, how do you give up your responsibility to know Christ? If you are a Christian, how can you not want to know Him Whom you swore an oath to know at the baptismal font? Where are your vows? Where are your vows? If you don't even want to know Christ; What kind of things can we expect from you? The servant of the word is obliged to know, but for what? To resolve your questions. And you don’t even think about asking about anything, you don’t even consider it necessary to touch on what he would like to talk about. ABOUT! Remember the terrible words of the Lord, those who do not have faith will be condemned. Or do you not know how, just as we were baptized into Christ Jesus, we were baptized into His death? We were buried with him through baptism into death, so that just as Christ has risen from the dead in the glory of the Father, so we too will begin to walk in newness of life (Rom. 6:3-4). The Apostle considers it known to Christians of his time that Christian baptism is the same as burying oneself with Christ. Or don't you know? Do Christians of our time know this? The one who was baptized into Christ, the head of faith, was immersed in the water of baptism, buried in water with his dead Christ as if dead, and then, together with the risen Christ, returned to life to live a new life. What kind of life is this that he parted with? This is the life of the old man, decaying in the lusts of sin; this is the life of proud and capricious self-love; this is the life of luxurious and voluptuous flesh; this is a life of dark passions. That is why, before immersing ourselves in the font of baptism, we renounce Satan and all his pride and all his ministry. There is nothing more terrible than sin; its fruit is eternal death, destruction, before which all temporary disasters mean nothing. How can you not want to live for sin? The regenerating font of baptism weakens the sin living in us and invests us with strength to fulfill the holy will of God. Both gratitude to grace, which opposes heaven, and the horror of sin, which prepares eternal death, force us to vow to be dead to sin and alive to the only Lord. So, here is another meaning of the name of a Christian taken at the baptismal font! Do we, brothers, remember this vow? Do we fulfill it reverently and faithfully? We often live in forgetfulness in a way that Christians would not. With what tears will we pay for our unfortunate situation? We are oathbreakers. And before whom? And what? If only we remembered. weak Christians, the vow of baptism, he would be a faithful guardian of our hearts in the fight against the delights of sin, he would help us a lot in defeating our weaknesses! Does unclean flesh tempt anyone? Let him remember that he is dead to sin, that the lusts of the flesh are defilement for his Christian robe. Does the shine of gold, the splendor of wealth seduce you? Tell yourself, a dead man doesn’t need money, but what he needs is ready for him. Are you constrained by the misfortunes of earthly, wandering life? Remember that the world is foreign to you after baptism; Can a stranger love something that is not his own? Remember that by baptism you are an heir of God; Do not be cowardly in the face of a decaying world. After what we received in the baptismal font, after what we receive every day from Christ the Lord, is anything worth our attention? Are people scary? After baptism, the all-powerful Father is with us. Friends are not true? The Lord Jesus is faithful - He does not leave us for a minute. Is sin strong? Pray to the Lord, and His grace will strengthen you. Coming out of the baptismal font, we entered into union with heaven, into communion with the saints, with hosts of angels. They are ready to help us, as their brothers, whether in the fight against everyday troubles or in the fight against our passions. ABOUT! how many helpers we have! how much protection against dangers of any kind! Christian soul asleep in sins! Remember what you have prepared yourself for. You trample on the gift of the grace of baptism, what judgment are you bringing upon yourself! You turn the grace of God into filth, carried away by the passions of sin, Gehenna awaits you! What to do? you say. It’s never too late to repent, until we are in the grave. Begin again what was done in baptism, make a firm vow to be dead to sin. One victory over yourself will make another easier for you - the determination of your will will attract an abundance of grace to you, grace will strengthen your weak will, increasing as you are faithful to it. The work of Christ is not easy, believe me, it is connected with such consolations that neither the luxurious world nor the unclean flesh will give you. Take heart, God is with us - the Father of all joys and mercies. Great baptist John! You are a friend of the bridegroom of Christ the Lord. Pray for us to the Lord who loves you, that He may give us the strength to revive in our hearts and fulfill in practice the holy vows of our baptism, to the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Homily on the Day of Saints Peter and Paul I pray you, brothers, by our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of the spirit, help me in praying for me to God, that I may be delivered from those who resist in Judea (Rom. 15:30–31). This is what the now blessed Apostle Paul wrote to the Roman Christians. What does this mean? Did the apostle really need the prayers of strangers? Was he, a vessel of grace, really expecting prayer help from people? Did he really consider it worthwhile for others to intercede on his behalf? Did he really not see anything inconsistent with the Christian spirit in the fact that, following his example, they would beg him to intercede for others? Brethren, we have gathered in this church to offer prayers to the holy apostles for help for us sinners. Wouldn't you stop us by asking whether you are doing Christian work? Let us combine with reflection on the prayer of the Apostle reflection on our prayers to the saints. I pray you, brethren, assist me in praying for me to God, the Apostle asks, the Apostle prays that they pray for him. Where does this disposition come from in the apostle? To understand the apostle, let us take his other words about himself. I am a damned man, he exclaims, who will deliver me from this body of death? (Rom.7:24). So he was aware of the weakness of the flesh, the powerlessness of human nature for good, and did not hope to get rid of his weaknesses before the grave. In the feeling of this weakness, in the consciousness of this weakness, he prayed for himself, and begged others to pray for him. He was filled with gifts of grace! but these gifts always remained gifts of God, the property of someone else, and not of himself; they remained in the power of the One who gave them, the Comforter Spirit; He could reduce or increase them, maintain or enhance their effect. Yes, brethren, no matter what degree of spiritual perfection one stands at, the awareness of infirmities is inevitable, the feeling of the need for help is necessary for everyone; Our falls begin with the fact that we do not see our sins, we do not see our wounds and illnesses; not seeing them, we do not ask for help; without asking for help, we grow weaker hour by hour and reach the point of exhaustion, to the depths of sin. This is the basis for our prayers to the saints, the basis in the very depths of the Christian spirit! Without awareness of weaknesses, a Christian is not a Christian; and realizing his weaknesses, he turns to others for help, especially to the saints. Strange people with their opinions! At other times they speak sharply about human weakness, even saying that man is incapable of anything good. And in another case, they preach something completely different, consider themselves capable of ascending directly to God, and are offended, as if by humiliation, when they invite us to seek help somewhere closer, to ask for help from the brethren, rich in the gifts of God’s grace. Agree that here either the consciousness of weaknesses is not sincere, or the renunciation of prayers to the saints is inappropriate. If I am poor, if I feel my poverty, is it not natural for me to seek help wherever I can get help? Conversely, if I, covered in the rags of poverty, stubbornly refuse to seek help, does this not mean that I am stubbornly proud? Yes, I can’t think of myself any other way; To think otherwise is only to deceive yourself for the sake of secret pride. This is not what the Apostle teaches us by his example. The apostle asks, the apostle begs even earthly pilgrims, far weaker than himself, to pray for him. This is the apostolic spirit! Here is a more sincere consciousness of one’s infirmities! He who ascended to the third heaven asked for prayer for him from those who were still living in the struggle with sin, fighting with the infirmities of the flesh. Why don’t others consider it prideful not to kneel before the saints of God, glorified in heaven and on earth? The holy truth is that Christ Jesus is our true and only intercessor. But this faith not only does not prevent me from praying to the saints, on the contrary, it demands that I pray to the beloved of God. Why? This is what the apostle did. Who preached more often than others, who preached more strongly than others about faith in Jesus as an intercessor before God? Paul. And the same Apostle Paul begs that others pray for him. Let them, if they can, condemn the apostle for his inconsistency with himself. Then I will willingly put myself among those condemned. Let's take a closer look at the subject. Does anyone condemn himself for praying for himself? How can you, you say, condemn someone for the work of the Gospel? Fair as can be. But I also ask for an answer: what do they do when they pray for themselves? Do they not intercede for themselves before God? You ask for forgiveness of sins, pray for help in everyday troubles, pour out a prayer for consolation in sorrow, doesn’t this mean that you are interceding for yourself before God, placing your prayer as an intermediary between your poverty and God’s grace? Yes. This is so, you say. If so, then why is hope in one’s own intercession not considered a sin, but hope in the intercession of the saints is considered a sin? Why does intercession to the saints mean an insult to the intercession of Christ, but trust in oneself, in one’s prayer, is not an insult to Christ’s intercessor? Whatever you like, there is unfaithfulness to oneself, there is a contradiction in one’s conscience, although they do not want to understand this, or more precisely, they do not want to admit it. You pray, you intercede for yourself because you trust in the power of Christ’s intercession - you believe that without Christ’s intercession your prayer, like the prayer of sinners, would not be heard; you pray for this very reason, so that in prayer you can receive the gifts of God’s youth, opened by the merits of Christ. This means that your prayer for yourself is not humiliation, but praise to the intercession of Christ. Why does the prayer of the saints of God not have the same power? Why does it serve not to glory, but to insult the only intercessor of Christ? Is it really possible to think that the saints of God understand and appreciate the power of the intercessor Jesus worse than us? Is it possible to think that, while hope in one’s own prayer does not offend the glory of Christ’s intercession, hope in the intercession of the saints can be less reverent towards the same intercessor? The saints of God spend their whole lives preaching to me about the sweetest Jesus; their whole life was in Jesus; they lived and live only by Jesus. So, my first prayerful sigh to the Holy One is a sigh to the Lord Jesus, glorious in His Saints. I pray to the supreme apostles, as preachers of the grace of Jesus. I pray to the saints, I pray to the saints, I pray to the martyrs, both those who lived and those who are living for Christ Jesus and by Christ Jesus. My prayer to the saints is a confession of my weaknesses, and praise to the only Intercessor of God and men. No, rather, when they rely on their prayer, they can reach the point of self-delusion. to the point of forgetting about the only Savior, which, while not relying on themselves, turns to the prayer of the saints. But why not pray directly to God or the Lord Jesus? Why do you need to turn to the saints? If a pure ray of light is passed through green or colored glass, it does not reach us as light - it appears green or colored to us; but neither my faith in the brightness of the light decreases, nor the property of the light changes because unclean glass seems unclean to me; take clean glass and pure light will reach your eye. So exactly, if you want the heavenly ray of God’s goodness to reach you in all its lordship, let it pass through the pure prayers of the saints; and my prayer and yours, beloved brother, may easily show it to us in a completely different form, because it is not pure. That is why they experience so many miracles of God’s grace through the prayers of the saints of God! Prayer to the saints connects our soul with the pure conductors of God’s grace, and through them brings down rays of gracious light to the soul. My sins remove me from my God, serve as a barrier between my wounds and His goodness. My brothers in Christ are close to the Lord, their pure souls live with Him and in Him. What remains for me so that my sinful soul does not remain deprived of the grace-filled light, so that it does not finally lose the very spiritual taste for the sweets of heaven? There remains a sure way - to turn to the saints of God, so that His mercy towards them will become between God and me, and through them He will pour out His oil on my soul, wounded by sins. “Will a child who loves his father turn to the mediation of a third party with a request to intercede with his father?” ABOUT! without a doubt, if she is a good child, she will become guilty. If he doesn’t, he will thereby show that he is not a kind child, a stubborn child for whom there is little hope in the future. When we turn to the saints, we express distrust not in God, but in ourselves; we recognize our sins as an obstacle to our communication with God and God with us. Can such a disposition of the soul offend God? On the contrary, if anything does not please the Lord, if anything can offend Him, then most of all is insolent pride. If prayer to the saints were incompatible with the goodness of God, then prayer to God would be the same, and it would also be distrust of God’s mercy. Will they not say, “the apostle asked the Roman Christians who lived on earth to pray for him; But is it another thing to pray to the saints?” What does it mean? Is it not that they doubt to pray to the Saints because they doubt the immortality of souls? Doubt about the immortality of the soul can definitely stop a hand ready to pray to the saints. Otherwise, since God has no dead, but everyone is alive, then the apostle praying for the earthly brethren for himself is the same for me, as if he were asking those who have departed from here to pray for themselves. They say, “We believe in the immortality of souls, but do the saints in heaven know about our earthly prayers to them?” ABOUT! Let them not worry either about the knowledge of the Saints about the earth, or about their love for us - earthly wanderers. In Christ Jesus heaven and earth are united in the closest union. In Christ Jesus, earthly pilgrims are fellow-citizens with the saints who are in heaven, fellow citizens with heavenly Jerusalem, with the church, triumphant in the glory of God, and with thousands of angels of God. This is what is told to us in the revelation of God (Eph.2:19; Heb.12:22-23). And, with such closeness of the inhabitants of heaven to the wanderers of the earth, how can one not be the first to hear the prayerful voice of the latter? The saints of God on earth were so perspicacious that they saw into the secret thoughts of people, saw the innermost feelings and desires of their neighbors, and saw what was distant in space and time. Remember how the Apostle Peter saw the secret dispositions and affairs of Ananias and Sapphira. Remember how the prophet Elisha correctly saw what was happening in the heart of his disciple Gehazi, and what the Syrian king was secretly planning. What can we say about the heavenly vision of God’s saints? Here the apostle speaks, we see in part, there it is completely; here we look at spiritual objects as if in a mirror, - there we will see them face to face, in their very essence (1 Cor. 13:9, 12). The love of the Saints in heaven is, without a doubt, fuller and purer than it was on earth. If on earth they were ready to renounce their own salvation for the salvation of their brothers, they were ready to be considered strangers to Christ, if only those who were strangers to Christ were his own, what are they not ready to do in heaven for the salvation of those same brothers? Who faints, said Paul, and I do not faint for him? Who is tempted, and I am not kindled with love in him? Our heart expands; you do not fit into us too closely (2 Cor. 11:29, 6:11–12). An angel came, says the seer, and had a golden censer before the altar, and a lot of incense was given to him, and with the prayers of the saints he would give the gold that was before the throne to the altar. And up came the smoke of incense with the prayers of the saints from the hand of an angel before God (Rev. 8:3–4). What does the seer show? First of all, the angel serving before the throne of the Most High in the heavenly church; then - the prayers of the saints, offered to God through the medium of an angel. It would seem that the saints, as those close to God, could themselves offer prayers on the heavenly altar, but apparently, in heaven it is not like on earth; there is no place for self-will and insolence, everything is orderly, everything is gradual; the lower ones appear before God through the higher ones. Judge, by what spirit are those guided who, while still living on earth and in sins, consider themselves to have the right not to need the mediation of the higher ones, the saints? Pay attention also to the fact that what kind of prayers of the saints are these, fragrantly ascending to God? What and who are they about? Of course, everyone will agree that the saints who are in heaven received what they wanted, achieved the goal they strived for. What are they praying for? What remains to be prayed for is love for the brethren, for the salvation of our neighbors. The saints pour out prayer before the Eternal Lamb for those who struggle with troubles and misfortunes, with passions and sin in the field of earthly life. Otherwise, with their prayer they make our prayer babble, so weak and sinful, clear and pure, raising it to the heavenly throne. So, here is the revelation of heaven about the prayer of the saints! In the book of Job we read that if there is an angel mediator for him (for a person), one out of a thousand, He, the Lord of all, will have mercy on him (Job 33:23–24). Offended by Abimelech's insolence, God commands him to ask Abraham to pray for him. Why? There is a prophet, and he will pray for you, and you will live (Gen. 20:7). This is how legitimate and powerful the prayer of a righteous person for a sinner is before God! It is fitting for a prophet, and not a sinner, to appear directly to God in prayer, and his prayer for a sinner saves the sinner from deserved execution. Job's careless friends angered God with their human opinions and reasoning. It would seem that all that remained was to tell them to bring tearful repentance before God. But the order was given differently. Go, said the Lord, to my servant Job, and he will make a sacrifice for you, since I will accept his face, if not for his sake, I would have destroyed you (Job 42:8). Finally, how often do we hear in the word of God the prayer of Israel, that the Lord may have mercy on him for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Let us bring, with full hope, our prayers to the holy apostles of Christ, so that for their sake the Lord God may show His mercy to us, and together with them we may be worthy to worthily glorify on earth and in heaven the great name of the Eternal Lamb. Amen. Homily on the day of the apostles Peter and Paul Trouble in the rivers, trouble from the robber, troubles from relatives, troubles from tongue, troubles in cities, troubles in the desert, troubles in the sea, troubles in the false brethren (2 Cor. 11:26). This is how the now honored teacher of languages ​​depicted his earthly life! This is how, or almost this way, another blessed supreme apostle would have depicted his life if he had had the opportunity to depict it! What, they will say, a gloomy picture! Suffer and suffer! To suffer on the water, to suffer on land, to suffer in cities, to suffer in the solitary desert; to suffer from strangers, to suffer from one’s own blood; suffer from enemies, suffer from those who are called brothers! Why such a series of sufferings? Why should those who loved their Lord so much suffer, and to whom the Lord was undoubtedly close with His mercies? Why is the path of those who please the Lord strewn with various sorrows? Is it possible for light and darkness to live in friendship? No! The light of the morning drives away the darkness of the night; the darkness of the approaching night drives away the light of day. In the same way, the world hates the righteous, because their deeds, their properties, their aspirations are opposite, like light and darkness. For the world, reproach is the very life of the righteous. Let the righteous, by vow of humility, not say a word to the world about his dark deeds; Even if, according to a vow of love, he uses everything to maintain peace with everyone, it is impossible that the world will remain forever satisfied with the righteous. The world hates them, for they are not of the world (John 17:14), says the heavenly Truth about his dear disciples. The world hates the disciples of God, for the very reason that they do not belong to anything, or do not want to belong to the world; his own is dear to him, and all this is the very thing that the friends of God reject, since it is not pleasing to God, since the Lord demands something completely different in his commandments. The world lies in evil. Don't believe me? Look at the experience and especially in the light of God. It hurts, you say. In the world are our brothers, in the world who were tempted together with us by our Lord. How not to help them? How not to tell them about their misfortune, about the death that awaits them both in time and in eternity? How can we not say that we have been saved from sin? You are right, your thoughts, your feelings are noble, holy! But look, what do you want to do? You want the light of God to drive away darkness, truth to drive untruth out of the heart, piety to take the place of wickedness! And this also means that you are declaring war. The heart does not easily part with what it has loved; Did you like sin and become the rule of life? And there is a war for him. Did you like the false opinion, did the mistake become close to your soul? And that’s why there’s war. And what a war! Let the truth that you present in order to drive away error, error not one step from the heart, be as clear as the light of God; delusion throws a ton of memorized words at you to defend itself; you say that all these words are the delirium of pathetic ignorance, but delusion doesn’t care about that; for him stands the heart that loved him and all his creatures. You say to the miser; stinginess is baseness, but he answers, no, and puts himself in the right to scold generosity. You say to the unscrupulous judge; fear God, remember the judgment beyond the grave; he, not feeling what the fear of God is, endows you with contempt and threat, and will carry out the threat against you, if not now, then tomorrow. Light drives out darkness, and darkness drives out light. Here is an explanation for those sad but frequent cases in which people not only do not accept a kind word, but take revenge for kindness; not only are they not corrected by reproof, but they denigrate the one who reproaches; Not only do they not like the truth, but they try to make it out to be untrue. Dear brother! Your meekness is called pretense, your brotherly love - affection, your piety - hypocrisy, your love for the poor - seeking the sounds of people, your love for truth - stubbornness, do not be surprised, much less do not complain, but say in your soul, light drives out darkness, and darkness drives out light; It is enough for you that you love the light. Thus, suffering is inevitable for the righteous in the world as long as this sinful world exists. Everyone who wants to live godly will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). A righteous person cannot help but love this truth because it is impossible not to love his brothers, even sinners; he cannot help but love his neighbors, even his enemies; it is impossible not to love everyone, when the Lord is patient and waits, so that everyone will come to repentance. Nevertheless, it hurts the heart to endure unpleasant things. Life loves to live, not to suffer. If everything in the world suffers, if material nature experiences earthquakes, floods, storms, this does not make it easier for the heart. Where is the truth of God, which, without a doubt, does not want to allow innocence to suffer? Pagan wisdom did not resolve this mystery, but Christian teaching does, and to the complete consolation of the heart. The pagan sage said, “Be patient willingly; otherwise you will unwittingly endure.” Christian wisdom says, “endure willingly, because suffering is the fruit of our sin.” In fact, when did illness, need, and sadness enter the world? Following sin. Death is a quitrent of sin. The Lord God did not create death; He created life, He created everything in the best order so that everything could enjoy life. This could not but be accepted, and pagan wisdom accepted it. So, the truth of God is right in its ways. It remains for the righteous to be attentive in order to justify himself. How will he justify himself? What righteous person can admit himself innocent before the strict righteousness of God? Oh! Was there only one such righteous man? This is the One who took upon himself the unrighteousness of all people, who was wounded for our sins and tormented for our iniquities (Is. 53:5). Otherwise, we are all sinners, starting with Adam, while we are just wandering on earth. Otherwise, the righteous are only in heaven, but not on earth. Who can boast of having a pure heart before the Lord? (Job.14:4) Even if someone began to say, “I am not an imam of sin”; One should say with all confidence that he deceives himself, the truth is not in him (1 John 1:8). And the righteous fall seven times a day (Proverbs 24:16). The sons of God, beginning to anticipate the grace-filled freedom of the spirit, openly admit their weaknesses; They sigh until the grave for deliverance from the annoying flesh and pray until the grave for the forgiveness of sins (Rom. 7:15-20). Meanwhile, no filth will enter the new Jerusalem (Rev. 21:27). Only those who appear in white robes of purity and innocence (Rev. 3:18) and in the wedding garment of holiness will be allowed there (Matt. 22:12–13). That is why the righteous, even then, as it would seem, have already succeeded in love for the Lord, are amazed by sorrows! The truth of God here punishes their weaknesses and infirmities, so that they may appear freely to her throne to receive crowns. We are punished by judgments from the Lord, let us not be condemned together with the world (1 Cor. 11:32), they themselves say. Let us marvel not only at the truth of God, which is always right in our paths, but also at the wisdom of God, which reveals in evil itself the means to good. What are temporary disasters for the children of Adam? This is not only execution for sins, but also a cure against sin. If even then, as the world gives us all sorrows, we all, more or less, love the world; if even then, as the earth pricks us with thorns and thistles, we, more or less, cling to the earth, what would happen to us then, if the earth and the world did not push us away from themselves? How they use earthly blessings, how much they make use of them for their salvation! God gives you wealth, abundance flows to you like a river. Do you turn with gratitude to the One who sends you happiness? Do you feel how merciful He is to you not because of your works? Poor rich man! Wealth has filled your soul and now there is no time or disposition for grateful prayers, for grateful service to the Lord. But if they already forget God, whom they do not see, do they at least remember, do they know their neighbor whom they see, do they willingly give from their wealth to a beggar who is ready to die of hunger? No - not even that. The bitter poor man is given only the instruction - work and you will not be poor, or they are accompanied by the assurance, which they themselves remember so poorly, “God will provide.” Meanwhile, nothing can be denied to one’s passions; glad that there are means to fatten them up, they spend their wealth on luxury, on vanity, on impurity, without thinking about the account that should be given of the entrusted talent. Was it until the soul had much good? (Luke 12:19). Did this happen when we encountered needs or adversity? Yes, then God was needed; then they hurried to Him with tears in their eyes, or at least with a heartfelt sigh. ABOUT! My God! What thunder of Your wrath is needed to bring our senseless hearts to reason! No matter what happens, those who have wealth will enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 19:23). Exactly the same thing happens to people with every earthly gift, with honor, with power, with nobility. A man who is in honor without understanding, has become like the foolish cattle and has become like them. An abundance of happiness weakens the most God-loving soul and turns to its detriment, like too rich soil for wheat, like uninterrupted peace for water. Surrounded by external peace, the righteous may at times think that he is free from the dangers of spiritual salvation, he can indulge in carefree peace and say: in his abundance, I will not move forever (Ps. 29:7); and yet sin will then freely enter his soul when they think so little about it. Concerns about many things for one who owns many, even if they do not completely distract the righteous from the one thing he needs (Matthew 10:41), will at least divide his heart between the world and God, and will little by little weaken his love for Him Whom he should love with all his soul, with all his heart. How bitter this is, far more bitter than any earthly loss! That is why the wise man prays to the Lord, do not give me riches, lest anyone who sees me be satisfied with lies and the river (Proverbs 30:8-9). The wise heavenly physician sends disasters when the time is ripe for them, and to the extent that they can bring benefit. Abandoned by the world, humiliated by people, we involuntarily begin to feel how in vain we sought everything from the world, and forgot God, who does not forget his faithful; we involuntarily humble ourselves - hitherto proud and self-confident; we involuntarily lament our sins - those who have not seen and felt their iniquities until now. At first, involuntarily separated by disaster from objects of passion, little by little we begin to part with them by will; External sorrows, suppressing the feeling of pleasure in an unauthorized object, weaken and weaken the very criminal attachment in us, give freedom to the mind to consider the insignificance and harm of our passion, and thereby reinforce the good determination to live for the Lord. He experienced this truth himself who gratefully cried out before the Lord, “It is good for me, because You have humbled me, so that I may learn through Your justification.” So what? Is it really better for us to live peacefully in our sins, so that they later bring us down into unquenchable Gehenna, than to cleanse our souls for eternal joys through the patience of temporary sorrows? No, let passions be under the yoke of temporary sorrows; let them tear everything dear from our hearts, whether by reason or by force; let the sweetness of sin be absorbed by the bitterness of losses, illnesses, and needs! It's not scary, but joyful. The word of the Apostle is terrible, even if you are without punishment, for you are by nature adulterers, and not sons. Suffering is a purifying fire for the Christian cause. If a matter is without any admixture of earthly motives, it, without losing anything from the fire of trials, acquires more strength and purity. If, in one way or another, vanity, pride, or self-interest is mixed in with it, then, just as hay and reeds burn in a fire, what seemed, but was not, solid good will burn in temptation, and particles of true good will remain. Faith that is tempted is more valuable than corruptible gold; it will bring praise and honor and glory in the revelation of Christ Jesus (1 Pet. 1:7). Blessed is the man who, having endured temptation, having already been skilled, receives the crown of life (James 1:12). To him who overcomes I will give to sit with Me on My throne, says the faithful and true one. He who gave Himself up to death for us cannot be content with either short-term feelings or feelings aroused only by happy nature, no matter how good these feelings may be in their subject matter. True love for the Lord is a series of deeds of firmness and courage. How much struggle must be endured with oneself in order to acquire the firmness and courage worthy of the Son of God! If anyone loves father or mother more than Me, he is worthy of Me, says the Lord. Try to fulfill this will of the Lord in all its breadth. How many painful doubts, how many worries will your natural attachment to blood cause you to experience! How many griefs people will force you to endure, who will judge you according to their various motives! If anyone does not deny himself and take up his cross and come after Me, he is not worthy of Me, says the Lord. You have to renounce yourself, how hard it is! It costs a little effort to be meek, so as not to irritate us, to love what nature calls us to love. But to bring yourself to the point where, without paying attention to the fruits of a happy nature, you love what is not at all to your liking, turn into a rule of life something for which there is too little inclination in your heart, be an example of humility and obedience, while in your character there is so much elasticity and willfulness, oh, how much you need to endure the struggle with yourself! If you love those who love you, what is special about you? And the pagan loved his friends. True, perfect Christianity requires that we love our enemies. How easy it is! How much internal and external grief must be endured in order to finally love those who shower us with abuse! “God has given everything for enjoyment on earth,” says ordinary righteousness and uses everything with thanksgiving. Christian righteousness says, for this very reason, that the Lord God brings so many good things to us as a sacrifice to Him, my renunciation of temporal blessings - and what sacrifice, what offering is not worthy of the All-Good One! Will life need to be brought? Everything for Him, nothing for yourself! Who can love us, and who is so worthy of our grateful love, as the One who suffered for us on the cross in order to return to us the love of the Heavenly Father? Can a Christian consider any feat difficult for himself after the Lord and Savior went through all the sorrowful feats of the earth in order to bring us into the kingdom of his Father? Brethren! Do you want to be true Christians, with the crowns of true followers of Christ? Endure the sorrows of denying yourself, from everything dear to your heart. Don't want to? You will be left with pagan righteousness and a pagan reward. So, brethren, if happiness shines for us, let us be courageous, so as not to be deceived by its deceptive shine and not to weaken in goodness from its seductive warmth, working out our salvation with fear (Phil. 2:12); let us remember that the earth is not a place of peace, but of illness and labor for eternity, we will not hunger and thirst for earthly food, earthly happiness, peace on earth is not suitable for us, it is harmful to us. If sorrows visit us, let us not be faint-hearted. Let us accept with humility, if not with joy, the punishment of the Heavenly Father, as a sign that we belong to Him, as a sign of a call to correction from our sins, as a sign of encouragement to progress in perfect and pure love. Through sorrows, the now blessed apostles reached the kingdom; in the same way, with the help of their prayers, we will achieve the same thing, and we will forever glorify with all the saints the all-holy name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Conversation on the day of the Holy Supreme Apostles Peter and Paul I have fought the good fight, died, I kept the faith (2 Tim. 4:7). This is what the holy Apostle Paul says about himself! If it were necessary to prove to anyone present here whether it is necessary or worthy to honor the saints, then we could point to what Paul says about himself. For doesn’t the apostle pronounce praise, doesn’t he give honor to the deeds that the grace of Christ accomplished in him and through him, when he says, I fought a good fight, I died, I kept the faith? Doesn't he say with this praise that true Christianity does not refuse to pay respect to the exploits of the people of God who labored for God? But, thanks be to the Lord! The multitude of people celebrating in memory of the holy apostles, the joyful, reverent celebration with which thousands of great preachers of the glory of Christ are honored, shows by itself that we have no need to turn to the words of the apostle for the thought of honoring the saints. Meanwhile, even without that, the words of the apostle provide so much edification, consolation, and teaching that I am afraid that I can explain their entire content if I decide to do so. Through your prayers, supreme apostles, may light and strength be given to my understanding and word! I have fought the good fight, says the apostle. The apostle compares his life, his activities with the activities of a fighter. And how much work, how much struggle the language teacher experienced! How many dangers he endured! What an amazing spectacle of suffering his life presents to us! “I was in many labors, as he himself says, in wounds, in prisons, many times at the point of death. From the Jews five times I was given forty stripes minus one; They beat me with sticks three times, once they stoned me; I was shipwrecked three times and spent a night and a day in the depths of the sea. I traveled many times, experienced troubles on the rivers, troubles from robbers, troubles from fellow tribesmen, troubles from pagans, troubles in the city, troubles in the desert, troubles in the sea, troubles between false brothers. In labor and exhaustion, often in watching, in famine and need, often in fasting, in cold and nakedness” (2 Cor. 11:24-27). Men, fight! Which of you will present such a list of service, in which there would be as many troubles of life as feats against death? Yes, brothers! The life of a true Christian is a life of daily suffering, often unexpected suffering, and grave suffering. It is not up to us to give a different kind of life in Christ, a more pleasant, easier kind than what it is. If you wish, you can choose another path, the path that is called the wide path, the smooth path, the path without suffering and sorrow; only you can be sure that this other path will lead you to nothing less than hell. Choose one path or the other, it’s up to you; but do not try to change the properties and consequences of the chosen path, the work will not bring any benefit. Lazarus lay in rot because he decided to be the righteous Lazarus; the rich man had fun every day because he wanted to be a luxurious rich man; one gave his soul to the will of God and suffered; the other was devoted to passions and lived cheerfully, as long as he lived only in body. Let us count the faces of the saints of God, which of them lived as the luxurious rich man lived? The patriarchs were glorified by the Lord, but they were wanderers and strangers on earth, searching for the coming city all their lives; in this world they did not know where and what to settle their soul on. The prophets were glorified, but what was their fate? Stiff-necked people, says the Apostle Stephen to the Jews, which of the prophets did not your fathers persecute? They killed those who foretold the coming of the righteous (Acts 7:51–52). In Christian times, the apostles were followed by martyrs and confessors. And horror embraces the soul when we read what fierce torments and with what brutality the enemies of the name of Christ subjected them. And your life, reverends, saints of God, blessed people, wasn’t your life also a life of struggle and exploits? Which of you will not say about yourself, we were a disgrace to the world; the world was forgetfully having fun and enjoying itself; sometimes he slept and dozed in careless bliss, sometimes he woke up only to seek, as he says, entertainment; but we had no time to sleep, we did not have enough time to rest; and the world, smiling, called us strange, unless it persecuted us maliciously. Be comforted, poor earthly wanderer! if others eat lukewarmly at your expense, and your life is full of sorrows, know that the seal of God lies on you, the Lord loves him, we are punished. Know that the cross is a sign of a follower of Christ, a sign with which to open for you the entrance to eternal bliss. However, the apostle is not just talking about feats, about labors, about the troubles of life; he talks about fighting a good fight, fighting a good fight. Prescribing the same good fight to his disciple Timothy, he more clearly defines what kind of fight it is, with which he himself could console himself in his soul, and which he prescribed for others to fight, he says, the good fight of faith, eating for eternal life (1 Tim. 6:12), i.e. fight that good fight, which has in its object the faith of Christ, strive for eternal life, work for eternal truth, for eternal holiness, and not for time. So, brothers, it doesn’t matter yet. if we only work, but do not understand why we work, what we strive for. The unfortunate covetous man does not sleep at night, is exhausted by the worries of the day, all occupied with self-interest, but why his exhausting labors? It's scary to think - to death. For is it possible to wait for anything else? Faith is forgotten, love of humanity is forgotten, the fear of God is forgotten in worries about money. And you, poor sufferer of honor and power, what torment you did not endure, looking at the rise of another! You have no peace among the machinations with which you undermine the good name and honor of another. And what is all this for? Only so that a few extra vibrations in the air, a few sounds running through, echo in your soul with alarming unrest. What vain work! what a thankless feat! But, if a language teacher speaks of his own feat as a good deed, then, referring to the unkind deeds of others, no doubt, most of all he means the unkind deeds of unkind teachers. Who are these teachers? First, as he said to Timothy, fight the good fight, he wrote, but you, O man of God, flee these things (1 Tim. 6:11). Who are these? people, he says, who suffer from a passion for competitions and contentious arguments, which give rise to envy, strife, slander and empty disputes (1 Tim. 6:4). Deny women's fables, remember this, testify before the Lord, do not argue, because it serves no need, but for the ruin of those who hear (2 Tim. 2:14). This is the primary subject of reproof in the apostolic word about the good deed. I propose to everyone’s conscience to judge whether this apostolic reproof applies to those of our brethren who are arguing, separating from the church, depriving themselves of the sacraments because of words? Jealousy for one's father's tradition is a good deed. But jealousy can also be unreasonable, condemned by the word of God. Think, my dear, is the object of your jealousy worth it so that because of it you voluntarily excommunicate yourself from the church and its grace-filled gifts? I have no need to tell you yet that your spoken fatherly tradition is not as ancient as you think - I assure you only with the word of the Apostle that neither the fathers wanted you to harbor enmity because of words that do not contain a special thought. Think carefully, with concern for your salvation, what does saving faith consist of? What does saving godliness consist of? Is it the subject of your argument? Read the Gospel, read the teaching of the apostles, will you find there even one word about what the disputes are going on between your brothers? No! and so do you follow the sound words of our Lord? Do you follow the teaching that is according to godliness? Or, isn’t your whole business a matter of women’s fables? Look around, are it not the people who turn piety into a means of profit who support you in an unreasonable jealousy that alienates you from the church? Look around? - the matter is about the salvation of your soul; The point is that your entire life’s feat may remain an unkind feat, a feat for no good reason, but for the ruin of you and those who hear. Out of love for your salvation, I remember this to you and, following the Apostle, I adjure you not to break your words. The Apostle, continuing to depict his life as an instruction to others, says, “I have passed away, I have kept my faith - my legal deed is over, my loyalty to the Lord has been maintained. When does the apostle say this? He sees his martyrdom before him: I am already eaten (2 Tim. 4:6); sees himself at the very end of life, the time of my departure has come. And that’s when he turns his gaze to his past, to the deeds of his life. Formerly he spoke, forgetting what is behind, but reaching out to what is before, hastening with zeal for the honor of the high calling (Phil. 3:13). Before that, he did not want to look back - at the path he had traveled for the glory of the name of Christ, and was all occupied only with going forward, getting closer and closer to the goal of the journey. His life was such before that he could speak, there is no stain on it. But before the journey was over, the apostle carefully thought that his work was not yet over, that his goal had not yet been achieved. that the honor promised by the highest rank has not yet been given. Thus, brethren, the apostle, by his example, teaches us the same thing that the Lord taught in the revelation of the angel to the church of Ephesus: be faithful even to death, and I will give you the crown of life (Rev. 2:10), the same thing that He taught the angel of the church of Thyatira, to the one who overcomes and keeps my deeds even to the end I will give authority over the nations (Rev. 2:26). We must strive until the grave; and only at the door of the tomb is it possible, if it is given to someone by grace, to say to the soul, the feat is over, now it’s time to calm down. Many begin the path of salvation well, and then live completely differently, not at all for salvation. How sad it is to look at such examples! Of course, not many, very few are given from above to remain all their lives with an unchanging flame in their soul; many of the pious experienced a temporary weakening in zeal for good, temporary dryness in feelings, temporary mistakes and quite significant ones. How can one protect oneself from that weakening that leads to the destruction of the soul? Do not allow yourself to stare at the good that, with the help of grace, you have managed to do; Otherwise, that’s why you’re lazy about work—that’s why you keep yourself busy. Have you noticed laziness in yourself? Force yourself to work, do not forgive yourself for your mistakes, but rebuke them strictly. Sigh for your weaknesses, pray for heavenly help, and thus kindle within yourself your love for the Lord. It is disastrous to stop on the path with confidence in your perfection; Until the feat is over, there is no time for peace, or it will be a disastrous rest. Only then do we get closer to the goal when we go towards it without stopping; every minute of our life has its own task; therefore, if I stop even for a moment in peace, I will lose a lot for eternity. Watch and pray, said the Lord. Otherwise, you cannot hope for success. Spiritual wakefulness will not allow us to fall into the disastrous sleep of sin; prayer will bring down the grace necessary for us weak ones. Through the prayers of the supreme apostles, may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ strengthen and confirm us in every good deed. Amen. Conversation on the day of St. Sergius If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit (Gal.5:25). On the day of spiritual celebration about the glory of the spiritual ascetic, the church also offers apostolic reading about spiritual life. If we live in the spirit, we have now heard the commandment of the Apostle, let us walk in the spirit. Invoking the name of the Lord, in simplicity of heart, let us devote moments of spiritual triumph to understanding these words of the Apostle about spiritual work. We still live by the spirit. The apostle suggests that we can live by the spirit; one can use and enjoy the use of powers while living in the spirit. What kind of state is this in which we live in spirit? According to the understanding of the apostle, there are two lives in a Christian man, the life of the flesh and the life of the spirit; and there are two laws in it, the law of sin, which wars in judgment, and the law of the mind. We know, he says, that good does not live in me, that is, in my flesh. I see another law in my hearts, warring against the law of my mind, and they take me captive by the law of sin which is in my hearts (Rom. 7:18, 23). What kind of concept can we form from this about life according to the spirit or by the spirit? One might, firstly, think that, according to the understanding of the Apostle, everything bad in us is a consequence of our opposite composition - spiritual and physical, that evil is a necessary situation in our transfer from a material, bodily life to a purely spiritual, incorporeal one. Further, it would be necessary to assume that spiritual life for the Apostle means the same thing as spiritual life, estranged from the unions of the material - that life when, secluded in the inner soul of his soul, a person renounces the material world, from the body itself, lives entirely in contemplation of the mental world and in the feeling of pleasure in this contemplation; or spiritual life is also a rational life, governed by the demands of the mind, in which the demands of matter are not ignored. But does the apostle really mean to live in the spirit? No! Having been taught by the word of truth, we know that we are not alive until the Spirit of God revives our soul, deadened by sin; we are dead, and all the members of our soul and body are dead, until the Spirit of Divine life is poured out and acts in us; therefore, whether we indulge in the attraction of inner feelings, or the guidance of reason, the end is the same - a life of sin, or, which is more consistent with Scripture, death; because both feeling and reason are themselves imbued with sin, they themselves are blind; - and a blind man is a bad counselor for a blind man. Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ says, it is fitting to be born again (John 2:7). It is true that a person’s life, both natural and grace-filled, begins in his soul, and from the soul flows into all members of his composition, but it is necessary that there be a force that would begin life in a soul that is dead by nature. Thus, the apostle himself contrasts spiritual life with, in fact, not physical life, and the life-giving principle of the first is not just renunciation from the demands of the material composition, or submission to the mind, he puts our perverse love for ourselves as the active principle of carnal life; and spiritual life - love for God, excited and nourished by the Spirit of God. This is what he says about himself: “I live not for anyone, but Christ lives in me,” as if he said so, not I myself, not my will, but my mind controls me, Christ lives in me; He constitutes the beginning of a new and better life in me; He controls my thoughts, feelings and desires. In another place, the same God-chosen man says about himself: the law of the Spirit of life, in Christ Jesus freed me from the law of sin and death (Rom. 8:2), - he calls the beginning of a new life the law of the Spirit of life or the power of the Spirit of God, since the Spirit of God produces in the heart of man the grace-filled generation of new life. But let us not think that this high state of renewed nature is the advantage of only the apostle or apostles. The teacher of languages ​​says to all believers: you are born in the flesh, but in Dus, because the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he adds, he is not His (Rom. 8:9). This is what it means, according to the understanding of the apostle, to live in the spirit, and this is how this life should be characteristic of believers. Believing listeners! Do we feel more sincere communication with us from the Spirit of God? Or have we reached the point where we do not know except by hearsay who the Holy Spirit is (Acts 19:2). If we have never felt within ourselves that the Lord is good and close to us, then bitterly, bitterly we need to cry about our condition; for we did not feel our life. But if we are too angry with ourselves, remaining careless about our lives, then the Heavenly Father is good to us. It was not in vain that He gave up His Son to death on the cross; He gave Him up so that we might live the life of His Son, so that we might receive the Spirit of life, the life-giving Spirit, which the Son of God interceded with the Father for us. He gives us this Spirit while we are immersed in the water of baptism; He strengthens you with this Spirit when we are anointed with the mysterious world. And unless one is born of water and the Spirit, said the Truth, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (John 3:5). We receive this Spirit when we partake of the body and blood of Christ. But, O God, merciful to us sinners! And when are You not ready to give us Your Spirit? When Your right hand contracted to leave us hungry and thirsty, without food and spiritual drink! In a dream, in a nightly teaching, one wise man says, He opens the ears of people, and frightens people with visions of fear in order to lead people away from unrighteousness (Job 33:14-17). Wherever the Spirit wills, it breathes, Truth itself speaks, and you hear His voice, but do not consider where it comes from or where it goes, for every person is born of the Spirit (John 3:8). So, why do many of us listeners feel little of the presence of this Spirit in ourselves? How does it happen to us that we do not notice the actions of the Holy Spirit in ourselves? To explain this to ourselves, let us recall the comparison, so often found in scripture, of our soul with the earth, and the gracious action of the Spirit with a seed thrown into the ground. Doesn’t it often happen that heavenly dew and abundant rain water the earth, which has received the seed, and yet the earth does not reward the sower’s labors with the desired fruits? Why? Or because in the same land there are too many bad seeds, which, growing, choke out the good seed; or because the ground is too rocky and does not allow the seed to take root in itself. The same thing happens to us. For how can the blessed seed not remain as if dead in our soul, when so many earthly worries weigh it down? How can he not remain without any action when the charms of the world, curiosity, greed fill our hearts, or when we accept the seed of life without deep feeling, without due attention, leaving it on the surface of the soul? Hence it happens that we, having been renewed by the Spirit, do not feel the actions of renewal in ourselves; Having been reborn, we do not feel that a new beginning of life, Divine life, is operating in us. However, the seed of the eternal belly is not incorruptible. Even if it lies in our heart for a long time without action, it can bear fruit when we apply our attention to it. Under this condition the apostle prescribes to us that if we live in the spirit, let us walk in the spirit. He offers us a means of preserving and fertilizing the seed of grace within ourselves. If the spirit, they say, constitutes the beginning of our inner life, then the outer life must correspond to this inner state; our relationships with others, our whole life should express this inner life; our works should not be works of the flesh, but of the spirit. Divine grace, after making a decisive change in the soul of a sinner, arousing in him new thoughts, new feelings and desires, makes one feel its closeness, after which it seems to leave the person to his own strength; she notifies him from time to time about her presence in him, but also hides from him, so that the newborn baby strengthens himself in his own strength, learns to walk with a firm foot along the paths of the commandments; its power abides in him, and it is only by this power that he can act, but grace expects him to strengthen himself in its power, so that he corrects the weak, heals the sick within himself with the beginning of life imparted to him; and this requires that he remain faithful to the title of grace, or that he be renewed in spirit; spiritually and lived. This is the remedy that the all-wise goodness of God gives us so that we do not extinguish its spirit in ourselves, a saving remedy and at the same time easy - easy, because it is strange if a good tree bears bad fruits; it is strange if a heart renewed by grace does not create either thoughts or deeds worthy of this renewal. The life of the soul is revealed in actions, and its internal strength is reinforced by external actions. For this reason, we can be reproached with self-delusion if, thinking that we live a new life according to the inner man, we behave as if we did not know what spiritual life is. If, calling ourselves Christians - people with holy feelings, with pure desires, we turn out to be such that it is as if we did not know Christ and Christ's grace, are we not humiliating, are we not dishonoring Christianity? It is clear in itself that the world has no right to reproach those of us who, having accepted the yoke of the foolishness of Christ, represent so many deviations from our common life. And - oh, when only he could see such things between us! But let us shed bitter tears for our poverty; there is still much in us that truly serves to dishonor the name we bear; Let us sigh and grieve from the depths of our souls that we are so careless about the inner treasure given to us. Lord our God! The only merciful one! Remember Your mercy, what You did to us in the days of our youth and, for the sake of this mercy, let us see the incongruity of our ways with Your mercy. Let us not, listeners, be so unjust to ourselves and to the grace of our Lord! Let us turn to our deeds and test whether we are walking in a way that is pleasing to our God and His grace? If Masha’s deeds were the fruit of our soul renewed by grace, they would be an expression of one sincere, simple-hearted love for the Lord and our neighbors; for spiritual fruit is love. Neither with a look of unapproachable severity, nor with a word of harsh self-confidence would we sadden those close to us; for spiritual fruit is joy. Looking at the rise of an equal or an inferior, we would not be disturbed by thoughts of zeal, envy and hatred; for the fruit of the Spirit is peace. We would not be offended or lose faith in ourselves when our weak brother offends us, for the fruit of the Spirit is longsuffering. We would tolerate the shortcomings of our subordinates; for spiritual fruit is goodness. We would be compassionate towards the sorrows of our neighbors, we would not torture our debtors for debts; for the fruit of the Spirit is mercy. We would be trusting and unsuspicious about our sincere ones; for the fruit of the Spirit is faith. We would not seek presidencies in assemblies, we would not enjoy honors in the marketplace, and we would not be puffed up with proud complacency; for spiritual fruit is meekness and humility. We would not burden our hearts with gluttony and drunkenness, luxury and bliss; for spiritual fruit is self-control. Uncleanness, enmity, zeal, rage, drunkenness, disorderly cries, according to the judgment of the apostle, the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19, 23); Therefore, they should not be our works, if we live by the Spirit and act by the Spirit; those who are according to the flesh are wise in the flesh; and those who are in spirit, spiritual (Rom. 8:5). In order to awaken our lazy soul to goodness, let us remember, listeners, that the Lord is holy and righteous, having given us His grace. He will ask us about the talents of the Spirit entrusted to us. He will demand strict accountability in the use of His gifts. Or do we think that we can forever neglect His goodness? Let us tremble at the fate awaiting us, we who offend grace. To whom much is given, much is required. We who believe in Christ have been given much. Famine, pestilence, sword, and fire struck ancient Israel when it neglected the earthly blessings of the Lord, how can we escape from the capital without caring for salvation? We, the listeners, will not escape from the wrath of the Lord. He is punishing us. Alas, the sinful tongue, the son of iniquity, the wicked seed! Leave the Lord. Your land is desolate, your land is burned with fire, your country is devastated by strange people (Isa. 1:4, 7). Thus spoke the prophet to ancient Israel! What do we see above us? Court! the court is still temporary; but there is, there is a judgment that will condemn the despisers of grace for a whole bleak eternity. God's servant! Friend of Christ Sergius! Pray to the Lord Almighty for us, that while we live, we may walk in spirit. Amen! Conversation on the day of Theodosius of Pechersk Come to Me, all you who labor and burdened, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). This is how the Lord Jesus once called the Jews to Himself! Every time we celebrate the memory of the saints, the church repeats for us this title of the Savior; in every common prayer of the faithful to the saints, she invites us with this voice to what is not false in her promises. And now, in memory of our venerable father Theodosius, who was reassured by this voice, we hear this sweet voice, come to Me, you who are toiling and burdened, and I will give you rest. Are we following the voice of the caller? Do we seek relief for our burdened hearts where we are invited? Do we seek rest for the tormented spirit from the One Who Himself expresses the desire to calm us? Or we don’t even feel that we are burdened with an unbearable burden, joyless labors; Don’t we realize that we need to seek joy and consolation according to the voice of the Divine? Do we know what this burden is that they want to free us from? What kind of peace is this that they promise to please us with? Perhaps many, accustomed to listening only to the invitations of the flattering world, did not have enough time or opportunity to clearly hear the Divine calling of the heavenly Comforter. Perhaps, real attention to this calling will reveal, with the help of grace, the full meaning of the Lord’s words. Let us therefore listen to the voice of the one calling, come to Me. Who is this calling to Himself? The Eternal Son of the Eternal Father, who became the Son of Man for our salvation. It is considered a great thing, and rightly so, when an earthly king, instead of forcing people to obey him by force of power, invites the very opponents of his power to communicate in gifts and his love. What does the King of heaven and earth not have the power to demand from His servants? Why is He not able to force those who live and move about Him alone? (Acts 17:28). But incomprehensible goodness calls us to Itself. And what's his name? Not only does the Creator, the Providence, in His wonderful creation tell us about His will. Visible nature, with its wondrous structure, calls us to glorify its Creator (Ps. 18:2), and by the disorganization of serving vanity, it arouses sighs about the subjugation of it and man to vanity (Him. 8: 21–22). The events of human life sometimes speak of God’s punitive judgment, sometimes they excite us to praise and gratitude to the Most High (Ps. 5:12, 77:34). Shall we turn to our own hearts? Here the God of minds also makes Himself visible, here the law of God is inscribed, here we hear God’s judgment about us (Rom. 1:19–20, 2:15). But the world did not understand its God through wisdom. The verb is to be wise and foolish. The goodness of God has made His will known in immediate revelation. She spoke to people through patriarchs and righteous people. She commanded Moses to write the law in writing. She preached through the prophets. And, however, she had to complain about the disobedience of her people. My people, what shall I do to you? Or how did he insult you? Or why do you feel cold? Answer Mi (Mic.6:3). After God had spoken in many parts and in various ways through the prophets, in the last days He speaks in His Son, with whom He created the ages (Heb. 1:1). ABOUT! How great, how incomprehensibly great is the love of the Heavenly Father, who sent His Son! How immensely great is the love of the Son of God, who descended to the children of sin and corruption to preach the will of heaven! Brethren! if the word spoken by the angels was firm, and all disobedience against it was struck down with righteous retribution; then how can we escape from the wrath of God if we are not attentive to the Son of God? What does eternal love require of us? Come to Me, she says. Turn to Me, and do not look for anything else. You will not find anyone else to replace Me. No human wisdom will find for you who could be what I can be for you. Human passions can promise us, listeners, a lot; but do not expect anything from them except sorrow; human wisdom can build seductive dreams of happiness and peace, maybe, assuming the appearance of piety, assure that Christ is here or there. But don’t believe it, those deceived by their dreams want to deceive you. Listen to the only Lord. Come to Me, He says. The Lord does not require much from us. He does not call either to the mountain of Samaria or to Jerusalem to serve God (John 4:21). You can be close to Him everywhere, since He Himself is everywhere. Neither the desert nor the city will bring us closer or further away from Him, unless our heart moves you away from Him. Repent and believe in the gospel - this is what the Lord requires of us in order to draw closer to Him. Sincere, repentant faith in the one Savior is the path that everyone should follow. The Lord taught this throughout his entire earthly sermon; He confirmed this with all his great deeds - miracles and prophecies. The apostles repeated the same teaching. Without repentance and faith it is impossible to be close to the Lord. Repentance is condemnation of everything dear to our pride; faith is the soul's desire for the Savior of souls. Repentance renounces itself; faith draws the soul to the Lord. There cannot be faith in the soul until there is repentance, since one cannot seek help in heaven until the soul renounces hopes in itself or in anything earthly. Repentance without faith is also a vain labor, since without hope in the Redeemer it will only be torment for the soul, while repentant faith accomplishes the very thing that the Lord demands with His voice, come to Me. Who are those whom the Lord calls with such gentle love? Come to Me, He says, all you who labor and are heavy laden. He calls those who labor and are burdened with burdens. But who are these laborers and those who are heavy laden, who are called away from their labors? Are they not those who are burdened, who labor according to their condition or rank? No, both of them fulfill the will of God. The toils of life are hard, but easy idleness is a wide path to hell. The yoke of the responsibilities of the title is heavy, but the Lord has never laid aside this yoke from us. The Lord calls those burdened who have not yet taken His yoke upon themselves, take My yoke upon themselves, He further says to them. But the labor of a farmer, the labor of a trader, the labor of one serving the fatherland do not in themselves prevent one from laying on oneself the yoke of Christ or wearing it. The share of the farmer is low, especially when he is burdened with poverty. But what about that? This does not interfere with his salvation; on the contrary, it brings him closer to the path of a true Christian, to the path of humility and voluntary poverty. He must also bless the Lord for his humble lot, since it is too difficult for some rich people to give up wealth in order to follow the humble and narrow path of Christ. Let everyone in the rank in which he is called to abide, says the apostle. Was he called to be a slave? Do not be sad, but even if you can be free, enslave yourself more. The servant of the Lord who was called in the Lord is a freeman (1 Cor. 7:20–22). The Teachings of Christ do not abolish earthly conditions; it only changes the morals of people. So, who are those toilers and burdened ones whom the Lord calls to Him? Who needs to exchange their burden, their heavy burden, for the light yoke of Christ? If we were to say that the Lord calls to Himself the Jews, burdened with the yoke of the law and prejudices, then we would say little. Although the situation of the Jews was pitiful, although Christ Jesus was sent first of all to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, He is not the Savior of the Jews alone. God the Father sent Him as the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). Let all those who are burdened, who need to replace their burdens with the good yoke of Christ, come to Him. What a heavy burden that habits and passions place on us! Are not the customs and rules that force their slaves to observe the world a painful burden? Brilliant are the dreams of human wisdom, as are the dreams of scribes; but what are they worth? Meanwhile, it would be good if they remained only dreams. Hell and lust do not speak; they prevail, says the wise (Proverbs 30:16). Passions torment the soul with insatiability and perseverance. Each of them, having been satisfied, only becomes more irritated, arouses greater thirst, greater languor. Meanwhile, what does it cost to satisfy any passion? Cunning, cunning, feigned humiliation before superiors, enmity with equals are inevitable on the path of ambition. Either unforeseen mistakes and failures, or strong enemies, armed with our own happiness, or doubts about success when meeting obstacles, sometimes only imaginary, or health, exhausted by labor and impulses of jealousy - these are the usual companions to the objects of every passion! If, getting used to sin, they do not feel its debilitating burden, does that make it easier? A wild animal rushes along the rapids with a yoke placed on it, and how will its run end? Either he will fall into the abyss and die, or he will fall exhausted. ABOUT! If only the unfortunate worker of passions had stopped in time! Some less often, others more often, but everyone feels the weight of their guilt according to the convictions of their internal judge - conscience. The most absent-minded sinner is sometimes in the midst of absent-mindedness, and even more often in hours of solitude, when he comes to his senses, he is burdened with thoughts about the sins he has committed. It happens that his conscience begins to hit him with reproaches so much that he would like to run away from himself - but where to run? A wounded fir tree runs through the forest, driven by the pain of its wound, but the wound remains in it. Even those who try to cleanse their souls carry this burden of conscience. For who among us is without sin? The difference is that the more they purify their hearts, the more clearly they see their sins and weaknesses, the more vividly and often they feel their guilt. This is why the strong king of Israel was exhausted, like one suffering from pain in his bones, from the weight of the consciousness of sins? There is no peace in my bones, he said, from the presence of my sin, for my iniquities have exceeded my head, for a heavy burden has weighed down upon me (Ps. 37:4-5). And with this burden there is nothing left to do but follow the voice of the caller, come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden. It is impossible to achieve the perfection of virtue without sorrow. The path goes uphill, is narrow and thorny. Either the flesh is disturbed by long-standing habits and unclean movements, or, unable to withstand the tension of the immortal soul, it weakens and betrays the spirit; then it tempts self-love, instilling in the soul flattering thoughts about itself, seducing with the blessings of the world, or striking with sorrow at the deprivation of them; then the persecutions of the world, inevitable for those who decide to live piously, are terrifying; then the examples and flattering suggestions of the century try to captivate us. That's why St. Paul spoke about himself, that good does not live in me, that is, in my flesh. I see another law in my heart, warring against the law of my mind. I am a damned man! Who will deliver me from the body of this death? (Rom.7:18, 23–24). Finally, how many of us are tormented by misfortune, suffering, and sorrow! They vividly feel that they are among those who are toiling and burdened - they even feel so vividly that they would like them to feel lighter, weaker. I will give you rest, says heavenly love to all who are burdened. The promise is true! For the Lord says. Jesus Christ relieves those burdened with the burden of sin. If the blood of goats and bulls could not cleanse the human conscience, this is natural. But when the Son of God voluntarily offers Himself, blameless, as a sacrifice for sinners, the sacrifice fully corresponds to its purpose. She, as a work of boundless love, is higher than all feats of created will. As a work of love of the Son of God, it is worthy of the offended truth of God. She, as a matter of voluntary love, is undoubtedly accepted with love by the Heavenly Father. No severity of your sins, poor soul, can exceed the price of the exploits of the Son of God. The Lord Jesus is rest for the restless, disorderly strivings of our spirit. While they wander in vain through the objects of the world, seeking peace in the turbulent world and the noise of passions, the one who comes to Jesus finds in Him the wisdom of God, strength and consolation. “I am the way and the truth and the life,” He says. He who comes to Me will never be hungry, and he who believes in Me will never be thirsty (John 14:6, 6:35). The Lord Jesus calms those who labor under the yoke of the law, on the thorny path of virtue. The stubbornness of passions, insurmountable by human strength, is overcome by the power sent by the Son from the Father; sorrows, involuntarily felt in the struggle with the wayward whims of the flesh and pride, are delighted by the consolations of grace. Love, aroused by the strength of the Spirit, does not find any commandment burdensome. That is why the very one who cried out, I am a damned man, exclaims in delight of the spirit, I thank my God Jesus Christ our Lord. Powerless in himself, he cries out with all I can about Jesus Christ who strengthens me (Phil. 4:13). Who endured such fierce suffering as the martyrs of Christ endured? But don’t we see that they either rejoiced in the midst of their suffering, or instantly received healing for their tormented members? Who acted in them? Lord Jesus, for whom they suffered. Thus, the Lord Jesus is our peace among all visible calamities. He, as the All-Powerful One, can avert or stop misfortune, destroy the causes of suffering and bring peace. He, as the conqueror of death and all evil, can, in the midst of disaster itself, open a sense of well-being in a person and dissolve suffering itself with pleasure. Hope in Him will not remain in shame (Rom.5:5) Come to Me, our Lord now calls to all who are burdened. Come - I will give you rest. But will He always call us, brethren, and we will not listen? Will the voice of His long-suffering love always speak to us, and we will not listen to it? No! now He says, come to Me, and there He will say to some, depart from Me, you cursed into eternal fire. Now he promises to calm, and then he will thunder, prepare worms and stench, fire and hell for the disobedient slaves. So, let us better follow the call of the love of our Lord; Let us come, let us draw closer to Him, so that in our constant abiding with Him we will enjoy His peace and glorify His holy name forever. Amen. 1842 August 14th day. Word on the day of St. John the Evangelist Jesus saw the Mother and the disciple standing, who you love, the Mother’s verb: Woman! se, Your son. Then the verb to the student: behold, Mati It was sad for the only Virgin Mother to lose her one and only Son. The one on whom were placed not only the hopes of the Mother, but the hopes of all Israel, hung before her eyes on the cross, and She remained only with sorrow. How sweet it was for Her, in the midst of such sorrow, to suddenly find a faithful friend and son, like the disciple Jesus loved! And the last consolation was received at the cross; from the cross, melting away in mortal illnesses, Jesus looks with care at the lamenting Mother, and in Her inconsolable grief, gives Her a tender friend and son in His friend. I stood at the cross of Jesus, His Mother and His Mother’s sister (John 19:25). Jesus, seeing the Mother and the disciple standing, lovingly, said to the Mother: Woman! Behold, Your son. What does he, his beloved Jesus, deprived of his only mentor and benefactor, betrayed by malice and envy to a shameful death, looking at the last breaths of his heavenly friend? At the cross, like the Mother of the crucified man, he stood - burdened with grief. And what could he expect there, where horror and confusion, reproach of the shrine, the triumph of evil enemies, hatred of the meek sheep of the stricken shepherd were visible? But here, at the cross of Jesus, John, in the deepest sorrow, receives what is unexpected, just as the only consolation he hears is a sweet voice; sweetest Jesus, adopting him as son to the Mother of the Lord. Then the verb to the student, your mother. Thus, at the cross and from the cross of the crucified Lord, the Virgin Mary and John receive sudden relief from their sorrows. Extraordinary consolation for these exalted friends of Jesus! But the sweetest Jesus, who, in the midst of his own sufferings, looked upon those suffering at His cross as His Mother and faithful disciple, does not even now despise those who, amid all calamities and sorrows, hasten to seek relief at His cross. He deigned to forever establish His cross in the face of the universe, as a tree of blessing for hearts wounded by sorrow. And how varied are these consolations that the crucified Jesus gives from His cross to His sorrowful followers! It is most natural for those born in sins to think and grieve over their sins. How painful these thoughts are! The thought of the countless errors of the mind, of the immensely great and varied crimes of the will oppresses the sinner with a burden that no earthly joy can alleviate; the fear of the terrible justice of God against wickedness makes all his bones tremble and tremble. Every failure, every misfortune, every fall and stumbling seems to a contrite sinner to be an arrow of God’s wrath, a sign of punishing heavenly justice. In vain would he begin to invent means to calm himself down; For entire millennia he searched for peace of conscience and did not find it in any of his means. But, one look at the crucified Jesus and the suffering soul returns from despondency to saving joy. The Cross of Jesus, says faith to the soul lamenting its sins, is the altar of atonement (Ex. 30:30), the throne of grace, from which everyone receives the mercy and favor of God! See the Lord crucified on him. Behold, eternal love, which appeases the irritated truth of God with mortal suffering! Behold the one righteous man, on whom are all untruths and iniquities, all atrocities and crimes! Behold the One who drank the cup of God's wrath for all those who despise eternal truth! Thus, the cruel executions of the world no longer constitute for us the terrible executions of the vengeful truth of God, it is enough - they were instruments of execution for this crucified one; They completely poured out the fury of God’s vengeance on Him, completely punished our crimes in Him. So, here, before this tree of blessing, the soul hitherto embarrassed by the feeling of guilt seeks mercy for itself; here, ecstatic with feelings of hope; exclaims, remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom, and hears from the cross the sweet voice of the sweetest Jesus, Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise (Luke 23:42–43). But the cruel temptations of the way of the cross are inevitable for those justified in Jesus. Often the most steadfast followers of Christ, taking away the sweetness of the truth of the crucified Jesus, fall into inexplicable despondency; they feel as if abandoned, without strength, without help, rejected from the face of God; the waters of sorrows multiply in their souls so much (Ps. 58:2) that they seem ready to swallow them up. And here it is primarily the gaze of faith on the crucified Lord that fills sorrowful hearts with consolation. How much hope for heavenly help does this gaze excite! And how strong are these hopes! The Heavenly Father gave us His Son, what will He not give us after this? The Son of God bore all our sufferings; will He refuse to strengthen us in the sorrows that remain for us? This meek Intercessor, who came to heal the brokenhearted (Is. 61:1; Luke 4:18), to console the faint-hearted in mind, to strengthen weak hands and feeble knees (Is. 35:1-4), who laid down His soul for the salvation of people, will he not hasten to console His sorrowful children? Is it possible that He, who Himself was tempted in every way, Himself experienced all the weakness of human strength, all the cruelty of temptation, will also deny help to those who are tempted? ( Heb. 2:18 ). What are we saying to these people? He who mercilessly gave up His Son for us all, how then should He not also give us all things with Him? ( Rom. 8:31–32 ) No! We do not have a high priest who could not or would not suffer our infirmities, but was tempted in every way like we are, except by sin (Heb. 4:15). Our Intercessor is so powerful; - like the Word of the Father, like the Word-God - just as merciful; He is pained by our infirmities, calls to Himself all those who labor and are burdened, and He gives them rest (Matthew 11:28). If I don’t go, He said before dying, the Comforter will not come to you; but He went to His Father, and the Father will send comfort and help. The Heavenly Father will not refuse to help those who ask for help, when He did not refuse us the Son; will not refuse when this very Son intercedes for us. Truly, what do all other blessings mean, what does any other help mean in comparison with that invaluable good that was given to us in the Son of God crucified for us? Let the world and all the enemies of the cross of Christ increase the cruelty of their persecution, the servant of Christ, looking at his crucified Lord, not only does not fear evil, not only does not weaken from the fear of enemies and troubles, but is even more filled with jealousy and firmness, preparing for all torment. Here, at the foot of the cross of Christ, the Christian sees that on the tree of the cross He suffered everything from sinners (Heb. 12:2) He who loved us to death; Is it possible not to love this Savior and Lord? Is it possible, while loving, not to conform in everything to Jesus who loved us, not to partake of His very sufferings? Let the horrors of sorrows and disasters strike the spirit of the faithful servant and friend of Christ, he sees his own in the sufferings of Jesus and in his own the sufferings and wounds of the Lord Jesus, he sees - and delights in nothing so much as this communion of the passions of Christ (Phil. 3:10). For carnal thoughts it is even incomprehensible to what extent in the holy martyrs and confessors the raptures of the heart, delighting in the feeling of the sorrows of Christ, rose. They forgot all their sufferings, hurried like a thirsty tree to the cold streams, to cruel sorrows and, in the midst of torment, exposed, tormented, covered from feet to heads with wounds, their hearts spoke in delight, these wounds are the wounds of our Lord, these arrows of evil enemies are the arrows that pierced our Lord, these members are tormented and crushed; members of the slain Lamb of God, the pierced one of our Lord. What glory, what treasures, what consolations should we desire when the Lord Jesus crucified is with us and in us? Thus, all those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness, all of whom the world persecutes because they are not of the world, find sweet consolation at the cross of Christ. Look, the apostle exhorts his brethren, who are weakened in sorrows, look to Jesus, the author of the faith and the perfecter of Jesus, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, neglecting the shame, but sits at the right hand of the throne of God (Heb. 2:2); Look, this is the procession of our hero - from Golgotha ​​He ascended to heaven and sat down at the right hand of the Majesty of God - look and see for your consolation in the way of the cross of Christ the path to your eternal bliss. Truly, if the perfecter of our faith and salvation was deigned to experience the most severe suffering - reproach, reproach, strangulation, wounds and ulcers of nails, shameful death - and after this sits at the right hand of the throne of God; if we see Jesus, the hero of salvation for accepting death with glory and honor (Heb. 2:9), then to follow His way of the cross does not mean to follow the safe path of salvation - to eternal glory? And if the Author of salvation had to enter His glory through suffering (Heb. 2:10), then any other path to perfection, which the flesh, loving peace and bliss, dares to prescribe for itself, or the arrogant mind, setting itself alone as the goal of all its worries - any other path, incompatible with the way of the Cross of Christ, is not a disastrous path? So, the hero gives those who walk along the sorrowful path of Jesus to sit with Him on the throne, and they on earth already rejoice, just as they will rejoice at the revelation of the glory of their Lord (1 Peter 4:13); the word is true, the apostle says with complete confidence, “even if we die with Him, we will live with Him; if we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 11:12). Even if we die with Christ, we believe that we will live with Him (Rom. 6:8). And will the heavenly Father despise those who have renounced themselves and the whole world, who seek one thing - His will in Jesus, who seek to suffer and die together with Him who sought only the glory of the Father? Will the glorified Son Himself despise those who were with Him in His misfortunes? He bequeathed to them the kingdom that the Father bequeathed to Him for the communion of bliss with His people! (Luke 22:28–29). It’s hard not to see anything in life but sorrows and troubles; it is hard to deny yourself the consolations that could be found not on the path of the cross; It’s hard to repeat to yourself only one thing: suffer and be patient. A cold mind will not console a soul tormented by the sufferings of life with any advice. Only the gaze of faith on the crucified Lord of glory opens for the crusader heaven, ready to receive him from earth. The gaze of faith on the suffering Redeemer resolves the grave mystery of earthly, sorrowful life. Be comforted, crusader of Christ! there are true joys for you; Be comforted and do not be jealous of the one who sleeps here on his way, the man who commits crimes (Ps. 36:7). He will sing among joys for eternal destruction, and you will sing among sorrows for eternal bliss. Faithful servants of Christ, you who follow the way of the cross of Christ and do not always find joy for yourself! This word belongs to you - as a word of consolation, as a meager drop of spiritual dew to revive your spirit, exhausted by sorrows. And for those of us who, with every disaster we encounter, rush to draw consolation only from dry treasures, seek consolation from the world and the flesh, let this word be a word of reproof and instruction, so that they too may turn to the cross of Christ when their sorrows befall them; may they also learn to taste only those consolations that descend from the tree of blessing - from the cross of Christ. Amen. Homily on the day of St. Nicholas and the name day of Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich Rejoice, for your names are written the essence is in heaven (Luke 10:20). The holy church now celebrates two holidays. Celebrates the memory of the great saint of God, Saint Nicholas, and celebrates the day of the anointed of God, the most pious Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich. Why this combination? This question, as you see, raises another question: what does it mean that at our baptism the church gives us names? If a society of people gives its name to a person, this means that the person receives the right to belong to that society. If the monarch adorns the husband of war or the servant of truth with an honorary name, this means that the husband of war or the servant of truth has become closer to the throne of the monarch, closer to his love and glory. Similar things happen in the Church of Christ. She gives a name to the baby or adult, this means that the baby or adult begins to belong to the church, begins to have rights to the benefits of the church of Christ, begins to be the beloved servant of the king Lord Jesus. The Church of Christ is one both on earth and in heaven; what is accomplished on earth by the authority of the church is accomplished in heaven; the rights of the name given on earth are established in heaven. Judge, how much does it mean to acquire a name in the Church of Christ? You who have made your name in the field of honor! you know how flattering, how pleasant it is to acquire a name for yourself in the field of earthly honor. But, sorry; your joy is not as flattering as the joy of the Christian name. Otherwise, do not rejoice about this, says the Lord. No matter how great, no matter how glorious, earthly honor, it belongs to the earth; Moreover, it arouses fear more than joy, since it easily carries away our weak heart and distracts us from God and His holy law. Otherwise, do not rejoice about this, for the souls obey you. It means a lot, even in spiritual life, to have power over evil spirits, but you shouldn’t rejoice at this great power, lest you forget the giver of all power, lest you stop only with yourself. Rejoice, for your names are written in heaven (Luke 10:20). Rejoice that you are included among those who belong to the Lord Jesus, among those who have been redeemed by the blood of the eternal Lamb. Rejoice, says the Lord Himself. And how can you not be happy? There is no name in heaven or on earth greater than the name of Jesus; and whoever receives a name in the church of Christ, the new name opens to him the right to the glory acquired by Jesus. What does glory mean, what do the honors and riches of time mean, in comparison with eternal glory, with eternal bliss? And that book, where it is transferred from the earthly church, the Christian name, is called the book of life (Rev. 3:5), since eternal blissful life awaits those written in it; it is called the living book of the Lamb (Rev. 13:8, 21:27), since those who were redeemed for eternal bliss by the ever-living Lamb of God by Christ the Lord are included in it. Rejoice, for your names are written in heaven. Here they forget the greatness of the name of a Christian, but they will remember there - beyond the grave and, oh! whenever not for the first time. My poor brother! People don't value your name; they respect other names, other differences in themselves and in others. It's a pity, I'm very sorry for them. The less they respect this great name, the more severely they will be condemned. They do not value the rights of the Christian name; they value the rights of wealth, the rights of honor of the earth. Let's leave them with the earth - the sky belongs to you. The name of a Christian, while bestowing a lot on a person, also demands a lot from him. The duties assigned in the name of a Christian are very extensive, varied and high. To make it easier for our weakness to apply them to life, the Church of Christ, the Orthodox Church, offers the extensive duties of a follower of Christ in a particular example, obliging one to imitate the apostle with a new name. Peter, another Nicholas, a third Anthony the Great, etc. Oh, if every Anthony were the same as that ancient, truly great Anthony! Anthony and Paul of Thebes devoted their entire lives to ensuring that the high image of a Christian was reflected as fully as possible in their lives. And how brilliantly, how majestically he shines in their lives! And the life of Saint Nicholas was a feat of the most ardent love for others; to have mercy, to save, to console, to admonish - this was the subject of his labors both in the light of day and in the darkness of deep night. Experience is close to everyone's meaning; the example brings before the eyes the invisible thoughts of the lofty Christian life; you just need to look and you will understand. Why preach abstract truths when most people do not understand them? Be imitators of me, as you are of Christ, wrote Paul (1 Cor. 11:1); An example of my life - here is the closest, most accessible school for you! Dear brother! A wonderful sermon for you is the name of the saint that you bear. Based on the level of education at which you are placed, perhaps you do not have an extensive mind to embrace and assimilate the lofty truths of Christianity through reflection, but you, without a doubt, have a memory. Solidify the life of your saint with memory. After that, you will only have to cry over your life, since there is much in it that is unlike the holy life of your angel. Let the lofty virtues of your saint be a shrine to your heart, before which it would be shameful and painful for you to appear with your sins. With the examples that surround you, examples of the sinful world and the inventiveness of sin, you can excuse or justify in yourself every weakness, every bad inclination, every sin. But the life of your saint will not justify you, will not excuse you. One thought about him will show you where your desires should strive, where the wide path of the world along which the crowds walk will lead you. The thought of the strictness of the holy ascetic towards himself will expose your carelessness for good, his contentment with a little will moderate your desires for much and empty, his example will inspire you with the desires of the only thing needed. Renew more often in your memory the deeds of your saint, and the salvation of your soul will be dear to you, and the evil and pernicious age will not be dear to you. In the Jewish church, the names of relatives were pressed upon children. Without a doubt, it is pleasant to cement and present in your name an alliance with a kinship dear to your heart. But if in this way one union of carnal kinship is sealed, you must agree that it is only flesh and blood. Let us assume that at the same time they mean to support an alliance with those great in faith and piety. But even in this case, the spirit is mixed with the flesh; this is not entirely pure and not entirely safe. What a difference it is when only a spiritual union is sealed with names! What a difference it is when the present is connected with the past only in spirit, with great names in spiritual life - one worthy of man! What a beautiful picture Orthodox Christianity presents! Everyone will know about this, as my disciples are, if you have love among each other, said the Lord. And this stamp of Christ’s disciples, this love that binds hearts separated by the spaces of time and place, lies on Orthodoxy. It is the same now as it was for 16 centuries, the names in it are the same, and the names evoke the same life; and - the series of centuries are inextricably linked by names and lives; the beloved for the 13th and 18th centuries has never ceased, and does not cease now to be the object of love. Life on earth is bitter; and also life for a Christian is a life of suffering on the cross. One of the sweet consolations for a wanderer on earth is the hope of peace in eternity. And, in support of this hope, Orthodoxy again points to glorified names. How many miracles did the saints of God perform after their death! How many great deeds they accomplished before the eyes of thousands even after they left the earth! So, their deeds and the experiences of our feelings show that they live beyond corruption, that they are pleasing servants of the Lord, who have received the crown of righteousness for their deeds of faith and piety. Here is proof of life operating beyond the grave! This is not a conclusion of speculation that is unreliable for everyone, inaccessible to simple hearts. No, deeds speak here - deeds that cannot be done by people who are not authorized by the power of God. This is firm support for the sweet hope of the blessed eternity of the righteous. So give thanks to the Lord, my brother; the very name that you bear, the name of a saint glorified by the Lord, can console you with the hope of a blessed eternity. So, when, under the burden of the misfortunes of time, you feel sad and heavy, remember that the righteous man whose name is on you was also a man, also felt sorrows, also felt the attacks of passions; but he prayed and endured, hoped and asked, and now he is in heaven. Pray and endure, you too, cry and hope, and for you all the bitter things will end, and peace will greet you there, and you will soon rejoice over the sorrows that you endured here for the Lord. Treasure this consolation, treasure the church’s concern for your peace. How her love brought joy closer to you! The name, the very name that you bear, protects you from doubts and sorrows. Without that, let’s assume that your ancestor, according to everyone who knew him, was a kind, honest man, worthy of a better fate beyond the grave. But think about it, and you will agree that God’s judgment is not the same as human judgment. According to human judgment, your ancestor is a righteous person. But how can you convince yourself that he is exactly the same according to God’s judgment? How will you assure yourself that he freely ascended to the throne of God, not held back in a dark land by the secret desires of a sinful heart? My brothers! only what God himself says in words or deeds is true, indisputably true. The names of the church are even more significant for the hope of heavenly help. If love doesn't die; if in heaven they see and love better than on earth; if the mortal garment of the spirit - our flesh - only constrains the strength of the spirit, then there is no doubt that my prayer will be more likely to be heard, more likely to be taken to heart, and more likely to be fulfilled by my brothers in heaven than on earth. It's so simple, so natural. as much as possible. The Church, giving me the name of a saint, entrusts me to the protection and prayer of this saint, the faithful and sweet faith of the Church! Those who, living there - in heaven, form the one Church of Christ with the earthly church, without a doubt, share and fulfill the desires of the earthly church, especially when you and I add our fervent prayers to the hope of the church. That is why we gathered in this church to pray to St. Nicholas of Christ for our pious king of the same name. The earth and sea are witnesses of the wonderful benefits of the saint of Christ. This is as certain as it is certain that you and I see and hear, touch and feel. King of kings and Lord of lords! Hear the prayer of your servants for our most pious emperor, on whom lies the holy name of your holy saint. May all ours, our names and deeds, belong to Your glory with the Father and Your holy Spirit. Amen. Word on the day of coronation of the Sovereign Emperor Nikolai Pavlovich Fear God, honor the king (1 Peter 2:17). Thanks to the love of the Lord Jesus for us! In this sacred church, the servant of the word with peace in conscience can actually see the fulfillment of the apostolic word: honor the king. Some through long service on the battlefield, others through faithful service in court, truth, others through diligent and always ready payment of state duties, faithfully testify that they know the apostolic commandment about honoring the king. I have no doubt that each of those present here even knows how extensive this commandment is, how not only external actions, but also our very thoughts, our most secret feelings and desires, it subjugates ourselves and our king, how it makes us fear even with the thought of speaking obstinately against the Anointed of God or not showing the obedience that belongs to him - he knows firmly the words of the apostle, the message of the Lord is that the unrighteous will be tormented on the day of judgment, Most of all, those who are careless about dominion, those who are bold, do not tremble blasphemously about glory (2 Pet. 2:9-10). So, with peace in conscience, the servant of the word can consider the apostolic word fulfilled here, honor the king. But is that the way the other word of the apostle is fulfilled, fear God? Do not be surprised that I think this way about this famous apostolic word - I consider it, as it were, not quite well known and I recognize it as the duty of a minister of the word to often offer a word about it. I think that if among us there are those who are not quite successful or who are weakening in piety, then this, among other things, is because they do not have the proper fear of the Lord; just as if many others successfully follow the path of salvation, then they are facilitated in their feat by a sense of reverence for the Lord. God why and your love I want to offer a word about the apostolic word, fear God. Alas for me, I perished as a man with unclean lips among men who have unclean lips. I live, and I have seen the King of the Lord of Hosts before my eyes. Thus exclaimed the prophet, struck with horror at the thought of his uncleanness and the holiness of the Lord, before whom he saw himself. Not all are prophets to see the Lord of Hosts before their eyes. But can everyone, before the eyes of the Lord, point out only one uncleanness of their lips, being with people who have unclean lips, and the fact that they are only human? Will any of us have a good conscience to put ourselves on the same level as Isaiah, the Seer of God? ABOUT! who will count our sins and iniquities? Who will show us the depth of impurity into which we have been plunged? Conscience easily forgives you the weaknesses common to all people, although it did not forgive the prophet for this weakness. But how many sins, how many iniquities, which we drink like water, repeat according to our habit of them, without feeling fear, without even feeling a slight embarrassment in our souls? We add sins to sins, iniquities to iniquities every day. And yet, we all live before the eyes of the Lord, the avenger of our iniquities, a zealot of holiness and purity, terrible in his anger at sinners. We do not see Him in the light of the prophetic vision; our spiritual eye is darkened by sins. But should this diminish our fear of Him? In our blindness, we aggravate our impurities, not thinking about what will happen to us. Now we do not see the Lord of holiness, but someday we will, and then the fire of His holiness will consume sinners. The Lord will consume all who do iniquity (Ps. 100:8). He will consume everyone who commits fornication from him (Ps. 72:27). If the kingdom of Christ, to which by the grace of Christ we belong, is primarily a kingdom of love, then let us not think that Christ’s love for us frees us from the fear of God. The Holy Apostle says, having received an unshakable kingdom, let us keep grace, and with its help we will serve God pleasingly, with reverence and fear (Heb. 12:28). The Apostle, with a feeling of grace-filled possession of the gifts of Christ's love, puts in necessary connection a feeling of fear and reverence. Thus, Christ did not suffer for us, did not die for us, so that we would fearlessly commit sin, so that we would live according to the will of the lawless desires of our hearts. No - He redeemed us from the fear of execution, which we ourselves could not avoid, but so that we, by faith embracing Him, our Savior, and with love, would not fall away from Him and from His holy law; He acquired for us all the love of the Heavenly Father, which we lost through our sins, but He left it to our will, with the help of grace, holding on to this love and appropriating its gifts. If we are not attentive to the great love of Christ, then we aggravate our guilt before the terrible truth of God. In truth, how can we escape the wrath of our careless salvation? Brothers in Christ! to whom more is given, more will be required. We have received more gifts of God's goodness than our Old Testament fathers; We should be more afraid of God’s truth. We, more than others, are overshadowed by the gracious cover of God's goodness. Let us fear such close communication with us of our holy and just God! God cannot be scolded! Is it possible that we could squander so many of God’s gifts with impunity, not using them for their intended purpose? The goodness of God, of course, does not extend to us so much as to leave our neglect of its bounties without strict judgment and punishment. Don't we think that a Christian's love for his Lord can allow us to spend our time without the fear of God? Love for the wondrous in its perfections cannot exist without a feeling of reverence. True love constantly reflects on the greatness of its God, unswervingly gazes at the boundless glory of His name and does not allow itself a single movement that could reveal inattention to the lofty object of its thoughts and desires. And that is why her very joy in God never happens without trembling, and not a single act of serving her Lord happens without fear. Work for the Lord with fear and rejoice in Him with trembling (Ps. 2:11). Perfect love casts out fear, says the apostle of love (1 John 4:18). This only means that love at the highest degree of its perfection in itself, without our effort, excludes the slavish fear that trembles only at the wrath of God, but it does not mean that perfect love excludes the humble consciousness of one’s unworthiness, or reverence for the great and holy God. Note that the apostle speaks of the highest degree of love, of love purified by the experiences of sorrow, of love strengthened by deeds of self-denial, and not of the temporary delights of the soul, which has not yet recognized all its impurity, nor the difficulty of ascent to God. To this love he assigns freedom of spirit, but the same as a worthy son can have in relation to a good father. A good son loves his father tenderly and freely reveals to him his thoughts, desires, and needs. But he would no longer be a good son if he approached his father with impudence, without respect for him, if he began to demand from his father what he has no right to due to his position. In the same way, a truly God-loving soul, if it approaches God with boldness and love, then at the same time remains fair to itself and its God. She does not allow herself to forget her willingness to fall, her sins and crimes, which she repeated so many times; does not cease to ripen in the God of his heart the God of holiness, who is pleased only with a holy life and cannot help but turn away from our unclean hearts. That is why it is said to the saints, fear the Lord, all His saints (Ps. 33:10). So for true love, the fear of God is holy and saving! Who doesn’t like the fear of God and why? Our secret pride, because he curbs its movements, humbles its plans, commands it to be silent in us. That is why, wanting to get rid of heavy power, it lures an inexperienced soul into self-will. Beware of secret pride, beware especially when you have just entered the path of salvation. She is pleased, she really wants to admire herself. Therefore, it not only hides our guilt before God, not only encourages us to look, to look for a long time, at the good that we managed to do, but it exposes us to us in the best possible way. Hence, as soon as conscience begins to present to our consciousness our sins, our bad habits, as soon as it begins to successfully act through the fear of God’s judgment to correct our lives, conceit hastens to calm the barely awakened soul with the thought of our fairly good life, of the general weakness of our nature, embellishes with imagination the deeds of our spiritual youth, weakens the determination of the will with a sense of the successes of some. The fear of God is incompatible with pride. Little by little she tries to weaken it in us, to blot it out in the soul; and by weakening the fear of God, he strengthens his power over our soul and grows in it. There is no true love for the Lord, where they do not pay attention to the honor and glory of the One - worthy of love and glory. There they usually respect themselves instead of God, and their own will instead of God’s will. Let us not delude ourselves that we stand at a high degree of spiritual perfection, when we feel in our soul the delights of love for the Lord, we approach Him in prayer with a feeling of consolation; if these delights of the spirit are not accompanied by a feeling of reverence, they are not only not holy, but even dangerous. They are not holy precisely because there is no holy fear of God in them, but there is secret pride, secret self-gratification. They are dangerous and terrible because, being excited by the secret conceit of a proud spirit and, mutually reinforcing this conceit, they bring the soul closer to a deep fall. When we lose the fear of God, we also lose attention to our salvation. Let us remember, brothers, those days and hours when, by the grace of our God, we were fully aware of the need for correction and saving life; Let us remember how deeply we were then imbued with the fear of God, with what sincerity we listened to ourselves and the will of the holy and righteous God, and how the fear of God awakened us from negligence and aroused us to acts of repentance. While the soul is filled with reverence for the Lord, it preserves itself from sin and tries to sanctify its desires and actions by the will of Him before whom it reveres - by the will of Him whose will it considers holy and immutable, whose power is omnipotent and omnipotent. She fears lest she offend the God of her heart with her untruths, lest she do something displeasing to Him who is her Lord in time and eternity. Blessed is the man who fears the Lord; he delights greatly in his commandments (Ps. 112:1). Do you encounter temptation, a flattering and strong temptation, but which the law of God commands you to resist? The reverent soul says to itself, how can I create this verb and sin before God? (Gen.39:9). And with this thought, awakening caution in herself, she defeats temptation. If she does not arm herself with this weapon, sinful pleasure in its sweetness will draw her into the will of sin. Fear, by its natural action, drives away peace and the flattery of sinful pleasure; fear itself is a restless movement of the soul, which, excited by the menacing thought of impending danger, drives out of the soul the peace so necessary for a state of pleasure. In order for him to completely overcome the aroused feeling of criminal pleasure, it is only necessary that he be stronger than this latter. The fear of God has the same effect on the soul, and its saving advantage for us is that, by its nature, it can shake our soul more powerfully than any other feeling. The fear of God, protecting the soul from falls, encourages it to become wiser in salvation, to notice which saving means can be more useful to it according to its internal dispositions, according to the circumstances of knowledge and condition, what it needs to use in one case than to use in another. The fear of God, making it wise in salvation, leads the soul from exploit to exploit and confirms it on the path of salvation; it does not allow sins and misdeeds to be left without heartbreak, and it generates in the soul hatred of sin and love of purity and holiness. That is why the wise man calls the fear of God the source of life, the guardian of the soul from evil, the guarantee of strength. The fear of the Lord, he says, hates iniquity (Proverbs 8:13). In the fear of the Lord is the hope of strength. The fear of the Lord is the source of life, but it causes mortals to escape the snare (Proverbs 14:26–27). If the fear of God leads you to the church of God, how easily, how quickly you will appear and how decently you will stand in it; he will not allow you here to wander with your thoughts and eyes on the earth, he will not allow you to talk with people, no matter who they are; he will direct his mind, his heart, his hearing and his gaze to the one Lord. Likewise, he will control your desires and actions in your family, in your public and private life. If the fear of God does not have such an effect in us, it is because we drive it away from ourselves, either with human fear or with desires for earthly peace. How can the fear of God be in our hearts, how can it produce a saving effect on us, awaken us from carelessness, arouse us to repentance, when we are either worried by the fear of the troubles of the worldly sea, or when we burden our hearts with the pleasures of this age? If we entered our hearts more often with the thought of God’s judgment, if we less often opened our souls to earthly fears, if we constantly tempered our desires for earthly contentment with the thought of the reward that God’s truth prepares for the merry ones of this age, then, of course, we would not hesitate on the paths of wickedness and spiritual deception; of course, we would hasten only further to flee from sin, but to succeed more and more in virtues, in prayer, in fasting, in fidelity to the title, in cutting off one’s will. For, why should you, my soul, hesitate in sincere, deep repentance? Why put off conversion from day to day and leave sinful thorns in yourself, when you constantly think about what purity, what holiness the holiness of God requires of you, and what fire is ready to burn away your impurities in eternity. Why would you be so careless about prayer, about fasting, about the deeds of your calling, why indulge in sleep and carelessness, when you thought and felt that the time of your earthly exploit is short, and in eternity fire, and darkness, and endless torment await the careless slave? Why would you value so much the desires of your will, which you yourself sometimes recognize as unjust, and yet you grieve and are annoyed if they remain unfulfilled? Lord, Lord! Confirm in our hearts Your fear is holy and saving, so that, protected by it, we will preserve our love for You and not deviate from Your law. Amen. I am the light of the world! (John 8:12). As the Lord Jesus speaks in the hearing of the Jewish people, in the hearing of the whole universe. What an extraordinary review of yourself! “I am the light of the world,” says Christ Jesus. Before me, skillful legislators, intelligent teachers of morality, great and small thinkers, sincere and insincere friends of poor humanity worked on the education of nations, but their success was very small, the consequences did not correspond to their promises and labors. I came to dispel the darkness of human hearts, to put in them the seeds of new life, to revive them with the warmth of my rays. What a great review! Who will pronounce it? The one who has always been a model of humility and meekness. He did not quench the smoking flax, nor break the bruised reed. And yet, he speaks so loudly about Himself. What a strong conviction is heard in this voice. Throughout, the wondrous voice attracts attention to itself. My listeners! you know, the ruler of the peoples of Europe, Asia and America is in awe of the holiness of this voice. He recently silenced the anti-Christian rebellions of Europe, he recently repeated the testimony of Christ aloud to his entire empire, aloud to all universities and educational institutions. We are now celebrating the sacred crowning of our sovereign. Therefore, I think that we will worthily honor the triumph of the great Christ-loving monarch if we think about one of the beneficial effects of Christian teaching, about its beneficial influence on the well-being of the state. It has been known for centuries that for the well-being of society it is necessary that state power be sacred, inviolable for everyone, and important. Only then will subjects have not only respect for state power, but also reverence, not only fear, but also love; only then will the state be safe from riots and unrest, from the self-will and arbitrariness of the wild. Without this, no theory of state security will make states safe. In any other theory, state security, as based on human principles, will be at the complete disposal of human arbitrariness, always selfish, always changing thoughts and desires according to the whims of passions. What does Christ’s teaching say about state power? It says what no religion of reason dared to decisively preach; it says, there is no power unless it is from God, but existing powers are created by God. By the same token, resist the authority of God and resist the commandment (Rom. 13:1-2). It says that the boss is a servant of God, a representative of God’s punishing and merciful providence, an avenger of evildoers (Rom.13:4), and ready to reward those who do good (1Pet.2:14). After God, it places the sovereign as the first subject of attention: Fear God, honor the King (1 Pet. 2:17). It inspires that our first prayer should be a prayer for the king and the authorities. I pray, writes the apostle, first of all, make prayers, supplications, petitions, thanksgivings for all people, for the king and for all who are in power (1 Tim. 2:1). According to the teachings of revelation, the face of the king is an inviolable person. Do not touch my anointed (Ps. 104:5). So, this is the greatness to which the Christian teaching elevates kings and authorities. These are the pillars on which it establishes the thrones of kings and the rights of rulers! This is why a true Christian cannot be a rebel or an unfaithful subject. For him, orders, governments are the orders of God, and a rebel against the state is a rebel against the kingdom of God, a rebel against God himself. In the first centuries of Christianity, so well known for the riots and revolts of the Roman Empire, when, for example, 39 emperors appeared in 8 years, history has not found a single disturbance in which Christians took part. And what terrible centuries these were for Christianity! The civil authorities were then extremely unjust and inhumane against Christians. What kept Christians from outbursts of indignation and from strong opposition at the sight of horrific injustices? Their faith, a faith that commands “to show obedience to rulers, not only to the good, but also to the harsh,” a faith that teaches that it is pleasing to our God if “if anyone, thinking about God, endures tribulations, suffering unjustly” (1 Pet. 2:18-19). Christian teaching, along with the way it so much elevates the power of state power, instills in rulers a fatherly love for their subjects. It demands that their power be not only a fair power, but also a beneficial one for its subjects. It tells them, do the will of God from the soul, not forgetting that above you there is “the Lord in heaven, with whom there is no respect of persons” (Eph. 6:9). It inspires them, “from everyone to whom much has been given, much will be required, and to whom much has been entrusted, from him they will require more” (Luke 12:48). According to his instructions, all people are children of the Heavenly Father, who loves everyone equally and equally demands mutual love from everyone, gives power to one over the other, but so that the strong bear the infirmities of the weak, and not please themselves; Christian teaching does not tolerate either impatient and self-seeking pride, or unapproachable pride, or frivolous vanity, no matter who they are. Thus, Christian teaching gives government officials strength and power, but softens this strength with feelings of charitable love; gives them strong power, but tempered by the fear of God’s judgment and thus serves as a new support for the well-being of the state. Christian teaching not only persecutes obvious vices - the ulcer of human societies, but cleanses the very depths of human hearts and animates them with the most selfless love for people. It is a well-known fact that pagan religions sanctified many human vices, the most detrimental to the well-being of states; addictions to vices, rooted in the soul and turned into general rules of life, did not allow people to clearly see the harmful effects of evil on societies. The Christian faith does not tolerate vices, it does not even tolerate vicious feelings and dispositions. It is a well-known fact that no matter how active the rulers of societies are, many vices and atrocities elude their attention and power. Violence and thefts committed without witnesses, cunning deceptions, common especially in trade, luxury and debauchery - conductors of poverty for families, many other vices, invisible to the court of people, pour poison into society and bring the state to disorder and downfall. Only pure and holy faith, such as the Christian faith, controlling the conscience of people, counteracts the evil principles that invisibly destroy society. No religion extends its power over the hearts of people as far as Christian teaching does. It judges us for the most secret criminal thoughts, for the most innocent-looking feelings and desires. It requires the strictest purity of life. “Be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect,” it says. Christian teaching, showing in God the Father of all, commands the most tender and most selfless love for people and, moreover, for people of all ranks and conditions. Paganism did not know this universal and selfless love. The pagans of Rome and the East could not marvel at how Christians, without forming a special political society, were united by a close union throughout the entire world of that time. They were amazed at the care with which Christians helped the poor, looked after the sick, visited prisoners in prison, raised orphans, looked after those suffering from infection, with obvious danger to themselves. They recognized that the faith that is so beneficial for poor humanity is an unearthly faith, it is a Divine faith, and that no human religion prescribes so much high love for others and, therefore, does not elevate so much the well-being of the state. “What an ox is to the poor, a slave is to the rich,” said the famous pagan philosopher, and he also ranked wives among the unfortunate products of nature. Judge then the condition of slaves and wives in the pagan world. The Christian faith teaches caring love for slaves and wives, pointing out their spiritual nature. Let them formulate for themselves the highest ideal of a useful member of the state and let them carry their ideal through all levels of state life, then at all levels they will see only a Christian. There is no title, no occupation truly useful for the state, which the Christian faith does not sanctify and elevate with its thoughts, and no occupation, no title can be truly useful for the state, as long as it does not agree with pure Christian teaching. Thus, no other faith can so easily deliver a state from troubles and elevate its well-being as the Christian faith does. She brings heavenly blessings to the huts of the lowly and to the palaces of noble people, protects public safety, respect for the laws, the rights of every state and rank. Bliss is in heaven, but on earth failure and misfortune are inevitable with sins. But faith, even against inevitable evils, is the best and surest help, instilling patience and devotion to heavenly goodness. ABOUT! true light, enlightening every person coming into the world! May your life-giving light descend into the depths of our hearts! May he fertilize the barren desert of our souls with pure and holy deeds, saving in time and eternity. My listeners! Let us pray earnestly so that we may become true Christians. If we are sincere Christians, then we will truly be the most useful members of the state. Amen. Word before the election of judges If, when, then is it especially pleasant now to see you in the church of God, men of the noble class? You wish to elect from among you worthy representatives of your rights before the royal throne, worthy defenders of your peace. And before you do this, appear in the church of God. This clearly speaks of your reverence for heaven; this clearly shows that, in your opinion, the strength of earthly institutions and affairs, not excluding noble ones, depends on heaven and nothing great can happen on earth without high thoughts of faith. In accordance with the will of the monarch, when you begin to elect people according to your heart, you consider it necessary, before the altar of the Lord of lords, to solemnly pledge an oath to knock in the matter of election according to a clear conscience, not according to the infatuation of passions. How can one not rejoice at such a union of noble hearts with faith! Noble class! Rejoicing at your reverent love for the faith, out of the duty of my title I must remind you that the beautiful union should not be broken, the holy oath must be fulfilled sacredly. What is an oath? An oath assures the omniscient and formidable God of the truth that in this or that matter they will act according to the strict truth. So, what do they do when they do not act according to their oath? Either they don’t believe, although they say that God is omniscient and terrible in truth, or they believe, but despite this they lie before Him. Don't believe in the God of truth and might? How is this possible? Speech is mad in his heart, there is no God. If they believe, but do not act as faith requires, is this much easier than the work of madness? Let them look around. If, in any case, to do untruth means to do something displeasing to the God of righteousness, then to do untruth while calling upon the God of righteousness does not it mean to offend God in person? Doesn't this mean blatantly disrespecting either His greatness or His terrible judgment? They call upon the God of holiness as a witness and helper, but commit lawlessness, as if He could favor and help lawlessness or hypocrisy. Why do they call on the great name of God when they do not want to do what is pleasing to God? In order to hide your unclean soul from the eyes of people with a great name, in order to deceive people; isn't it? ABOUT! how much wickedness against God there is in such an act! How can we call this otherwise, if not desecration of the name of God? This is what God himself calls the crime of an oath. Do not swear, He says, in My name untruthfully, and do not profane the name of your holy God (Lev.19:12). How forgetful can people be? Slaves fear the master, subjects reverence the person of their sovereign. Is the one who can instantly return worlds to insignificance without fear insulted in person? The seraphim do not dare to look at the Almighty, they stand with their faces covered before His throne and reverently offer praise: holy, holy, holy, Lord of hosts. Why, great God! Should there be people before You, people so weak and unclean? The prophet of God saw a scroll flying, the length of twenty cubits and the breadth of ten cubits. In explanation of the vision, he was told that this is an oath that is on the face of the whole earth; everyone who swears a lie will be avenged of this to death. And the oath shall enter into the house of him that sweareth in my name a lie, and shall dwell in the midst of his house, and shall destroy it, and his wood, and his stones (Zech. 5:1-4). What a terrible definition! Will they not say that this is only a threat, or even an execution, but for criminal Israel alone? My friends! Let us thank God that He Himself tells us to what extent He does not tolerate the crime of an oath. But one must have too little intelligence not to justify with one’s own meaning the impossibility of God favoring the offender of an oath. If criminal Israel was dealt with in such a threatening manner for breaking their oaths, let the Christian who broke his oaths await even more threatening vengeance. For the Lord your God will not cleanse him who takes His name in vain. This was said to the Jew. But how should a Christian live? According to the law of the Gospel, his life should be so faithful to the truth, so pure and holy, that one word of his, “yes” and “no” should be a guarantee of his unchanging fidelity. If among Christians there are Christians whose very oath does not restrain them from betraying the truth, what anger do they call down from heaven for their betrayal of the truth! ABOUT! Christians! How will you answer for yourself when, having received so much gracious light, so many gracious powers, you appear at the world judgment no better than other Jews, or even no better than other pagans? What does an oath mean in relation to human society? This is protection of the general peace of people. What does breaking an oath mean in relation to the same peace of people? This is an ulcer, this is a disaster for societies. When, through misfortune, this ulcer spreads among many and becomes the rule of life for many, what can a whole society expect? The same thing that was announced through the prophet, and the curse will take root and will put an end to it and its trees and its stone. Anyone who plays with an oath not only disturbs the peace of others, but also shakes the foundation of social peace - trust in human conscience, faith in the possibility of honesty between people. For if they lie before God, how can one believe that they will be faithful before men? If they are not afraid to deceive God, isn’t it a rule to deceive people? But doesn’t this mean that the union between people is dissolved and society has broken up into personal enemies of the common happiness? However, one more word. To act in fulfillment of an oath according to one’s conviction does not always mean to act faithfully to the truth. It happens that they act not at all against conviction and, however, act with an insult to truth and order; They act out of conviction, and then they themselves see sad mistakes in their actions. How does this happen? Very simply, they take the suggestions of unrecognized passions, undetected pride, undetected self-interest as the voice of a clear conscience, and those who trust themselves deceive themselves. Walk like a child of light. In order not to walk in the darkness of your thoughts, darkened by passions, you need to illuminate your thoughts, your convictions, with the meditation of the Gospel, you need to verify your dispositions and feelings with the commandments of the Lord; It is especially necessary to ask for enlightenment from the Lord, who alone is the purest light and the source of pure light. Heavenly light, enlightening every person! the Church prays to You for everyone and always; Now he especially prays for those who are ready to sanctify Your name with an oath. Confirm their hearts in love for righteousness and truth, so that we sanctify Your holy name in thoughts and deeds. - Amen. A word on the first meeting with the Kharkov flock What will I tell you, brothers, at the first meeting with your love? I offer a simple wish, may the Lord God bless you from Zion. I don’t dare consider my desires, as human desires, important. How can one not know that he did not begin to be a Christian, who is not aware of his weaknesses and sins? However, I do not consider it necessary to keep silent that to strengthen my weak strength, on the long journey to you, I turned with prayers to the great saints of Pechersk. And you know how much they can do with the Lord. So, I wish God’s blessings to you, young children! Our Savior Himself blessed you with such love. ABOUT! May God’s blessing preserve in you those wonderful qualities of the heart for which our Savior and Lord loves you so much! May it preserve in your hearts simplicity and innocence, so dear to earth and heaven! May it inspire in you a holy fear of offending in yourself with anything that is dear to the Lord in you! I wish God's blessings to you, fathers and mothers, for your family happiness, for your home peace. Both require it, and both are impossible without it. David said long ago, if the Lord does not build the house, those who build it labor in vain. And it cannot be otherwise, if you entrusted the construction only to the forces and methods of time, what can you expect from time? The wind will blow and your building will collapse. Expect nothing from time except change and destruction. Only the Eternal One maintains strength and order in his right hand. He blessed Abram and Sarah, who were old in barrenness, He blessed Isaac and Jacob; and - you know how they all blossomed with happiness. Who among you has not experienced, at least once in your life, how, in the most hopeless situation, the blessing of God, sought through prayer, restored happiness and peace in the family and home? Whoever has not experienced how, after all the tried and tested means to help family or domestic grief, a sincere sigh to heaven attracted a blessing that unexpectedly returned peace and joy. I wish God's blessings to you, those who sell and those who buy. Your happiness is especially variable; therefore he especially needs blessing. Your happiness depends on the will of God. Reverence the will of God. She is holy and loves only what is holy and honest. It's time to learn, centuries have taught that untruth does not make you rich, but destroys houses. May God's blessing protect you from all untruth, from all immoderation of desires, from all types of lies and deception! I wish God's blessings to you, those who rule and are governed, judges and those judged! The Great One owns everyone and everything; He alone is the legislator of everything. What can those living on the land of corruption do if they do not receive a blessing from Him for their intentions and deeds? ABOUT! West, West! What has pride prepared for you, arrogant with the success of its powers and forgetting about the all-effective power of God? Everyone wants to command and no one wants to obey, everyone wants to judge in order to offend and rob others with impunity. They make noise about equality of rights in order to take away the morals of others, and not to give up theirs in a Christian way to another. ABOUT! May the Almighty preserve reverent obedience to His laws among those who rule! May He preserve in the governed humble submission to the authorities appointed by Him! May He preserve in the former as much love for humanity and spiritual nobility as in the latter the humility and meekness commanded by the Gospel! I wish God's blessings to the teachers and students. So many centuries, so many experiences teach us that without the fear of God true wisdom is not given to us. So many centuries, so many experiences teach us that apart from a reverent disposition of the mind and heart, the wisdom of God does not enter either the mind or the heart. Where is the source of wisdom? In the Lord. How does it pass into our soul? Not otherwise than in a way consistent with His will. Could it be otherwise? Judge for yourself. If anyone, then I especially wish you the blessings of God, servants of the altar of God. Your service is so difficult, it requires so much strength of mind and heart. Let the grace of the priesthood remain in you an inexhaustible source of the blessings of heaven; it is your business to be diligent dispensers of the gifts of secretly working grace. Beware lest you turn out to be unclean vessels of God's holy grace. Do not forget that your own dispositions can aggravate the heavenly blessing for others, and your calling requires that the grace of Christ descend more and more through you to others. Don't forget that the example of life is the most powerful teacher for those you have to teach. It is difficult to change human hearts; they are as willful as they are persistent in their ways. Sow the word of God patiently. Your business is to sow, your business is to convey to people not the word of man, but the word of God. Who knows whether tomorrow or the day after tomorrow the heavenly rain will fall and the hard earth will soften and the seed thrown into it will bear fruit. Sow and pray. By the grace of God I am, even as I am, the apostle also spoke about himself. I wish God’s blessing to all those in the Christ-loving Kharkov flock. But for everyone I add that to accept or not to accept the grace of God depends on the disposition of each. Amen. Essay by St. Demetrius, 1, 180–183. Letter to the Elders in Christian Reading, 1838. Part III, p. 176. Teachings of St. Demetrius 1, 217–218. Discourse 59 on the Gospel of Matthew. Christian Reading, 1841, June pp. 410-41. St. Gregorii Moral. With. 10. Discourse on Romans, 14:24. The church stands between the cemetery and the prayer house of the schismatics - without the priestly sect.