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Question How does Saint Tikhon speak about Circumcision? Rep. (Book VII, p. 297). Finally, the Sun of Truth rose from the virgin womb: the Son of God was born from the Virgin, the Heavenly King appeared on earth; The Word became flesh, and the Ancient of Days, like a child, was wrapped in swaddling clothes; The Invisible One has appeared and feeds all flesh - it feeds on mother’s milk. At His birth, the holy angels sang the glory and praise of God: glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. The Church celebrates the Nativity according to the flesh of the Son of God our Savior on December 25. The Son of God, who was born on the eighth day, was circumcised according to the law of Moses, and his name was called Jesus, who was named by an angel, before he was even conceived in the womb (Matthew 1:21). Jesus means Savior because He saves His people from their sins. Let us stand here, dear reader, and admire the goodness of God. He who has no filth is circumcised; He has received the name and name of Him whose race and name cannot be expressed; Jesus was named, so that by this name he would show that He is the Savior of the world and leads His people not to Canaanea, like Joshua, but to the Kingdom of Heaven; He was called the son of man, who on earth does not know the Father; He was conceived who has no beginning; He who by His nature is not visible has become visible; He who is inaccessible to angels was touched with motherly hands; He who clothes the sky with clouds is wrapped in swaddling clothes. For my sake and for you, man, the Son of God received this great embassy. Bless the Lord, my soul. When fourty days had passed from birth, He was brought to the Church of the Lord according to the Law of Moses. At that time, according to God's will, the righteous Simeon, an elderly man, came to the church of the Lord, who was promised not to see death until he saw Christ the Lord. As soon as he saw the baby Jesus, he learned by the Holy Spirit that that baby was the Messiah, promised by God and preached by the prophets; So, taking Him with a blessing in his hands, he blessed God and exclaimed with joy: now you are releasing Your servant, O Master, in peace, according to Your word, as my eyes have seen Your salvation, which You have prepared before the face of all people (Luke 2:29, 31). And this means the feast of the Presentation of the Lord, which occurs on February 2. Being twelve years old, Jesus the Son of God, on the feast of Easter, went up to the church of God, and sitting in the midst of the teachers, listened to them and questioned them. All who listened to Him were terrified at His understanding and His answers (Luke 2:47). For although the youth was old, at such an age the Hypostatic wisdom of God acted and showed itself, for He is God’s power and God’s wisdom. About thirty years into His life on earth, He was baptized in the Jordan River by the prophet and forerunner John. Then the Holy Spirit appeared over Him in the form of a dove, and the Heavenly Father testified with a voice from heaven: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21, etc.). Here the mystery of the Holy Trinity was revealed to us. The son was baptized in the flesh; The Holy Spirit descended on Him; The Father from heaven testified. Thus, the Trinitarian God, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, our Creator, provides for our salvation. This saving Epiphany is celebrated on January 6th. But Christ was not baptized the way we are baptized. Through baptism we are washed from the defilements of sin and are sanctified. Christ had no sin, and therefore there was no need for Him to be washed from sin; but by His baptism He established and sanctified our baptism. After baptism, the Son of God was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil, and was tempted by him, and defeated the tempter (Matthew 4:1–11). Stay here and admire the goodness of God. Being God, he allowed the evil and unclean spirit to approach Him and tempt Him in various ways, and thereby showed that everyone who was born of water and the Spirit and began to work for the Lord must be tempted (Sir. 2:1). He defeated the tempter: He defeated us, so that we overcome the one defeated by Him by His power. After suffering temptation and victory, Christ emerged from the desert and went to preach to St. The Gospel, which He brought to earth from the bosom of His heavenly Father, and with it all His love for mankind and goodness revealed to us, saying: repent and believe in the Gospel (Mark 1:15). That's how bl. Tikhon speaks about one of the erroneous opinions - regarding the ritual, external side of worship of God! “Many, apparently, strive to be pious; but since they do not heed God’s word, as a true and perfect rule, they do not believe that piety lies in what it consists of, but in what their blind mind and flesh want to see, and so they are mistaken. Many of them strive to preserve inviolably what man has written, but they neglect what God has forbidden or commanded. They keep the word and commandment of man, but they abandon and neglect the word and commandment of God. There are many such misconceptions everywhere! For many, on Wednesdays and Fridays and other days, they abstain from certain foods, while others do not eat anything at all on these days; but they do not want to abstain from malice, slander, envy, slander and other plagues of Christianity for even one hour. Many people build high churches of God and decorate them, they make high bell towers and great bells, they sew rich clothes for the church, they cover books, Gospels and images of saints and the image of the cross of Christ with silver and gold, and with this substance they want to please the immaterial God; but the poor, the beggars, those imprisoned in prisons for debt are abandoned and despised, and so they do what God did not command, but do not do what God commanded. I am not here about building churches, but I am condemning the neglect of God’s word. Churches are also needed, but not the splendor (enormousness) of churches. In any church, as long as it is comfortable and clean, public worship can be held; but it is impossible for people, the animated churches of God, to remain without food, clothing and peace. To these, and who demand mercy from us, excess should be directed. We should not do what is in our eyes, but what is pleasing to God and in accordance with His holy word. So people, having abandoned God’s word and following their blind mind, do not know what they are doing, and they accept their retribution for ingratitude, depriving themselves of God’s grace (Part VIII, p. 52, §369). We see the word communication and its power in the 1st Epistle of St. John the Theologian. From the first we have heard, we have seen, we have seen with our eyes, we have seen and touched the Word of living things, we will tell you, so that you too may have fellowship with us: our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ (1 John 1:1, 3). And this is the promise that we have heard from Him and tell you, that God is light and in Him there is not a single darkness. Even if we speak as if the imams are communicating with Him, we walk in darkness, we lie and do not create the truth. If we walk in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:5–7). Saint Tikhon explains communication with Christ simply but truly, stopping his spiritual reasoning at a simple word: he is with him for one thing. This word, he writes in his Trans-Don cell, speaks of those people who have like-mindedness and agreement among themselves. So a faithful servant and his master are one; son and father are one; each other is faithful to each other for one thing; but also a fornicator with a harlot, a thief with a thief, a thief with a thief - for one thing. Also in spiritual terms. Every person is either with Christ or with His enemy the devil. What and whose spirit someone has is one and the same. Whoever truly and heartily believes in Christ, the Son of God, and confesses Him as his Redeemer and Savior, loves Him and, according to His word, every person; whoever fights and strives against all sin is truly one with Christ, having fellowship with Him, like-mindedness and peace. O sweet unanimity! O sweetest agreement! O heavenly friendship! O all-desired bliss - to be one with Christ! This is true and heavenly wisdom, true and heavenly wealth, honor and glory!.. The devil, envying this great Christian bliss, like our ancestors in paradise, through evil thoughts seduces Christians and distracts them from Christ. Those who listen to his harmful advice and agree with him are one with him. Evil and breathing vengeance with the devil for one thing. For the devil is a spirit of evil and a murderer. Living in pride and pomp with the devil for one thing. For the devil is a proud spirit. The fornicator, the adulterer and the lover of uncleanness are one with the devil; for the devil is an unclean spirit. In a word: everyone who lives contrary to the word of God and does the will of the devil is with the devil for one thing... Oh, since man, created in the image of God, has come to a poor state! I became one with the devil, the enemy of God. Lord have mercy! For woe is the soul that is not with Christ. Eternal misfortune and destruction will befall her! Nothing harms a person, especially a young person, more than evil company. Just as communication with the good is a school in which a person learns Christian philosophy, that is, honest living, without books, so dealing with the evil is the result of extreme corruption. At least someone was of a good nature and well-bred; but when he begins to deal with the corrupt, it is difficult and almost impossible for him not to become corrupt. Anger, like resin, sticks and insensibly enters and infects good morals. They say that healthy eyes, when they look at sick ones, themselves accept harm, but do no good: so a good person, living with evil ones, becomes spoiled, but does not correct them. Reason then, Christians, p. with whom you want to have fellowship, and until you know it completely, do not pester anyone, lest you fall into the abyss of destruction. It is better to live with animals than with evil people. Evil people, says St. Chrysostom, are more harmful than poisonous snakes: for these openly wear out their poison, and those every day, secretly and insensitively infect (On Ps. 4). Woe to young children who have corrupt parents! Where can they get away from such parents when they are forced to live with them under the same roof, sit at the same meal, observe their words, deeds and all their actions? Youth, as itself prone to all evil, requires diligent guidance, good upbringing and instruction: but instead of this, it is met with the poisonous temptation of parental morals... Woe to young children from this temptation! But extreme grief goes to the parents, who, instead of useful teaching, infect young hearts with an evil example, like poison! Question How does Saint Tikhon talk about the vices of gluttony and drunkenness? Rep. I. From St. Scriptures: take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be burdened with gluttony, and drunkenness, and the sorrows of this life (Luke 21:34). The kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). II. From St. Chrysostom: there is no evil in eating and drinking, but gluttony is vicious (Conversations 10 on chapter 1 of Gen.). The voluptuousness of food is such an evil that it harms even dumb animals (Conversations 44 on Matthew chapter 12). Excess in food and drink is the mother of evils (Conversations 58 on Matthew, ch. 17). The devil loves nothing more than luxury and drunkenness (Conversation above). Wine is God’s work, but drunkenness is the devil’s; It is not wine that produces drunkenness, but intemperance (Conversation 1 to Nar. Antioch.). III. From my reasoning. Binge eating is the consumption of excess food and burdening the belly. Oh how harmful it is! Drunkenness is excessive drinking. There are two kinds of drunkenness: one is from wine, the other is from passion. Drunkenness comes from passion if one has a heart filled with passions... Drunkenness from wine brings double evil to people: to the body - various infirmities, to the soul - destruction. What a sober man does not do, a drunk man dares to do... He lies in the ditch of destruction, but does not feel it; perishes, but does not know death. IV. The beginning of drunkenness: bad company and frequent feasts and dinners; political submission, with a strong request, and congratulations, such as: “We’ll drink to the health of both.” V. Benefits against this passion. 1) Young people should not be allowed to drink when they are drunk, because young people easily get used to it. 2) Perfect men should not drink wine unnecessarily. 3) Run away from evil companies. 4) Remember that those who are accustomed to this passion find it difficult to free themselves from it and many die in it. 5) Those who are accustomed to this passion should arm themselves against it and, having sobered up, pray and cry to the merciful God to free them from it. 6) To think that many drunkards die sleeping and pass from this century to the next without any feeling and without repentance, which is scary. 7) Bring to mind all the evil that happens during drunkenness: temptations, quarrels, fights, dreams, insurance, illnesses, relaxation of the whole body, and compare the state of sober living with the state of drunken people, etc. (Part II. §6). Custom is overcome by custom, says St. Tikhon (2 parts, p. 235). If you are prone to anger or are inclined out of habit, then diligently beware of everything that excites this passion. Calm yourself down for a short time, count how many days you haven’t been angry. By your nature, you tend to get angry every day; and if you haven’t been angry for anything for two or three days, that’s already a genuine sign that your anger is waning. If you see that you have not had this anger with rage for a whole week, then, going to church, earnestly thank your Creator for this mercy. Today I didn’t grieve about anything, and tomorrow I won’t bother: what if I start doing the same for five or six weeks in a row, won’t I be better than before? Note Do the same in other passions and evil inclinations, brother! The vows we made at St. baptism, Saint Tikhon sets out in the articles: the oath and the betrothed virgin to her husband (Treasure of Spirits). 1) We see that when a person is either elected to the army or elevated to some honor, or assigned to some other task of the sovereign, he takes an oath and promises with an oath to serve the Sovereign and society faithfully and righteously and to act with a clear conscience. So all Christians, entering the Holy Church, accepting the honor and dignity of the Christian high name and enrolling in the army of the heavenly King, take an oath - to remain in this until the end, swear and promise, having renounced Satan and all his evil deeds, to serve with faith and truth the one Christ, the Lord, the heavenly King, throughout his life. We see this oath, oath and promise of Christians... Before baptism, everyone proclaims three times: I deny Satan, and all his works, and all his ministry and all his pride, and spits on him. He also comes to Christ and says: I am united with Christ - three times... This is the power of our vows, made by us before St. baptism! People who do not keep their oath to the Emperor and society are grievously sinning. Such are the unfaithful and treacherous sons of society, and are called the shameful name of traitors... Christians who are in St. At baptism they swore, swore and promised to serve Christ the Lord, but they broke their vows and lied... Those who violated the oath to the Emperor and society accept execution: thus, lying Christians will be punished as traitors forever - more than Turks and idolaters (Part 12, Art. 4). 2) We see in the world that virgins are betrothed to their husbands as brides. Thus, Christian souls by faith in baptism are betrothed to the heavenly bridegroom - Christ, like pure virgins as a bride, according to the word of Christ (2 Cor. 11:2)... The bride loves her one groom and pleases him alone: ​​so the Christian soul must love her one groom - Christ and please Him alone. The groom does not like the bride and turns away from her when she turns to other lovers for love: this is how Christ turns away from the sin-loving and peace-loving Christian soul. May the love of sin and the world be disgusted with you, O my soul (ibid., v. 6)! At the Reverend Metropolitan Gabriel in his book: about the service and orders of the Orthodox Church, this is written: “the name of the catechumens is assigned to those of other faiths who come to the Church, because through the deacons they are proclaimed in the church: why the first rites by which they are received are called catechumens” (Council. Nik. 1, pr. 14) The Divine Liturgy is divided into three parts: 1) proskomedia. 2) common prayer and 3) celebration of St. secrets of the Eucharist. The second part of the liturgy, i.e., the common prayers, are called so because the faithful, the catechumens, and the penitents listened to them, since they applied to all of them. Hear the preacher standing and saying: “Go away, all of you, in repentance.” Why does he say: go away you who are unable to pray? There is a royal meal ahead, Angels are serving the meal, the King himself is coming... From this it is clear that the name catechumens means not only those catechumens for baptism, but all those who repent and are under prohibition. A bitter sinner is the same as a deaf one. Bitterness is spiritual deafness. And this is what Saint Tikhon says about her: “She has a hearing body; The soul also has its own hearing. Not every body has open hearing: not every soul either... The body has its deafness when its ears are closed: so the soul also has its deafness when its hearing is closed (by stubbornness, bitterness). A physically deaf person does not hear what is said to him, commanded, promised, forbidden: so a spiritually deaf person is one who has the hearing of his soul closed, does not hear what God says to him, commands, promises, forbids: for how can he hear without an open ear? Every fornicator and adulterer, every predator, thief, bribe-taker, greedy person, every money-lover, sensualist, in a word - every lawless person has closed the ears of his soul, and therefore the soul is deaf. How many of these hear the word of God, but do not listen to God and do not correct themselves! They hear and do not hear; They hear with their bodies, but do not hear with their spiritual ears, and how can they listen with them when they have them closed? - How many people hear the word of Christ: come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest! (Matthew 11:28). But they do not want to come to Christ and have peace: they hold on to the world as if it were their beloved treasure, although it worries and destroys them. This is spiritual deafness! When there is various noise, shouting and rioting in the church; then, no matter what is said to a person, he does not hear: the same thing happens in the soul. When she is disturbed by various worldly lusts, noise and rebellion; then she cannot hear the word of God: because worldly lusts, which war against the soul, do not allow the word of God to reach her, reflect and drive it away from her. What will the voice of God accomplish in this case? As there is music to the deaf, so to the soul overwhelmed by such noise is the word of God. Such a one hears the preaching of God’s word and praises it; but he doesn’t get any benefit from it; He leaves the sermon the same way he came, and oh, if he weren’t bitter! For the heard word of God turns to greater harm to those who hear it, but are not corrected by it. Thus, the hardened scribes and Pharisees often heard the word of God from Christ, and were not corrected, and therefore succeeded in worse things. And for this reason, Satan, the enemy of human souls, tries with all his might to entangle the soul in worldly lust, like a fish in a net, so that it would not allow the word of God to reach itself, and so would perish. O Christ Jesus! deliver me from all ignorance, oblivion... and petrified insensibility. Question This simple word: he did his job and left - which presented and reminded the mind of the bl. Tikhon? Rep. The entire economy of our salvation, foreshadowed and foreordained in the Old Testament, and completed and preached in the New Testament. “They say this word most especially then,” St. Tikhon reflects in his Zadonsk solitude, when one asks another: where is such and such a person? then the other answers him like this: he did his job and left. Christian! We can and must speak this word about Christ our Savior, and especially when we are questioned about godlessness, ungodliness, those who do not know and do not accept Him, we must boldly answer: He did His work and departed, although He invisibly and persistently remains with us, and will remain until the end of the age, according to His false promise (Matthew 28:20). His work is the work of our salvation, which He did in the middle of the earth - and He departed. He speaks about this matter to His heavenly Father: I have finished the work that you gave Me (John 17:4). This matter is great and incomprehensible to our minds. The prophets foresaw this thing from afar, were amazed and horrified by it, and with surprise and horror they preached and proclaimed to the world: He is coming, He is coming, Who is our God before the ages, who comes quickly and will not become obdurate; The Lord himself will come and save us. His visionary Apostles saw this work and preached it to the whole world, and with it, like an invaluable treasure, they enriched the entire universe. From the very beginning, from the very beginning, from the very beginning, from the very beginning, from the very beginning, from the very beginning, from the very beginning, we have heard, we have seen, and our hands have seen the Word of living things... we will tell you (1 John 1:1, 3). This great and glorious work of His declares to us, and He presents His holy Gospel to our spiritual eyes. There we see this great work of His, which He Himself accomplished for our salvation, and went to His heavenly Father. There we see His saving coming to us, His labors and feats, raised up for our salvation, and His departure...” (for this, Saint Tikhon sets out the entire history of the Gospel from R. X. to the Ascension, with the addition of many moral teachings appropriate to the events). We see, Christians, the first coming of Christ: we await the second. Let us therefore strive to be partakers of the first, so that we may also greet His second coming with joy (Part 12, v. 1). This is what St. Tikhon offers us about condemnation from the golden-speaking lips of the universal Hierarch: “even if we had not committed any other iniquity, this one thing could have plunged us into the abyss of Gehenna, that we, not feeling the heavy logs in our eyes, always strictly pronounce judgment on the sins of others (In the book on tenderness - to Demetrius the monk).” “Do not judge others, but try to correct yourself, so that you yourself are not worthy of condemnation. What is the benefit of abstaining from birds and fish when we bite and eat each other? Slanderers are like flies: just as flies fly to other people’s wounds, so slanderers look for other people’s mistakes in order to divulge them. Not only arrows hurt a person: the cruelest slanderous words inflict wounds. He who loves slander serves the devil. Just as the preacher of truth saves many with his word, so the slanderer and condemner destroys many with the same word. Not only should one not blaspheme, but one should also not listen to others who vilify their neighbor. Question How does Saint Tikhon, in his philosophizing, warn against condemnation? Rep. 1) Condemnation and slander come from different faults: from pride; for the proud, exalting and honoring himself, judges and humiliates others. Sometimes it happens out of anger; for the evil one, not having anything to take revenge on his neighbor, torments his glory with slander and slander. Sometimes - out of envy; for the envious, not tolerating seeing his neighbor revered, discredits and reviles him with a dishonorable name. Sometimes it happens from an evil habit, rage, anger and impatience; The root of everything is pride and hatred of one’s neighbor. 2) Reasons for which one should not condemn one’s neighbor. Those who condemn their neighbor admire the dignity of Christ, Who is the only lawgiver and judge; but this is hard and scary. Our neighbor is God's servant, and not ours, he falls and stands before his Lord, and therefore it is also difficult to judge God's servant. He who judges his neighbor condemns himself, for the judge does hard things. It often happens that many are sinners in front of people, but inwardly they are righteous, and vice versa: many are righteous, but inwardly they are sinners. Often bad rumors spread falsely from the evil and envious. The commandment of Christ is broken: do not judge. Finally, it often happens that although someone has truly sinned, they have already repented; and God forgives the repentant, despising and not remembering the sin. 3) A guide to avoiding condemnation: 1) for everyone to know themselves, and not others, but to look at and cleanse their own vices. 2) Discard anger, envy, hatred. 3) To a brother who has fallen or is falling - to sympathize with the spirit of love. 4) Pray to the merciful God that He will raise up the fallen and convert the lost, and not allow you to fall into the same vices. 5) keeping away from indecent conversations in which people argue, and from those people who have the evil habit of judging others. Place, O Lord, guardianship on my lips! (Ps. 141:3). 4) Consolation to those who suffer gossip, slander and slander. 1) Christ Himself endured reproach innocently: read the Gospel; and - the holy things of God: read the Menaion. The same thing happens to the servants of God today. You're not the first to have this happen. 2) One must endure righteous and unrighteous reproach. Righteous, because they deserve it; unrighteous, because, although they were not guilty of one thing, they sinned in another. 3) Perhaps they themselves slandered, condemned and slandered; and - they measured according to the measure, and it is measured to us (Matthew 7:2). 4) The love of many has already dried up; hatred increased. What more can you expect in these fierce times? 5) For consolation, resort to the source of the word of God: blessed are you when you are reviled, etc. (Matthew 5:11). 6) We humble ourselves through slander and slander and our self-esteem is destroyed. And 7) someone’s slanderous tongue is given to us like an angel of Satan, let us not be proud. People only call it a rejection of Christ when a Christian is rejected by the lips and word of Christ. And truly this is rejection, and it is a serious and destructive matter. For to deny Christ is to deny your life and plunge yourself into obvious death. But there is something similar to this - the rejection of Christ. And it is that which happens by deeds and lawless living. The Apostle speaks about this rejection: They confess God, but their deeds are put aside, they are wicked and disobedient, and are unskillful in every good work (Titus 1:16). There is, after all, a rejection of Christ in language, and there is also a rejection in deed. Do not flatter yourself, Christian, by saying that you are a Christian when you live lawlessly, not piously. He who despises a command despises and abandons the commander. An unfaithful servant to his master is one who does not obey him. What kind of servant of Christ is that Christian who does not listen to Christ? Whatever is not with Me is on Me (Matthew 12:30). Every lawless Christian does not abide with Christ; for it is against Christ; for there is an adversary to Christ; for he has denied Christ, although he calls out to Him: Lord, Lord! Do you commit adultery, Christian, or otherwise defile your soul and body? You reject Christ. Do you hold anger against your neighbor and plan how to harm him? You reject Christ. Do you stretch out your hand to steal and rob other people's goods? You reject Christ. Do you flatter, deceive, and deceive your neighbor? You reject Christ. In a word, every lawless deed committed against your conscience and done out of intent, you reject Christ. And as many times you eat passionate lust - you make a sacrifice, as many times you listen to it. Renounce the lust that persuades you to do evil, and listen to Christ, and you will not deny Him. Oh, how many false Christians there are! How many hidden idolaters are hidden under the name of Christian idolaters! What is their prayer? What is their sacrifice and offering (Part 11, v. 34)? Oh my God! give us understanding, and correct, and renew, and transform us into Christians by the power of Your cross. Question How holy. Tikhon talks about the one father of all Christians? Rep. And I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to me, says the Lord Almighty (2 Cor. 6:18; Jer. 3:19). Although of all people who do not know God, God is the Father, as the Creator and Provider, and His sun shines on the evil and the good, and rains on the righteous and the unjust; However, His faithful ones, who know Him, the only true God, honor Him, fear and love Him, and strive to show Him zealous obedience, He is called in a special way and is the Father. This love of God, that He deigned to be called and to be His faithful Father, to many St. Scripture places are depicted for our consolation. To Him, the Son of God taught the Apostles, and through them, us, to pray like this: Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, etc. To Him Isaiah prays: Thou art our Father (Isa. 63:16). And He Himself promised to be faithful to His Father (2 Cor. 6:18.) And the faithful cry out to Him: Abba Father (Rom. 8:15; and Gal. 3:26, 27)! From this source, God’s love for mankind, flows to us sinners many different consolations, with which, like cold water in thirst, we cool ourselves in the adversity that befalls us. 1) From this living and sweet source flowed so many of His merciful promises, with which the prophetic and apostolic books are filled. 2) If God is our Father, then who is against us (Rom. 8:31)? If God is our Father, then without a doubt He is for us; for what father does not stand for his sons? Who can embitter us, snatch us away at His hand, and destroy us, when we ourselves do not delight? You are mine. And even if you pass through water, I am with you, and the rivers will not cover you; and if you pass through fire, you will not be burned, and the flame will not burn you (Isa. 43:1, 2). I am with him in sorrow and will destroy him (Ps. 90:15), says the Lord God. If God is our Father, what cannot we ask from Him, when, according to His will and with faith, we ask? Who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all, how can He not also with Him give us all things (Rom. 8:32)? The carnal father, even though he would like to give his children what they ask for, often does not give it: because not everything he wants can be done. God our Father is not like that. He wants every good thing, as if he is most good; so every good thing can be given, like the Almighty. Therefore, we are commanded to ask Him for everything: ask and it will be given to you (Matthew 7:7). He will do the will of those who fear Him and He will hear their prayer (Ps. 144:19). The fatherly love of God encourages us not to despair for the sins we have committed, but with faith and hope to push into the doors of His mercy. For how can a father’s heart not have mercy on one who repents and asks for forgiveness with tears?.. This grace, incomprehensible to our minds, was earned for us by the Son of God, Jesus Christ, Who deigned to be the Son of man, in order to make us God the Father, and to make us, the sons of men, sons of God, as we hear on Easter: The Elves received Him - Christ, giving them the realm to be children of God, believers in His name, who was not born of blood, nor of carnal lust, nor of manly lust, but was born of God (John 1:12, 13). This ineffable love, which even the angels are surprised at, St. ap. John, reasoning, cries out in surprise: you see what kind of love the Father has given us, that we may be called children of God and we are (1 John 3:1). Oh, how many Christians should remember this high title and dignity, and cherish it, and value it more than any treasure of the whole world and - more than their own life, and not be seduced by the titles of this age and vain glory - but be content with the only thing that they have God the Father, and are the sons of God, by faith in Christ Jesus (Part. 9, Chapter 2)! Question What thoughts were born in the spiritual mind of Bl. Tikhon upon hearing this ordinary everyday word: Your father has been waiting for you for a long time: don’t delay? Rep. Next. It happens, says Saint Tikhon, that one to another, absent from his father and from home and procrastinating, says this: Your father has been waiting for you for a long time: why are you delaying? This is what the prophets, apostles, shepherds and teachers of the Church say to every sinner - to the sinner who is in the Holy Spirit. At baptism he joined the heavenly Father - it was and was numbered among His household - it was, but then - through a lawless and corrupt life he left Him, as if to a distant country. To this they speak and exhort him: The Heavenly Father has been waiting for you for a long time: why are you delaying, poor sinner? Do you linger in this lawless land and at a harmful distance? Remember the kindness of your Father! You have angered Him; but He will not take His mercy away from you. You have distanced yourself from Him; but He is waiting for you. Having risen, go boldly to your Father, and having fallen before His merciful eyes, admit your guilt, and tell Him with contrition and pity of heart: Father! sinned in heaven and before You, and I am no longer worthy to be called Your son: make me as one of Your hired servants... The more diligently you repent and correct yourself and change for the better, the more quickly you will go and draw closer to the Heavenly Father. For we come to Him not with our feet, but with our hearts, not by a change of place, but by a change of will and morals. How we move away from God through sins; Thus, through true repentance, correction and the change of our will and morals for the better, we draw closer to Him (Part 11, Art. 10). Here you go, L. b., some, only some thoughts, excited in the soul of St. Tikhon in a simple word: Your father has been waiting for you for a long time: do not delay. Do not hesitate, my soul, and hasten to turn to the Heavenly Father, so that you may find peace and salvation in Christ Jesus, crucified for us. Question How does Saint Tikhon discuss the possibility of revelation? Rep. No way. In his mind, I think, this misunderstanding was not born: he knew and remembered that the Spirit, wherever he wants, breathes, and that God creates everything he wants. His reasoning about human blindness can be accepted here as an excellent and strong proof of the necessity for us of Divine Revelation. “As darkness is to the eyes of the body,” says St. Tikhon, then sin is the human soul. Darkness blinds and closes the eyes so that a person, although he has eyes, sees nothing: he does not see the path along which he walks; does not distinguish things from one another, for example. gold - from silver, etc... In a similar way, sin - spiritual darkness - darkens the eye of the soul so that the sinner walks like a blind man: he does not know where his path leads, he does not see before him the pit of eternal destruction into which he is ready to fall; does not recognize vice from virtue, evil from good, truth from lies... This is an example of human blindness! Question Like St. John of Damascus discusses the necessity of Revelation? Rep. God is nowhere to be seen. The only begotten Son, who is above the Father, is the One who confessed (John 1:18). Divinity is ineffable and incomprehensible. For no one knows the Father except the Son, nor the Son except the Father (Matthew 11:27). Likewise, the Holy Spirit knows God, just as the spirit of man knows what is in man (1 Cor. 2:11). Apart from the first and blessed being, no one has ever known God, except to whom God himself revealed it - not only from men, but even from the supermundane powers, from the Cherubim and Seraphim. However, God did not leave us completely ignorant of Him. For God himself implanted the knowledge of the existence of God in the nature of everyone. And the creation itself, its preservation and management proclaim the greatness of the Divine (Wis. 13:5). Moreover, from the beginning - through the law and the prophets, then through His only begotten Son, Lord and God and our Savior Jesus Christ, God imparted to us the knowledge of Himself, as much as we can contain. Therefore, we accept, recognize and honor everything handed down to us by the law, the prophets, the apostles and the evangelists, and we do not seek anything else: because God is the giver of every good, since He Himself is good and is not involved in envy or any other passion. For envy is not characteristic of the nature of God, passionless and the only good. So God, as omniscient and providing for the benefit of everyone, revealed everything that should and is useful for us to know, and kept silent about what we cannot contain. Let us be content with this, and we will adhere to this, without changing eternal limits and without transgressing Divine tradition (Proverbs 22:28). Question Where and how does St. Tikhon talk about the need for Revelation? Rep. In Part V, Chapter 3, about human blindness. Question What signs of revelation do St. Tikhon indicate - internal and external? Rep. 1) How many bitter Jews opposed the holy teaching preached by the apostles, and how much they tried to hide the glorious resurrection of Christ! They forbade, threatened, imprisoned and beat them so that they would not preach Jesus (read the book of Acts)! But they didn’t manage to do anything... And the word of God rushed from Jerusalem, like the rivers of Eden, to other countries. 2) From the hardened Jews, the preachers of God turned to the pagans and scattered throughout the universe as self-witnesses - to carry the name of Jesus to all the ends of the earth, and to testify about Him before the whole world, and to sow the word of God in the fields of idolatrous hearts. Let everyone judge how strange, inconvenient and incomprehensible to the simple human mind it is to go to foreign countries, to peoples like wild animals - to go without any provisions, with only a staff, and preach the unknown God to those who were zealous for the gods of their fathers, and reveal mysteries incomprehensible to the human mind!.. They did not doubt, the preachers of God went. and they carried the name of Jesus to all the ends of the earth, and like lambs in the midst of wolves, they turned, tormented by them, but not consumed... This is the power of God! Note However, the internal signs of Revelation in the classical mind are: its conformity with the greatness and properties of God, with the needs of the human spirit, haste towards the exaltation of man, etc. 3) The truth of the revealed teaching is evident from the fact that its preachers and followers endure persecution in this world. The teaching of the Gospel is a heavenly teaching, originating from God, and therefore Satan, the prince of the world, and the sons of this age do not love this heavenly seed and the children spiritually born of it: all the centuries that have passed testify to this. We see the same thing now: as long as a person lives according to the spirit of the world, and works for the lusts of the world, he is a dear child of the world... But as soon as he takes up the word of God and its saving fruits are conceived in him, then everyone, as a stranger and stranger, shuns him; and just as the sea does not hold a dead body, but casts it out; so all the sons of this age reject him. And this is what the Apostle speaks about (2 Tim. 3:12), and the Lord Himself (John 15:18, 19). 4) It is worthy of special note that St. The Bible, the repository of revelation, has been preserved intact. The prophetic books, during the time of the Israelites’ apostasy from the true God, and the Apostolic books, during the terrible persecution of the Church, were preserved safely. This miracle is no less than that of a spark of fire in the midst of water being preserved. Satan, the enemy of our souls, grew fierce and intensified to destroy from people the true knowledge of God and reverence for God, and for this purpose to destroy the books of St. The Scriptures, the sources of Israel, from which knowledge of God, reverence for God, and consolation are drawn. It must be attributed to God’s goodness and power that God’s word has been preserved and is being preserved to this day... Having recognized this, one cannot help but admit that St. Scripture is the heavenly fruit of the Holy Spirit, and therefore it is true and not false. 5) And this is an irrefutable sign of revelation that it was confirmed by signs and wonders. They (the apostles) went out preaching everywhere, hastening the Lord and confirming the word with subsequent signs (Mark 16:20), - at which signs the pagans themselves were amazed, and through them they were aroused and converted to the Holy Faith. And 6) The Holy Church, scattered throughout the entire universe, has always recognized and recognizes the prophetic and apostolic writings as the truest word of God; believes and thanks Him for this heavenly gift, gives birth to their spiritual children and raises them with food, until they all achieve the union of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, into a perfect husband, to the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:13). The truth of the Lord endures forever (Ps. 116:2). Why? Because God himself protects and preserves His truth. The Word of God is truth (John 17:17). The word of truth has existed since the beginning of the world, St. Tikhon theologizes: it was contained by St. Patriarchs and he received it from God himself. Moses preached in his books and taught the house of Israel. The prophets revealed the word of truth and preached to the people of God. So, from the beginning of the world until the coming of Christ, the truth of the Lord remained immovable, and all who held it steadfastly were saved. Christ, having come into the world, testified to the truth, and what the patriarchs held, the prophets preached and prefigured the law, he established everything with His word, teaching, miracles, suffering and sealed it with His blood. According to Christ, the Apostles also preached the word of truth to us, and the saints of Christ, and their successors and teachers interpreted and explained, and the whole Church, from the beginning of the world to Christ, and from Christ even to this day, contained, contains and will contain even until the end of the world - the word of truth. And thus the truth of the Lord endures forever. Just as the sun from the beginning of the world shines even to this day, so the teaching of the law and the prophets shone, shines and will shine until the end of the world, and those who listen to it, like a luminary shining in a dark place, do good, until the day will illuminate, and the morning star will shine in their hearts. Wake up, wake up both us sinners and our hearts! Question How does St. Tikhon discuss the divinity of the New Testament revelation? Rep. The second word (in part 3) about the truth of the Gospel teaching is his lengthy and detailed discussion on this subject. Here it is: let us heed the following points, which prove the coming into the world of our Lord Jesus Christ, the truth of the teaching about Him (and Himself) and the sacraments revealed in the New Testament; let us stand - girdle our loins with the truth, and stop the lips of those who blaspheme the truth! 1) God, the heavenly Father, with His divine voice deigned to testify about Him from heaven (Mark 1:11) at baptism (Matthew 3:17). II The Holy Spirit in the form of a dove confirmed the truth of the Father’s voice. The same voice of the Father is repeated on Tabor (Matthew 17:5). Witnesses to this are self-seen (2 Pet. 1:16). 2) About Him, as God’s messenger and God’s Son, His obvious witnesses, the apostles (people of clear conscience, 1 John 1:1, 2), testified, preached and preached the gospel to the whole world. There is no more reliable testimony than the obvious testimony, both from many, and about one thing and in agreement. 3) The apostolic teaching is consistent in everything - with the teaching and preaching of Christ by the prophets. The prophets, from the beginning of the world at different times, appearing one after another, agreed, preached in detail about Christ, when he would come, in what land, in what tribe, in what city he would be born, and what would follow at birth, what miracles he would perform, what he would teach; how His people will receive Him, how He will suffer, die, resurrect and ascend to heaven; how the pagans will turn and resort to Him, etc. We see all this and so on in the New Testament, accomplished and from St. the apostles described, with the difference that in the Old Testament Christ was preached under shade, darkness and fortune-telling, but in the New Testament it was preached clearly. Solid proof that one and the same Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, is the source of revelation of both the Old Testament and the New Testament. 4) Because the holy men and God’s messengers recognized their preaching as faithful and worthy of all acceptance, they did not hesitate to seal its truth with their blood and to affirm it by the rejection of their lives. Who would be willing to die for delusion and lies? Charm will appear and disappear like smoke: the truth of the Lord endures forever, 5) It is impossible to say, continues Saint Tikhon, how excited and embarrassed the kings and princes with their people, and the sages of this age were, having heard a new teaching, unheard of by them since centuries; how they armed themselves against the unarmed, simple, unbooked, but with the single name of Jesus Christ and the power of God, armed with the wisdom of the Holy Spirit, his wise preachers; how they forbade, frightened, tormented, tormented, and drove out the preachers of the word from their cities; but they were finally defeated by them, submitted to their holy teaching... and what they considered violence was accepted as true wisdom. And so the King of glory, Jesus Christ, entered the cities and towns, and saw all the ends of the earth the salvation of our God. And the name of Jesus began to be glorified in all the ends of the earth, and what the Psalmist sang was fulfilled: the Lord destroys the councils of tongues, sweeps away the thoughts of people... But the counsel of the Lord endures forever, the thoughts of His heart to generation and generation (Ps. 32:10, 11). 6) It is an unheard of and incomprehensible thing to believe the heavenly secrets about one God, but Trinity in Persons, and about His divine properties; about the creation of the world out of nothing, but by the single word of God; about the incarnation of the Son of God and His birth from the Virgin without seed, without violating Her virginity; about His free suffering and crucifixion for our sins; about His resurrection from the dead; about justification by faith in Him and eternal salvation - by His name alone, about the general resurrection of the dead on the last day and the resurrection of bodies that had crumbled into dust; - believe in all these and other sacraments, and be established in them by faith. This is an impossible task for the carnal mind, darkened by idolatrous superstition; but the Apostles made this possible, and in the hearts of idolaters, dilapidated and inveterate, with the word of God they planted and confirmed the Holy Faith, and changed them, turning them to a new way of thinking, knowledge and action... What is this, if not that God himself spoke through them... and gave His word power and reality, according to what is written: behold, He will give His voice the voice of power ( Ps. 67:34)? 7) It is marvelous, continues Saint Tikhon, and it also serves to confirm the truth of the Apostolic teaching that the Apostles, these sacred vessels and organs of the Holy Spirit, in a short time and in such a small number (12) flowed around the entire universe like eagles and carried the priceless treasure of the Gospel, so that from afar the king and prophet David, foreseeing this, sang: to the whole earth out went their broadcasts, and their words to the ends of the world (Ps. 18:5; Rom. 10:18; Col. 1:6). 8) Also: the truth of the teachings of the New Testament can be seen from this that its preachers did not hide their errors, which they had committed before as apostles, but wrote about them and published them to the whole world. Matthew the Evangelist calls himself a tax collector (Matthew 10:3). Paul is not ashamed to call himself a blasphemer and persecutor of the Church, and as if before the whole world he repents and confesses... This is not visible in other secular writers... And so the sacred hands of the Apostles were the reed of the Holy Spirit. 9) Here is another internal sign of the divinity of the revelation of the New Testament: to enter into Christianity and the faith of Christ was nothing other than putting oneself into obvious torment, into various torments and into a terrible death. Despite this, in great numbers they approached the Christian faith, and they hurried before each other to suffer and die like to a sweet feast. True, lies and superstition attract many souls, as we see in Mohammedan and idolatrous wickedness; but this is not surprising, because there free carnal knowledge is provided to the corrupted human nature; and what does the teaching of the Gospel offer? Self-denial, cross, persecution, sorrow, hatred from everyone. How will the carnal mind not tremble, how will not the carnal mind be horrified, looking at this?.. But those enlightened by grace, looking not visible, but invisible, not present, but future, not earthly, but heavenly - through the cross, through persecution, through sorrow, through suffering, flow and follow the suffered Christ... Who does this, if not the power of God, for the salvation of everyone who believes the truth - the power on the cross of the crucified Christ, who said: if I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw all things to myself (John 12:32). 10) Accept, l. b., and following the external and internal sign of the Divinity of the New Testament revelation... Although all Christian life and piety cannot be without the grace and help of God (because the desire to restrain passions and subdue them without supernatural power is as impossible as swimming against the rapids of a river without strong and skillful oarsmen): but the patience of the martyrs especially shows the supernatural invisible force present in their suffering. For it is not possible for weak human nature to unshakably endure such severe torment without a higher strengthening power... They knew the truth: their truth, Christ, also knew it. They loved Christ - the true life: Christ loved them too. They glorified Christ with their suffering, and Christ glorified them with His power, acting and strengthening in them. B. How does St. Tikhon prove the Divinity of the New Testament revelation from the history of Christ the Savior and various events of His earthly life? Rep. Pay attention: here's how! God promised to send Christ the Savior into the world, and it came to pass: He sent Him, and all who loved His appearing are saved. And what and how was predicted about Him, everything that needed to be fulfilled in the present century was fulfilled... It was predicted that Christ would be born of a Virgin not made of art (Isa. 7:14), and it happened like this: Christ was born of a Virgin (Matt. 1; Luke 1). It was predicted that from the tribe of Judah would be born in the city of Bethlehem (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:5), and so it was: from the tribe of Judah our Lord rose (Heb. 7:14), and Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea (Matthew 2). It was prophesied that they would come to the newly born Christ with gifts to bow down (Ps. 71:10, etc.) - and it came to pass: three wise kings from the east came to bow to the baby Christ, and brought Him gifts... The Lord promised to send His angel before the face of His Christ (Mal. 3:1), - and it came to pass: an angel was sent before His face. Christ, an angel not incorporeal, but invested with flesh, John the great Baptist (Matthew 11:10; Luke 7:27). It was predicted that Christ would begin His holy preaching in Galilee (Isa. 9:12), - and so it was: there the first light of the world appeared; There Jesus, our light, began to preach and say: repent (Matthew 4:14). It was predicted that Christ would teach in parables: I will open my mouth in parables, and so it came to pass: Jesus Christ taught in parables, of which everyone, for example, knows the parable of the Publican and the Pharisee. It was predicted that many would not listen to His teachings and would not believe Him, and would not accept Him (Isa. 6:9, etc.) - and so it came to pass: read the Gospel, and you will see that yours came, and yours did not receive Him. It was predicted that Christ would perform many miracles (Isa. 35:5, etc.); and indeed, how many wonders and signs Christ performed! By His command and power, the blind saw, the deaf heard, the dumb spoke, the lame received walking, and He raised the dead (Matthew 11:5, etc. Luke 7:19–22, etc.). It was predicted that many of the Jews would hate Christ, Whom they were promised and Whom they were waiting for (Ps. 68:5, 109:5); and it came to pass: the Lord himself spoke about this: now you have seen and hated Me and My Father (John 15:24). It was predicted that Christ would be quiet, meek, approachable and humble (Isa. 42:1–3): read the Gospel, and it will show you His most holy and divine morals, which He teaches us to imitate: learn from Me, etc. It was predicted that one of Christ’s neighbors would betray Him (Ps. 41:10), and it came to pass: Judas betrayed Christ. It was written about Christ: My cloaks were given for wounds, and My cheeks for bruising. But I did not turn My face away from the cold of spitting (Isa. 50:6), and it came to pass: Jesus Christ our Lord was beaten, wounded, bitten and spat upon. It was written about Christ: there is no form for Him... In His form, He is dishonest, - and so it was... no villain and robber is so belittled, dishonored, embittered, mocked, wounded and wounded as Christ. He is shown by Pilate as some kind of terrible sight: Behold a man (John 19:5), without the appearance of a human! It was foretold about Christ: like a sheep that is led to the slaughter, and like a lamb that is silent before its shearers, so it does not open His mouth (Isa. 53:7); and so it was fulfilled: Jesus Christ did not open His mouth before His enemies; did not open in the house of Caiaphas; did not open before the Hegemon; did not open it before Herod, etc. It is predicted: and with the wicked shall be reckoned (Isa. 53:12), - and it came true: Jesus Christ was crucified and hanged between two thieves, himself the One Holy and Righteous. It was predicted about Christ: you gave me gall for my food, and gave my father something to drink for my thirst (Ps. 68:22); and Jesus gave his father something to drink, mixed with gall. It is written about the death of Christ: I will offer My spirit in Your hands (Ps. 30:6), and it came to pass: these exact words were spoken by Christ: Father! I commend My spirit into Your hands (Luke 23:46). The three-day resurrection of Christ was predicted and typified in many different ways - predicted in the psalms: Thou shalt not leave My soul in hell (Ps. 15:10), etc. - typified by Isaac, Jonah; and it came to pass: Christ rose from the dead, trampling down death by death, and giving life to those in the tombs. The descent of the Holy Spirit after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord is foretold: read the prophet Joel. And the event of this prophecy is described and read in the book of the Acts of the Apostles. So, you see that the Old Testament scripture preached the coming Christ; The scriptures of the New Testament preach those who have already come. Question Besides the many and countless miracles of Christ, what prophecies of Christ serve as proof of the Divinity of the New Testament revelation? Rep. Just as the prophecies of the Old Testament were fulfilled, continues Saint Tikhon, which had to be fulfilled in this century, so what was predicted in the New Testament was fulfilled, which should now be fulfilled. Christ predicted that one of His disciples would betray Him, that all His disciples would abandon Him, that Peter the Apostle would deny Him three times during His suffering, that He would suffer much from the elder and the scribe - and so it was. He predicted that the city of Jerusalem and the temple of Jerusalem would be destroyed; and it came true: the city and the church were destroyed by the Romans, as we read in history. He predicted that those who believed in Him would endure persecution, and it came true: they were hated, embittered, and persecuted by everyone, and until the end of the century, everyone who wants to live godly will be persecuted (2 Tim. 3:12). He predicted that the gates of hell would not prevail against His Church (Matthew 16:18). So it is: how much Satan tried through the Jews, kings, princes, wise men of this age, heretics and through his other servants to overcome and destroy the Church of Christ, but he did not succeed! It stands and will stand firmly, based on stone; the stone is Christ, the Son of the living God, about whom it is written (Isa. 28:6; Acts 4:11; 1 Pet. 2:7). Christ promised to send the Holy Spirit to the Apostles and all the faithful (John 7:39). And this great promise was fulfilled: the Holy Spirit came on the Apostles and on all flesh that believed (Acts 2). So, we see that everything that St. says. Scripture is true, not false, and worthy of all acceptance. Question What does Saint Tikhon say about the miraculous spread of Christianity and about the miraculous effect of Christianity in people? Rep. I. We read, he says, about the miraculous spread of Christianity, that just as the walls of Jericho were crushed and fell by the walk of the children of Israel with the Ark of the Covenant and the voice of the trumpet (Joshua 6): so pagan wickedness, idols, temples and their sacrifices, the preaching of the Apostles of Christ, were crushed and fell. Wonderful thing! How - there the city walls, and here - idol temples and vile pagan rituals, fall at the sound of one voice!.. But they fell, and the idols fell silent, and their charm ceased, and the kingdom of the devil was destroyed, and Christ God reigned over the tongues, and those who bore the yoke of the devil accepted His good yoke upon themselves. How could the walls of Jericho fall from the sound and voice of one, and the trebles and idols be overthrown by the single preaching of the twelve unarmed Apostles, if the almighty power of God had not acted there and here? And this is what Paul said (2 Cor. 10:3, 4, etc.). II. About the miraculous effect of Christianity in people, Saint Tikhon speaks so wisely: “Prophetic and apostolic Scripture has particular power within itself, so that those who read it and reflect on it feel a spiritual action within themselves, being aroused to piety, being encouraged to despise the world and to desire heavenly blessings, drawing living consolation in sorrows, turning to true repentance, etc. For the word of God is living and effective (Heb. 4:12). We see in Church history that many pagans, reading the Holy Scriptures, turned to the true God and accepted the faith of Christ: the conversion of all paganism clearly speaks of the same. And this does not happen from elsewhere, but from the power and action of the spiritual, in the sacred Scriptures... Like honey - from taste, potion and color - from the tertius: so St. Scripture is known from its heavenly power and action, that it is a great gift, given from the Heavenly Father to the human race.” Oh, how could this gift of God have not been in vain for us, due to our negligence!.. Saint Tikhon reflects despair and desperate thoughts this way: “I am unworthy of the heavenly Kingdom!” Rep. Truly, no one is worthy of it; but Christ our Lord is worthy, Who, at the price of His priceless blood, deserved it for us. Ours also depends on His dignity. With His dignity He made us unworthy also worthy. “I am a sinner!” Rep. Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners. He is our justification: He is wisdom to us from God, and righteousness and sanctification and deliverance... “I have committed many sins!” Rep. Where sin has multiplied, there grace has abounded. Many sins, due to the multitude of God’s generosity, are cleansed. “I’m afraid of judgment!” Rep. Christ says: Amen, amen, I say to you, that you listen to My word and believe in Him who sent Me to have eternal life, and He will not come to judgment. “I’m afraid to die!” Rep. To this the Psalmist says: God of our salvation, our God, God who saves. “I’m afraid of hell and eternal torment!” Rep. Christ the Lord redeemed us with His death and blood, as the Church sings: deliver us from the belly of hell. “How can I live with the saints, who have shone in such virtues?” Rep. And the saints were saved by the grace of Christ. You pray with the thief: remember me, Lord, in Your kingdom. Take courage and let your heart be strong! The Lord is your helper; The Lord is your protector; The Lord is your protector; The Lord is your redeemer; The Lord is your deliverer, your savior. He will protect you with His all-powerful hand. The angels of God are your companions... Turn then, my soul, to your rest! Here you go, L. b., against despair, an extract from Tikhonov’s letter (see part 14, letter 27). “You can hear that your conscience is confused by thoughts and drawn to despair. These are the fruits of sins! It is sweet for man to sin; but it is bitter to eat the fruits of sins. Beware of despair. Despair is a grave sin, and a sin against God’s mercy. God, who loves mankind, wants everyone to be saved and to come into the understanding of truth (1 Tim. 2:4). Why despair? God calls everyone to repentance and promises and wants to show mercy to those who repent (Matthew 4:17). And all the sins that a repentant sinner commits will not be remembered (Ezek. 18:21, 22). Glory to God’s love for mankind, that He does not remember our sins and iniquities when we turn away from them and repent... And the fact that your thoughts confuse you is good for you. They 1) humble and crush your heart, which is necessary for repentance. 2) They keep you from former sins. Who does not take care of the serpent, knowing its poisonous sting?.. 3) They turn away from the world, its vanity and its charms. 4) They move you to heartfelt prayer, etc... Satan will force you with all his might to return to your former lawless life: stand in what you have begun, take courage and be strong, and pray earnestly for this. Read more often with attention: God have mercy on me, and: God, come to my help. Avoid bad companies and friendships. Don't go to the monastery. May you have your own home and solitude instead of a monastery! Leave often from your household, and in solitude bow your knee before God, and fall before Him with humility and in a publican’s voice pray to Him: God, be merciful to me, a sinner... Remember me, a sinner, in your genuflections. May the Lord help you in everything! Entrusting myself and you to him, I remain your well-wisher Tikhon, an unworthy bishop.”