Суббота

(Eph. 2:11–13; Luke 13:18–29) “Strive to enter through the strait gate” (Luke 13:24). The narrow gate is life not according to one’s own will, not according to one’s desires, not to please oneself; the wide gate is life according to all the movements and aspirations of a passionate heart, without the slightest denial of anything. Thus, the gate to the kingdom is self-restraint. Restrain yourself in everything - and it will be the same as tension or pushing against the door in order to open it and squeeze through it. How and what to embarrass yourself with? The commandments of God, opposite to the passionate movements of the heart. When you begin to get angry with someone, remember the commandment of the Lord: “Do not be angry... in vain” (Matthew 5:22), and thereby constrain your heart. When lustful movements come, bring to mind the prohibition of even looking at your wife with lust, and thereby constrain your lust. When you want to condemn someone, remember the word of the Lord that by doing this you make the Judge of heaven inexorable in relation to yourself, and restrain your arrogance. So in relation to every vicious movement, collect the sayings of Divine Scripture against each of them and keep them in memory. As soon as any bad desire comes out of your heart, you immediately bind it with a saying directed against it; or bind all your desires and thoughts in advance with Divine words and walk in them: you will be as if in chains. But in these bonds there is freedom, or a free path to the Kingdom of God. You might be interested in: