Поучение 52 60 . В неделю вторую поста. О том, чтобы с кротостию и в мире проводить дни поста в уповании вечной жизни.

Brothers and Fathers! Fasting is a good deed, but only if it is accompanied by what is appropriate for it: peace, good will, obedience, meekness, compassion and other corrections of virtues. But what is the devil, the enemy and accuser of our salvation, inventing and doing? He puts everything that is contrary into the fasting people, and encourages them to be impudent and contradictory, cruel, angry, furious, vain, envious and abusive. What is his goal? In order to cause them greater harm and futility with these passions, instead of the benefit they want to receive from fasting. But we will recognize his plans and intrigues, we will spend these holy days always peacefully and quietly, with meekness and silence, each enduring others with love, knowing that such fasting is pleasing and pleasing to God. If we do not have what has been said, then no matter what work we endure, it is lost, and we are needlessly subjected to suffering. However, we need to fast, because fasting dries up the body, but strengthens and renews the soul: “because our outer man decays, so much so, according to the word of the Apostle: the inner man is renewed day by day” (2 Cor. 4:16); and our light, momentary sorrow will bring us much eternal glory in heaven. Thinking in this way and imagining rewards and future rewards, let us patiently persevere in the deeds of virtue, “giving thanks to God the Father, who called us to partake of the inheritance of the saints in the light, who delivered us from the power of darkness and entrusted us to the kingdom of the Son of His love” (Col. 1, 12, 13). Do we not partake of His most pure Body and Blood every day? And what could be sweeter than Holy Communion? It bestows eternal life on those who partake with a clear conscience. Don’t we talk every day and every night with the Divine David and with the other Holy Fathers and luminaries of our Holy Church? What other consolation could there be for the soul than this? Have we not become estranged and have not withdrawn from the fellowship with the lovely world and from our relatives in the flesh for the sake of the Lord? What else could be more blessed and higher than this? “Because our... life is in heaven, therefore we wait for the Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform the body of our humility, so that he may be conformed to the body of His glory, according to His action He can enable Him to subdue all things” (Phil. 3:20, 21). Therefore, my brethren, let us rejoice and be glad, despising and trampling upon every evil lust of the flesh. “For all flesh is like grass, and all the glory of man is like the flower of grass: the grass is gone, and its flower falls away: but the work of virtue endures forever” (1 Peter 1:24.25). “Does anyone suffer in you? Yes, he prays, as the scripture says, is anyone happy? let him sing" (James 5:13). If anyone is tempted by an evil sinful passion (for the devil never ceases to fight us), let him endure, hearing him say: “Blessed is the man who endures temptation; having been skilled, he receives the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him” (James 1:12). “If you know this,” said the Lord, “if you do, you are blessed” (John 13:17) To Him be glory forever. Amen. See Patrol. volume. 99th, p. 577. You might be interested in: