33. Продолжение о говении. Поведение говеющего дома

I continue about fasting. The one who fasts only knows that there is a church and a home. We came home - what's here? And here it is necessary, as much as you can, to keep your mind and heart reverent towards the Lord. Hurry to your room straight from the church and greet her with several bows, asking the Lord to reverently, with spiritual benefit, spend the present time in a solitary stay at home. Then you need to rest a little after sitting. Still, don’t let your thoughts wander, but say to yourself, without thinking about anything, one thing: “Lord, have mercy!” Lord, have mercy!” Having rested, you need to do something: either pray, or do handicrafts. And what when, you decide for yourself. You can’t do everything spiritually; you need to have some kind of easy handicraft. You just need to take it up when your soul is tired and is unable to read, think, or pray to God. And if those spiritual activities go well, then you don’t have to touch on needlework. It is appointed to fill the time that without it would have to be spent in idleness, which is most destructive at all times, and even more so during fasting. How to pray at home? You said well that you need to add a little extra against the usual prayer rule. It is necessary, it is necessary. But it is better if you do not add unnecessary readings of prayers, but pray longer without a prayer book, expressing your deepest spiritual needs before the Lord with your own words. Read both in the morning and in the evening, no more than on ordinary days, but before the beginning of your prayer and after it, pray your own prayer, and during the intervals of the prayers you read, insert your prayer, bowing at the waist and on the ground and kneeling. Annoy the Lord, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel, in your word to Them, asking for everything that you feel is extremely necessary for yourself; pray that you let yourself be known, and that through knowledge you put in the desire and provide the strength to correct everything that is faulty, and moreover, that you fill your heart with the spirit of contrition and humility, in which sacrifice to God is most pleasing to Him. But don’t tie yourself down with too long and lengthy a rule. It is better to get up for prayer more often and make bows throughout the day, little by little, but often, in order to cover the whole day with bows. In your mind, do not deviate from the Lord at all, whether you stand in prayer or whatever else you do. After prayer - reading with meditation. We need to read not to fill our memory with various information and concepts, but then to receive edification and understand how to better fulfill what is needed for us in these days of fasting. To do this, you need to read a little, but bring every point you read to your senses through long attention to it. What to read? Of course, only spiritual books. Of these, I will not recommend anything to you more than the writings of St. Tikhon. There is a book “Arise, Sleep” - a selection of articles from St. Tikhon that encourage repentance. There is also a book about repentance and communion, sermons for Lent and the weeks of preparation for it. I heard that it is very useful at this time: everything in it is only about repentance and communion. I can't find a better read for you. These books have been given to you. Take it and read it. Slowly and thoughtfully reading suitable books will most greatly stir the soul. Lean on it. In the morning after prayer (matins begins in the evening), order everything to it, until the very hours. It will also prepare you for church prayer. And after hours you can continue the same thing, when you have enough hunting and attention. A prayer movement will come during reading - get up and pray. Read with someone or alone? Alone is better. Because at the same time it is more convenient to take care of yourself and apply what you read to yourself. Reflection must be inserted into reading, otherwise it will go into daydreaming and you won’t get it. So, they read, they thought, they bowed - that’s all the activities appropriate for someone fasting at home. But it is not always possible to constantly maintain attention under such tension. When you get tired, you can sit down to work, as I already mentioned. And it’s good that you said that you need to fast. It is necessary, necessary, but not too much. You already eat little. We must have the strength to stand in church and bow down at home. But whatever you find more convenient and at your disposal, do so. You just need to let the body know that it is also to blame for the fact that it is necessary to repent and therefore bear the labors of fasting. And we need to take away a little of both duration and peace from sleep. This article seems to require you to make a sacrifice. And don’t be lazy to bring it as soon as you can. All kinds of hardships are appropriate these days. What about talking? And we can talk, but not about trifles, but about the same things. Instead of talking, schedule an hour to read together - and read together. It would be very nice in the evening. Nothing could be better if one of you told edifying stories in which the power of repentance and communion was manifested. And for reading together, we would choose such legends from the Chetya Menaion. Enough for now. I’ll add what else you need later. You might be interested in: