Часть 4-я

Section IX. Conversations on the Lord's Prayer Conversation I. About the Lord's Prayer Sitsa pray: Our Father like you in heaven (Matthew 6:9–13). We do not know what or how we should pray (Rom. 8:26). Even the apostle said so. What can we say about ourselves, about blind sinners? How precious the prayer that the Lord Himself teaches us should be for us! He, the Son of the Eternal Father, knows the will of His Father, and therefore, if He offers us a well-known prayer, He offers such a prayer that will be heard by the Heavenly Father, with which we will not be ashamed before God for the unworthy object of prayer. And what a wonderful prayer this is! She breathes the simplicity of a child. And she is an inexhaustible sea of ​​sublime thoughts, holy feelings, heavenly desires. Not in vain St. Cyprian called the Lord's Prayer an abbreviation of the gospel. Not in vain St. The church instructs us to repeat the Lord's Prayer so often. Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for it to be uttered by the lips, without the participation of thought and heart. Whether due to lack of attention, or habit, or coldness of soul, children and adults, young and old, repeat the Lord’s Prayer, not only not agreeing with the movements of the heart with the movements of the lips, but often not understanding the words. Agree that this is not smart, that it is dangerous for us. In such a disposition of mind and heart, we not only deprive ourselves of the blessings that the Lord’s prayer could bestow upon us, but we seem to neglect it and are in danger of being the subject of God’s wrath. What if the Lord tells us in indignation: these people draw near to people with their lips and honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me? (Matthew 15:8). Let us think carefully about the Lord's Prayer. Our Father! Wonderful summoning! We call God our Father. Philosophers, legislators, the great and best of the pagan world, even if they sometimes rose to the thought of the highest God, called Him the father of the gods and the king of men. Let’s not even talk about the one with whom the Father of the gods shared his sacrifice; We are not saying that they were creatures of low mind and heart, vicious creatures. The Highest God was only a formidable ruler of the world, completely inaccessible to people. The Jews themselves, the people chosen by God, looked to God only as their creator and Lord. In the entire Old Testament we see neither a command nor permission for the people of Israel to call God their Father. There God appears as the Lord, whose will is an immutable law, and it was scary to be a disobedient to this law. It is true that God showed His goodness to people in the creation of man. He called man from non-existence into existence and gave him a rational soul, built in the image of God. He is a good Father for man and for creation. But from the moment man fell, did he have the right to call God Father? Oh! from that moment he must tremble Him as the God of righteousness and the avenger of wickedness. That is why the prophets, only where they depict the distant future of the Messiah, only when they mean the future Savior of people, allow themselves to talk about the filial relationship of people to God. But then the long-awaited Messiah finally appeared. Who is He? Son of the eternal Father! Could the human mind dream that God Himself would descend to earth for a criminal man? ABOUT! This is boundless, immeasurable goodness! This is what in poor human language is called the goodness of the Father. “God predestined us to be adopted as sons by Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of His will” (Eph. 1:5). The Son of God, by His very appearance on earth, shows that God is truly the Father of people - boundless goodness. The Son of God took upon Himself our nature; therefore, he made us his brothers and children of God (Heb. 2:14, 17). You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus: for as many as you were baptized into Christ, you put on Christ (Gal. 3:26–27), says the apostle to the believers. So we are criminals, irresponsible before You, our God! But boundless love, the love of the Father and the Son for humanity, gave us the courage to call You our Father. Our Father! What promises of the faithful does this name not contain? What cannot we hope for, what cannot we receive from God our Father? If you, who are wicked, know how to give good things to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11). This is what our Lord says to us, our lack of faith. It is not surprising if earthly fathers, although they love their children, do not always give good things to their children; they themselves do not understand good things well, or are held back from helping by moral weakness, or cannot give help due to impossibility. The Heavenly Father is not like that. From Him we can always learn mercy and grace to help us in time of need (Heb. 4:16). Our Father! Oh, how much peace and firmness this name pours into the heart amid the sorrows of life. You work day and night and still don’t know how to feed your children; and you have lost reliable support - tender parents; one is slandered innocently by anger, another is robbed in court, all of you go to the Heavenly Father; say from the depths of your heart, Our Father! and He will give you everything you need. If He sometimes leaves us in sorrows, it is for our benefit, for our correction (Heb. 12:5–6). It is bad for us when we remain completely without punishment, this means that we have become such bad children that even admonitions cannot bring us any benefit. Father nish! How boundless our obedience to God should be if He is the Father and we are children. Good children love their father, value his every word, rush to fulfill his desires, and most of all are afraid of doing something displeasing to him. This should be our attitude towards God; we must place God’s holy commandments above all else and fulfill them with all love, with all fidelity, no matter what it costs us. If you have My commandments and keep them, you are the one who loves Me (John 14:21). God Himself says so. Our Father! Our repentance before God for our crimes must be bitter, if He is the Father and we are His children. Stubborn refusal to admit one's guilt, cold indifference to one's criminal behavior would mean in us unfit children, incapable of anything good. ABOUT! Let this not happen to us! With tears of repentance we will say the words, Our Father, when our conscience sees us in bad deeds; Let us say with sincere contrition, Our Father, forgive us! Our Father! Why ours and not mine? Because the Son of God especially expects from us that everywhere we have in mind not only ourselves, but also our neighbors; He wants us to love our neighbor as ourselves, so that we can be brothers with each other in desires and deeds. We should not pray to God only for ourselves, no, this would be unpleasant to God, who loves us all and wants us to love everyone. Our Word condemns in us every movement of self-interest, every desire of selfish jealousy and envious enmity; it requires that we desire happiness, peace, peace for everyone, as well as for ourselves; it extinguishes in us all hostility towards the one who caused grief and animates us with the desire for good for everyone. Pray for each other so that you may be healed, teaches the apostle. Jacob (James 5:16). That is why in the prayers of the church we pray “for the salvation of our souls,” and not just our own; we pray for the authorities, and for those traveling, the sick, and prisoners. This has always been the prayer of Christians. “When we pray, says St. Cyprian, we pray not for one, but for the whole people, since all the people are one.” So even when someone prays alone, let his prayer be not only for himself, but also for others. This is the will of our Lord! And how pleasant it is for a soul that loves to pray for everyone! How many can we help with money, or bread, or clothing? Others cannot do it alone. But everyone can pray for everyone, everyone can ask the Heavenly Father for what they need not only for earthly life, but also for eternal life. What a great thing is Christian prayer! Like in heaven, adds the Savior. This does not mean that the true God is only in heaven, He is everywhere. But heaven is an indication of the unattainable height and glory of the Divine (Ps. 10:4, 102:11); the sky is an image of that unapproachable light in which God dwells (1 Tim. 6:16); heaven is the dwelling place of pure and holy spirits; heaven is also our homeland, where we must return if only our earthly life is pure (1 Pet. 1:4). So the words: those who are in heaven, turn the mind and heart of the one praying from earthly affairs and vanities to eternal life and the glory of God. The praying soul rises above everything visible. She is looking for a light that does not exist on earth; a peace that cannot be found in anything created; strength and strength that he does not see either in himself or in others; therefore it soars to the heavenly homeland, to the villages of saints and the glory of God. Like in heaven! she says; You have everything; and truth, and peace, and strength, and eternal bliss; I expect everything from you! You see, brothers, how much the very beginning of the Lord’s Prayer teaches us. Here the whole spirit of the Christian faith is expressed; here love breathes in all its fullness; here breathes the love of God for people, the love of people for God, the love of people for each other - love that has forgotten about everything earthly and has ascended to the throne of the glory of God. Blessed be You, our heavenly teacher! Only You, and no one else, can teach us to pray like this. Glory to You with the Father and St. Spirit! Amen. Conversation II. Sitsa pray, hallowed be thy name This is our first petition, according to the instructions of the Lord! The words are simple, familiar by letter, but are they easy to understand? Not really. May the Lord God bless our reflection on their meaning! To sanctify means in the language of scripture, or to sanctify, to make pure and holy, when, for example, it is said, holy let him be holy, or to recognize as holy and pure. The first meaning, of course, is inappropriate in relation to the all-perfect and it remains to accept the latter. The name of God is often used in scripture to mean God Himself. So, hallowed be Thy name - that means let them recognize You as holy, O God! let them worship and glorify You, O great One! This is the first request, the first feeling expected from us by the Lord! This is natural; this is necessary for our soul. If we are children of the Heavenly Father, then nothing should be more precious to us, nothing higher than the name of our Heavenly Father. How can we not revere Him by Whom heaven and earth were created? Look at the heavenly worlds, how huge they are and in what orderly order! Anyone who has meaning and feeling cannot think about the one by whose power all this was created and exists without amazement, without reverence, without awe. And is not the Creator of man worthy of reverent praise? Lord, what is man, that you remember him, or son of man, that you visit him? You made him a little lower than an angel, you crowned him with glory and honor, you subdued everything under his nose. Forgetful sons of the earth! Stand on the edge of your grave; in it is decay and dust, and behind it is eternity, behind it is the judgment of inexorable truth. Isn't it true that the frivolity of your life is madness? ABOUT! My God! Here is Your crucified Son before our eyes. He is an example of how strict Your truth is, it did not spare Your Son; He was crucified for our sins. He fell apart for us, so that we might sanctify Your great name. The children of the Old Testament were told not to take the name of the Lord your God in vain. The children of the new covenant pray, hallowed be thy name. There, any disrespect for the name of God was prohibited, such as using the name of God in empty, immodest conversation, in a false oath, in blasphemy. The glorification of the name of God is expected here. Such is the difference between the ministry of Moses and the Christian! Christians! our rank is high; expect a lot from us! The name of God is sanctified and glorified in our words when we not only keep our tongue from idle talk, slander and lies, but also use it as an instrument of praise to the Lord and for the edification of our neighbors. It is sanctified in our thoughts when, placing ourselves in the presence of God, we not only beware of desecrating the mind with criminal, impudent thoughts, but practice reverent reflection on the works of God and the manifestations of the holy truth of God. Remember, the thought of unrighteousness is an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 15:26). It is sacred in our heart when, not allowing it to experience carnal and unclean sensations, we enliven it with joy about the wonderful deeds of God’s grace and sad feelings about our weaknesses and sins. Sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, teaches the apostle (1 Peter 3:15). It is sanctified in our deeds, when we, removing criminal desires from ourselves, will be holy to the saint who called us in all our lives (1 Pet. 1:15). The one for whom the glory of God is dear; whoever reveres his Lord, every time the ringing of a bell calls him to the church of God, does not say to himself, I will go to church another time, now I have other things to do - now my soul is not in the mood for that. No, he leaves everything to do the greatest thing - glorify the Lord; he goes to the church of God to revive his callous soul with the life-giving words of God; he goes and forces himself to glorify God, confesses his weakness and sins, and through prayer brings down upon himself the gracious spirit of contrition. So, brethren, when we pronounce our petition, hallowed be Thy name, let all your members say, not to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Thy name rain glory (Ps. 63:9). Do not allow us to be tempted by evil self-love to bow to ourselves, and not to You - our God, to seek our own glory, and not the glory of Your name, which alone should be glorified in everything. Children who deeply love their father not only highly honor their father’s name themselves, but also want others to honor him. So we, children of the heavenly Father, must act in relation to our Father. Out of love for the Heavenly Father, we must desire and ask that His name be glorified by everyone. Oh! If it is not only our sins that prevent the light of God’s glory from spreading, but it is also visible in others, how can we not grieve over not praying, that God’s name may be hallowed everywhere? This should also be due to our love for our brothers, whose happiness and bliss are impossible without the glory of the name of God; out of love for others, we must remind them to revere God. Let's leave the other person alone, they say, why bother others! But in this case, do they wish peace for the other? Is happiness being prepared for him? No, they want his death, as well as their own. What is our peace, temporary and eternal, based on? On what does the prosperity of human societies rest? In reverence before the name of God. Without this, human passions destroy everything. Who does not respect the Lord of the universe; For this reason, everything is worthless, both laws, and authorities, and peace, and the lives of others - he sacrifices them to his passions. Let's leave the other one alone, they say. But are you safe from this? Not separating a person infected with the plague from people in society means encroaching on the safety and life of an entire society. Let us leave, they say, everyone with their own conscience. No, this is not how the best people reason, who know well how human conscience makes mistakes, to the misfortune of themselves and others. The prophet says: jealousy of your house has consumed me, the reproaches of those who reproach you have attacked me (Ps. 68:10). So he took to heart the untruths heaped upon his God! He considers the work of the house of God to be his own cause and ardently defends the sanctity of the house of God. The Apostle wrote with sorrow about a certain society of people, “all seeking their own things, and not what Christ Jesus desires” (Phil. 2:21). Who is as full of love as our Savior? And yet, He drove those who traded in it out of the Jerusalem temple with a whip. Why? Only out of free zeal for the house of the Heavenly Father. Whoever, out of fear of people, out of false shame before people, is indifferent to insults to the name of God, the Heavenly Father will be cold towards him in eternity. If we here glorify the Heavenly Father out loud to people; If here we fearlessly reprove those who blaspheme the name of our God, He will glorify us there, in heaven, before the host of His angels (Matthew 10:32). Fathers and mothers of families, bosses and mentors! You have a special duty not to allow any of your people to speak disrespectfully about the faith, about St. Scripture, about worship, about God. Take care of yourself, take care of others, from the wrath of God’s truth. We should all wish that the name of God may be hallowed among people. Prayer is our first priority here too. The invisible power of God, brought down from heaven by prayer, even without our words, is able to turn daring hearts to reverence for the name of God; It is especially necessary to make a request only to God, when a request to people remains useless. God is omnipotent, but what about us? We are weak, we are blind, we and others do not see, in relation to spiritual objects. Therefore, in relation to others, as in relation to ourselves, we must ask for heavenly help to glorify the name of God. Hallowed be Thy name, Heavenly Father, both in us and in our brothers! Amen. Conversation III. Thy kingdom come! The second petition in the prayer transmitted by the Lord: Thy kingdom come. They suggest praying for something great and lofty, for the kingdom of God. One must be attentive to the subject of prayer. What kind of kingdom of God is this? God has reigned in the world since the creation of the world. He preserves the world and directs it to the goals assigned to it. Without His knowledge, without His will, nothing moves here, nothing happens. The Lord has prepared His throne in heaven and His kingdom possesses all, sings the sacred singer (Ps. 103:19). But this kingdom began long ago and continues uninterruptedly. Therefore, this is not the kingdom that we ask to come. There is also the kingdom of God - the kingdom of grace-filled freedom, from which the kingdom of glory must unfold. In relation to each of us, as well as in relation to a certain people, it is exactly the expected kingdom. The Lord commands us to pray for him, that he may come. The goodness of heaven was pleased to create us rational and free. By the power of freedom, we can be both dear children of God, to our happiness, and be disobedient to our God, to our misfortune. God wishes us happiness, nothing but happiness. Why did this happen? ABOUT! How necessary is it for people to instill heavenly grace in their hearts? What is a man without grace? The dwelling place of sin, a relaxed, disordered organism, where all parts act incorrectly and are irreparably damaged; The organism is beautiful in its initial structure, but even more pitiful after its disorder. It was in vain that the best people, the smartest people, used various measures to improve this organism; none of their efforts achieved their goal. Only heavenly grace can fix everything. With its power, health, integrity, and a better order of being are returned to the human spirit. Its power is the kingdom of God in the soul, or, as the apostle describes it, truth and peace, joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom. 14:17). Thy kingdom come! To whom? To us? It didn't say that. And the prayer is addressed to the Father, not only us. Since God is the Father of all people, we pray not only for ourselves, but for everyone, that the kingdom of God may come. And how many among the children of the heavenly Father are there to whom the kingdom of grace has not yet come! Pagans do not know the true God and bow to various imaginary gods. What kind of kingdom of God is in them? The Jews have abandoned Christ the Lord and remain in wickedness against the God of their fathers. What a kingdom of God they are! Mohammedans revere the false prophet and crude carnal life. Can one suspect the kingdom of God here? The Son of God brought the kingdom of heaven closer to us (Matthew 4:7), founded a holy and sanctifying church. But does Christ reign in all Christian hearts? Does He reign among heretics and schismatics? No. What does the truth of God have in common with human lies? Does Christ reign in all Orthodox Christians? Alas! No. If many, very many serve the passions, then sin reigns in them (Rom. 6:12), and not Christ. If many are only concerned with making earthly life as comfortable and as fun as possible, then we are told that the path of immoderate earthly desires is not the path to the kingdom of heaven, but the path to hell (Matthew 7:15). There was a time when Christianity, with all its heavenly treasures, was considered unnecessary, it was persecuted, it was drowned in human blood, and in its place a religion of reason was introduced. But then they saw that, by expelling Christianity, they were expelling morality, government, truth, domestic happiness, public happiness, and establishing the rule of brutal passions; They saw and with horror retreated from the all-consuming abyss. Decades have passed, the lesson is forgotten. And now they are starting to do the same thing again, though not with the same audacity, but isn’t it with the same persistence? As before, they only praise reason, they are still cold, indifferent, and contemptuous of heavenly faith. ABOUT! My God! how many of Your great deeds are imprinted on the faith of Christ! How many centuries have they been talking about human powerlessness! Poor humanity! ABOUT! Let us pray to God that His kingdom may come to both unbelievers and believers. St. St. gives us the example of praying for the unfaithful and lost. a church that prays “for the unification of all.” The kingdom of grace comes when the mind, hitherto darkened by passions, is illuminated by heavenly light, knowledge of the teachings of the Gospel, and the will with all firmness strives to live according to the law of Christ. This kingdom of God comes in an inconspicuous way and, based in the soul, reveals itself spiritually, invisibly. The kingdom will not come with discretion. The Kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20.21), said the Lord. It does not suddenly or quickly take root in a person; sin, which reigns in our corrupt nature, does not give up its place for grace for a long time. Therefore, efforts are needed, feats are necessary in order for the kingdom of God to be established in us (Luke 16:16). The path is narrow and the gate is narrow by which you must enter the kingdom of God (Matthew 7:14). Even without indulgences to bad inclinations, even without deliberately preparing food for the weaknesses of our nature, it is not easy to introduce into the soul the order of God, the kingdom of God’s statutes. What to think about that poor soul whose heart's doors are open to all impurities? The Apostle Paul himself did not hope that before the grave the sinful nature would cease to disturb him (Rom. 7:24). Therefore, before the grave, first of all, we must seek the kingdom of God and the righteousness of God (Matthew 6:33). Before the grave, one must repeat the prayer, may the kingdom of the Heavenly Father come. Every day and until the grave we must pray the prayer of the church, “To the King of Heaven. Comforter. Soul of truth, who is everywhere and fulfills everything, treasure of good things and giver of life, come and dwell in us and cleanse us from all filth and save, O Good One, our souls.” Since sin does not cease to cause sorrow to the soul for the blessed one until the grave, it is natural that she prays for that kingdom to come, which should be revealed outside the grave. She desires this all the more because on earth she does not see anything pleasant for herself, but on the contrary, she encounters troubles and sorrows, persecution and hatred, from her own and strangers. “I desire to be resolved and to be with Christ, for this is much better for me,” this is what the apostle said (Phil. 1:23). My soul longs and ends for the courts of the Lord (Ps. 8:2). How long will my arrival last? “Why does my wandering last so long?” Thus cries David. The people of God, although living on earth, do not fully know what the blessedness of the saints will be like beyond the grave, but they know it enough to strive for it with all their souls. “Beloved,” writes St. John, we are already children of God, but we do not yet know what we will be. We only know that when He is revealed, we will be like Him, for we will see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2). God's servants do not see from the earth the full glory of heaven, but they know that there all their tears will be dried up, all suffering will end, every darkness of sorrow will be replaced by the light of joy and joy, deeds will be replaced by triumph, humility by glory, faith by vision, hope by possession. My poor soul! you must sigh for the kingdom of heaven; about the kingdom of glory of the saints, at least so that your heart does not become attached to vain earthly blessings, so that it does not grieve when the delights of time are taken from it against your will. You must sigh for the kingdom of heaven and cry out together with the prudent thief, remember me, Lord, when you come into your kingdom. So, brethren, with the words, may the kingdom of the Heavenly Father come, we must unite desires and prayers, may the light of grace illuminate the minds of unbelievers and erring ones, may a gracious life be revealed in the souls of believers, may we be worthy to participate in the inheritance of eternal glory! Amen. Conversation IV. Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth No one knows our hearts like the Lord Jesus. He also reveals something in our soul that it itself does not see. How easily we are deceived by ourselves! Doesn’t it happen to us that we are delighted, thinking that here and here the name of God is sanctified by our deeds? But the Lord commands us to look around, has the kingdom of God’s grace truly come among us? We sometimes think that the kingdom of God is about to appear among people. But the Lord still commands us to pray to the Heavenly Father, Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth! While earthly happiness smiles at us, while the affairs and circumstances of our life are arranged according to our desires, we are both cheerful and even kind - we do both according to the commandments of the Most High. But when a revolution occurs in our life, not according to our hopes, not according to our desires, where does the nobility of our soul go, of which we seemed to have so much? Where does loyalty to a high title go? Oh! brethren, the Lord does not expect us to be insensitive in the sorrows of life, nor does he expect us not to take measures to protect ourselves from troubles. But He wants us not to stubbornly put our will in the place of God’s will, so that we, relying on ourselves as little as possible, surrender ourselves to the will of God. Why do we forget that God is the supreme Ruler of all? Then we forget that He has an inalienable right, so that everything submits to His will! The Son of God Himself, acting on earth in the image of the Son of Man and in the person of the heavenly messenger, says: I cannot do anything about myself. As I hear, I judge. I do not seek my own will, but the will of the Father who sent me (John 5:30). How can we not beg the Heavenly Father not to allow us to dispose of our lives according to our will, and not according to His, as an insult to His rights? What could the heavenly Father want for us? He wants us all to be saved and to come into the understanding of truth (1 Tim. 2:4). He wishes for everyone only the most lasting perfection, eternal salvation. Why should we reject so much beneficent will from ourselves? Why, on the contrary, should we not pray with all our hearts, so that it may be accomplished over us, to our happiness? Or do we think that we ourselves are better able to arrange our happiness than our good Provider? Agree that this would be a wild thought. He, our wise Father, sees not only our present and past, but also the most distant consequences of the possible and actual present. He is a limitless mind. We are not pleased, our present is hard for us? But we don’t see, but He sees how useful this difficult present is for us. It seems to us that if our wishes were fulfilled, everything would be wonderful. But we think this way because we do not see the distant future that He sees. “According to all the calculations of our mind, this would be good,” people repeat. Oh! in vain they rely too much on their own, and they want to act completely foolishly, putting their mind above the mind of God. Let them, without renouncing their mind, give as much space as possible in their lives to the mind of the Provider. This is another matter. Then, freed from the worries of annoying pride, they will better see the value of the sensible thoughts of their mind. Are we afraid of an even more difficult future after the difficult present? But if this is the future and not a dream of cowardice, why should we again be distrustful of the rich and the Wise? “God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; But when you are tempted, He will also give you relief so that you will be able to endure it” (1 Cor. 10:13). This is what the apostle of God, who has the mind of Christ, tells us. ABOUT! Let us pray to the Heavenly Father that His will be done with us. Under the protection of this will, we will be safe. People value their will. No one, they say, has the right to take away our will. But what is my will, and not the will of the Heavenly Father? The own will of everyone, born in sins (Ps. 50:7), does not strive for what it should strive for, desires bad things, seeks what is condemned by conscience, does what is inconsistent with the law. Innate darkness of the mind increases the disorder of the will, and a person from youth to the grave is a captive of passions (Gen. 6:5), either living only for sensuality, or serving pride and vanity. Why such a will as man has today? For his destruction... Do we really need to value our destruction? Heavenly Father, enlighten us! God-created human free will consists in loving the holy will of God as a source of light, goodness and eternal bliss. Any other freedom is not freedom, but slavery to sin and destruction. The will of God is a model of perfection for all rational beings. The will of God desires sanctification for one and all (1 Thess. 4:3:7). By doing the will of God one will become perfect in every good work (Heb. 13:21). He who does the will of God abides forever (John 2:17). One asked the Lord Jesus, what should I do to enjoy a blissful eternity? The Lord answered: If you want to be taken into the belly, keep the commandments (Matthew 19:17). So the best, highest, perfection of our will is that our will willingly, with love fulfill the will of God and obey its commandments. Do you want to believe this experience? You can trust your own experience and the experience of others. Read the chronicles of human hearts. You would see there how many, breaking free from the midst of an insane feast of passions, throw themselves in tears before the servant of God, recognizing that their former life, a life not according to the will of God, was more than empty, destructive. Listen to the noise of today, you will easily notice how in the chatter of the wise men of the world, in their writings, cries of sorrow and disappointment burst out here and there, confession is expressed, happiness is not outside the ways of God. Take a closer look at yourself, when do you feel quiet peace in your soul, contentment with yourself? Is it not then that you will be able to cry about your sins, render a service to another, tame one or another impulse of passion in yourself? You see, experience teaches that our perfection is in the will of God. It's a strange contradiction between people and themselves. They know a lot, but do too little; in knowledge they are angels of light, but in deeds they are spirits of darkness. Why is this? Because they do not do the will of the Heavenly Father, because they do only their own will, amusing themselves only with themselves, bowing only to themselves. Oh! It’s not enough to say, Lord, Lord! To enter the kingdom of God, you must do the will of God (Matthew 7:21). What is the use of extensive knowledge, not talking about worldly affairs, even about the matter of spiritual salvation, if we do not do the will of God? Not only is there no benefit, but there is greater grief, because the one who knows will be punished more severely than the one who does not know. “That servant who knew the will of his master and was not ready and did not do according to his will will receive many stripes” (Luke 12:47). Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth. Heaven is the world of pure spirits, holy angels; earth is the world of weak people. Angels in scripture are called heavenly angels, the inhabitants of heaven (Matthew 24:36; Mark 12:25). On earth, the best of people are those who, valuing the will of God most of all, trying with all selflessness to fulfill the commandments of God, speak about themselves, if we speak as if we have not committed sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). Only in heaven, in the world of holy spirits, is the will of God constantly and steadily fulfilled (Ps. 102:21). Holy love reigns there, humble, submissive love, love caring more for others than for oneself (Heb. 1:14; Luke 15:10). “It’s not there,” says St. Chrysostom, so that in some ways they show obedience to the Lord, but in others they do not; The angels obey and submit to the divine will in everything, for it is said about them that the mighty carry out His word with strength, they obey the voice.” 42 Thus the Lord desires the highest perfection for us. He wants us to live on earth as they live in heaven. ABOUT! Eternal blessings! we are so bad before You, and You still take care of us, You still want to take us out of the dark earthly life into the area assigned to us. Yes, man is not destined for a dirty life, he is destined for the life of bright spirits. Ave. Kasyan writes, “there cannot be a higher prayer than that with which we ask, so that earthly things may be worthy of comparison with heavenly things. For the words, Thy will be done as it is in heaven and on earth, what else do they mean, if not that let people be like angels, and just as they do the will of God in heaven, so let all who live on earth do not their own, but His will.” 43 Truly exalted is the example offered to us to follow—the life of the angels. But the strong grace of God is ready for us, with which we achieved life on earth equal to that of an angel. Our job is to desire, ask, pray, seek, push. To those who ask, everything will be given. Let us pray to the Heavenly Father, that we may do His holy will with the same pure zeal, with the same unwavering firmness with which the inhabitants of heaven carry it out; May there also be unanimity among people, the same mutual love, the same peace that the holy angels enjoy. Thy will be done, Heavenly Father is with us! Amen. Conversation V. Sitsa pray, give us our daily bread today! In the first three petitions, the Lord's Prayer related to higher, spiritual objects; I prayed for the glory of the name of God, for the kingdom of grace, for the will of God. In her last petition, she brought our gaze down from heaven to earth, so that it may be as it is in heaven and on earth! Then he turns our concern to the needs of earthly life, and, firstly, talks about bread. The gospel does not teach dreams. It raises our gaze and concerns to the highest spiritual objects, which are so necessary for us. It also makes a person remember his bodily life. According to his thoughts, while we live on earth and wear an earthly body, you need earthly food so that bodily life can continue to the limit appointed by the Lord. It not only does not allow one to arbitrarily end life, although it does not allow one to mortify passions; on the contrary, it orders us to take care of the continuation of existence, and orders us to pray for the sending down of what is necessary for bodily life. Daily bread, according to the meaning of the popular expression, does not mean bread alone, but also other means of life - drink and clothing (Prov. 30:8; Matt. 6:31). And yet, the Lord does not spread our earthly desires as much as we spread them. What is urgent? According to Chrysostom, “bread necessary for the composition of the body and capable of supporting it.” 44 “We are commanded,” says St. Gregory of Nyssa, to seek what is sufficient for the preservation of a bodily being." 45 Thus the Lord commands us to pray for the sending down of what is necessary and sufficient for temporary life. And people care so much about gold, and about lands, and about stones, and about honors, and about power, and about glory! How strangely insatiable are the desires of men! First they want prosperity, then wealth, then luxury, then they crave honor, power, noise! The poor torture themselves and don’t know why. If we have food and clothing, we will be content with these (1 Tim. 6:8). “Be not lovers of money in disposition, being content with what you have” (Heb. 13:5), this is what the apostle teaches. Wealth and poverty do not rain on me, but provide for what I need, otherwise, “feed me with the bread I need” (Proverbs 30:8), so the wise man prayed. Here are smart rules of life! How easy they are for our strength. And serving vanity is doubly difficult. It exudes bodily life through labors that know no rest. And it upsets the immortal soul with the most foolish worries, anxieties harmful to the spirit. Our daily bread is raining today! Here is another lesson for foolish care! Now give it, he says; teaches you to care only about today, and not about tomorrow. Oh! Do we know that we will live to see tomorrow? Who assured us that our mortal body would not rot that very night? If so, why bother the Heavenly Father about needs that perhaps will not exist for us? The future is not in our control; the future is in the power of God. Let us, with childlike simplicity, hand over the needs of tomorrow into the hands of our good Father. This is how our Lord commands us to live. “Do not worry,” He says, about tomorrow. For tomorrow itself will take care of its needs. Enough is your care for each day, and your Father knows that you need all this” (Matthew 6:31-32). Oh! We have needs that are more important, more persistent than bodily needs - there are needs of the immortal soul. ABOUT! how much we need to prepare, acquire, and work for our eternity! When to deal with the unimportant needs of tomorrow? And the Heavenly Father is so good to us that he takes care of the unimportant, leaving us with worries about the important. Seek, He says, first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you (Matthew 4:32). Give us our bread! The Savior, not approving of unnecessary worries about life, wants us to have our own bread, and not someone else’s. He does not want us to have the bread of any untruth, deception, lies, laziness, idleness; does not want us to eat at the expense of others. The Apostle strictly condemned even those who, under the guise of piety, did not want to work themselves; and moving from house to house with news, apparently edifying, they fed at the expense of others. If anyone does not want to do it, let him eat (2 Thess. 3:10), he wrote. We pray you, brothers, to do your work and do with your own hands, as I commanded you (1 Thessalonians 4:11). The Wise One says: The bread of lies is sweet to a man, but then his mouth is filled with stones (Proverbs 20:17). This means that bread acquired by untruth is pleasant, as if obtained without labor, but it can be difficult for the soul due to the consequences when conscience and the law rebel. Our daily bread is rain! The Savior puts us in the position of beggers. Thus He commands us to remember our dependence on the heavenly Father even in earthly things. Human agronomy promises people huge incomes from bread of all kinds; All you need is the work of your mind, and you will collect heaps of gold, she says, proud of her inventions. But here’s the problem: plants need the warmth and light of the sun, they need modern rain; but agronomy does not provide all this. And it turns out that it is necessary to kneel before the Heavenly Father and ask for mercy. Whether a craftsman or a day laborer, every morning they feel the need to wish for work to be sent to them, without which neither skill nor strength will bring them bread. Illness robs a scientist of his health, necessary for work, and sometimes even the strength of his mind; how can one not pray to Him for higher help? Are you rich and think that you have no need to ask? In vain. Your pride can deprive you of everything in one hour. Beware! I will again destroy the dry land in their mouths, and the wrath of God will come upon them and kill their mighty ones (Ps. 77:31). When we imagine the upheavals that happen so unexpectedly in the world, when we imagine the destruction of well-to-do fortunes, the fall of the richest houses, the overthrow of people who stood so highly, how can we not believe that we are completely dependent on the supreme ruler! The laws of nature, they say, are immutable; Why is our prayer for bread? If it were necessary only as a matter of obedience and humility before the author of the laws of nature, then it would already be a holy and saving thing for the soul. But the world is not a machine, but a combination of freedom and necessity; neither the Provider of the world is only an artist who observes the correct course of the machine, but a good and wise Father who forms free beings through the changes of chance. Therefore, the Heavenly Father fulfills the prayers of good children for what is necessary for life, without being embarrassed by the order of nature; therefore, capricious children who do not want to say what they need remain cold and hungry, sometimes, despite hopes for the order of affairs. ABOUT! Let us be smart children of the Heavenly Father. Rain for us, not for me. We must ask the Heavenly Father for what we need not only for ourselves, but also for all our brothers, for all the children of the Heavenly Father. This is what our common Father desires. My brother! whereas you and I have everything we need for life in abundance, how many are there who do not have a piece of bread, nor the poorest clothes, and they also have a lot of children, cold and hungry. Wouldn't it be criminal cruelty if we didn't even sigh for them before God? According to the Lord’s instructions, bread is begged not for me, but for us. Therefore, if you and I were given bread in abundance, then it was not given for me alone, nor was it given for you only. Why keep to myself that part that was not given for me? Wouldn’t it be more accurate, wouldn’t it be better for me if I return what was given not for me to those for whom it was given? The prophet says, break your bread for the hungry and bring the bloodless poor into your house, and if you see a naked person, clothe him. What will come of it if I follow the advice of the prophet? Then, says the prophet, your light will open early, the glory of God will embrace you. Then call, and God will hear you, and while you are still speaking, he will say, “Behold, I have come” (Is. 58:7–9). ABOUT! what a mercy of God for the desire to live not for oneself alone! So, brothers, we, as in one family, should not have division, what is given to one in abundance, he should not keep for himself. We should not have envy, if one is given more than me, I should rejoice for him, I should thank the Heavenly Father for him, as for myself. We should not have narrow self-interest, we should ask for peace and happiness for others as well as for ourselves. Heavenly Father! rain is our daily bread today! Amen. Conversation VI. Sitsa pray, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors Our concern for earthly life is holy; our Lord sanctified it for us. But what do we meet in our lives? Anxieties of conscience. And the One who knows both life and hearts, following the request for bread, instructs us to pray, and we also owe our debts. ABOUT! how many debts we have before God! We are sinners and unpaid debtors to God. What have we not received from God? He gave us reason, gave us conscience, gave us feelings and free will. He gave us his law, gave us grace to fulfill the law. We must use His gifts for His glory; we must not accept the grace of God in vain (2 Cor. 6:1), but with its help we must live chastely and righteously and godly (Tim. 2:12). There are many, many things we must do. But are we doing our duty? Are we living the way we should live? Are we not acting against the dictates of reason and conscience? Don't we violate God's law every day, every hour? Doesn’t our activity, awakened by earthly needs, exceed the bounds of what should be, isn’t it a source of whim, entertainment, vanities and passions? How attentive are we to the spirit of grace? Are we extinguishing it in ourselves with thoughts, desires, and unclean deeds? ABOUT! how much debt we have! The Savior, comparing our debts to God with the debts of our neighbor to us, estimates the latter at 100 denarii, otherwise at 10 rubles, and our debts before God at 10 thousand talents, otherwise at 20 million silver. What a terrible debt! What will happen to us when God demands from us to pay the debt, demands an account of the use of His gifts? How shall we pay Him? We have nothing but a corrupt heart, except extreme poverty. What can we do but fall before the Heavenly Father and pray, forgive us our debts! Leave it to us. But do we have the right to say this? Ah, our debts are so great that they deprive us of the courage to ask for debt forgiveness. But who tells us to speak, leave it to us? Son of the Heavenly Father! He knows the will of his Father, He is the only intercessor between God and men, having given Himself as a ransom for all (1 Tim. 2:5). So, with the thought of Him, with faith in Him, we boldly repeat, forgive us our debts. Our conscience is sometimes too burdened with the weight of our guilt; she is ready to say, my greatest guilt will remain. But here is the Son of God who took upon himself the sins of humanity! He is our defense before the justice of the Eternal; according to His will, we freely pray with hope, forgive us our debts. Strange thing! No matter how natural, no matter how legal it is for a sinner to feel the need for forgiveness of sins, and yet, does each of us sincerely feel this need? Does everyone sincerely admit that they are sinners? Unfortunately, no and no! Unfortunately, many repeat, if not with their lips, then with their hearts, the words of the Pharisee, thanks be to God, we are not thieves, not adulterers, not murderers, we are not like one or the other of our acquaintances. Some are even offended if they remind him of the duty of repentance; What, he says, should I repent of? Why is this so? Why such a sad state of hearts? Because they do not understand themselves or the will of God, due to the grace of pride. Pride hides our vices from us and exposes virtues in which there is too little good; It’s hard for pride to see us in bad shape, and it either excuses our impurities or completely overlooks them. It darkens our view of our relationship to God and His holiness. Connected with vanity and vanity, in the noise of worldly worries, she does not hear reproaches of conscience or considers these and other offenses to be small. My friends! even if our clear conscience, not clouded by passions, did not see us in one or another sin, let us remember that there is One who is greater than our heart, there is an all-seeing mind and boundless truth. ABOUT! when we are brought before the court of eternal righteousness, the light of God’s truth will reveal the depths of our hearts and all their impurities. Then we will see in ourselves, to our horror, the vile desires of lust, the greed of self-interest, and the secret demons of vanity; then we realize the full force of the fact that he who hates his brother is a murderer. Then those who consider themselves honest people recognize themselves as predators, murderers, and fornicators. Brethren! beyond the grave, the calling of our sins will be an inexhaustible source of torment for us. Here, too, consciousness, by the grace of our Savior, is healing for our soul. Let us repent here. Let us here drive away the charm of pride from ourselves with the fear of God’s judgment. Let us say here with a sincere soul, forgive us our debts. Forgive us, just as we forgive our debtors. According to the instructions of the Lord, at the same time as we ask for forgiveness of our sins, we recognize ourselves as obligated not to remember the debts of our neighbor. What are neighbor's debts? Our debts before God are our sins before Him. In the same way, our neighbor’s debts are before us, his sins are against us - insults, slander, deceptions, enmity, etc. In another case, the Savior directly replaced the word, debts, with the word, sins - if you forgive a person their sins, He says, they will forgive you too. Doesn't this also include monetary debts? The Savior left civil affairs to be dealt with by civil authorities. Who am I to make a judge or a divider over you? He said (Matthew 12:13–14). My kingdom is not of this world (John 18:36). Thus, He, commanding us not to remember the debts of our neighbor, actually means the debts of our neighbor’s conscience; expects from us to forgive the insults and untruths of our neighbor. Leave it to us, just as we leave it. Is it not required of us that we forgive our neighbors as many sins as God forgives us? No, they are not asking us to do the impossible. All that is required of us is that we imitate the goodness of God, which forgives our sins. “Shouldn’t you also have had mercy on your companion, just as I also had mercy on you,” says the Lord to the hard-hearted, who mercilessly demanded a contribution from the debtor - his brother (Matthew 18:33). Ten thousand talents were forgiven him; and his brother’s debt was only 100 denarii. There is a huge difference in price between one and the other debt. But only a willingness to forgive was expected. “You should have had mercy on your brother, just as you were shown mercy.” Let your brother's debt be very small in comparison with your debt; not a word about that; but you are to blame for the fact that while the leniency shown to you obligated you to be lenient towards another, you were merciless towards him. This is how the Savior explains his words to us! In another case, the Lord, showing us our duty to forgive others, says: if you forgive man their sins, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive man their sins, neither will your Father forgive you your sins (Matthew 6:14-15). This is how, according to the Lord, you need to forgive another! If we do not forgive our brother, then our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. Why is this so? On the one hand, because the God of love requires love from us, and as love, he cannot favor the spirit of anger. On the other hand, because a soul that is angry with another, as an unrepentant soul, cannot accept forgiveness from God. If she had vividly felt the weight of her sins before God, could her brother’s unimportant sins have remained in her memory? Oh! she would have no time for other people's sins. And what do her brother’s sins mean before her in comparison with her sins before God? They are so small, and even they are not an insult, but lessons in goodness. No, if any thought of offense remained in her, it would mean that the obstinate pride, so displeasing to the Lord, had not yet extinguished in her. This is how a sincerely repentant soul finds it. But that is not what an angry soul thinks. Self-love does not allow her to see all her guilt before God; it filled her with dreams of her advantages, of her merits, and the poor eye was angry at her brother who had touched her person. Judge, how will God forgive her her sins, when she does not ask for their forgiveness, when she considers herself almost righteous? ABOUT! Let us forgive our neighbor’s sins so that our sins may be forgiven. The Apostle teaches us: do not complain, brothers, against one another, lest you be condemned (James 5:9), pray without anger (1 Tim. 2:8). And yet, they will say, it is a difficult thing to forgive insults. Yes, definitely difficult. This is also evident from experiments. What do you see in the chronicles of human affairs? A long series of black deeds of malice and revenge. Sad reality! But the gospel of Christ differs from sinful paganism in that love is its law. Everyone will know about this, just as my disciples are, if you have love among each other, said the Lord. This is why the Gospel was brought down from heaven to earth in order to elevate people to heaven, and not to lull them to sleep in their weaknesses. It is difficult to forgive offenses, but not something that is not natural. When you see that your neighbor offers his hand to his enemy and, instead of taking revenge, hugs him tenderly, how wonderful it is, how noble it is, you say! This means that you approve and highly honor the work of love; This means that you not only do not see anything that offends nature, but you recognize that this act elevates the soul. Even if it is not an easy task to forget the bloody insult, grace-filled help is ready for the Christian, which puts him above the weaknesses of nature. Pray and this help will be given to you. What should we do if our neighbor doesn’t want to put up with us? They demand from us that we do not repay evil for evil, that in our soul there is no enmity towards another, that there is nothing resembling either annoyance or coldness, and if we violate the duty of love, we would punish ourselves for that with sincere repentance. Our brother’s conscience is not in our power; let us leave it to the Lord of love. The Apostle teaches: If it is possible from you, have peace with all men (Rom. 12:18). With everyone, he says, live in peace, as long as it depends on you. Therefore, if we want, but another does not want to be in peace, they will not charge us for this non-peace. So, asking God for forgiveness of sins, we must extinguish in our souls every unpleasant feeling against our neighbor. No matter how grave the offense inflicted on us, we must forget it with childish innocence. This is what the Heavenly Father desires from us; He wants to elevate us to His kindness, illuminating both the good and the unkind with rays of mercy. Let us be His children, so that with a free soul we can speak before Him, forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors! Amen. Conversation VII. Sitsa pray: and do not lead us into temptation Did our needs not end with the requested reconciliation with our Heavenly Father? Yes, if sin were the only guilt in us. But besides the danger avoided, in sin there is a danger threatening ahead, there is temptation. Therefore, we still need to pray, as the Lord indicated, and do not lead us into temptation. What does temptation mean in the words of prayer? If the Lord commands us to pray for deliverance from temptation, then, of course, this is not a good temptation, a test in goodness, but an evil temptation or temptation to sin. This is the same temptation that the devil brought upon the Savior in the desert, and having finished the temptation, the devil departed from Him and spoke the gospel (Luke 4:13). This is also the temptation that the Savior spoke about to the disciples; pray so that you will not fall into misfortune (Luke 22:40:46), or into temptation. The Apostle teaches us: we tempt no one, let us tempt him, but we are tempted by God. Just as God himself is not tempted by evil, which is inaccessible to His nature, so He does not tempt anyone to evil, since He is good for everyone. Everyone is tempted by his own lust, attracted and deceived (James 11:13-14). If in the words of the prayer, temptation means seduction into sin, and such a temptation cannot come from God, then it is clear that with the words, and do not lead us into temptation, the thought should not be connected at all with the idea that God can ever lead evil into seduction. Do not lead us into temptation means, do not let us get bogged down in the deceptions of sin. On another occasion, the Savior says: pray, so that you will not enter into temptation (Matthew 26:41), warns against entering into a sinful state by free will, so that by your own will you do not give victory over yourself to sin. Hence the words, do not lead us into temptation, means, do not allow us to be drawn arbitrarily into the deception of sin; Otherwise, do not allow us to reach that depth of temptation so that we lie defeated. Temptations that lead us to sin come from the flesh, from the world, from the devil. The flesh, by which we mean the entire composition of the damaged human nature, is agitated by sinful movements and attracts a person to sin. The flesh lusts after the spirit, the flesh desires what is contrary to the spirit, says the apostle (Gal. 5:17). In my members I see another law, which wars against the law - my mind (Rom. 7:23). The world, otherwise the society of people who do not live in the spirit of the Christian faith, inclines to sin, either with seductive advice and the example of their lives, or with anger against the ascetic of piety; not understanding himself or his affairs, he affectionately invites people to share his merriment, clothing them in seductive images; but if your life, even without words, exposes the insignificance and harm of the people of the century, they respond to this with indignation, pay with hatred, slander, insults, we will prove, they say that we are right, not he. The most dangerous tempter for evil, according to revelation, is the great serpent, the ancient serpent, the reproached devil and Satan, who flatters the entire universe (Rev. 12:9). The fact that there are evil tempters who lure us into sin is not our fault; There is no guilt in the fact that we feel that this or that tempter, one way or another, is tempting us. On the contrary, a warrior is credited with merit if he stands firmly in the face of his enemies, accepts and repels their blows; exactly the same applies to a Christian, whom the apostle calls a warrior and ascetic of Christ (2 Tim. 2:3). Blessed is the man who endures temptation (James 1:12), says the Apostle James. Our trouble is that if we do not overcome the temptation of sin, but are overcome by it, we commit sin either at the suggestion of the flesh, or at the advice of the world, or at the insistence of the devil. Our trouble is when we not only accept a seductive image in thought, but are comforted by it; moreover, we assimilate it into desire, and what’s more, we transfer it into the circle of our affairs. The Lord commands us to pray for deliverance from this misfortune; do not lead us into temptation. Given our weakness, given the corruption of our spiritual nature, how necessary we need the grace of God to overcome the deceptions of sin! Oh! and the great righteous, left to themselves, were subject to grave sins. David committed two sins one after another. Solomon, carried away by his passion for wives, fell into idolatry. The Apostle Peter, out of excessive hope in himself, renounced Christ the Lord. That is why it is so necessary to cry out to the Heavenly Father for gracious help against the temptations of evil. Watch and pray, so that you do not fall into misfortune, for the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41). This is what the Savior said to his disciples before the dangerous time of his suffering. We who are weak need to remember these words of the Savior even more firmly. We need to be even more wary of relying on our firmness and pray more strongly for grace-filled strengthening. ABOUT! Heavenly Father! You can see the nets spread along our paths; You know our weaknesses. Illuminate us with Your light, so that illusory goodness does not deceive us and deceptive incidents do not lead us away from Your paths; strengthen our will in the fight against the sins of life. Brethren! if the Lord commands us to pray to the Heavenly Father for deliverance from evil temptations, then this also means that the Heavenly Father’s help against them is ready for us, if only we pray sincerely and diligently. Call me in the day of your tribulation and destroy you (Ps. 49:15), says the Lord. No matter how strong the evil temptation may be, let us not give in to despondency, let us firmly remember that the grace of God is stronger than any evil. The stronger the temptation, the stronger, the more persistently we will pray to the Heavenly Father, do not lead us into temptation, do not allow us to be overcome by sin; You alone are omnipotent and holy, grant us victory over sin. Brethren! if we are weak and temptations can easily overcome us, then we ourselves need to try to ward off cases that can lure a weak soul into sin. If we sincerely pray to be saved from temptations, then we should not approach them ourselves before they befall us. We pray that the flesh does not enslave us, why do we carefully nourish and warm this enemy and serve him as a friend? We pray that the world does not enchant us, but do we not open our hearts to its charms? What does it mean in this situation for us to pray for deliverance from temptations? Low hypocrisy and self-judgment! Let's be careful. Temptations, bitter insults, misfortunes themselves push us away from ourselves. Seductive temptations are not like that. They seem pleasant to us, but are even more dangerous. Some inexperience itself goes to meet such temptations. Poor inexperience! The scales of the snake play with different tints of light in the sun, but run from the snake, courage will not save you from the effects of its poison. Do not lead us into temptation, Heavenly Father. Amen. Conversation VIII. Sitsa pray: but deliver us from the evil one The last request of the Lord's Prayer is: But deliver us from evil. Until now, the subjects of petitions were bread, debts, and temptations. In accordance with this, in the last petition what is expected is not something personal, but something evil, evil, and especially since we have already prayed for deliverance from the temptations of the evil one. In the ancient Slavic translation they read, “freeing us from hostility.” So this is the same petition in its subject that the Savior offered for his disciples: I do not pray, that you keep them from the world, but that you keep them from hostility, from evil (John 17:15). “We ask, in the words of the Orthodox confession, to deliver us from all the evils that a person can hardly endure, such as hunger, plague, war, fires and others like that. We ask God’s love for mankind to turn all this away from us.” The difference between this petition and the previous one is that there we prayed for deliverance from the dangers of sin, here we ask for deliverance from the visible troubles of life. There is no doubt that peace and happiness without any troubles are impossible on the cursed land. There is no doubt that the troubles of life turn out to be useful for the soul as a measure of the fatherly admonition of God (Heb. 12:10). Nevertheless, the troubles of life are difficult for the earthly wanderer; our weak nature involuntarily shudders at their approach; and especially since for weak souls they can be accompanied by moral harm. Therefore, we cannot help but sigh for deliverance from the grave troubles of life. On the other hand, no matter how inevitable earthly troubles are for an earthly wanderer, they are an accidental phenomenon in the world of God, they are a sad consequence of sin. The time must come when the last enemy, death, will also be abolished, when the whole world will be renewed and the full kingdom of God will open. This is the desire of the Heavenly Father, who sent the Savior of the world into the world. How can one not desire the same thing, how can one not pray for the same thing to the children of the Heavenly Father? So holy are our prayers when we pray, according to the instructions of the church, for deliverance “from famine, destruction, cowardice, flood, fire, sword, from foreign invasion and internecine warfare.” Due to the severity of life’s sorrows, we must pray for relief from this severity, and due to their danger for our morality, we must ask for strength in our hearts against this danger. Deliver me from human slander and I will keep Your commandments, prayed David, who prayed on other occasions for deliverance from other troubles. Christ Jesus! in everything You are both the Son of God and the Son of man. And then, as you teach us to pray, you turn your attention to the sorrows of our earthly life, you sympathize with us, like the Son of Man, but you teach with heavenly wisdom. Earthly wisdom is proud in words, it says, is it worth paying attention to earthly accidents? And she, when she has to endure the bitterness of life, hastens to get rid of them by criminal measures. This is not Your teaching. You allow us to see earthly life as it is and indicate protection against it where the protection is strong and life-giving for the spirit. We must not forget, brethren, that poverty, illness, and an inglorious life are often the consequences of our own sins. If these are the troubles we experience, then justice demands that our prayer for deliverance from troubles should not be offered by an evil heart, so that we should not hide either before our conscience or before God the fact that these troubles are the work of our sins. Otherwise, he has exhausted his bodily health with unclean passion, and bitterly complains about his illness, as if it were undeserved. Another shouts about those who insult him as persecutors of innocence, but not a word about the fact that he himself provoked insults against himself, either through immodest irritability, or through the secret deeds of cunning self-love. The third complains about poverty, while she was invited to his house by his wasteful life, or laziness. Doesn't all this mean multiplying your sins? Doesn't it mean inviting a new wrath of God upon yourself? In any case, silent patience is our duty. When we ourselves are to blame for our suffering, it is all the more necessary to endure. Then you need to repent and repent. Then it is necessary, if suffering reaches the depths of the soul, to humbly say before God, Lord! my suffering is the work of my sins, but You know my weakness, teach me patience, give help to the wounded, ease the deserved punishment. One more word about evil, brothers! The Lord alone knows the time when it is useful for us and we need to free ourselves from this or that evil. He alone sees our heart, as we ourselves do not see. He sees, as we do not see, whether our soul, healed by sorrows, is healing, or does it still need to continue treatment? He alone knows what burden we can lift and what burden we cannot bear, and we will fall under its weight if we are not supported by His right hand. Therefore, praying for deliverance from evil. we must surrender ourselves to the will of God; When praying, we must say, may the cup of suffering pass by us, but not ours, but Your holy will, may the Heavenly Father be done. And so let us be humble when meeting the sorrows of life, with the consciousness of our weakness, with repentance for our sins, but submissive to the Heavenly Father we will say, deliver us from hostility. Conversation IX. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever, Amen This is the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer. If there is no more light and power than the beginning, then it can contain no less than the word of the Lord. Reverent attention, as before! Are these the exact words of the Lord? Yes! The Lord's Prayer is read with doxology in the Syrian and Gothic Gospels, in the Apostolic Decrees and in Chrysostom. Moreover, the Apostle Paul already knew this doxology, only he gives it in an abbreviated form (2 Tim. 4:18). This is how a reverent soul can end a prayer in any other way. Without doxology, prayer does not have a worthy fullness, remaining the voice of something similar to proud selfishness. Therefore, the apostle prescribes in everything: let your requests be answered by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6); those. makes it an obligation to combine doxology with petitions. So the Lord’s prayer lifted us to spiritual heights and descended with us into the depths of earthly life, and now plunges us into hope and reverence before the Almighty. This is your Father, she says; you can ask Him as a son, you can ask Him for everything necessary for heaven and earth, for time and eternity, but before you finish your prayer, think about who He is and bow before Him. A wonderful connection between imprisonment and prayer. It contains both the foundation of hopes of prayer and grateful praise to the Heavenly Father. It is the basis of hope. Everything that we asked the Heavenly Father for ourselves was the property of the one great, strong and glorious one. How can a prayer not be fulfilled? And we ourselves and our entire existence are in His power and strength and are appointed for the glory of His name. If we asked for the glorification of His name, for the manifestation of the kingdom, for the fulfillment of His will in us, it was because the kingdom belongs to Him. If they asked for bread, was it not because of His power? If they prayed for preservation from sin and troubles, then glory to Him alone. Our hopes are in Him; they are hard. “Why are you embarrassed, my soul? Trust in God. He is the salvation of my face and my God” (Ps. 41:6). Distrust away! Away with cowardice! We trust in You and glorify You, Heavenly Father! Our mind cannot comprehend Your greatness, boundless one! Who You are in Yourself, we are unable to understand. We call You as You yourself revealed yourself. “I am Jehovah,” You said (Ex. 3:14). From everlasting to everlasting you art (Ps. 89:3). Where shall I go from Your spirit? And do I flee from Your face? Even if I ascend to heaven, You are there. If I go down to hell, there you are (Ps. 139:7). Who should we revere if not the one who alone exists in himself? Who should we tremble before, if not before the Eternal and Who is everywhere? Who should we glorify if not the One for Whom everything exists, finding perfection and bliss in His glory? O God, the heavenly worlds glorify you. How many of them there are in the firmament of heaven! And they all fulfill Your word. They are like vast flocks obeying the voice of their shepherd. And the worlds of invisible spirits: cherubim, seraphim, principalities, powers, thrones, dominions perform various services before You and thus are blessed. The faces of the prophets, apostles, martyrs, saints, saints, and blessed ones glorify you. The earth and its elements glorify you. The church in all corners of the universe glorifies you. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power, for Thou didst create all things and were created by Thy will (Rev. 4:11). Brethren! What do all the greats of the world mean before God - scientists, rich, strong, kings and leaders of nations? And meager creatures dare to rebel against the will of the Creator? Unhappy ones! What do you mean, who so impudently judge the affairs of the Infinite and murmur against His providence? Worms of the earth! listen to the voice of Jehovah: where were you when you founded the earth? Tell us, if you have any mind. Who will put its measures? Or who brought the rope to nudes? I blocked the gates of the sea and rebuked it; you will come this far and not pass through (Job 38:4–5, 11). What are you before God? Your life is a dream, wealth is a dream, knowledge is darkness, glory and power are emptiness. But when people give their hearts to God, when they subordinate their will to His holy will, when they become one with Him (John 17:23), oh! how big they are then! They mean more than the sun of the universe. Travelers of the earth! “You see what love the Father has shown us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). We seal both hope and reverent praise with the word: Amen, which means “truly so,” or “so be it.” We cannot exhaust the entire depth of the Lord’s Prayer; it is beyond our strength. But there is so much food for the mind and heart, and the best food, and then, as we touched its surface. ABOUT! If only we could pray as the Lord teaches us to pray! How much light, how much consolation, how much piety there would be in our soul! Parents! teach your children the Lord's Prayer; Explain to them the meaning of the words of the wonderful prayer. This is the best that your love for children can give them. May the Father of mercies and God of all comfort be with us, now and always. Amen. Section X. Words about the Coming of the Messiah Homily I. About the coming of the Messiah On that day, as we celebrate the introduction of the Blessed Virgin into the church, the church announces us with the song: Christ is born, glorify! This means that they are pointing out to us in what is dedicated to the Lord the One who is appointed to be the Virgin Matter of Christ. Christ is born, glorify, the church repeats for five weeks before the actual celebration of the birth of Christ occurs. In the last days before the feast, the forefathers are remembered, who lived by faith in the expected Messiah. So St. The Church wants us to place ourselves in reverent contemplation of a great event, which is the appearance of the Savior of the world. She wants us to observe the ways of God’s providence, preparing people for such an event. Let us follow the instructions of St. Church, let us devote the pre-Feast weeks to reflecting on how heavenly goodness over the centuries has prepared people for the appearance of the Savior of the world. We have an incentive in that and in the state of the edge. There are so many miserable Jews here. We call them pathetic, because in the hustle and bustle of earthly vanity and human opinions they have lost the true meaning of the revelation of God given to their fathers. Love for humanity, love for heavenly truth makes us wish for them heavenly light. Oh, if only they would be with us impartially, with a pure desire to know St. the truth, they considered who the messengers of God were talking about, and with reverence they embraced the One whom all the ancient righteous were waiting for. For the first time, let us consider the first promise of God about the salvation of people. There is no need to repeat here the sad story of the fall of our forefathers. Suffice it to say that the first period of human life, a short period of heavenly life, remains in the memory of all peoples. At all times and among all peoples, the memory of the former golden age on earth is visible. Unfortunately, if on the one hand one hears a just cry about lost benefits, on the other hand they sigh not at all about the significant, most important losses. They sighed and sighed that there was once an abundance of earthly fruits on earth and bodily life knew no needs. But is that one thing we have lost with the loss of paradise? The immeasurably great loss of man is that he has lost the Lord and has withdrawn from communion with God, the source of light, peace and eternal bliss. Let us put the sad fate of man on this point of contemplation and listen to what God will announce to the ancestors of fallen humanity. And I will put enmity between you and your wife. Thus speaks the Lord God aloud to Adam and Eve, the deceiving serpent, called the devil and Satan, according to the explanation of the seer (Rev. 12:9). For the serpent this is a sentence of condemnation, for people it is the beginning of God’s mercy. The forefathers were involved in the sin of others. This did not relieve them of guilt, because sin was still a matter of their will. But this alleviated their guilt before the just, and especially opened the way for God’s mercy, when the deceived brought, although not entirely sincere, but heartfelt, confession of sin (Gen. 3:8). That is why, at the same time as the truth of God assigns punishment to the guilty, the goodness of God brings life-giving rays of faith and hope into their open heart. The Lord God, striking with a curse the main culprit of sin, gives the promise of salvation to the deceived. And God said to the serpent, because you have created this, cursed are you... And I will put enmity between you and your wife. I'll put the enmity aside. The unfortunate deluded ones saw their mortal enemy in front of them. Previously, they did not recognize him, who appeared in the form of an adviser about unprecedented happiness. When the evil was committed, when the Judge of righteousness stood before them, they could not help but recognize their enemy and, having recognized them, they felt hatred towards him, disgust from his very sight. Oh! Isn’t this what happens to us even today? Until a sin is committed, it even seems pleasant to us. But we feel differently when evil has already been committed. Then it torments us with itself. And yet, does this turn into constant hostility towards sin? Alas, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin (John 8:34), and in himself does not have the strength to free himself from humiliating slavery. Therefore, God Himself places enmity between the deceiver and those who are deceived. Here is the beginning of the transformation of human spiritual nature. And I will put enmity - between your seed and that seed - a new bright line of promise. God's mercy extends not only to the most fallen, but also to their descendants. And how necessary this consolation was for the deluded! Could the forefathers have thought without crying and grief that they had deprived not only themselves of paradise, but also their offspring? Could they see without grief and horror how their children would suffer and die? But heavenly goodness illuminates the future with a ray of its light. This light is not clear, but it is all-life-giving. Enmity with evil is established by the omnipotent will and for the offspring of the deceived. He will erase your head, and you will guard his heel. Now not only enmity with evil is predicted, but also the crushing of evil. Obviously, this is the most important part of the promise, the most comforting news! Seed sometimes means one person in posterity. So Seth is called the seed of Adam (Gen. 4:25). So, someone who is born of a woman will smite the serpent. And a wonderful feature! It is the seed of the woman, not the husband, that will wipe out the serpent. This means that this will be an extraordinary descendant, whose birth will not take place at all according to the ordinary order of nature. So the defeat of the head of the serpent-devil and the extraordinary origin of the powerful conqueror show that the promise refers to the great benefactor of mankind, to the Savior of people, to the Messiah. And how is the meaning of the promise consistent with the condition of the deceived! Their moral position did not exclude the possibility of accepting the high promise. And how necessary it was, how comforting it was in their bitter fate! How was this promise understood by the first parents? The subsequent history of the forefathers shows that they accepted this promise as a comforting promise of a change in their fate. Adam, soon after God's terrible judgment was pronounced on the guilty, called his wife life (Gen. 3:20). Without the thought of expected salvation, this name is a mockery of Eve and her children. The high hope of the forefathers is also heard in the names of Cain (Gen.4:1) and Noah (Gen.4:21). If we understand Eve’s words about Cain only in this way, “I have acquired a man from Jehovah,” then how can they mean, “I have acquired a man Jehovah,” and then Eve, having no hope in the Savior, had to replace them with completely different words - she had to say, an unhappy mother who must give birth to a son of sorrows for the sake of sorrows alone. Even more incomprehensible without the thought of the Redeemer is Lamech’s hope for the pacifier of Noah, when he expects peace not only for himself, but for the entire cursed earth. The same should be said about the sacrifices that were made by the first people (Gen. 4: 3. 4). Sacrifice is the fruit of trust in God; and hope without faith in the Redeemer is inaccessible to a sinner even when he understands himself to some extent. Can we consider it unimportant how the promise proclaimed to the forefathers in the Jewish church was understood? No, the voice of tradition is important in explaining scripture. What do we find in the Jewish church about the first gospel? The famous Targums (Jonathan, Onkelos, Jerusalem) accept this promise as the promise of the Messiah. Rabbi Yoihinon (in the interpretation of Genesis) says, “even though the Savior of men appears and defeats the devil, the devil will not cease to tempt people. That is why it is said about him, he will watch the heel.” The Jews confessed in their symbol, “I believe with complete faith in the coming of the Messiah, who was promised to us from the beginning.” Such faith is also visible in the translation of 70 interpreters. They use the word: That, which grammatically disagrees with the word: seed, to mean that they recognize the woman’s person in the seed. For us Christians, the most undoubted guide in explaining the Old Testament is the New Testament revelation. And St. Paul calls Christ Jesus born of a woman (Gal.4:4), i.e. shows the fulfillment of the prophecy concerning the seed of the woman in Christ Jesus. The Apostle John teaches that the Son of God has appeared to destroy the works of the devil, i.e. to fulfill the promise of breaking the head of the serpent (1 John 3:8). The Savior Himself said: now the prince of this world will be cast out (John 12:31), again an instruction on how to understand the promise of the conqueror of the serpent. So you see, brothers, where the dawn of our salvation began. You see how early heavenly goodness provides for us. ABOUT! My God! You began your concerns about my salvation so long ago. And my sinful soul is so little occupied with the matter of my salvation. My senseless, insensitive soul! Come to your senses. How many worries people have throughout their lives! How much trouble and labor about the conveniences of earthly life - about better agriculture, about better trade, about better machines! And the thought of spiritual salvation is only occasionally; Is it only as a guest, and even then a hateful one, that he visits the soul? Is this ok? Lord our Savior! Send your gracious light, so that, illuminated by it, we will understand that all the comforts of earthly life without a higher goal are destructive vanity and we need to appreciate your eternal salvation of the soul! Amen. Word II. Christ is born, praise! The Heavenly Father, having determined to save man through the sacrifice of his Son, appointed the end of ages (Gal.4:4), the last times (1 Tim.4:1) as the time for the fulfillment of his advice; and until that time he decided to lead people to their goal by waiting for the Redeemer. He nourished and strengthened this aspiration in the chosen and chosen people through prophecies and transformations, in which the mystery of redemption was gradually explained to people, in accordance with their condition (Heb. 1:1; 1 Pet. 1:11). So it was with Abraham and Jacob! So it was with Moses! A high promise was given to Abraham when God commanded him to leave his homeland and home. He was told: in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:3). This promise was repeated two more times, and on one occasion (Gen. 18:18) the blessing was also applied to the nations of the earth, and on the other (Gen. 22.12) the source of the blessing was not Abraham, but his seed. Isaac (Gen.26:4) and then Jacob (Gen.28:12) were also confirmed with the promise in its last form. Let us first examine the constituent features of the promise. The word, barah in the form in which it is used here, does not mean to wish oneself happiness, but to be happy, blessed (Deut. 29:18; Ps. 11:17; Jer. 4:2). The first meaning and therefore cannot be allowed here, that otherwise the words would contain a strange exaggeration, which would have no basis in reality; those. then the words would mean that all the tribes of the earth will wish for themselves happiness similar to Abraham’s. When was this? And what is the happiness of a wanderer in a foreign land, who wandered to the grave, accompanied by sorrows of various kinds? Further, the word earth cannot be limited to the thought of one country of Canaan, and the words, tribes or peoples - to the thought of some abodes of Canaanite. The inhabitants of Canaan could expect from the descendants of Abraham not blessing, but destruction. This was God's will for them! (Gen.15:18-19). This is how we see it in history! So, the meaning of God’s promise about Abraham’s seed is that a great descendant will come from Abraham through Isaac and Jacob and he will be a source of blessing for all the peoples of the universe. Obviously, this promise, by its very greatness, can only be attributed to the Savior of the world. They would show little sense if they attributed this promise to some ordinary person. This is how this promise is explained in the New Testament revelation of God. Ap. Peter spoke to the assembly of Jews before the temple in Jerusalem, “You are the sons of the covenant that God made with your fathers when He spoke to Abraham, By your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Acts 3:25). Ap. Paul taught, “When the scripture foresaw that God would justify the Gentiles through faith, it declared before Abraham that in you all nations would be blessed” (Gal. 3:8). It is very well known that the tradition of the Jewish church recognized in the promise given to Abraham the promise of the Messiah. 46 As the best descendants of Abraham understood, his worthy grandson Jacob is most clearly shown. Full of hopes for the heavenly blessing expected in the future, Jacob on his deathbed is filled with the spirit of prophecy. He assigns different earthly blessings to the offspring of other sons, except Judah, and to each his own special one; He says to Judas, “Judas! Your brothers will praise you. The scepter will not be taken away from Judah, nor the lawmaker from his feet, until the one who saves (Shilog) comes, and to Him is the obedience of the nations.” The prophecy about Shilogh is a majestic one that cannot be applied to anyone other than the Messiah. To which of the ordinary descendants of Judah can the words, “To Him be the submission of the nations,” be attributed with any probability? They no longer apply to David because for a long time even after David the scepter was not taken away from Judah. Further, the meaning of the one who saves is acquired by the word IIIilog and the production of the word (from shalach - to be saving) and the Samaritan text and the popularity of similar forms, for example, shalom peace in the meaning of the pacifier (Mic. 5: 5; Is. 42: 6). And who is the one who saves, if not the One who will crush the head of the serpent? Jewish tradition constantly accepted the words of Patriarch Jacob as a prophecy about the Messiah. The Samaritan text reads, “until the Tempter comes.” Even Yarhi wrote that the ancient Jewish church recognized the Messiah in Shiloga. Onkelos translated, “until the Messiah comes, to whom the kingdom belongs and the nations will submit to Him.” Almost the same is read in the Jerusalem Targum. In the Talmud they read, R. Johanon asked about the Messiah, what is His name? The disciples Rabbi and Illil answered, “Shilog is his name, for it is said (Gen. 49:10) until Shilog comes.” 47 In the New Testament revelation, the Messiah is portrayed as the victorious lion of the tribe of Judah (Rev. 3:5). Thus, in the prophecy of Jacob we see the following features of the Messiah: He will come from the tribe of Judah; will come at a time when Judah will lose the importance of a separate and governmental tribe; will gather nations under his rule and will be the savior of people. Moses, approaching death, said as a consolation to his people that the Lord would raise up a prophet like him and that they should listen to him. The Lord will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brethren; listen to him (Deut. 18:15). God himself repeats this promise on his own behalf (Deut. 18:18) and adds that from the mouth of the prophet they will freely listen to the word of Jehovah, but those who disobey the word of the prophet will be avenged (v. 18:19). Not a host of prophets, much less Joshua or Jeremiah are understood here under the name of a prophet, but only the Messiah. This is what the very words about the prophet show. Navi usually means a prophet as an indivisible person, and if a collective name were shown in it, then it would be said, Navim, and not Navi. On the other hand, a whole host of prophets, especially Joshua, were not what the prophet of Moses was supposed to be. This prophet should be equal to Moses in his closeness to God, in his significance as a lawgiver, in his meekness of spirit; but together his word will be so important that those who disobey it will be the subject of God’s vengeance. The tradition of the Jewish church noted that after Moses, a prophet did not rise in Israel, like Moses (Deut. 34:9-10) and retained faith in the prophet predicted by Moses as the Messiah. This is what the ancient synagogue believed. 48 Such faith in the extraordinary prophet is expressed by Philip when meeting with Nathanael (John 1:45) and by the Samaritan woman, who says, “I know that the Messiah will come, i.e. Christ; when He comes, He will explain everything to us” (John 4:25). The recall of the Samaritan woman is especially important because it is a recall of the tradition adopted even before the Babylonian captivity, after which the Samaritans no longer communicated with the Jews (1 Kings 17:27). In the New Testament revelation, St. Peter, pointing out Jesus as the Messiah, cites the words of Moses about the prophet. Moses spoke to the fathers, The Lord will raise up a prophet for you, etc. At the same time, he distinguishes this prophet from other prophets and speaks of him as an indivisible person: if he does not listen to his prophet, he will be destroyed (Acts 3:22–24). The first martyr Stephen, before a whole host of Jews, taught that Moses predicted about the Messiah, pointing out the great prophet in the distant future (Acts 7:37). So, according to the prophecy of Moses, the Messiah will be a prophet as close to Jehovah as he is close to each other; He will be the intercessor of the covenant and the lawgiver; He will be so meek that with Him people will fearlessly talk with Jehovah. Glory to Your all-wise goodness, Heavenly Father! The word of Your messenger is true, “all of them (the patriarchs) died in faith, not receiving the promises, but only saw them from afar and rejoiced and said about themselves that they were strangers and strangers on earth” (Heb. 11:13). Word III. Christ is born, praise! Whoever listens to the ancient prophecies about the Messiah, whether a Jew or a Christian, whether weak or strong in faith, these prophecies are a joyful light for the soul. They inspire those who are firm in faith to revere the goodness and wisdom of God and nourish high hopes in them. For those who are weak in faith, they are a support in faith; They, like a lamp, disperse the darkness of doubts and mistrust about the mysteries of our salvation and, like tangible experiences of God’s care for people, protect the mind and heart against the fluctuations of cowardice. ABOUT! how not to study the prophecies about the Messiah! Let's take the book of psalms. It contains many prophecies about Christ. Here the Messiah is depicted either in a majestic form or in a humble form, but in such a way that some psalms depict Him primarily in a glorious form, without omitting to indicate that He suffers humiliation; others speak primarily of His humble state, but at the same time point to His glory. Among the former, we will consider in detail the second psalm, and among the latter, the 21st psalm. The singer of the second psalm sees the rebellion of nations and princes against God and His anointed Christ, (Ps. 2:1-3). He hears the wrath of Jehovah and His voice, naming the anointed one king of Zion, (Ps. 2:4–6); He hears the voice of the Anointed One himself, proclaiming the glorious decree about himself (Ps. 2:7–9). Addressing the nations, he commands them to revere Him (Ps. 2:10–12). This is the content of the psalm. It begins by pointing out the humiliated state of the person depicted and depicts in detail the glory of the same person. Jewish tradition constantly saw the Messiah in the king of Zion. Kimhi and Yarhi admitted that, in ancient times, the Jewish church knew one opinion about the second psalm, that it was a sermon about the Messiah; but, adds Yarhi: “to combat heretics (i.e. Christians), it is better to attribute it to David.” Isn’t it true that Yarkha’s increase is naive and means a lot for the holy truth? Let us add that in the kvita sohar the Messiah is often depicted in the words of the second psalm. “Jehovah speaks with the Messiah in the second psalm,” says the bereshit Rabba. We also see it in Maimonides, Jochanan and in the conversation of the Jew Tryphon with St. Justin. 49 New Testament revelation identifies the Messiah in the second psalm. The apostles, in the words of this psalm, complain before God about the rebellion of people against the Messiah Jesus. “Have you said through the mouth of your servant David that the Gentiles are in turmoil?” etc. This is how they confess (Acts 4:25.26). Ap. Paul, presenting the fullness of glory in which St. the singer shows the Messiah with the words, “You are My Son, today I have begotten You” (Ps. 2:7), explains by this the resurrection of the Messiah Jesus (Acts 13:33), His superiority over the angels (Heb. 1:5), and His glory as a great high priest (Heb. 5:5). The psalm, by its very content, shows that it refers only to the Messiah. It no longer applies to David because David is not anointed in Zion; to Solomon and because Solomon did not fight with anyone. In the text we read, “Jehovah said to me, my Son, today I have begotten You” (Ps. 2:7). If the expression “now” in the mouth of the eternal does not indicate eternity, and if we take birth here as the realization of an object in thought, then the birth of the Son by the eternal Father will mean that the Heavenly Father reveals to people a Son unknown to them, and that this Son is Jehovah’s own Son (Acts 10:12, Rom. 1:4). “Honor the Son, lest he be angry and perish. Blessed are all those who trust in Him” (Ps. 2:12). Nakash means, in fact, to show reverent respect (1 Kings 13:18; Job 31:27). And in the Old Testament it was strictly forbidden to show reverence to anyone other than God (Ps. 117:9, 146:3; Jer. 17:5–7; Mic. 7:5–7). Consequently, if one is commanded to revere the Son, then the divine person is indicated in the Son. Is it necessary to add that only the Messiah can be like this? Jehovah intends to give the nations and ends of the earth as an inheritance to the anointed one of Zion. The words efsey haaretz, according to their ordinary meaning, indicate the extreme limits of the earth, and not Palestine (Ps. 18:5, 46:10; Is. 40:28). Goyim, even because it is in the plural, cannot mean the people of Israel, but, by use, means pagan peoples (Jer. 6:10; Ezek. 23:30). What king of Zion was the ruler of the borders of the universe and the nations of the pagans? The content of Psalm 21 is as follows: the sufferer prays before Jehovah for help, and in prayer depicts the insolence of his enemies and his cruel suffering (Ps. 22:1-22). Having heard Jehovah, he thanks Him and makes the Israelites and the Gentiles partakers of his grateful sacrifice (Ps. 21:23-32). The very words of the psalm show that it portrays the Messiah. In the psalm, the sufferer speaks of his sorrows before the omniscient and holy; therefore, the image of suffering and sorrow cannot be enlarged. Meanwhile, the words (Ps. 21:15-16) represent the sufferer in such a position that it was as if the very composition of His body was crumbling from His suffering. At the same time, we see here such particular features of suffering, such details of torment, which, in themselves, testify to their historical reality. But such cruel suffering and such particular circumstances cannot be indicated either in the life of David or in the life of any other of the Old Testament righteous. In the psalm we read, kaari iadai ve raglay. 70 interpreters, Syrian translator, Vulgate translate, “they pierced my hands and my feet.” Otherwise it is impossible to translate. If we read like this, “a crowd of evil people walks around me like a lion around my arms and legs,” it becomes strange. A lion walks near the hands and feet - a fable! Meanwhile, kur, instead of karar, means “to pierce.” There is a similar word with the same meaning in Arabic. And the rabbis noticed that the best lists read, kaaru. “And so the sufferer’s arms and legs are pierced. But such execution was completely unknown during the time of David and his successors; it was adopted by the Romans at a later time. The circumstances that followed the deliverance of the sufferer from troubles are such that they belong only to the history of the Messiah (Ps. 21:28). “All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the Lord; All the tribes of the Gentiles will worship before Him.” Here “all the ends of the earth” corresponds to all the tribes of the pagans. Consequently, the meaning is that the pagan peoples of all countries will serve the true God. But the turning of the pagans to Jehovah belongs to the time of the Messiah. For the kingdom of the Lord is the kingdom of tongues (Ps. 21:29). More precisely, “The kingdom will belong to Jehovah, and He will rule over the Gentiles.” But already from the prophecy of Jacob we saw to whom the nations would submit. Due to the constant hostility against Christianity, especially when Psalm 21 is almost the story of the crucified Christ Jesus, one would have to think that the new Jews would in no way allow the thought of the Messiah in it. However, it is known that even later Jewish interpreters were forced to agree on the prophetic meaning of the psalm and its relation to the Messiah. For example, even Yarhi, in response to the words (Ps. 21:27), “the poor will eat,” notes, “during our deliverance in the days of the Messiah.” Not only Ps.21:24, 27, 29, 32, but even Ps.21:8–9, 16 are explained about the Messiah in Jewish interpretations. 50 Without a doubt, this was most of all as a result of respect for the tradition of the fathers, which we hear in the Jerusalem Targum, in the Sohar and in the Talmud. 51 In the New Testament revelation, Jesus Christ repeats on the cross the words of the psalm, My God, my God, why have You forsaken me! (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). The Apostle John, speaking about how the soldiers divided the clothes of Christ Jesus, adds, so what was said in the scripture was fulfilled, they divided my garments among themselves, John 19:22-24. Ap. Paul explains the words about the Messiah: I will proclaim Your name to my brethren, Hebrews 2:12. We could also cite Psalms 44, 109 and 15. The song about the marriage of the king with the royal daughter in Psalm 44 is explained not only by Paraphrastus of the Chaldeans and other ancients, but even by Abenezra and Kimhi about the Messiah; We are not talking about the Apostle Paul, (Heb. 1:8-9; Psalm 109) about the king-high priest, to whom Jehovah says: Sit at my right hand, the content speaks so clearly about the Messiah that the Jewish scribes could not say a word against such an explanation of him, expressed by Christ Jesus (Matthew 24:41-46); and even then the Jewish tradition would have been against them, recognizing in the psalm a song about the Messiah. In Ps. 15:8-11 the dying righteous man says that His flesh will not see corruption; but this cannot be attributed to David, whose flesh was corrupted, and the apostles show the fulfillment of these words in the history of the Messiah Jesus (Acts 2:25-29, 13:35-37). According to the book of psalms, the Messiah is a descendant of David; The mighty of the earth will rise up against Him; He will endure unprecedented suffering and death on the cross; will descend into hell and rise again; the pagans will learn from Him about the true God; The nations of the world will submit to Him; Son of God by nature, He will unite in Himself the royal and priestly offices. This is what the soul of the royal prophet was full of! This is who He pointed to in the distant future! The glorious king, the king who triumphed in so many victories over his neighbors, taught to expect happiness only from the Savior of the world; illuminated by the Spirit of God, he sang His glory and humiliation, divine greatness and boundless suffering. ABOUT! let us fall with that deep reverence before the King of Zion with which David taught us to worship before Him. The sons of Israel, now even more diligently than under Moses, bow to the golden calf. Unhappy ones, “honor the Son, lest He be angry and you perish in your journey.” The prophet David is telling you this, not us! Amen. After the ten tribes with Jeroboam apostatized from the true God and wickedness began to spread more and more among the chosen people, it was very necessary to protect faith in the Savior and salvation with special help. And the Lord sent prophets - his messengers. Did the prophets speak about the Messiah? All prophets, says the New Testament revelation, foretell these days - the Messiah (Acts 3:24, 10:43). Let's look at some of the prophecies of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. The most remarkable prophecy of Isaiah about the Messiah is his prophecy about Jehovah's servant (Is. 52:13, 53:1–10) Let's read this prophecy in its exact form. 13. Behold My servant will act wisely 52 He will be high, he will be famous and he will be very great. 14. How many have abhorred you, (more disfigured than a man, 53 his appearance and his image worse than that of the sons of men), 15. Thus He will sprinkle 54 many nations. The kings will shut their mouths at His expense, Because they saw something they were not told about And they will hear something they have never heard of. 1. Who believes what we hear? And to whom did the arm of Jehovah open? 2. He sprang up like a branch 55 before Him, like the shoot of a root out of dry ground. He had no appearance, no beauty, but we looked at Him, no image, but 56 we desired Him. 3. Despised 57 and abandoned by men, A man of sorrows, acquainted with diseases; He is like a man from whom people turn away their face; 58 We despised Him and thought nothing of Him, 4. He bore our plagues and lifted our diseases. And we thought about Him that He was defeated, tormented, punished by God. 5. But He was pierced for our sins, and beaten for our iniquities, the punishment is on Him for our world, by His stripes we are healed. 6. We all wandered like sheep, each going his own way. Jehovah laid the Sins of us all on Him. 7. He was tormented, and He endured and did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He does not open His mouth. 8. In distress His judgment took place. 59 And His generation? Who thinks that He is cut off from the land of the living, and brought to death 60 for the wickedness of my people? 9 . With the wicked they assign His grave, but with the rich man His grave. He didn't do any harm And there was no deceit in His mouth. 10. Jehovah wanted His illness to destroy Him. When He gives up His soul as a sacrifice for sin, He will see the seed, will live long, and the will of Jehovah will be successfully fulfilled by His hand. 11. After the labor of His soul, He will delight, be satisfied with His knowledge, He, my righteous servant, will justify many. And he will bear their guilt upon himself. 12. Therefore I will give Him the great for an inheritance, and the mighty will be divided as spoil. This is because He gave up His soul to death. And he was numbered among the criminals; And He bore the sins of many. And He presented Himself as an intercessor for the wicked. All His features are such that, without offending common sense, they cannot be applied to anyone other than the Messiah. Some wanted to see a collective person here - the Jewish people or the best part of it, others - Isaiah or Jeremiah. But a collective person cannot be recognized here already because a personal soul is not attributed to a collective person (Is. 53:10–11); he cannot be buried in a tomb (Isa. 53:9); cannot be called a man of sorrows (Is. 53:2). Moreover, Jehovah's servant suffers for the people and, therefore, is not the people themselves. Isaiah or Jeremiah cannot be seen in a servant of Jehovah already because neither one nor the other came out of a dry land as a skinny branch (Is. 53:2), the first, according to legend, was born from a royal family, which was still strong at that time; the latter was a priest, a descendant of the Aaronic family, who then enjoyed their rights. Then everything else in the prophet applies only to the Messiah and to no one else. None of the people suffered so cruelly and in their sufferings no one was so meek, so calm, as the servant of Jehovah calmly endures torment (Is. 53:7). For example, Jeremiah himself, oppressed by sorrows, cursed his birthday (Jer. 20:7–10, 14–18; 15:19–21). Not only about the Jewish people, always self-willed and rebellious, but also about none of these best people, the prophet could say that there was no lie in his mouth and he did not commit any unrighteousness (Is. 53:9), that he was a righteous servant of Jehovah (Is. 53:11). Both the prophet and his contemporaries knew that all people are sinners and are born with sinful inclinations (Gen. 8:21; Job 14:14; Ps. 50:7). Jehovah's servant, through his suffering, redeems people from punishment for sins and reconciles them with God. This is a trait that essentially belongs to the Messiah. And this trait is so clearly depicted in the prophecy of Jehovah's servant that all efforts to blot it out will be in vain. We read from the prophet (Is. 53:5), He was pierced for our sins and beaten for our iniquities; punishments on Him for our peace, by His stripes we are healed. Isaiah 53:6: Jehovah has laid on Him the sins of us all. Isa.53:8: He was brought to death for the wickedness of my people. Doesn’t the prophet quite clearly and definitely say that Jehovah’s servant suffers for people and through suffering brings them peace? But the prophet also says: He will give up his life as a sacrifice for sin (Is. 53:10). Asham, in fact, means sin, then a sacrifice for sin. Because just as the sacrifice for sin, offered according to the law of Moses, freed the offerer from the punishment determined by the law, so the death of Jehovah’s servant is a cleansing sacrifice before the court of Jehovah. Jewish tradition took Isaiah's prophetic speech about Jehovah's servant as a prophetic image of the Messiah. “What is the name of the Messiah? asks the Talmud, and answers, painful, as it is said, This one bears our sins and suffers for us.” 61 Rabbi Moishe Gershen, explaining Genesis 1, writes: “The holy and blessed Lord has said, Messiah! my righteous one! human sins will put a heavy yoke on you, your eyes will not see the light, your ears will hear terrible reproaches... Do you agree to all this? If not, I will destroy sinful people. The Messiah answered, I joyfully accept all suffering, so that You will resurrect everyone, starting with Adam, and save not only them, but also everyone whom You proposed to create. The holy and blessed God agreed. Then the Messiah joyfully took upon himself all the suffering, as it is written: He became embittered and did not open his mouth (Is. 53:7).” A highly remarkable reflection! Here we see the faith of the tradition about the servant of Jehovah as the Messiah; We also see that the faith of the best Jewish antiquities did not dream of the earthly glorious kingdom of the Messiah, but saw in Him the suffering Redeemer, in accordance with the prophet’s broadcasts. We see the same faith about Jehovah’s servant in other monuments of Jewish tradition. 62 After this, it is obvious that the opinions of Kimhi and others like him about the servant of Jehovah are nothing more than the fruit of persistent hostility against the truth, and therefore are only pathetic. New Testament revelation clearly teaches us that the prophecy of Jehovah's servant is a prophecy of the Messiah. The Lord Jesus, saying that He needed to suffer, was testified by the words of the prophet. It is necessary, he said, to be fulfilled in Me, and this word of Scripture is numbered among the evildoers (Luke 22:37; Isaiah 53:12). It must be fulfilled, this expression is much more definite and stronger than when it says, let it come true, it directly shows that the suffering of Jesus was accomplished in fulfillment of the will of God about the Messiah, announced by the prophet. For, the Lord added, what was predicted about Me is coming to an end (Luke 22:37). They say that the Evangelist Mark (Mark 15:28) cites the words of the prophet not on behalf of the Lord, but on his own behalf and on another occasion. But does this weaken the power of evidence? On the contrary, it enhances it. This means that the evangelist also showed in Isaiah’s prophecy a prediction about the Messiah. The Apostle Philip, when asked by the eunuch about whom the prophet was speaking, was led as a sheep to the slaughter, answered with the gospel of Christ Jesus (Acts 8:32–36). The apostles Peter 1 Pet.2:22–25 and John John 12:38 explain the prophecy about Jehovah’s servant in exactly the same way. Thus, in Isaiah’s prophecy about Jehovah’s servant: a) in addition to preaching about the Messiah as the spiritual ruler of the nations, b) the clearest way speaks of Him as the Redeemer of the human race. Just like David, this prophecy describes the humiliation of the Messiah in the opinion of people, His suffering and death. But before Isaiah, no one depicted the amazing patience and meekness of the Messiah. Especially no one so clearly and so directly presented the suffering of the Messiah in connection with the salvation of people. When He gives up His soul as a sacrifice for sin, He will see the seed (Isa. 53:10). Consequently, the reproduction of followers and their vitality is dependent on the death of the Messiah. What a wonderful significance of the sufferings of the Messiah! I have given him the great as an inheritance, and he will divide the mighty as spoil; this is because He gave up His soul to death (Is. 53:12). So, the whole history of Christianity is the fruit of the death of Christ, c) A particular feature of the Messiah here is the feature of his origin. He sprang up like a young sprout, like the shoot of a root from dry ground (Is. 53:2). Another feature, more striking in its particularity, is the following: with the wicked they assign his grave, but the rich man has his grave (Is. 53:9). The prophets Jeremiah Ezekiel lived at a time when the wickedness of the Jews called and brought upon them the wrath of God - the Babylonian captivity. We read from the prophet Jeremiah, behold, the days are coming, says Jehovah, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and the house of Judah (Jer. 31:31). It is clear that the old covenant will be replaced by a new one. Further says Jehovah, I will engrave my law in their inward parts and write it on their heart (Jer. 31:33). It is clear that the ritual law will be abolished and replaced by the spiritual. It is also said that then everyone will know Jehovah, without the help of a mentor, and sins will be forgotten by Jehovah (Jer. 31:34). We read this prophecy from St. Jeremiah and another time (Jer. 32:37–40). It was announced twice by Ezekiel (Ezekiel 11:17–20). In Jeremiah, Jehovah says, I will give them one meaning and one way, so that they may fear Me all the days (Jer. 32:39). In Ezekiel, I will give them one heart and put a new spirit in their breast (Ezekiel 11:19). Is this change in the course of life the obvious fruit of having the law written on the heart? We already know that abundant knowledge of Jehovah and forgiveness of sins belong to the time of the Messiah (Ps. 109:26: Isaiah 53:6, 8). Then from whom can we expect, if not from the Messiah, a complete rebirth of the soul. From whom can we expect, if not from the Messiah, to establish a new covenant between God and man? After the Babylonian captivity until the time of Christ Jesus, it is impossible to dwell on any Jewish era to which, with any probability, the high hopes of the prophets could be applied. The Kingdom of Israel was no longer restored after its destruction; and it is said that this is not a covenant like the one concluded under Moses, therefore, the matter is not about the political existence of the people. So, let them not harbor dreams that the ritual law is an eternal law, irrevocable. Let them know firmly that according to the will of God, at the time of the Messiah, the ritual law will be replaced by the spiritual law. In the prophet Jeremiah we also read the promise of God: behold, the time is coming, says Jehovah, when I will raise up from the house of David a better branch, he will reign as a king, he will be wise and possess justice and righteousness. In his days Judah will be safe and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which He will be called, Jehovah our righteousness (Jer. 33:15). It would be in vain to search among the rulers of the Jews to whom the words of the prophet could be attributed. After the Babylonian captivity, only the ruler Zerubbabel was a descendant of David, but he was not a king, and under him the Jewish people did not enjoy either happiness or an abundance of justice. The rulers who followed were not descendants of David. It remains to recognize the Messiah here. This is what Jewish tradition believed. Paraphrast of the Chaldeans translates the first words of the prophecy as follows: “Behold, the days come. says Jehovah, “When I raise up for David the Messiah of righteousness.” Medrash Tehillim on Psalm 21 says: “The Messiah is called by the name of God; for it is written, This is the name by which He will be called, Jehovah our righteous.” Let us glorify the Heavenly Father, who is so merciful to people! Then, as people only insult Him with absent-mindedness, forgetfulness, extending to loss of meaning; while people build gods for themselves on earth, to their destruction, He, the eternal goodness, never ceases to repeat to them where their happiness is, where the peace is, where the light is. Glory and praise to You, our God! Amen. Homily V. The Coming of the Messiah Christ is born, praise. During the Babylonian captivity, the sighs of sincere worshipers of Jehovah for salvation intensified due to the severity of the sorrows of the time. The Jews involuntarily asked, when, Lord, will the long-awaited Messiah come? And so the prophet Daniel was given the advantage of seeing and revealing the time for the fulfillment of long-awaited events. We choose to consider his prophecy about weeks. When Daniel, in fasting and contrition (Dan.9:3), offered up prayers to God, so that He would not delay in delivering his people from captivity (Dan.9:19-20), the angel Gabriel appears and shows the times of salvation. The angel says to the prophet, seventy weeks have been shortened ( nekhtah - cut off, defined) about your people and about your holy city, that sin will end and sins will be sealed (they will be hidden like letters in a sealed letter Jer. 32:11, 14; Job 37: 7; Dan. 12: 4) and iniquities will be blotted out and eternal righteousness will be brought in and the vision and the prophet will be sealed and the Holy of Holies will be anointed. And having weighed and understood, from the outcome of the word, the hedgehog will announce (about the restoration) and the hedgehog will build Jerusalem even until Christ (Messiah) the elders of seven weeks and sixty-two weeks, and the hundred will return (restore) and the hundred will be built (the square will be built) and the fence (wall) will be exhausted and the years will be exhausted (but in the straits of times). And after the sixty-two weeks the anointing (Messiah) will be required, and judgment will not be in him (but not for himself). The city and the holy will crumble with the elder who is coming (and the city and the sanctuary will be devastated by the people of the leader who is coming) and will be consumed as in the flood and until the end of the army, reduced by the rank of destruction (and devastation is determined until the end of the war). And the covenant of many will be confirmed by one week, and at the half of the week the sacrifice and the drink offering will be taken away, and the abomination of desolation will be in the sanctuary (in Russia, in one list, “ubehekol yeegtse shikots” and there will be an abomination in the church; according to the usual reading, on the wing (of the church) is the abomination of desolation) and even until the end of time the end will be given to the devastation (and even to a full and definite measure it will be poured (anger) onto the devastated place). One cannot leave without a brief overview of the time shown by the prophet. Having said in general what should happen in the coming 70 weeks (Dan.9:25), the archangel in particular separates 7 weeks for the restoration of Jerusalem; 62 more weeks will pass and “the Messiah will be destroyed.” The last week will establish the new covenant and will be followed by the complete destruction of the church, city and people. The beginning of the counting of weeks is the outcome of the word about the restoration of Jerusalem, i.e. promulgation of the royal decree about this (1 Ezra 1:1-3). What does a prophet mean by weeks? The ancient Jews knew weeks of two kinds - weeks of days (Dan.10:2-3; Ezek.45:2) and weeks of years (Lev.25:8; Gen.29:28). The later Jews added to this a week of seven years, ending with the year of jubilee. In the prophecy in question, seven days cannot be understood. It was impossible to build the squares and walls of the city within 7 weeks of days or 49 days, much less in the space of 70 weeks of days or 490 days all the events that the archangel speaks about could not fit in. In addition, when a week is meant as a week, it is directly called a week of days (Dan. 10:2-3). It was in vain that the later Jews, to protect themselves from Christian denunciations, invented weeks of seven years for Daniel; in this case, their second church would have to take 323 years to build, which in fact did not happen at all. After that, seven years remain for Daniel’s prophecy. According to prophecy, seven weeks were appointed for the construction of the church, therefore 49 years. According to the book of Ezra and the history of Josephus, it is known that neighboring peoples strenuously prevented the Jews from building the church, either by slander at the Persian court, or even by armed force; therefore, it is natural that the construction of the second church was completed not before 49 years. According to the prophecy, from the beginning of the weeks until the destruction of the Messiah, the elders are 69 weeks, therefore 483 years. Who is meant by Christ as an elder? The name of the Anointed Messiah (Dan.9:25–26) is the ordinary name of the One Who has been expected for so long, it was adopted by David, (Ps.2:2; Is.11:1). The name of an elder or prince also long ago became the name of the promised Savior (Ps.2:5; Is.11:10, 55:4). The prophet does not call a part of the temple the Holy of Holies, since the entire church is designated for destruction, and not for consecration, Dan.9:27: and it would be strange to appoint consecration for only one part of the church. On the contrary, this name is the proper name of the one who, according to Isaiah, does not do untruth and lies (Is. 53:10, 12:6). According to prophecy, the elder will be destroyed (Dan.9:26), i.e. violent death (Zech. 13:8–9), the death of the wicked (Ps. 37:9; Prov. 2:22). This is a feature that characterizes the death of the Messiah in Isaiah (Is. 53:7–9). The elder will die, but not for himself, therefore, the death of the redeemer, as Isaiah said (Is. 53: 5, 8). The time of the elder is the time of consuming wickedness and bringing eternal righteousness. This was attributed to the Messiah by Isaiah (Is. 53:5–6, 10). The death of the elder is associated with the establishment of a new covenant and the abolition of sacrifices and offerings Dan.9:27. The Prophet Jeremiah also connected the establishment of a new covenant with the time of the Redeemer (Jer.31:31; 32:40). The death of the elder is followed by the desolation of the city Daniel 9:26. David and Isaiah threatened the wrath of God against those who rebel against the Messiah (Ps. 2:2, 4, 9, 12; Is. 8:9–10). As sin is blotted out, visions and prophecies are sealed. This is natural for the time of the appearance of the Messiah, to which all the prophecies related. This is how Daniel's prophecy was understood in the ancient Jewish church. This was noticed at one time by St. Jerome. 63 One of the rabbis (Manasseh) clearly admits that his fellow tribesmen attributed Daniel’s prophecy about the weeks to the Messiah, and that this confidence was shared by all those Jews who, under Vespasian, took up arms against the Romans. 64 R. Jose said, “Seventy weeks pass from the destruction of the first church until the destruction of the second.” 65 Moses the son of Nachman says, “The Holy of Holies is the Messiah, the sanctified one from the sons of David.” 66 The interpreter of the psalms writes, “the secrets and works of the Messiah are preached in the law, prophets and hagiographers, in the prophets, for example, in Is.42:1, in hagiographers, for example, Ps.109:1, 4; and in Daniel Dan.7:13.” 67 Later rabbis came up with the idea of ​​assuring themselves and others that Daniel's prophecy was sealed for people, i.e. its meaning is not known. The vain deceit of conscience, when the angel directly spoke to the praying Daniel, came to tell you. New Testament revelation shows the fulfillment of Daniel's prophecy in the time of the Messiah Jesus (Matthew 24:15; Luke 21:20–21). So, in the prophecy about the weeks, previously known features of the Messiah are partly explained, and new ones are indicated in part. The high attributes of the Messiah are clearly depicted - the redemption of people from sins and the establishment of a new covenant. For the first time it is said that with the coming of the Messiah the insight into future salvation will end. For the first time, the circumstances that followed the violent death of the Messiah among the Jewish people were accurately indicated - the destruction of Jerusalem and the church, the destruction of the political existence of the Jews, the cessation of ritual worship. Finally, for the first time the time of the coming of the Messiah was determined by the count of years. Upon the return of the people from Babylonian captivity, Jehovah continued to strengthen faith in the coming Redeemer of the world with revelations. Leaving the prophecies of Zechariah about the entry of the Messiah into Jerusalem (Zech.9:9), about his valuation at 30 pieces of silver, (Zech.11:4-14), about the outpouring of the spirit of grace on those who believe in the one who was pierced, (Zech.12:10-14); Leaving the prophecy of Haggai about the glory of the second church Hag.2:6-10, let us dwell on the prophecy of the last prophet Malachi. While Jacob complains, “all who do injustice are acceptable to Jehovah” by living happily (3, 7, 4, 2), Jehovah says, Behold, I send My angel, and he will look upon the way before Me (he will straighten the path before Me), and suddenly the Lord, the one you seek, will come to his church, and the angel of the covenant, the same one you want (Mal.3:1). It is further said that the angel of the covenant, like a refiner, will purify the chosen people, destroying superstition and untruth (Mal. 3:2-5), and the messenger who prepares the way is also called Elijah the Tishbite (4, 5). The very words of the prophecy clearly indicate that the prophet is proclaiming the Messiah. The one whom Jehovah sends is called the Lord and the angel of the covenant, these are the names of the Messiah. Daniel predicted that the Messiah would establish a new covenant (Dan.9:27). According to Malachi, this is the angel of the covenant whom the Jews desire and seek. Who were the Jews expecting if not the Messiah? Was He not the object of desire not only for the Jews, but for all nations? The Lord, awaited in His church, is not some earthly king, endowing his subjects with earthly glory and the comforts of life, He is a teacher of truth, destroying the false opinions of people, and His messenger is Elijah the Tishbite, a zealot of truth and holiness. This is how the Messiah was portrayed by the previous prophets (Isa.2:2–4, 49:6; Jer.31:31–35). The Lord will suddenly come to his church, the one that existed under Malachi. The prophet Haggai said even more clearly and expressively that the church in which the one awaited by all nations will appear Hag.2:8 will be the last, “great will be the glory of this last church, more than the first” Hag.2:10. So, if, despite the fact that they want to see the Messiah, they do not recognize and accept him unexpectedly appearing in their last church, then in vain they will wait for another Messiah after there is no longer a second church. Such an expectation is a pathetic delusion of minds and hearts, a criminal struggle against the will of God. Let the later powers of Israel not let this pass their eyes and ears if they value eternal salvation. Blessed art thou, O Lord God of our fathers, praised and glorified is thy name forever (Dan. 3:26). Amen. Word VI. Christ is born, praise O1 how can one not glorify the Heavenly Father if Christ is distributed! Who is Christ for us? He is everything, light, joy, and eternal bliss. Everything that is needed for our highest, spiritual needs, everything that neither the best philosophers, nor the best legislators, nor the best ministers of the ancient religions could provide to people - everything is given by Christ. How can one not sing praises if Christ is born! But even in our country there are children of Israel who persistently repeat that Christ has not yet been born. For the glory of the heavenly Father, let us learn from the revelation of God, was Christ born? From whom was Christ to be born? The prophet of God, Isaiah, predicted that a branch would arise from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from its roots would bear fruit. And the spirit of Jehovah will rest upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and courage, the spirit of knowledge and fear of Jehovah (Is. 11:1-2). Then, the prophet sees during the time of the descendant of Jesse an extraordinary peace and universal knowledge of Jehovah (Is. 11:6–9), the reverent hopes of the pagans for Him (Is. 11:10), the gathering of the scattered children of Israel (Is. 11:11–13), and his extraordinary victories over the nations (Is. 11:14–16). As you can see, here all the features of the king and the kingdom are such that they cannot be applied to any earthly king, and they belong only to the Messiah alone. David himself, a man after God’s own heart, did not have those high qualities that the prophet sees in his king. From what earthly king can one expect such a wonderful world, for a wolf to live with a lamb and a child to play with an asp? And this peace is also supplied in connection with the widespread dissemination of knowledge about Jehovah and with spiritual victories over the nations. The earthly rulers will never give such peace. Some of the features of this descendant of Jesse are the same with which the Savior of the world was usually portrayed in the revelation of God. The defeat of the wicked recalls the crushing of the head of the ancient serpent, Genesis 3:14–15. Jacob and David also said that the Messiah was the hope of the Gentiles and the object of reverent worship. Jewish tradition also recognized in this prophecy of Isaiah the Messiah; for example, the ancient Jewish catechism said, "God will send the Messiah... The Messiah will be from the seed of David, a branch of Jesse the Bethlehemite." So, according to the prophecy of Isaiah, the Messiah will be a descendant of Jesse, or what is also the royal house of David. And notice in what form the prophet presents the royal tribe of Jesse at the birth of the Messiah. “A branch will arise” not from a living, strong, flowering trunk, but from a “stump,” - from a tree cut down to the root. The second hemistich also indicates this origin: the branch from its roots will bear fruit. So, the royal tribe of David, which during the time of the prophet was so glorious and strong, at the time when Christ is born from them, will be in extreme humiliation and powerlessness. Now compare this prophecy with the story of Jesus son of Mary. The evangelists have preserved for us the generational painting of Jesus' ancestors. We listen to her reading with boredom, almost with displeasure. In vain! These are answers to the voices of the prophets about the Messiah. Here we see that both Mary and Joseph were descendants of David. But what kind of poor descendants are these? Strong ancestors are kings, and Joseph is a carpenter and Mary is an unknown Virgin. You see with what accuracy the word of the prophet was fulfilled in the person of the son of Mary. What kind of conscience, what meaning can they say after the fact that Christ has not yet been born? The Prophet of God says: Behold, the Virgin will conceive and bear a son, and will call His name Emmanuel (Is. 7:14). The very name of the baby. Emmanuel, shows that it is predicted about the birth of an extraordinary person, who could only be the Messiah. Emmanuel means God is with us; Consequently, this is a person in which God Himself has to live with people, otherwise - which will be both man and God. The very circumstances under which the birth of Emmanuel was announced also indicate that the Messiah is being dealt with. Two kings, Syrian and Israeli, rebelled against the Judah king Ahaz, with the decisive intention of destroying his house, the royal house of David, and establishing another dynasty on the throne (Is. 7:6). This terrified Ahaz and all the Jews (Is. 7:2). The prophet assures in the name of God that this advice will not endure (Is. 7:7). And he invites Ahaz to ask God for any sign. But Ahab hoped everything from people, and not from God. The prophet turns to the people and says, “The Lord Himself is giving you a sign: behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and will call His name Emmanuel.” A sign that is quite comforting and convincing if it points to the birth of the Messiah. This means that the House of David will still bloom and all the best hopes of Israel are firm, resting on the Messiah. But there is no consolation, there is not even any meaning in the prophetic words, if we understand them about the birth of an ordinary person. Moreover, the prophet himself explains Emmanuel to us. In the subsequent prophecy (Is. 8:1–9), he depicts the descendant of Jesse as the ruler of Judah, and again calls him Emmanuel (Is. 8:8). Then he says: to us a child will be born, a son will be given, on whose shoulder will government be called, and his name will be called, wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace (Is. 9:6). What a magnificent personality! Tell me, who has the right mind, will it occur to him to see the king of the earth in this person? “Mighty God, Eternal Father” – is this really a man? So undeniable is the truth that the prophet foretells the birth of the Messiah. From whom, how will Christ be born? Behold the Virgin in her womb will receive and give birth. The Hebrew name for a wife (alma) does not mean a married woman, but, in fact, a virgin, a pure, immaculate virgin. This name is given to the virgins of the tympanum (Ps. 77:26), the young and virginal Mariam (Exod. 2:8), and the virgins who love the groom - Christ (Song. 1:2). This is also how Emmanuel’s mother appears to be for the purpose of the prophecy. The prophet points to a sign, to an event that does not belong to the circle of ordinary actions taking place according to the order of nature, but to a miraculous action, marked by the seal of the direct presence of the power of God. So the virgin, pure and pure, will conceive and give birth to Emmanuel. Was not this prophecy also fulfilled in the birth of Christ Jesus? Jesus was born of a virgin virgin who knew no husband. How will this be, says the Virgin Mary, where I don’t know my husband? And the angel answered and said to her, The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (Luke 1:34-35). The birth of Jesus is a miracle of miracles, for God appears in the flesh. A greater miracle, a more powerful sign, cannot be imagined in the mind. The great mystery of godliness is that God appeared in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:10), says the apostle. The most heavenly messenger explained the possibility of the birth of Jesus only by the fact that with God every word fails (Luke 1:37). How can one not speak with the evangelist, all this was as the prophet predicted, behold, the Virgin will be with child and give birth to a son, and they will call His name Emmanuel, which means God is with us (Matthew 1:22-23). The prophet Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, predicted, and you Bethlehem Euphrapha! You are too small to be ranked with the thousands of Judah, but from you will come to me one who will be the ruler of Israel, whose origin is from the beginning from the days of the world (Micah 5:1). The very fact that the described ruler, along with the fact that he comes from Bethlehem, also has a pre-temporal, eternal origin, shows in him not an ordinary person at all. The deeds of the royal ruler are also such that they can only be the deeds of the Messiah. He, according to the prophet, will gather the scattered Israel and spread the glory of Jehovah to the ends of the earth (Mic.5:3-5), he will destroy all superstitions among the Israelites and bring judgment on the nations (Mic.5:10-15). Showing the time when the gathering of the scattered will take place, St. Micah says, “He (Jehovah) will deliver them up until she who is about to give birth gives birth.” Who doesn't see that St. Micah points to the one who, according to Isaiah, being a virgin, will conceive and give birth to Emmanuel? And the ancient Jews insisted that Micah’s prophecy referred to the Messiah. Jonathan, who lived before the birth of Christ, translated the words of the prophet, “from you I will become an elder,” translated as “from you the Messiah will come to me.” Representatives of the Jewish Church, high priests and scribes, in response to Herod’s question, where should Christ be born? They answered in Bethlehem of Judea, and referred to the words of the prophet Micah (Matthew 2:4-6). So the Messiah must be born in Bethlehem. Where was Jesus born, who was later called the Nazarene teacher? In Bethlehem of Judea. And what’s also remarkable is that Joseph’s usual place of residence was Nazareth; The betrothed Mary also stayed there. But suddenly, on the occasion of a new census, Joseph, not without burdening his poor life, goes to Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family of David; Mary arrived with him in Bethlehem. And here she gave birth to her first-born son (Luke 2:6–7). Isn’t it clear that all this happened as it should have been according to the prophecy of St. Micah about the Messiah? So, Christ is born, glorify; Christ from heaven, take it. Sing, people, for you are glorified. Amen. Word VII. About the coming of the Messiah The truth is dear to the immortal spirit. How not to look for her! How can you not be enlightened by it! Let us also learn from the prophets and history: was Christ born? According to the prophecy of Jacob (Gen. 49:10), the Messiah-Christ should come when the tribe of Judah ceases to have its legislators and loses the significance of an independent people. What condition were the Jews in when Christ Jesus was born? They no longer had their own kings. The foreigner Herod, an Edomite by birth, ruled over the Jews. An obedient servant of the Roman authorities, he laughed in the face of the Jews at humanity itself. A little more time - and the Jewish people ceased to be a political people. Isn’t it clear that Jacob’s prophecy about the time of the appearance of Shilogh was fulfilled with all accuracy in the person of Christ Jesus! Add another feature of the prophecy about Shiloga: Shiloga “submission of the peoples.” Was not the realization of this trait of Shilog revealed at the very birth of Jesus? Why did the wise men of the east come to Jerusalem? What are they looking for? They ask, “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw, they say, His star in the east and came to worship Him.” So, as soon as the baby Jesus was born in unknown Bethlehem, they were already coming to him from the east to worship; the best representatives of the pagan peoples bring Him gifts, Lebanon, myrrh and gold. Isn’t it clear that this is Shilog, to whom the peoples are beginning to submit? Poor Jews! Look, untold millions of nations are submissive to Jesus. You will not wait for Shilogh any longer if you do not submit to Shilogh-Jesus. According to Daniel's prophecy, there are 70 weeks. otherwise, 490 years must pass until the destruction of the Messiah from the exodus of the word, or from the royal decree on the restoration of the second church and city, and this must be followed by the terrible devastation of Jerusalem and the cessation of rituals. What do we see in history? 455 years before the birth of Christ, a royal decree was issued to restore the city destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar. Christ Jesus, in the 30th year of his earthly life, entered into his solemn ministry (Luke 3:23). From the exodus of the word this was in 484, otherwise - after 69 weeks of the prophet. God has confirmed and the new covenant of God with man is by the blood of the righteous, so sin is atoned for and righteousness is brought into the world by the voluntary sacrifice of the God-man (1 Tim. 2:15). So instead of material sacrifices, spiritual sacrifices are made! What's next? Let the Jewish and eyewitness Josephus Flavius ​​tell us about this. He writes: the Jews “carried out the prophecy against their fatherland. There was an ancient word that at this time the city would be taken and the holy thing would be burned, according to the law of war, if there was indignation and foreign hands desecrated the sanctuary of God. The Zealots did not believe this, and, however, presented themselves as officials.” 68 We do not continue the story of Flavius. Events themselves speak: ask the Jews whom you see, where is their church? Where are the victims? Where is the high priest? Ask why, insisting on considering themselves honorers of the law of Moses, they do not fulfill the instructions of Moses regarding sacrifices? Powerless before the will of the Almighty, in order to resurrect the dead dead man - the ritual service of the church, they invent their own rituals, bring a rooster and a hen, punish themselves with a belt, perform other petty rituals, which Moses did not mention at all! Isn’t this a pitiful struggle of self-will against the will of God? How many times did the Jews attempt to change the formidable will of God about them, expressed by Daniel! The apostate Julian, thinking to mock the Galilean, used all measures of imperial power to restore the Jerusalem temple, according to the wishes of the Jews. So what? The efforts of the arbitrariness of the wicked are destroyed by the terrible wrath of God. Son of Israel! If you care about your soul, understand the will of God so as not to fight with it to your own destruction. Your teachers say that the church was destroyed by the wrath of God and the people were scattered by the wrath of God, but they do not tell you what this wrath of God is for. Think about it for yourself. There was a time when your fathers found themselves slaves of neighboring nations. For what? For worshiping idols. We also spent 70 years in Babylonian captivity. During the time of the Romans they did not serve idols. And yet, Titus and his army destroyed the church and the city so much that not one stone was left upon another. Why such terrible wrath of God? Even now the Jews do not bow to idols, and yet for 18 centuries they have been scattered throughout the universe. Why such terrible wrath of God? Do you not know, son of Israel? I will remind you of the sentence of your fathers, the blood of His Jesus is on us and on our children, they said to Pilate. You see, your fathers destroyed the Messiah, as Daniel predicted, and they themselves pronounced judgment on themselves and their descendants. This is the reason for the wrath of God predicted by Daniel! Understand that until they repent of their sin, until they accept the One for whom all the righteous were waiting, the wrath of God will not cease to weigh upon the murderers of the Messiah. We can describe the story of Christ Jesus in the words of the prophets. Thus, everything that was to happen to the Messiah according to the prophecies was fulfilled over Him. Besides the fact that Jesus was born, in accordance with the prophecies, of a pure virgin, from the tribe of David, in Bethlehem of Judea, the forerunner John, an angel in strict life, Elijah in zeal for the glory of the name of God, prepared people to accept Him by preaching repentance and spoke of Him aloud to all, behold, the Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world (John 1:29). This is exactly how it should have been according to the words of the prophets (Mal.3:1; Is.40:3; Luke 1:14). Even the Jewish Josephus wrote, “St. John is the second Elijah, and Jesus has in him the forerunner whom, according to the prophecies, the Messiah should have. 69 The life of Christ Jesus, according to ancient broadcasts, was modest and not visible to the people of the century (Is. 53:1). He was so meek and full of love for others that He was careful not to break the bruised reed and His voice was not heard at the crossroads (Isa.42:2-3; Matt.11:29). At the same time, He was the Son of God, endowed with the power and eternity of the Divine, as the prophets said about the Messiah (Is.9:5; Ps.2:7, 109:4; Matt.22:43–44; John 1:1–4). His divine greatness was revealed in His deeds and teaching. He performed miracles, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, legs to the lame, life to the dead (Luke 7:29; Isaiah 35:5–6, 53:4). And eyewitnesses of His great miracles said, “This is truly the prophet who was to come into the world” (John 6:14). He was a prophet like Moses (Deut. 18:15) not only in miracles, but also in teaching. The country of Zebulun and the country of Nephalim - countries of people immersed in the darkness of superstition, were the first to see the light of His heavenly teaching, according to prophecies (Is. 9: 1-2). His teaching was extremely pure and spiritual, powerful and amazing, so that even the servants of His enemies spoke; never a man spoke as this man speaks (Is. 11:1-9; John 7:46). His life fully corresponded to His holy teaching: You shall not commit lawlessness; flattery will be found in His mouth (Is. 53:9). Which of you will convict me of sin? He spoke freely to the Jews (John 8:46). The apostles, witnesses of the truth and His life, also spoke (John 23:5; 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 7:27). He enters Jerusalem like a king, greeted by the delights of the people, but in a humble form, sitting on a colt, as the prophet predicted (Zechariah 9:9). The temple of Jerusalem did not see such glory as Christ Jesus, who performed so many great deeds and appeared in it, being the Son of the Most High, did not see it either before or after Jesus, as it was the last church (Hag. 2:1). The circumstances of the death of Jesus are the same as those foreseen by the prophets, to the point that its most specific features were taken, as it were, from the prophets. It is valued at 30 pieces of silver, and this price passes from the church into the hands of the potter, as Zechariah said (Zechariah 11:2). The princes of the pagans and the elders of the Jews rebelled against Him (Ps. 2:1). They accuse Him shamelessly, but He is silent (Is. 53:8). They spit on Him, they hit Him on the cheeks, and He endures (Is. 53:6). Like a sheep destined to be slaughtered, it will not open its mouth (Isa. 53:7). They classify Him as an intolerant people and condemn Him as a villain (Is. 53:9, 12; Luke 22:37). They pierce His hands and feet on the cross (Ps. 21:17; Mark 15:25). They cast lots for His clothing and divide among themselves (Ps. 21:9). He melts away in agony, and His enemies mock Him (Ps. 21:8). With blasphemous mockery they say about the sufferer, “He trusted in the Lord, let him save Him” (Ps. 21:9; Matt. 27:43). The people make a spectacle of Him (Ps. 21:5). In agony He cries out: My God, my God, why have You forsaken Me! (Ps. 21:1). They give him gall for food, and when he is thirsty he is given vinegar to drink (Ps. 68:22). They pierce His side (Zechariah 12:10). They assign His grave with the wicked, but He finds His grave with a rich man (Is. 53:9). People think that “He is smitten, bruised, chastened by God, but He was bruised for our transgressions, smitten for our iniquities, judgments upon Him for our peace” (Isa. 53:4-5). “The Messiah is consumed, but not for himself” (Dan.7:26). Even Pilate did not find any guilt in Him; His life was pure and holy from the manger to the grave. He is the eternal high priest, according to the order of Melchizedek, who offered himself for the people (Ps. 109:4; Heb. 5:6, 10). What happens after His death? God the Father could not leave Him in the power of corruption; Jesus was resurrected (Ps. 15:10; Acts 2:27). The risen One sat down at the right hand of God the Father (Ps. 109:1-2, 7). And so the law is inscribed on the hearts of people, at Pentecost the Spirit of God descends on the apostles and proclaims the law of grace to the hearts (Jer. 31: 7, 31-37; Eze. 36: 11). And so the knowledge of Jehovah spreads throughout the entire universe (Isa. 9:1-3, 11:6-10). Through Abraham's seed all the nations of the earth are blessed (Gen. 12:3, 22:18). So the prophecies point to Jesus as the Messiah, Savior of the world! So Jesus Christ is the same one about whom all the prophets spoke, whom God promised to send to earth to save people. The king and prophet says to the Jews, “honor the Son, so that He is not angry, and you do not perish in your journey; worship Him, to whom “the nations have been given for an inheritance and the ends of the earth for a possession” (Ps. 2:8, 12). But the Jews do not listen and want to perish. Unhappy blindness! What did the Jewish teachers not come up with in order to hold on and keep their disciples in the unfortunate delusion about the Messiah Jesus? Due to their malicious hostility towards the Messiah Jesus, deviating from the tradition of the ancient Jewish church about the Messiah, they had to and did reach the strangest, most stupid rumors about the Messiah. Then they assure that faith in the Messiah is not an important matter, it is not worth talking about the Messiah. 70 But did the prophets and the righteous of God believe so? Doesn't this mean completely abandoning the faith of our fathers, the belief in the possibility of salvation? Then, fearing clear prophecies about the time of the coming of the Messiah, they pronounced a curse on those who would calculate the time of the coming of the Messiah. 71 Isn’t this evidence of obstinacy against the truth? Isn't this violence to the accusatory voice of conscience? They are expecting the Messiah as an earthly and powerful king, who by force of arms will force all nations to be slaves of the Jews. 72 But what prophet told them about such a Messiah? The Messiah of the prophets, the ruler of minds and consciences, the conqueror of superstitions and delusions, and his kingdom is the kingdom of love and indestructible peace (Is. 11:6-10). Either they talk about two Messiahs, and at the same time they talk differently, according to one interpretation there are two Messiahs according to their earthly lot - one is the poor son of Joseph from the tribe of Ephraim, the other is a glorious descendant of David; and according to other views, the Messiah has two purposes - one for the pagans, the other for the Jews. 73 But the prophets knew one Messiah, a humble descendant of Jesse, but subduing all nations to his teaching; they knew the Messiah of the descendant of Judah, but none of them knew the Messiah of the tribe of Ephraim. They suggest to the gullible that the Messiah has come, but He is bound in the Garden of Eden by the hair of a woman, or He has come; but hides in Rome among the lepers, waiting for Elijah to declare him the dignity of the Messiah. 74 Judge whether these are not fables, insulting both common sense and the teaching of the prophets? No, others say, the Messiah has not yet come, and because the Sabbath is not kept, the ritual law is not observed. But what do the sermons of the prophets mean after this? Lie! Deception! Oh, let them not blaspheme. The decrees of God, which so many times and with such precision appointed the time of the Messiah, and the circumstances of His life and His great deeds, cannot be canceled, especially for insignificant reasons, such as the non-preservation of rituals by a Jew, especially when the Messiah is appointed not for the Jews alone, but for the entire universe. And to which prophet was it announced about the change in God’s advice regarding the Savior of the world? Rabbi? Let him amuse himself, if he wants, with his fiction; but why does he destroy gullible souls with wicked inventions? So the Jews, if they want to be sincere disciples of the prophets, can only recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Otherwise, their talk about the Messiah is a chaos of arbitrariness, exposing itself to wickedness, a rabble of opinions that not only disagree, but also contradict each other. Otherwise, let them either present the true message of the prophet - why God’s decree about the Messiah was not fulfilled, or show - in whom, if not in Jesus Christ, were the prophecies about the Messiah fulfilled? But they are unable to do either one or the other without offending common sense. They cannot provide any satisfying reasons why they do not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. If they say that Jesus was not clothed with earthly majesty, then the Messiah was supposed to be such according to the prophecies, and, therefore, they do not accept the Messiah of the prophets. Will they say that Jesus did not promulgate a new law, in abolition of the ritual, with the same solemnity with which the law was given at Sinai? But this is not true! In view of the inhabitants of all countries of the world, who had gathered for the holiday in Jerusalem, the Holy Spirit descended on the apostles, who then, according to His instructions, announced to the universe about the law of grace. They cannot justify themselves in accepting the Talmud in place of the teachings of Christ. The divine origin of the first is visible both by its high content and by external signs - miracles and prophecies. What is the Talmud? There is not a word about the fact that there were no miracles or prophecies in favor of the Talmud; there is too much in it that offends common sense and a clear conscience. For example, according to the Talmud, God spends three hours every day studying the Talmud and amuses himself with playing with Leviathan for the same amount of time; every day weeps about the destruction of Jerusalem, prepares a feast of Roman birds and wines for the Messiah; no Jew will be in hell for more than 12 months; the terrible judgment of the Messiah will strike only non-Jews; a Jew can deceive, and steal, and kill a non-Jew, and so on. O eternal Truth! If people do not accept You, it is because they like everything that is theirs - both the inventions of self-love, as well as vices; they do not want to give up their will in anything. Blessings are boundless! Forgive the stubbornness of our pride, send Your strength to subdue our evil will to Your holy statutes. Amen. Word VIII. About the coming of the Messiah Az imam is a witness greater than John (John 5:36). It is a pity that people are blinded and do not want to recognize the fulfillment of ancient prophecies in the person of Christ Jesus. The truth does not lose its firmness because of this. People lose a lot from this. But let's be lenient with people. Prophecies, as outlines of the distant future, by their very nature, cannot be as clear to people as the narratives of history, and especially since, proclaimed according to various needs and circumstances, they make it difficult to understand them by their very connection with those circumstances. But is the Christian’s faith in Christ Jesus as the Savior of the world based on the Old Testament revelation alone? Oh no! No matter how sincerely a Christian respects the Old Testament revelation, he has another, higher revelation - the revelation of the Son of God (Heb. 1:1). And this undoubtedly shows him in Christ Jesus the One who is so needed for fallen humanity. Our Savior testified before the Jews, Azim's testimony is greater than John's; the works that the Father has given me that I may do; the works that I do testify of me, that the Father has sent me. According to the Lord, there never appeared among men who was greater than John. So, according to the teaching of the Lord, both the patriarchs and the prophets are inferior in greatness to the greatness of John the Baptist. John was the highest messenger of God; his testimony was the most important testimony of all earthly testimonies that came before him. And, however, that Jesus Christ is the messenger of God is even more important evidence than the testimony of John himself, especially the testimony of the prophets, what kind of testimony is this? The works, says the Savior, which the Father has given me to do, the works which I do testify of me, that the Father has sent me. Yes, how many miracles our Savior performed in earthly life! And what miracles! At one time He fed seven thousand people with a few loaves, at another time He fed five thousand people with five loaves. He tamed the stormy waves of the lake with a word; with clay he opened the sight of the one born blind; He raised the dead and He Himself rose from the dead. The truth of his miracles was recognized by his enemies themselves. “What should we do? spoke the Jewish Sanhedrin. This man performed many miracles” (John 11:47). Only blind passions can attribute these miracles either to evil spirits or to human art. Heavenly truth itself spoke through the lips of the Savior when He said, “Woe to you Chorazin! woe to you Bethsaida! For if the powers that were demonstrated in you had been demonstrated in Tire and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes” (Matthew 11:21). Everything that the Savior said about the future infidelity of the disciples - everything that he said about the imminent fate of Jerusalem and Israel, everything that he said in advance about his suffering and resurrection - was fulfilled with amazing accuracy. And how high, how holy was His life! There has never been a righteous man like Him among men. He spoke the truth to people and preached heavenly truths only for the glory of God. “My food,” He said, “is to do the will of him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34). Everyone can be convinced of the heavenly origin of his teaching by his own experience, as soon as he begins to live according to the best demands of his spirit. “Whoever wants to do the will of Him,” the Heavenly Father, “will know whether my teaching is from God, or whether I speak from myself,” said the Savior, and the experience of everyone will justify His words. The Apostles of Christ also proved their heavenly mission with miracles, prophecies and lives. After this, shouldn’t we accept with complete reverence the testimonies of Christ Jesus and His apostles about who Christ Jesus is for poor humanity? The testimony of Christ Jesus about himself, the indisputable testimony, He knew where and why He came into the world; and His glory and works show that He could speak only the truth. The same must be said about the testimony of the apostles as messengers of God. What is preached in the New Testament revelation of God about the relationship of the title of Messiah to Jesus? The Samaritan woman says to the Savior, “I know that the Messiah will come, i.e. Christ; when he comes, he will explain everything to us. “It is I who speak to you,” answers our Savior (John 4:25–26). John sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we expect someone else? Jesus answer them, go and tell John that you hear and see, the blind despise, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, and the poor are preached the good news” (Matthew 11:2:5). And the question talks about the Messiah and the answer proves through miracles that Jesus is the Messiah. Who do you think I am? the Savior asked his disciples. Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Blessed are you, Simon, son of Jonah! because it was not flesh and blood that revealed it to you, but my Father who is in heaven, the Savior spoke. You see, faith in the Messiah Jesus is not the fruit of human instruction, but the work of God in human hearts. The Jews persistently questioned Jesus; “How long will you torment our souls? if you are the Christ, tell us directly.” Jesus answered them, I told you and you do not believe, the works that I do in the name of my Father testify of me. You do not believe because you are not one of my sheep (John 10:24–25). And in prayer before the heavenly Father He confesses that He has accomplished the work entrusted to Him by the Father (John 17:4-5). And to the question of the bloodthirsty Caiaphas, are you Christ the son of God? He answered in the affirmative, and to prove it he said, From now on you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of the power of God and coming on the clouds of heaven” (Matthew 26:63–64). More than once He directly told both the people and the apostles that He was the one about whom the prophets spoke. This is how he taught until his death (Matthew 26:54; Mark 9:12; Luke 18:81–33; John 6:32). This is what he said after the resurrection. “O foolish ones and slow of heart in believing what the prophets have foretold. Is this not how Christ had to suffer and enter into his glory? and beginning with Moses, of all the prophets he explained to them what was said about him in all the scriptures,” this is how the resurrected one taught the Emauite travelers (Luke 24:25–27). The Jews connected with the name of the Messiah the concept of an earthly king, who should restore the political significance of the Jewish people, and if he becomes a teacher, then only for the Jews (John 6:14–15; Matt. 21:6, 9). The evangelists do not hide the fact that such faith was shared with others by the disciples closest to Jesus until they were enlightened by the Spirit of God (Matthew 20:20–21; Luke 24:21; Acts 1:6). Obviously, this human opinion was very pleasing to human pride, who only caressed pride. But the heavenly witness of the truth, who sought only the glory of the Heavenly Father, hid when they wanted to declare Him king, and on every occasion denounced the unjust concept of the Messiah both among the people and among his disciples (Luke 17:20–21, 13:29; John 6:15, 18, 32–38, 10:16, 4:23–24; Matt. 21:43). Especially the comforter, the Spirit of truth, revealed in all clarity to the apostles that Christ Jesus is the Savior of the entire human race, and not just the Jews. And in the teaching of the apostles, the name of the Messiah Jesus after that became the name of the only enlightener of the world and the Savior of the soul. For example, app. Peter tells the Jews about Jesus, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12). “All the prophets testify of Him, that whoever believes in Him will receive forgiveness of sins through His name” (Acts 10:43). Ap. Paul “outmatched the Jews living in Damascus, proving that Jesus is the Christ” (Acts 9:22). And he testified before King Agrippa and Festus that “the prophets and Moses said that Christ had to suffer and, being the first to rise from the dead, bring light to this people and to the pagans” (Acts 26:22–23). Ap. John concludes his gospel this way: “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you might have life in His name” (John 20:31). And besides the apostles, the best of Jesus’ contemporaries received illumination from above, and those instructed by heaven recognized Jesus as the Messiah. Such were the eastern wise men (Matthew 2:1) and the Bethlehem shepherds; the latter heard the song of the heavenly angels glorifying the baby Jesus as the Saviors of the world (Luke 2:10). Zechariah, the father of the forerunner of John, “filled with the Holy Spirit, said, Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that he has visited his people” and is sending the Savior to them; and spoke of his son as the forerunner of the Messiah. The miracle that resolved the language of Zechariah confirmed the fidelity of his prophetic speech (Luke 1:54–60). The righteous Simeon was promised that he would not see death until he saw the Christ of the Lord, and he, seeing the baby Jesus, rejoiced over him as a light for the pagans, as a glory for Israel, and at the same time called Him a stumbling block for many (Luke 2:26-28). John the Baptist, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask who he was? declared directly that “he is not Christ.” Who are you? The messengers asked John. He answered, “I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness; straighten the way of the Lord, as the prophet Isaiah said.” And then he added, “I baptize in water; but stands among you whom you do not know. He is the one who comes after me, but who takes precedence over me.” The next day John sees Jesus coming to him and says, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world... I did not know Him, but he who sent me to baptize in water told me, on whom you will see the Holy Spirit descending and remaining on him, he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit” (John 1:21-23, 26-33). After such witnesses about the Messiah Jesus, after such loud and intelligible testimonies from heaven, can human opinions, no matter whose they may be, mean anything? If the Jewish authorities did not recognize Jesus as the expected Messiah and handed Him over to be crucified, is this important for faith in Jesus the Messiah? No, not how much. Is it against faith in the prophets, as in the messengers of God, that the Jews persecuted and killed the prophets? Oh! it only says that these were thin, pitiful people. And the corruption of the Jewish people during the time of Christ Jesus, according to the testimony of history, was so great as it had never been before. What could be expected from the high priests, who bought and sold the power of the high priest for money, from the Pharisees and scribes, who dreamed only of earthly benefits, from the people, corrupted by the prejudices and example of their superiors. Will they also point to the present-day Jews? Children are ahead of their fathers, but in what way? Money and money are all the kids care about. They still crush each other for money, not just Christians. ABOUT! My God! Why don’t we Christians live with all our souls by faith in Christ our Lord? Because we love the earth, not the sky. Eternal light of the eternal Father! Illuminate our hearts with Your light, so that we recognize You with all the fullness of our minds and love the paths of light with all our souls! Amen. Section XI. Words and conversations for different days and occasions Conversation on the 3rd week of Easter A wonderful event - the event with Saul on the road to Damascus! It contains a lot of instructive and edifying things. The Jewish Sanhedrin, wanting to stop the work of the gospel of Christ, put the apostles in prison and then announced a strict order - not to say a word about the risen Jesus (Acts 4:1-5, 17-40). When the Jewish scholars, having entered into a dispute with Stephen, were irritated by Stephen's victory over them, and agitating the people, they brought Stephen to the court of the Sanhedrin (Acts 6:9-14); when Stephen proved to the Sanhedrin how great the enmity of the Jews against the God of Israel was, Stephen, by decision of the Sanhedrin, was stoned outside the city (Acts 7:59). This was the first victim of fanatical malice! Saul was there, and not only encouraged the murder of the innocent Stephen, but the death of the martyr kindled in him a fanatical jealousy against the Nazarene (Acts 7:58, 22:20). Saul decided to finish the work of the hated teacher, at any cost. He began to persecute even to death the followers of the teachings of Jesus (Acts 22:4). “He tormented the church of Jerusalem, entering houses, dragging away men and women, and delivering them into prison” (Acts 8:3). Not content with the bloody deeds in Jerusalem, he asked the Sanhedrin for authority and people to also persecute Christians in Damascus. With such a soul, with such dispositions, Saul went to Damascus (Acts 9:1–2, 22:5). When he, accompanied by servants, was approaching Damascus and the Christians of Damascus were in fear for their fate, “suddenly a light from heaven shone around him and, falling to the ground, he heard a voice, Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting me? He said, Who are you, Lord? The Lord said, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is difficult for you to go against the pricks” (Acts 9:3–5). What a wonderful light! The Apostle himself said, “at midday a great light suddenly shone upon me from heaven” (Acts 22:6); and on another occasion he testified, “a light from heaven brighter than the brightness of the sun shone upon me” (Acts 26:13). The light of noon gave way to the radiance of heavenly light; the radiance of the sun was dim compared to the radiance of heaven. And what is the light at noon? Eastern noon, Palestinian noon, the clearest and brightest noon! So, this is not the flash of lightning. The learned Saul knew the atmospheric phenomenon very well and could not call it by someone else's name. Moreover, this is not a ghost of imagination. The phenomenon was accompanied by obvious physical changes. So this is the light of God, this is the glory of the Divine. In this light Jesus appeared, pursued by Saul. Both Ananias (Acts 9:17) and Barnabas (Acts 9:27) say that the Lord appeared to Paul on the road. Paul saw Jesus in glorified humanity. In the earthly life of Jesus we see the same phenomenon. On Mount Tabor, Jesus was transfigured; His face shone like the sun, His robe was white as snow. Peter, James and Andrew looked at this glory in delight, and, dismayed, fell. Saul was terrified by the vision, and he fell blind. What is the glory of the Lord Jesus! What is the greatness in which He will appear to carry out judgment on the universe! How varied will be the effects of that glorious appearance on people! Saul not only saw the light, but heard the words of the Lord, asked questions and received answers. His companions, according to Luke, “stood in a daze, hearing the voice, but seeing no one” Acts 9:7); according to Paul, “they saw the light and were afraid, but they did not hear the words of Him who spoke” (Acts 22:9). This means that the radiance of the light struck them so much that they stood in a frenzy, heard the voice, but did not understand the words. They were enlightened enough to understand and convey the extraordinary nature of the event. The radiance of heavenly light was at noon, this is not a ghost! Paul's companions experienced the defeat of the light to the point that they went into a frenzy. In their eyes, Saul, who saw, became blind. The miracle is tangible and especially for Saul. The appearance of the Lord was, in fact, for Saul, and not for his companions. They are only witnesses. “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me? the voice spoke to Saul. Saul, who thought so low of the Nazarene, did not at all think that Jesus who appeared in such glory was Jesus. Who are you, Lord? he asked and heard the answer, “I am Jesus, whom you persecute.” Saul persecuted believers. But Christ lives in believers; whoever persecutes them persecutes Him. He is one with them. He is the head - they are members; The leader also takes part in the suffering of the members. Saul also persecuted Jesus out of ignorance. blinded by jealousy, he hated the whole work of Jesus, His teaching, His life, His works. How frightening the Christian soul should be those people who, by the example of life and the words of their foolishness, turn away from Christ the Lord souls redeemed by His blood. By doing evil to Christian souls, they persecute Christ the Lord Himself. “For what good deed do you want to kill Me? Jesus asked the Jews. This is exactly what He asks Saul now. No amount of enemy malice can find a stain either in the life or teaching of Jesus. On the contrary, He is so holy, so submissive to the will of the Heavenly Father; He breathes such love for people that he only does good to them; His teaching is such pure heavenly light as the universe has never seen. “Saul, Saul! Why are you persecuting Me?” He asks, breathing love. Poor humanity! My poor soul! Saul persecuted Jesus out of ignorance. He knew Him only in the form in which His sworn enemies of good - the Pharisees and scribes - portrayed Him. The malicious talk of bad people drew his ardent soul onto a bad path. Thinking to be a man of God, he turned out to be an enemy of God. God forbid from that state when the soul, carried away by passions, begins to love sin to the point that goodness becomes hateful to it. “It’s hard for you to go against the grain.” A shepherd drives a flock of sheep, with a long and sharp pole in his hand. Can a sheep go against this pole with which it is driven? If she had started to fight with a sharp rod, she would only have wounded herself. Likewise, the struggle against the teachings of Christ is vain and foolish, whether it is open or secret. Persecution raised by one, many, all is in vain. All this will only be a misfortune for the persecutors. An infidel and a wicked person, no matter how much they rebel against truth and piety, will do nothing to truth and piety. The truth is clear, bright, like the light of God; warm, life-giving piety, like the life of God. The infidel and the wicked, hating them, persecuting them, cause only dishonor and destruction to themselves, because they turn out to be the enemies of that which is most dear to man, the enemies of the lofty, pure, holy, without which man is not a man. This is what the history of the Christian Church shows! This is what the history of faces shows! “Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do” (Acts 9:6). This is what the Lord said, according to Luke. But St. Luke is leaving something out here. According to the narrative of Paul himself, transmitted to St. Luke in another place, the Lord told him his will about his service to the church. “Rise and stand on your feet. For this purpose I appeared to you, to make you a minister and a witness to what you have seen and what I will reveal to you, tearing you away from the people of the Jews and from the Gentiles, to whom I am now sending you to open their eyes, so that they may be found from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, and through faith in Me they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share of the inheritance with those who are sanctified” (Acts 26:16-18). This was the general outline of Pavlova’s activities in relation to others! Paul subsequently told the Galatians, “I received the gospel and learned it, not from man, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ” (Gal. 1:12). Paul learned everything that needed to be preached to others from the Lord Himself; and what he should do with himself, he must learn about in Damascus, Ananias will teach him. When Saul realized who was speaking to him, he “in trembling and horror” asked, “Lord! What will you have me do?” (Acts 9:6). The appearance of the Lord had a stunning effect on Saul, accompanied by a decisive change in him; he is no longer a persecutor of Jesus; he trembles before Him; he awaits only His will, ready to carry it out at all costs; he decided to do whatever pleased the Lord; he no longer wants to know his own will and gives himself all to the Lord. When they brought him blind to Damascus, he “did not eat or drink” for three days (Acts 9:9). He now bitterly repented of his past error. This grief was so sincere, it was so deep, it tormented his soul so much that neither food nor drink came to Saul’s mind. For a long time, for a long time after that, he remembered - he remembered until the grave that he was “a blasphemer and a persecutor and an offender” (1 Tim. 1:13), that he persecuted the church of God (1 Cor. 15:9). He made no excuses for his guilt before the Lord; recognized himself as an enemy of God, worthy of any execution. Tormented by repentance, “he now prays,” as the Lord told Ananias (Acts 9:11). What is he praying for? About what repentance taught, about the forgiveness of sins, about what the heavenly phenomenon pointed to - about the sending down of the forces necessary for a better life, to love and preach what he had hitherto persecuted. “I will show him how much he must suffer for Me” (Acts 9:16), so the Lord now spoke to Ananias about Saul. The Lord saw that the repentant and grateful Saul was ready to suffer for Him, and promised Saul his all-powerful help, with which no suffering would overwhelm Saul. The rank to which Saul is called is high, but on whom the Lord places more burdens than on others, he also sends more strength. “As the sufferings of Christ abound in us, our consolation also abounds through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5), as Paul himself said. What sufferings did Saul not endure for the Lord Jesus? And the short list he makes of his sufferings (2 Cor. 11:20–32, 12:9–12) is amazing. My brother! If you are especially excited for deeds of piety, if you have received enough light and spiritual warmth from heaven, be faithful to your heavenly calling in order to walk the thorny and narrow path. Whom the Lord sought with His mercy, did He not have the right to expect from him a sincere readiness to endure sorrows and needs for the glory of His name? Do not be content with the first feelings of repentance, it is sacred, but it must still bear fruit worthy of sincere love. Do not be embarrassed by the bitterness of ready-made troubles, the One who called you will allow you to endure as much as you don’t think. Experience will teach you what patience means; You will learn from experience that “from patience comes skill, from experience hope, and hope does not disappoint” (Rom. 5:3-4). Saul was converted by one appearance of the Lord! How is this possible? In the depths of Savlova’s soul there was goodness and, first of all, he loved the law of God. He made mistakes, he admitted human passions and passions, but the grain of his soul was good. Without this - let the angels speak, let the dead rise, let the Lord appear in thunder and lightning, the wicked will tremble and remain wicked. If Saul had not believed in Moses and the prophets, the wondrous light and reproof of the Lord would have been accepted in the same way as the miracles of the Lord were accepted by the corrupt Pharisees, “if they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, then they will not believe even someone raised from the dead” (Luke 16:31). Don’t say, God is merciful, I’ll wait for a miracle, and then I’ll be different. They won’t make you different without you. Do your job, use what is given to you; do not let God’s mercies pass your eyes; do the will of God revealed about you in Scripture. Oh my God! If I, such a sinner, still live, and every day and every hour Your gifts pour on me, aren’t these miracles of Your goodness? And I remain cold towards them, I do not thank them for them, I do not repent of my unworthiness, I do not bear the fruits of repentance! What am I waiting for? My brother! By neglecting the gifts of God, we call upon ourselves the wrath of God, and not the mercy of God. Fertilize the soil of your heart with repentance and the fear of God, so that the seeds of the word of God can take refuge in the depths of your soul and sprout after sprouting stalks with grain; call with prayer dew and rain of grace on the sown land, otherwise drought will appear and everything will perish. By praying, prayer will give you everything. Saul prayed and did not receive anything! Both the Gentiles and the Jews, both our own and the foreigner, were against Saul; but with the grace of God, given through prayer, he conquered everything, and you will also conquer. Word for the 4th week of Easter If the Son sets you free, you will be free in truth (John 8:36). Freedom. freedom is a charming word! Who doesn’t care about you, freedom? And how much people now worry about freedom! A wreath flies on your head as soon as someone utters a word about freedom, even if it’s not a clever word. What are you, dear, free for everyone. If we say that freedom is independence from everything that offends a person’s better nature, are we saying that we are inconsistent with common sense? Whoever has the right mind and heart will not say anything against such a thought about freedom. Yes, if nothing in life stops the correct course of life, if the life of our spiritual nature develops according to its best requirements; if the will determines its activity by the pure, spiritual demands of nature, known under the name of the moral law, is this not the true freedom that a person should desire? To be free, they say, means not to submit to anyone’s outside will, to live and act as you want, to always act in everything according to your own will, according to the feelings and desires of your heart. But this is not freedom, but self-will; This is not freedom that revives a person, but arbitrariness that destroys a person’s life; This is not the world of nature, limited with the unlimited Creator, but a war against God and man’s war with himself. Who brought such an idea of ​​freedom into human society? The one who told the first people, you will be like a god. Nothing to say, reliable teacher! Freedom is independence, from what? From something incongruous with spiritual nature. True freedom is also love for all that is best, pure love for God and humanity, and also voluntary and willing submission of one’s will to the law of God. I walk in breadth, for I have sought your commandments (Ps. 119:45), says one of the best people with delight. And what should we do otherwise? The omniscient legislator knows the nature of man, as man himself can never know it, with all the aid of his speculative and experimental wisdom. Therefore, the law given by God to man is the truest, most complete expression of the best needs of human nature, is a complete and living way of activity, completely consistent with the essential needs of man, is the best, happiest, most life-giving development of human life. Our trouble is this: the law is spiritual, but I am carnal. Where can I get the strength to fulfill the law? Where can I get the power to develop within myself a life according to a better, revitalizing standard of life? If the Son sets you free, you will be free in truth, says the Son of God (John 8:36). Freedom truly appears in a person only when he begins to live under the influence of the invisible grace of Christ; the omnipotent grace of God heals the damaged spiritual organism and gives strength to develop life according to a better model of life. Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:29), says the Son of God. ABOUT! what a sweet voice that is! What a good call this is! Under the shadow of the grace of Christ, the soul certainly finds peace for itself, which it cannot find anywhere else; under the invisible, but powerful, rule of the power of God, her life flows in the widest stream. The law does not lie with the righteous (1 Tim. 1:9), because for him to act according to God’s law is the same as living and acting according to the desires of his pure heart, because he fulfills much more than all earthly statutes can say. Look at the lives of true followers of the gospel. Their life is imprinted with the character of that wonderful freedom of spirit, that independence and independence that you will not find in any student of human philosophical schools. Among the saints of God you see kings and subjects, shepherds and flocks, rich and poor, old age and youth, men and women, but with all the differences in gender and age, rank and social distinctions, the same spirit of gospel freedom animates their entire lives. Without pride or self-praise, they speak the truth of the gospel to both the silent and vocal of the earth, denouncing the vices and corruption of people, despite the dangers to themselves. They do not chase the wind of the spirit of the times, do not curry his benevolent smile, do not flatter his inclinations, if he directly goes against the law of God, they tell him about it to his face, if he covers up a lie with some good, they give honor to the good and bring the lie to light. There is only the fear of God before their eyes, but they are not afraid of any people, neither the learned, nor the ignorant, nor the fanatics, nor the indifferent, nor the Nero, nor the Hamans, nor demagogy, nor the oligarchy. During public troubles, a devastating war, an all-destroying plague, when everyone else loses their head and loses heart, they with fresh thought seek measures against evil and are comforting angels. With the most sudden upheavals of happiness, with the most severe blows of life, although they suffer, they suffer in silence; in prison and chains they are as courageous and firm as under wreaths of honor. If they own wealth and are distinguished by general attention, they do not allow themselves either pride or luxury, generously pouring out peace and contentment on others. Such is the life of true Christians! He who commits sin is the slave of sin (John 8:34). Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom (2 Cor. 3:17). What profound sayings these are! Where there is sin, there is slavery! Sin is not akin to our soul - it was created for the Lord and lives only in the will of God. Sin puts shackles on the soul, constrains its activity, upsets its life, kills it. A fish not in water, a bird not in the air, die, just like a soul in an atmosphere of sin alien to it. Take a closer look at what sin does to the soul? She prefers illusory, deceptive, poisonous good to true good; constrained in impulses towards the heavenly, she languishes in darkness, hiding from her the bright image of truth; and the heart, mired in low pleasures, exhausts with longing for the heavenly homeland; the will loses energy for good, like a slave with a chain around his neck. The self-will of sin does not take advantage of even that insignificant remnant of arbitrariness for long, which makes it possible to move from one vice to another. Having given himself over to one passion, a person loses the convenience of poisoning himself with others, and does not dare change the object of pleasure. This is why it happens that a miser torments himself with hunger, a servant of carnal lust squanders his father’s millions, a vain person does the same for the empty sound of fame. Passion enslaves everything to itself, and the mind is in its service and the heart beats to flow with it, all activity, internal and external, is determined by its whims. It happens that the voice of conscience rises up with force against the despotism of acquired passion, but the power of passion overcomes all intelligent reasoning and - in reality it turns out to be a miserable slave of sin. So evangelical, spiritual freedom is not the same thing as civil freedom; spiritual freedom can be the property of a king and a subject, a slave and a master, a nobleman and a poor artisan. What is the relationship between spiritual freedom and civil freedom? Without the influence of spiritual freedom, civil freedom is a sad advantage. In such a situation, civil freedom is for some a means of oppressing their neighbors, for others it is a pretext for self-will and violence. The superior, by right of rank, enjoys greater civil freedom than those subordinate to him. Imagine that he does not want to know the requirements of spiritual freedom; imagine that he is a slave of pride and self-will, for whom he is ready to do everything, what will he then be for his subordinates? Torturer. He demands not what the law requires, but what his evil passions inspire him with; do not fulfill his criminal will and you will be forced to suffer. In vain you will appeal to justice, to the higher authorities, to the voice of your neighbors; the resourceful mind of the strong will bring you to a situation sadder, more bitter than it was before the complaints. On the contrary, if the spirit of evangelical freedom animates the boss, he stands above self-deception, above pride and vanity; no matter how extensive his rights may be; He will not only not offend you with unrighteousness, but with complacency and good deeds he will delight his power for you. He carries a sword in his hand, but only against debauchery and rioting - not he, but the law, punishes the deceiver, thief and murderer. Nowadays, legitimate power is often called despotism. This is a mistake, a sad mistake. The most cruel, the most inhuman despotism is the wild tyranny of the subordinates, that tyranny to which true, Christian freedom is completely unfamiliar. The predominance of strong individuals who abuse their power is harmful to the well-being of society. But the self-will and riot of the people, inflamed by passions, is terrible, according to the majority of people; in the blindness of ignorance, it is able to destroy everything, order, laws, power, family life and religion itself. Remember, was it not this disastrous freedom in a country that prided itself on education that overthrew all sacred family and social rights, extinguished science, desecrated churches, committed unheard-of atrocities and cruelties, and betrayed hundreds of thousands of innocent people to various deaths? Where there is no Christian freedom, freedom of mind and heart from passions, there civil freedom, if through intense efforts, appears among people, then for a short time and not in its exact form, and then will be replaced by the horrors of inhumanity; the riot of passions, having overthrown the illusory bonds, will impose real ones, overthrowing the beneficial and necessary, will impose unnecessary and disastrous ones, overthrowing the good yoke of order and humanity, mercilessly aggravate it with anarchy and tyranny. Thieves and murderers are not the same as people who are not constrained by civil laws? Such is civil freedom without Christian freedom! Spiritual, Christian freedom, like living love in everything good, placing a person above passions and calculations of self-interest, forces him to act in civil society with complete selflessness for the benefit of others. This is how it acts when abolishing slavery in the state; it does not offend anyone’s property rights, but encourages Christian love to make a feasible sacrifice for the good of others; She does not seek space and peace for herself at the expense of others, but only desires peace for others. It improves a certain civil order, bringing it closer and closer to the spirit of the gospel, changing it for the better gradually, peacefully and quietly, without disturbing anyone’s truly rational and free activity. Shall we take freedom of the printed word? One should not, they say, put any shackles on the word; the word is a gift of God given to everyone. But first of all, it is in vain to take the printed word as a gift from God; it is the property of a few, obtained through their labor. Let them put him in his place, in the place of a craft that is noble in the power of a noble soul, and vulgar in the hands of a vulgar man. If the printed word were only the word of a chatterbox, it would not be to his credit, and for others it would only be boring. But the printed word can also be the word of a cunning slanderer, ready to torment you in court. It can be a word of bilious anger, whose joy is the suffering of entire societies, a word of vanity, merciless to the peace of millions. Then, just as the spoken word, no matter how rotten it may be, is very short-lived and limits its actions to a close circle of people, the printed word, if it is a rotten word, will breed rot in the hearts of people for centuries and, while the spoken word is a gift of God given to all people, the printed word is the occupation of the rare. What then is the printed word? The despotism of a few over entire millions and over entire generations, the most offensive despotism if empty people despot, and yet it is the most powerful and most dangerous of all despotisms, it imposes its thoughts and delusions, its wild passions and prejudices on societies and not of one century, but of a number of centuries. No power, no board can resist the destructive effect of the printed word. There is no word for it, this is despotism that is very pleasant for the pride of the leaders, but all the more dangerous for mental health and the common good, and only people who value neither conscience nor common sense can approve of it. Christian freedom, like freedom of love, values ​​too much the health of human souls and their independence; the area where she can act is limitless, spreading the light of fruitful knowledge, but she will not allow herself to speak, much less print, rotten words and, if others notice the rottenness slipping in her words, she will gratefully take advantage of this remark. This is true freedom! You were quickly called to freedom, brethren, let your freedom not be the guilt of the flesh, but work for one another through love (Gal. 5:13). Live as if you were free, and not as if you were hiding freedom from evil (1 Peter 2:16). ABOUT! if each of us realized and felt the superiority of spiritual freedom given by Christ Jesus to humanity! He would not even think about the false freedom that others dream of. True freedom, Christian freedom, establishes the kingdom of peace on earth, the happiness of the family, society, and state. False freedom or self-will of passions brings with it disorder, misfortunes and misfortunes, tears and grief into the family, society, and state. Let us pray that through the forces of grace life-giving freedom will appear in us, to the glory of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Let us give justice to the new philosophy. Presumptuous before, she recently began to seek help from Christianity and began to recognize the need for the Christian commandment of love for the good of societies. Those who are considered representatives of intelligent people now agree that love and brotherhood, preached by the Lord Jesus, constitute the best medicine for social ills. At the request of Christian love, they want human laws to be lenient towards unfortunate criminals. In the name of the same love, they wish that people, despite the difference in classes and ranks, should be equal before the law, and that poverty and lack of nobility would not deprive a person of civic significance. In the name of the same love, they demand that what a person obtains through labor belong to the person who worked, and not be appropriated by another person who did not take part in the work. All this is wonderful! All this wine is new, clean, fresh! But here’s what they forget: there is no need to put new wine into old wineskins, as our Savior says (Luke 5:37). If they think of implementing the Savior’s new commandment only by human means, these are old wineskins. What means of human nature can transform the warring, envious, divided passions of the human world into one family of brotherly love? There are none in human nature; its engines are self-interest and proud pride. Or do they think that people only have to wish to act in the spirit of Christian love, and the transformation of people is over? Desires do not yet give us what we want. One of the best people speaks for himself and for everyone, “I have a desire for good, but I do not find it to do it” (Rom. 7:18). Neither science nor the highest mind gives us the strength to realize high ideals. It’s time to be convinced of this by the experiences of thousands of years. Neither the philosophers nor the legislators, who left exemplary theories, gave either themselves or others a spool of new strength. No matter how clever you may be, you must agree with the words of our Savior, “that which is born of the flesh is flesh” (John 3:6). All those descended from Adam cannot in themselves become higher than hereditary nature. Sin is the beginning of all misfortunes, and a person cannot free himself from it on his own. Therefore, sin and misfortune will always accompany a person on the paths of his life and will begin to destroy his best plans. One opportunity for a person to fulfill high ideals is heavenly help, acceptance and assimilation of God’s grace. In order to fulfill the new commandment of Christ in oneself, one must be born again (John 3:7), one must be transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit (John 3:6). You can assimilate in your mind the philosophy of Hegel, the philosophy of Plato, and any other human philosophy, but in order to assimilate the philosophy of Christ, it is not enough to be a listener of this philosophy. Do they think that they can learn the Gospel teaching about brotherly love, apart from the help of Christ? A vain dream! In Christ Jesus, the conqueror of sin and death, humanity has a second Adam, spiritual, life-giving (1 Cor. 15:45, 47). If the human generation does not begin from Him, then it is rags, useless for anything. Only He, with His Spirit, can renew the sad existence of man. New wine in old wineskins means loss of good wine and damage to the skins themselves. Such is the fate of those societies that try to implement within themselves the Christian teaching of brotherly love without complete, spiritual renewal, without a living and regenerating faith in the Lord Jesus. Old, self-seeking, proud, self-loving hearts preach love for others, but they themselves do not know it, they themselves have not done anything for it, they have not sacrificed a single passion or habit for it. So what happens? Revolutions are destructive, shocks that overthrow the existing order and do not create anything lasting. Why this lack of stable principles of community life, this melancholy, this dissatisfaction with the present, this uncertainty about the future, this timidity in doing beautiful things? Is it because new wine is poured into old wineskins? “Progress, progress,” they shout. But in reality it turns out to be only the breaking of the old - and nothing useful; in fact, as before, the innocent are oppressed by strong wealth, and the happy wicked controls the fate of honest people. They waste energy, waste money - and all to no avail, they keep people busy with work - and all the work only weakens the poor people, introducing them to new needs, new troubles, difficult already from the news itself. There was a long, very long time ago a philosopher-king, who understood with his philosophical mind the importance of Christian love for a pagan society, forced the pagans to build hospitals and houses of mercy, but how long did Julian’s institutions stand among the pagans? They crumbled like houses of cards at the first breath of wind. Here is a clear example of how old wineskins cannot hold new wine! No, you need to have more than one knowledge of the teachings of Christ. One must deeply feel one’s depravity, and with this feeling attract the grace of Christ upon oneself, in order with its help to embody the new commandment of Christ. First of all, you need to dream as little as possible about yourself, about your strengths and perfections, and as sincerely as possible, pray to the Almighty and Good One for His mercy towards poor people. The commandment of love, without the thought of self-denial, is less than a Jewish commandment and is no longer Christ’s commandment at all. “Repent and believe in the gospel,” with this the Savior began his sermon; This is how Christian life begins. Let the certainty be constant on all our paths that we are old wineskins, and only He can remake this oldness anew. Everyone needs to pray for themselves and for others, so that the light of heaven will illuminate the depths of human hearts, and they would accept new wine with new dispositions, worthy of a happy eternity. Then some will condemn the selfishness in themselves, agitated against the new law, others will understand that the freedom of Christ is the renunciation of all criminal self-will, from all animal passion, and love, submissive to the holy commandments of God. The Spirit of Christ, and He alone, can transform the hearts of people. Homily for the 2nd week of Pentecost Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing, but within they are ravenous wolves (Matthew 7:15). False prophets, in the words of the Savior, are also like false teachers, or such teachers who, under the guise of truth, convey lies and, under the guise of good, impart evil. Beware, says the Lord, of such teachers, just as one would beware of poison, which can be hidden in a beautiful flower; Beware as you would a snake, which, hiding in a bush or under leaves, may accidentally attack you and inflict a mortal wound. One cannot help but be surprised that there are people who want to be among the teachers of lies. Agree! that this is not a great honor for them... Truth is dear to everyone; and people invent lies. Strange. But do not think that these people act out of firm conviction. Conviction can only be in reality, and a lie is a fiction, a ghost, nothing. A lie cannot have the power of persuasion for the one who invents and spreads it. Its basis for the soul is only in the soul itself, in its corruption. The Apostle urges us to hold on to a good conscience, having rejected nothing else, optadosha from faith (1 Tim. 1:19). Do you see under what conditions you can refuse the truth and accept a lie? Under the condition of renouncing a good conscience. Unscrupulousness is the basis of false teachers! Sad state! As for us, preachers of lies, like any other evil, are tolerated so that we do not sleep if we do not want to suffer harm from evil. So, our job is to be vigilant. God is truth and he is the only source of truth. Therefore, what He proclaimed for us is the undoubted truth. Yet the thoughts of earthly, human origin are immaculate, mixed with perplexity, with lies and untruths. So, something that does not agree with the contemplative and practical truths revealed in the word of God and preached by the church cannot be true. This is the main measure for verifying all teachings! Therefore, do not listen to those teachers who either flatter human passions or, under the guise of new discoveries, convey thoughts that disagree with the dogmas of the church. Even if we or an angel preached to you a gospel other than what we preached to you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8). This is what the apostle of God says. “Thus says Jehovah of hosts, do not listen to the words of these prophets. To those who grieve me they say, you will have peace, and to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his heart they say, no evil will come to you” (Jer. 23:16-17). Nowadays they say, “We have a judge in our heads, follow him; What do you need another law? You are not a child to go to school, that is. go to church and learn from people who have neither education nor the title of light.” This is what those who call themselves enlightened people say. Do you understand that this is the voice of false prophets? Do you understand that this teaching completely rejects the revelation of God? Oh! your inner law has long become dark and powerless. With him alone, what would we be today? The same as our pagan ancestors; we would be people walking in darkness (Isa. 9:2); would live in the lusts of their flesh and would be ungodly in the world (Eph. 2:3, 12). Is this really necessary? Deliver, God, from such terrible blindness! No, with only one internal law, with one mind, we cannot be safe even with the guidance of the word of God. Then everyone will understand Scripture in their own way, and the word of God will turn into a plaything of passions, as can be seen from experience. That is why the Heavenly Father gave us the apostles, and the shepherds and teachers, for the perfecting of the saints in the work of service, until we reach the measure of the age of the fulfillment of Christ (Eph. 4:11-13). That is why the church is the pillar and ground of the truth (1 Tim. 3:15). Let them, following the example of the Babylonians, laugh at the songs of Zion. Don't worry, they will die like the Babylonians. Reason, they say, according to its natural development, will reach the highest, purest truths; why revelation? Reason will get there... but now it doesn’t get there! How long did it take before he started walking? More than 7000 years... There is hope that it will come. In order to dispel their dreams, let them look at reality, let them vigilantly examine what the mind, according to its natural development, managed to reach in the course of 5000 years, before the coming of Christ? “We must wait,” said the best sage of that time, we must wait until it is announced how we should behave in relation to gods and people.” Alcibiades asked, “When will this be, Socrates, and who will this mentor be? I would follow him with all joy, whoever he may be.” 75 The best theoretical student of the best practical sage reasoned, “no one is able to teach piety unless God himself precedes him as leader and mentor.” 76 This is the best thing you find in the long life of paganism! Reason will come... They require faith in words and promises! But how can this be? They say that faith is a stupid thing; they require faith. And who will they trust? People! When? Then, as they are not told to trust God. Let me excuse you, but arrogance reaches the point of absurdity. The Apostle Peter writes, “There were also false prophets among the people (Jews), just as there will be false teachers among you, who will introduce destructive heresies and, denying the Lord who bought them, bring on themselves swift destruction” (2 Pet. 2:1). According to this instruction of the apostle, if you were to listen to a person who would deny the need for a redeemer, Christ Jesus, or teach about Him, inconsistent with the word of God, denying His deity or humanity, be firmly convinced that this is a teacher of destructive lies, whom you should not listen to. Even if he has the gift of speech, even if he is smart and has extensive knowledge, do not be deceived by this - his fate is decided by the apostle, he will perish. The same apostle declared, “Know this, that in the last days there will appear arrogant teachers, who will walk after their own lusts, and say, Where is the promise of His coming?” (2 Peter 3:3). Don’t you hear those today who say, “a person is good when, in order to receive something pleasant for himself, he does something pleasant for others?” Otherwise, this means that you should live only for your own pleasure; there is no other beginning of life than satisfaction of the desires of nature; While you are alive, take advantage of life, enjoy everything you can and how you can. Isn’t it true that these are the people whom the apostle pointed out as arrogant teachers who have forgotten both their minds and their conscience? These are people for whom there is nothing lofty, no selfless honesty, no afterlife, no free spirit, no God. The Apostle Jude wrote: certain people, long destined for condemnation, have crept in, desecrating the flesh, despising the rulers and slandering the higher authorities (Jude 1:4, 8, 11). So, if you meet people for whom all authorities are worth nothing, laws are worth nothing, for whom freedom means unbridled freedom to live as anyone wants, firmly remember that these are people destined for condemnation, to whom woe has long been announced. Nowadays, preachers of such freedom are not uncommon. As in ancient times, they “blame what they do not know” Jude 1:10 and praise what they do not understand at all. Do not listen to them and remember the words of the apostle, “rulers are not terrible for good works, but for evil ones” (Rom. 13:4). Ap. Paul wrote: The Spirit clearly says that in the last times some will depart from the faith by listening to seducing spirits who forbid marriage (1 Timothy 4:1, 3). So, if you hear that now there is no blessed marriage and that it is permissible to arm yourself with iron against the flesh without renouncing its lusts, know for sure that this is said by seducing spirits, apostates from the faith, preachers of the teachings of demons. The spirit of lies is resourceful, at different times it appears in different forms and always covering its destructive spirit with a decent and even seductive appearance. “They come to you, says the Lord, in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” Sometimes it is not easy to recognize a false teacher by the content of his teaching. Why do you know that a wolf is hiding under sheep's clothing? “But by their fruits you will know them,” says the Lord (Matthew 7:16). This means that if you don’t recognize them by the content of their teaching, you can recognize them by their deeds. In the language of scripture, deeds are often called fruits, for example: create fruits worthy of repentance, i.e. works (Matthew 3:8). Know false teachers by their deeds, partly by what they themselves do, partly by the consequences of their teaching. A lie cannot bring soothing light into our lives, because it itself has no light, it is darkness. These are the fruits of the teachers of lies. The Lord further explains his thought as follows: Do they gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? (Matthew 7:16). As a general rule, every plant or tree bears its own fruit, the burdock is a burdock, not a grape, and the vine is a burdock, not a burdock. In the same way, the deeds of teachers of lies will certainly be ruined. Their own deeds are either satanic pride or depravity; the consequences of their teaching are the same. If they manage to close their unclean deeds from human eyes, the consequences of their teaching will reveal them. The works of the flesh, says the apostle, are known, they are fornication, uncleanness, enmity, quarrels, drunkenness and the like (Gal. 5:19, 21). If not all together, then many of these deeds certainly decorate the lives of teachers of lies, or are consequences of their teaching. This is how the apostle describes false teachers: “people, he says, lovers of themselves, lovers of money, proud, slanderers, slanderers, intemperate; enemies of good, devoted more to the love of pleasure than to God, having a form of godliness, but denying its power” (2 Tim. 3:1-4). So, “by their fruits you will know them.” Teachers of lies say, peace, peace! but these are just words. They say they want the common good. But these are just words. Look at their deeds; they seek only their own (Phil. 2:4). They divide people in their thoughts, raise them up against each other, start a war, bring them to bloody scenes and sad disorder. It has always been like this! It will always be this way! One more word about ourselves. Beware of false teachers, the Lord tells us... I am not responsible, says another, for the concepts that I have been taught and brought up in; my job is to be faithful to these thoughts, and for their unfaithfulness, the one who communicated them to me will give an account to God. Yes, a false teacher will be strictly held accountable for imparting false teaching. There is no doubt about it. But it is also certain that the one who accepted the lie will not be left alone. Have you been given the sense to distinguish truth from lies? Dan. Have you been given the love of truth in order to renounce lies and accept pure, holy thoughts? Dana. How do you consider yourself not to be held accountable for holding on to a lie received from another? A blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit, said the Lord (Matthew 15:14). Listen, both will be in the hole, not just one. The apostle says, having not received the truth, how can they be saved? And for this reason God will send upon them the power of flattery, because they believed lies, so that you may receive judgment for those who did not believe, but were pleased with unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:10, 13). Terrible words! The appearance of teachers of lies is caused not by their will alone, but by the will of those listening; they appear with their destruction because they do not want to accept the truth, love untruth, and favor dishonesty. How you need to be careful! Amen. Homily for the 3rd week after Pentecost He (Thomas) spoke to them, even though I don’t see on the hand of His (Christ the Lord) the wounds of the nails and I will put my finger into the wounds of the nails - I have no faith (John 20:25). The simplicity of faith is a wonderful thing; it brings so much peace to the soul. But not just one. Thomas is not content with simply trusting the words of others. Many, like Thomas, do not want to believe before they test and find out. Is inquisitiveness a sin or not a sin? It can be both. Reason is a dear gift of God. It is a sin to neglect it, it is necessary to improve it, it is necessary to feed it with decent food - knowledge, it is necessary to expand its activity through exercise. This is the main justification for inquisitiveness! But is reason the highest ability in us, or a service one? Without a doubt, the will is higher than the mind; it controls all the activities of the soul, and, consequently, the activities of the mind. So, inquisitiveness should not be a goal for itself. That is why it can be both a holy deed and a sinful deed. That is why the apostle did not speak highly of the Athenians, “they spent their time talking or listening to something new” (Acts 17:20). When one strives to experience what is not revealed in revelation about God, is this not a sin? Why touch on what is not said where everything necessary for our salvation is said? Doesn't this mean not to trust the goodness of God? Doesn't this mean being carried away, consciously or unconsciously, by the thought that our mind can penetrate deeper and rise higher than the wisdom of the word of God, than the mind of God? So it is a sin and a sin to try to find out answers to the questions, what did God do before he created the world? How is Christ Jesus taught in the mystery of the Eucharist to everyone and everywhere? How much time and effort is spent on resolving such issues! And all in vain, all without fruit for the soul, or more precisely with harm to it, because they will exact from us for fruitless work and waste of time. It is a sin to inquire about your future fate beyond the prescribed limit. We are told in scripture and common sense that it will be good for us if we live well and bad if we live not according to the will of God. This is our open destiny! Asking for more detailed answers is never harmless insolence, as an insult to trust in God’s providence, and as a waste of time. To find out the future fate, they turn to cards, to gypsies, to fortune tellers, to magnetizers, to spirit conjurers, or to fortune telling. What does this all mean? Sinful cowardice, daring for minutes. Let not the sorcerer be found in you to be a magician and a magician and a magician to enchant a bird, for this is an abomination to the Lord your God (Deut. 18:10-12). This is the clear will of God! Curiosity is sinful when it greedily reads books that are dangerous to the soul. Those who are obliged by their title to learn the ways of lies and wickedness, for example, a teacher of faith, a mentor of youth, whether he wants or not, read such books; and he can read them harmlessly, partly because he already has medicines against poison ready, and partly because God’s help is promised to the servant of God. But why should everyone else read dangerous books? In order to prevent yourself from falling by your very acquaintance with the baseness of lies and wickedness? But in this case, firmness of mind and firmness of will are necessary so that the crafty presentation of a lie does not carry away a weak thought, and the seductive pictures of sin do not lure the will into the stinking mud. Do you have a strong mind and a strong will? Let them not be offended if we say that the majority of passionate hunters and huntresses for books dangerous with debauchery and emptiness do not know themselves at all, what they are, weak children, but at least simple-minded, or children already quite spoiled by the whims of passions? If you admit the first, then you must agree that it is shameless to pollute the pure souls of children with all the impurity of human stupidity, especially since we need time for better things. Let's assume the second? Then we must agree that it is inhumane to poison a sick child with harmful drugs. Do you want to treat yourself? Why not consult a doctor instead of swallowing without understanding what you are swallowing? “Do not be children in your mind,” the apostle tells us; be children to evil; but be mature in mind” (1 Cor. 14:20). Not smart, not honest, inquisitiveness when they try to find out the secrets of their neighbors without being obliged to do so by title. For some, this inquisitiveness goes so far as to bribe their neighbor’s employees with money, affection, and promises in order to extract both. Why is this? Why this fussiness about other things? Because they don’t think about themselves at all, if they were concerned with their soul, if they recognized their sins, their mental illnesses, their poverty, then it would not even occur to them to find out about their neighbor. When their house is on fire, they rush to save what is possible in it, if it is impossible to save everything; This is not the time to worry about your neighbor. Further, why this inquisitiveness about others? In order only to divulge the unkind things learned about the neighbor everywhere, to convey them to other neighbors and to everyone he meets. Such people are mostly talkative and empty to the point that they are unable to talk about anything useful. Others, even worse, find out about their neighbor’s secrets in order to have ways to harm him. This is already satanic anger. Holy is curiosity directed toward what is revealed to us in Scripture about God. This is the eternal life, that they may know the true God, and Him that Jesus Christ sent (John 17:3). Eternal life lies in knowing God and our Savior. How important such knowledge is for us! Is it for everyone? Without a doubt for everyone. Who doesn't need eternal life? Whether we want it or not, eternity awaits everyone, and eternity is not the same - calm for those who truly and sincerely know Christ, familiar with him not with one thought, but with a full soul - and very restless, terrible, for those who do not want to know Christ. So, what do you want? Without a doubt, restful eternity! Recognize Christ with a sincere soul. A smart Christian does not miss a day, unless other duties interfere, so as not to listen to or read St. books preaching about God and Christ. Listening to or reading the word of God is the most nutritious food for him. For others, the word of God is boring and not nourishing? What does it mean when even good food is not accepted by the stomach? The stomach is clogged, it needs to be corrected. So, heal your soul with repentance and the word of God will seem like heavenly food to you. Otherwise, you will meet with the judgment of the Lord, “people loved darkness rather than light; because their deeds were evil” (John 3:19). Holy is the inquisitiveness that seeks out the secrets of one’s soul for its salvation. Of course, there is nothing more valuable to us than spiritual salvation. But without knowing ourselves, can we save ourselves? No. How to treat a patient without knowing what kind of disease he has? What parts are affected? What is its extent? For what reasons did she appear? You need to find out all this and then you need to figure out what medications to give and how much. There is so much we need to learn about ourselves. Our soul is sick, and each one has his own illness, some are very complex and very tricky, so it takes a lot of time to figure out the full meaning of the illness. How long do you need to peer into your heart in order to find out your inclinations and your passions! We need to find out what we have and what we lack, what good qualities we have and what we don’t, how to protect the good in ourselves and how to weaken the bad. It seemed that since no one is closer to us than ourselves, it is easiest for us to recognize ourselves. But the trouble is that our pride and its offspring shield us from true self-awareness, it really doesn’t want to see us in our true form, very unpretentious, and it in every possible way closes us from ourselves, exposes our vices as excusable weaknesses, calls dubious deeds heroic deeds and what - what not to do to us! Please try to find out the truth. Our curiosity is not a sin even when we try to gather the knowledge necessary for our rank. If a scientist improves his science with new research, an artist improves his art, a craftsman improves his craft, these are good pursuits. In this occupation, each of them serves with his talent to people and God, reduces the needs of poor humanity and provides himself with honest labor the means of living. The Wise One says, “By wisdom a house is built, and by skill it is strengthened... I walked through the field of a slothful man and through the vineyard of a fool, and behold, everything was filled with bad grass” (Prov. 24:3, 30). It is clear in itself that knowledge of objects necessary and useful for temporary life is of very limited importance. The days of our life are short, and the objects of sinful inquisitiveness are not equally important. It is not smart not only to fill your head with empty and harmful information, but also not to make a choice between useful ones. Whatever the objects of our inquisitiveness, we must set a measure of inquisitiveness. If one wants to satisfy the thirst for inquisitiveness so much that there is not enough time to fulfill other duties, for example, the duty of prayer, the duty of calling, this is already a matter of passion and, therefore, not a holy matter, but a sinful one. We must always remember that we live not for ourselves, not for our own whims, but for the Lord God. The Apostle says, “If I have the gift of prophecy and know all mysteries and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2). This means that without holy love the most brilliant knowledge is insignificant. After that, there is no need to say that it is a sin to thirst for knowledge only for earthly fame or for earthly gain. Chasing the wind is a thankless and frustrating task. Let us live in such a way that our life glorifies the great name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Homily for the 4th week after Pentecost Not in Israel did I gain much faith (Matthew 8:10). A wonderful phenomenon! The Roman centurion and, therefore, a pagan from childhood, was awarded such high approval from the Lord. “Truly I tell you, even in Israel I have not found such faith,” this is what the Lord said about the centurion of Capernaum to those around Him. Without a doubt, the Savior does not mean here people like the God-receiver Simeon and not many like him. But if the majority of Israel, the majority of those to whom promises were given, prophecies were proclaimed, and instructions in the true faith were offered, did not have the same faith that the Roman centurion had - is this not a humiliation for Israel? Isn't it an honor to the centurion? Isn't this an unusual phenomenon and worthy of study? So the Capernaum centurion fully deserves for us to consider his qualities for our edification. The elders of the Jews, says St. Luke (Luke 7:4-5), testified about the centurion, “he is worthy that you show him mercy, for he loves our tongue and the host he created for us.” According to this review, the centurion was so attentive to the eternal needs of his soul that, despite his position in the pagan world, despite the unfavorable reviews of the pagans about Judaism, he recognized the dignity of frank teaching - he recognized it with a sincere soul, so that he built at his own expense a house of prayer and study of the law of Moses. Yes, coldness towards faith, indifference to God, the source of all that is good and beautiful, no matter how brilliant the gifts of the mind and heart, show in a person not a person, but something close to an animal or to a rejected spirit. For then there is no human life in man, just as the living human spirit, the distinction and adornment of man, cannot help but love his God and His truth. Consider what Christians mean, for whom the best faith, the purest and highest faith, what kind of Christian faith is the subject of the coldest attention, if not contempt? One cares about earthly life, about its comforts, about its pleasures day and night, and about holy religion, if they speak, it is not at all for itself; the Church of God, where all the high needs of the spirit should be nurtured and perfected, is remembered only to show off their intelligence, which is essentially petty, and to let go of barbs of anger at the expense of its servants. Love for the holy faith is called fanaticism. If you want, you can hear broad talk about faith, but what kind? About everyone, but not about the one betrayed by the revelation of God; about anyone that anyone wants to call upon according to the calculations of passions, according to the arbitrariness of the mind, which is in the service of self-will. This is called the right of freedom, the right of an improving humanity. Oh my God! What will You say to these Christians at Your judgment? The blood of the Son of God, shed for people, is imputed to nothing. The Gospel, proclaimed with the accompaniment of so many miracles, turned out to be unnecessary; it was replaced by trade books or the work of a mind intoxicated with self-will. The apostles were sent into the world in vain; St. were raised in vain. In the Spirit, fathers and saints of the church! Brethren! people force spiritual nature to consider truth and lies, holiness and ungodliness, the path of life and the path of destruction as one and the same, but nature, offended by violence, will menacingly take revenge on people for itself in due time. This is as true as it is true that we exist. This is as true as it is true that there is a God of righteousness, an omnipotent and formidable God against wickedness. Another trait indicated by the gospel in the Capernaum centurion is his heartfelt compassion for his sick servant. He asks the Jewish elders to ask the Physician for help (Luke 7:4), instructs him to convey his request to the Lord Jesus, “my servant lies at home paralyzed and suffers severely” (Matt. 8:6). What tender love for a servant sounds in these words! How many worries about a sick slave! Brethren! The Apostle tells Christians, “If anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those at home, he has denied the faith and is worse than an infidel” (1 Tim. 5:8). What does it mean? Why such a harsh sentence for a non-merciful Christian? Because the difference between the Christian faith is love. Everyone will know about this, as my disciples are, if you have love among each other, said our Lord. Therefore, if a Christian does not have love caring for the happiness of another, he is not a Christian, there is no significant difference in him as a Christian. Since even the best pagans show compassion for the unfortunate, an uncompassionate Christian is worse than a pagan. Thus, a Christian boss, a Christian master, a Christian master of the house should take care of the health and happiness of employees and subordinates, should help them in their needs as much as they can. They must firmly remember that their subordinates are their brothers by nature and in Christ, and that the merciful Lord assimilates this to himself. what will be done for these invisible people. “I was hungry,” He will say at the trial, and you did not feed me; I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was naked and you did not clothe me; I was a stranger and they did not accept Me; I was sick and in prison and did not visit Me.... because you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me” (Matthew 25:42-45). ABOUT! it will be bad for the callous and cold souls, for the flies and the blind for the sorrows of their brothers! Compassion for the sick servant led the centurion to seek help for him. But where can I get help? He heard about the miracles of the Galilean Teacher and was probably an eyewitness to some of them. His soul already recognized Him as a miracle worker. Compassionate love, caring for the sick servant, expanded his faith in the Wonderworker. “Lord,” he says to Jesus, “my servant lies at home weakened and suffers severely.” - One could take the appeal, “Lord,” as an expression of respectful courtesy, but not in the mouth of a reverent and believing centurion. He considers it pleased to speak about the servant’s severe illness and is already sure that without asking him, the good Lord will take part in the sick man and the powerful Wonderworker will heal him. His faith in Jesus was so high, his respect for Him was so great that according to his faith, as soon as the Lord Jesus said the word, his servant would be healthy. “Although I am a subject under authority,” he says, “having subordinates, I will say to one, go and go, and to another, come and come, and to my servant do the same and he does it” (Matthew 8:9). Will your word not be fulfilled? You tell a sick person, be healthy, and he will be healthy. The centurion recognizes in Jesus the all-powerful ruler over nature, the ruler to whom everything is submissive. Christians! Why do we complain that we are burdened by uneasy sorrows and inevitable misfortunes? If we prayed with the same all-soul faith, with the same deep sincerity as the centurion prayed, we would not be burdened with sorrow. “He did not perform many miracles there (in his homeland) because of their unbelief,” testifies the evangelist (Matthew 13:58). We are just as cowardly in misfortune as we are arrogant in happiness, and both because we lack sincere, reverent faith in the Lord. Our pride is just as cowardly in troubles as it is arrogant in times of peace; holy faith, hope turned to the Lord, have no place in us. The word of the Lord is unchangeable; If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, then tell this mountain to move and it will move. Whatever you ask of My Father in faith will be given to you.” So let us sincerely pray to the Lord, let us pray with all our souls, and omnipotent goodness will give us everything we need for time and eternity. Let us pray as the centurion prayed. God! Everything is possible for You and, if Your wise goodness pleases, send Your help. And help will be sent, in one form or another. The Gospel also indicates a high quality in the centurion - deep humility, a quality that is most necessary for us sinners. The centurion was an honorable person by rank; and the Roman centurion in Judea meant a lot; the fate of the city was in his hands. The Capernaum centurion earned himself another greatness, in addition to the greatness of power, for his services, for his good deeds, the local Jews highly respected him. And with such power, with such general respect, the centurion understood his spiritual poverty like very few others. When the Lord Jesus said, “I will come and heal the servant,” the centurion answered, “Lord! don't bother; I am not worthy for You to come under my roof.” He thought so little of himself! So his non-earthly humility entered into a dispute with heavenly goodness, recognizing himself as not worth visiting her. ABOUT! My God! and I, approaching Your great sacrament, say with my lips, “I am not worthy, but come under my roof.” But this is what the mouth says, and what about the heart? Oh! it is cold and dumb. It is not touched, it does not shudder from the thought of Your boundless greatness and Your inaccessible holiness. It does not tremble in horror before the weight of my sins and iniquities. God! Be merciful to me, a sinner! My friends! when you start to visit St. with communion, awaken your soul from fearlessness, try to feel the vileness of your sins and wickedness; tremble before the greatness of Him who comes under the roof of your soul. Who are we and who is He? Even if we had no more sins than the hairs on our heads, who are we before the Infinite? What do we have of our own, besides sins? Is it the gift of the mind? Is it valor of will? Are the titles honorary? Is it wealth? Are you healthy? Is it beauty? Everything, everything is not ours. And besides, for all this we must give an account to the Lord; must answer, is it so, would these gifts be used for, what were they given for? How is it that every proud thought in us is not insane? How is every movement of self-gratification not criminal? Each of us suffers from a disease of relaxation of his soul, which is higher than all the blessings of the world. The Lord wants to enter the house of his soul, is ready to bring life and strength into a disordered organism. It is only necessary that the soul sincerely recognize, vividly feel its weakness, and lament its sins. Then it will be said to the soul, as if you believed, so be it for you. Let us assimilate the qualities of the Capernaum centurion, approved by the Lord. Let us acquire love for the holy faith, love for our unfortunate brethren, living faith and holy humility. Then the Lord will tell each of us in eternity, as if you believed, be with you. Amen. Come, children, listen to me, I will teach you the fear of the Lord. “We will develop mental and moral education in children; We don’t care about religion.” This is what someone recently said from among the young teachers. Unless a new teacher considers himself knowledgeable enough in the truths of the holy faith to be a teacher of the faith, recognizing him is a smart and good thing. It's funny to teach something you don't know. Or no, it’s not funny, but scary, it’s about the eternal salvation or eternal destruction of people. The answer for failure in this case cannot be easy. Woe to those who say evil is good, and good is evil (Is. 5:20). Out of Christian love, one cannot wish for anyone to appear in the ranks of those teachers whose mouths, according to the judgment of the Apostle, should be stopped, who corrupt all houses, and teach, in ways that are not proper, evil things for the sake of profit (Titus 1:11). Teaching godliness is not an easy task. On the contrary, it could easily be that instead of piety, teach dishonesty, if not by word, then by example. One of the sincere priests, dying, said, “if I had known that such a strict answer must be given for the parishioners, I would have agreed to be a shepherd of sheep until my grave, and would not have accepted the priesthood.” So in this sense, the teacher’s words are wonderful. But if he thinks that correct education, mental and moral, can be given without faith, he is mistaken, to the detriment of himself and others. Where is the light for the mind if not in faith? Where are the solid principles for life if not in Christian teaching? The French Revolution showed in practice that without holy faith people become beasts; they beat and cut people as calmly as animals. In experiments they saw that for people without faith, neither family happiness, nor civil order, nor law, nor government are sacred. And how could it be otherwise? Whoever does not fear the Lord God, in whom there is not a drop of fear of God, can he respect anything on earth? He values ​​himself no more than a worm. Yes, knowledge of faith, education in the spirit of holy faith is necessary for everyone, without it no human perfection is possible. neither mental nor moral. Without God, nothing is conceivable, and without life for God, the correct life of either the mind or the heart is impossible. Education of the mind and heart, without religious education, can hardly be called a dream; it is a misfortune for a person and society. Societies that allow teachers without faith are pitiful societies. Where all concern is directed not at man’s connection with God, but only at his connection with the world, only a man of the world, a man of time, a man of the earth can be formed, but not one who is created in the image of God. Is such a person worth the name of a person? Atheism deadens and kills the human spirit, but faith, and faith alone, gives life to him, connecting him with God, the source of all life. Human moral suggestions, without faith, are dry and cold, fragile and changeable, like everything temporary. Only faith descends into the very heart of a person and arouses readiness in him, inspires him with firmness - to sacrifice everything for good. Therefore, religious education should begin no later than mental or moral education. They say, “thoughts of God and His revelation are too high for a child; it is still weak, unable to understand these thoughts. Let a person be brought to God when his mind develops.” But those who consider faith inaccessible to the soul of a child do not understand their soul and its relationship to faith. It was said long ago by one teacher of faith, “our soul is by nature a Christian.” The life of religion begins with the life of the soul. The first feeling that awakens in a person is the awakening in the heart of religion. His first feelings of attachment to his father and mother are religious phenomena. Develop these principles of religion, cultivate these good seeds sown by the Creator himself, and you will see before you a smart and kind child. The mind of a child cannot assimilate the truths of faith enough to give a mental account of them. But memory and imagination are alive in him so that he can assimilate the principles of faith. The child’s mind is weak, but for that reason it is free from the fog caused by prejudices and passions; therefore, his thoughts reflect images of faith in their pure and whole form; faith is accepted not so much by the mind as by the heart. The pure in heart see the Lord. The heart of a child is pure as a mirror, tender as wax, and therefore it easily accepts the instructions of faith. Cope with the experience; experience will tell you too. A good father and mother pray after dinner or before going to bed; the child, looking at them, does the same. Moreover, he asks his father or mother, who is God? Is He good to us? If parents are smart, how easy it is for them to elevate the child’s tender love for themselves to love for the Heavenly Father! How easy it is for them to turn a child’s simple questions about the owner of a house or village into answers about the Owner of heaven and earth! A child listens with pleasure to such conversations of his parents; they are close to his mind and heart; it asks about such objects with love and listens to the answers with joy. Why do they want to do violence to the instincts of a kind child’s soul? Why do they refuse to develop the good seeds sown by the Creator of our souls? Others say, “What are the sins of children? What should we protect them from? True, childhood is the age of innocence, in comparison with other ages. But is he as innocent as he seems to others? Fathers and mothers do not admire their children enough, but do they admire too much? Take a closer look at the moral world of young people? Are there any traces of evil in it? Will you notice in children's pranks preparations for major crimes? At a young age, neither drunkenness, nor theft, nor wild violence, etc. are visible. But if a boy is accustomed to often quarreling with others over trifles, and sometimes beating them, do you think that in his mature years he will not punish his neighbor so much that he will end up in court? You should say exactly the same about other ala seeds. How cleverly are children able to pretend, be secretive, and act out? What complex tricks do they resort to when they want to deceive their mother or father? Are the whims of self-will and stubborn persistence in one’s own way good fruits of the soul? How can you, loving children, want to leave them without that education, which so vigilantly watches all the smallest movements of evil? To delay a person’s religious education until too late means exposing him to extreme dangers. This means giving freedom to evil seeds to develop in him and even under the influence of age itself, so immature for good. It is easiest to seduce the soul of a child, it is so simple, so receptive. A child does not know from experience the harmful consequences of error and vice; it does not suspect deception in anyone and surrenders itself to every impression. Therefore, if his heart is not protected by the fear of God, it can easily be carried away by the influences of evil. Entering the world, it encounters both bad people and objects that arouse evil in the soul. What will save him from falls if the truths of the holy faith are not sown in him, if the feelings of reverence for the Almighty are not cultivated? You will not see Joseph in him, firm in the face of temptation. Joseph, from childhood, was imbued with love for God, and therefore answered the temptation, how will I create this evil verb and sin before God? (Gen.39:9). If in childhood the seeds of piety are diligently sown in a person’s soul, even though in the years of stormy youth he will at times be carried away to the side of evil, but when his mind begins to mature and the unpleasant encounters of life begin to bring him to his senses, with what power the instructions he heard in childhood will speak in his soul! How a beautiful life will develop in him, hitherto weakened by impulses of frivolity! But do not expect anything like this from that unfortunate young man, who since childhood had not heard or known anything about the holy faith, and was generously sowed with the seeds of the evil world. It is necessary to take care that at the very first age any thoughts are not instilled in gentle souls that are not entirely in agreement with the pure Christian teaching, otherwise the tares sown will grow on good soil, and when the word of God is sown, it may remain fruitless; its dear, heavenly shoots will be suppressed by the previously grown thorns of error and sin. Too late, or in the days of childhood, carelessly taught instruction in faith does not have a true, saving effect on the soul. Not accustomed to the truths of faith, she easily falls under the first attacks of daring doubt. In order to be imbued with the highest truths, the soul must now wander along the thorny paths of doubt and agonize over solving the questions of an inquisitive mind. And if reverent love for the objects of faith had lived in her heart since childhood, this love would have made it easier for her mind to resolve its issues; he would easily find confirmation of the beliefs of his heart in the history of mankind, in the book of nature, in the structure of our soul. Without this, the mind is forced to struggle with the unknown in order to achieve peace; must repeat mistakes that have long been recognized as mistakes in bearing wounds on the soul in order to heal it; and it happens that, exhausted by labor, he becomes the prey of despondency, and for entertainment he surrenders to the will of sensual fun and low pleasures, and the soul becomes completely savage. Sad picture! Who should we listen to? People or God? The science of the smartest people is not reliable. This is how it is in all cases! This is how it is in relation to raising children! Is this the science of God? People consider children incapable of accepting the lessons of faith. They are being deceived. Our highest mentor, the Lord Jesus, omniscient and eternal wisdom, not only does not consider children incapable of assimilating the teachings of faith, on the contrary, he says that such is the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 19:14). What does God's revelation tell us to teach children? Fathers, the apostle inspires, raise your children in the discipline and teaching of the Lord (Eph.6:4). Without prophetic teaching, the people are not bridled, but by keeping the law they are blessed (Proverbs 29:18). This is what the divinely inspired sage says. Fathers and mothers! if you love children (and how can you not love them?), first of all and most of all, take care that from their early days they are brought up in the fear of God. Their happiness, temporary and eternal, depends on it. The happiness of your homeland, which you should cherish, depends on the same. If you love yourself (and how can you not love yourself?), be afraid to neglect the religious education of your children. From whom will the death of your children be exacted? From you. The Lord will exact from you if your children, for whom the blood of the Son of God was shed, due to your neglect of them, extinguish the sparks of the holy faith in themselves and appear as ferocious savages in Christian society. Woe, woe to you! There, beyond the grave, your own children will call upon you the vengeance of God's truth. If anyone sins in his word, this a perfect man (James 3:2). The gift of speech is a high distinction of a person. But people treat this gift so thoughtlessly that one cannot help but doubt whether they value the dignity of this gift, or use it haphazardly. The Apostle James recognized that it is only the work of a perfect man not to sin in word, and if anyone does not sin in word, he said, he is a perfect man. The correct use of the high gift of speech is so important. How should one use the gift of speech? Why were we given the gift of speech? It is inappropriate, they say, to ask why it was given? We see that it is given – and that’s all. It's a shame they don't see more. The Lord has long ago sent such wise men to learn from the dumb. The ox of the one who acquired it, and the donkey of his master's manger, know, but Israel is not full of Me (Is. 1:3), thus spoke the Lord to Israel. Yes, it is a shame for a person to stand below the dumb; It is a shame not to recognize that the gift of speech, like all the gifts of God, was given to us for the glory of the name of God. The Omniscient One does not need us to reveal our thoughts and feelings to Him in words; but we need it. Our weak feelings become strong when we excite them with words, and the words of praise of the name of God are followed by the heart with its own praise. And should we serve the Lord with one soul? All my bones cry, Lord, Lord, who is like You? The soul, full of thoughts about the greatness of God, says: praise the name of the Lord, praise the servants of the Lord (Ps. 134:1). ABOUT! How can one speak about God otherwise than with deep reverence, if not with words of praise and thanksgiving? And what occupation is more worthy of man than glorifying the name of God? Agree that if people who devote themselves to prayer and the praise of God are called empty people, then this is no less than a sad insult to common sense. Nowadays there are many people who want to speak both orally and in writing. ABOUT! If only all these passionate hunters for words and publicity passionately loved the glory of their Lord! If most of the words are scattered without any thought of the Lord, without any fear of God in the heart, let them be excused for not using a soft word - these streams of sounds are no higher, no smarter than the mooing of a wordless one. Contemptuous exclamations against faith, mockery of the holy, expose more than a misunderstanding of faith - they expose the loss of human taste. We want, they say, to cleanse the faith of old prejudices; but in reality they care only about the needs of dirty passions. Isn't this a pathetic perversion of the immortal soul? Others, in order to justify powerless untruth, call on God as a witness, swear by lies, as if the All-Holy protector of lies and their sins. Is this not blasphemy to the name of God? Do they not thereby call upon the wrath of God upon their wicked head? Some are cheerful to the point of forgetfulness, as long as happiness smiles on them; but they lose their heads in misfortune, and raise a murmur against God’s providence, spewing blasphemy against God and His orders. Let them restrain their wicked tongue. Let them come to their senses. Just as some are foolishly talkative to the disgrace of the name of God, others become dumb when the glory of the name of God demands their words. False shame, human fear, apathy for good impose silence on the lips, while it was necessary to stop frivolity with the word of truth, curb the impudence in their blasphemy of the name of God. They remain silent and sign their agreement with wickedness by silence. They are afraid for themselves, afraid of displeasure from nonsense, and take the side of nonsense. How low is that! How criminal this is! Whoever is ashamed of Me and My words, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory. This is what the Lord tells us. Language is a means of communicating our thoughts and feelings to others; At the disposal of a rational being, appointed for eternity, he has a means - to serve others for eternity. Language is a means - to reveal an unknown truth to one's neighbor, to strengthen the weak in goodness, to warn the erring, to console the sad. All perfection, all our happiness and that of our neighbors depends on the fulfillment of God’s will in us. Our word is a powerful aid for the fulfillment of the all-holy will of God in us. How much, how often, can everyone do good with their other words! Every day there are opportunities to keep another from the dangers of sin, to alleviate his misfortune, to increase his joy. But does this happen between people? Language should bring comfort to others; and how often they come up with witticisms in order to hurt others as painfully as possible. A robber takes away property from others, the work of a black soul. Are deeds of slander more beautiful, more humane, which robs another of his good name, and sometimes the happiness of his whole life? Let them remember that, according to the judgment of the Apostle, slanderers will not inherit the kingdom of God (1 Cor. 6:11). Woe to those who sew heads under every arm and make veils over every head of every age, so as to corrupt souls. Thus says the Lord Adonai (Ezek.13:18). What do they do but corrupt souls when grave sins, vile sins, are presented in such images that they turn out to be almost virtues, when crimes that cry out to heaven are called nothing more than excusable weaknesses? Doesn't this mean leading others by the hand to hell? Simple-minded innocence perishes from the words of human pathetic blindness. The Apostle says: the tongue is not a great member, but it does great things; here is a small fire, which, however, destroys the whole forest, and the tongue is fire (James 3:5-6). What language is this? language of passions. Blind selfishness, the pursuit of the wind of the world, greedy self-interest, not understanding either oneself or others, make a noise to disrupt all the connections of peaceful life, weaken the legal obedience of parental authority, give the rights of the sighted to the eyeless and destroy happiness by the thousand. Let not every corrupt word come out of your mouth, but let it be that which is good for the building up of faith, that it may give grace to those who hear (Eph. 4:29). A rotten word is the fruit of a rotten heart, and it can only bring rot and corruption into hearts. The saddest abuse of language is deception, lying in order to take advantage of the mistake of another. There are people who boast that they know how to deceive. There are people who consider lying to be permissible in some cases. Miserable things! The best Christians, the Christians of the first times, were not like that, they did not allow, they did not tolerate, under any circumstances, hypocrisy, deceit or any lies. God is truth, and by Him we were created for truth. Everything inconsistent with truth and righteousness is an object of God’s disgust. Conscience, an internal feeling, tells everyone against lying; a liar involuntarily feels ashamed when he is caught in a lie. No matter what high purpose a lie is allowed to serve, it is always criminal. This is what the revelation of God teaches. Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord (Proverbs 12:22). Lies from the devil. He did not stand in the truth, for there is no truth in him; when he speaks a lie, he speaks his own way, for he is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44). Do not lie against one another, having put off the old man with his deeds ( Col. 3:9 ). Letting go of lying, each one speak truth to another (Eph. 4:25). Lies are a strong obstacle to instilling grace in our hearts. The Holy Spirit, the source of grace, does not tolerate lies, He is the Spirit of truth and loves only the truth. Therefore, lying is as incompatible with grace as darkness is with light. Let lies be permitted out of necessity; in all things, they are enmity against grace. Let lies not cause sensitive harm to another; but in the soul that allows lies, it produces harm, weakening the love for the truth. So be truthful and sincere in your words, in any case. Words that are refined, feignedly amiable, feignedly respectful are pleasing to the eye, but are they not false? They deceive and fool others. And they are like lies, a caustic child that removes from the soul the grace of the Holy Spirit - the Spirit of truth. People spout words without thinking about what they are doing. The Apostle says: If anyone pretends to be faithful in you and does not bridle his tongue, but flatters his own heart, his faith is in vain (James 1:26). This means that if someone does not hold back his tongue, but amuses himself with his words, deceived by the movements of pride, he in vain thinks to see in himself that there is goodness in him. What kind of piety is there when stupidity and impurity flow from the tongue like a stream from an unclean heart? The Lord says, “A good man brings forth good things from the good treasure of his heart; But an evil man brings forth evil from the evil treasure of his heart, for out of the fullness of his heart his mouth speaks” (Luke 6:45). Even if talkative lips are not moved by a corrupted heart, how many empty, useless words flow from them! Are they harmful to anyone? They are not harmful to the one who listens to them, but harmful to the one who speaks them. Thus judges the One who will judge us all. “I tell you,” He says, “for every idle word that people speak, they will give an answer on the day of judgment. For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be judged” (Matthew 12:36–37). Every empty, useless word that serves neither the glory of God nor the benefit of one’s neighbor will be judged, you will have to give an account for it and hear condemnation. The Lord confirms this in subsequent words; if, he says, your words were not empty, but served for the glory of God, they will bring you joy; Otherwise, expect eternal grief, words are your deeds, it is in your will to speak or remain silent. Let us tremble for ourselves. One ascetic said about himself, “every time I talked with others, I found myself worse than I was alone.” Of course, this is a personal experience; but it is repeated much more often than people think; We are all prone to bad things and each in our own way. That is why, in any case, we must trust ourselves in what we learned from the conversation with others, and if the conversation was evil, harmed the soul, we must avoid such conversations. You must accustom yourself to be sure, before speaking, whether to speak and how to speak; we must put ourselves before the judgment of God and find out whether we will not be condemned by him for our words. With such a test there will be no place for talkativeness and arrogant insolence; in front of him we will speak only what is holy and useful. May God of grace give us to serve the word for His glory and for the salvation of ourselves and our neighbors. Amen. Homily on the day of the holy apostles Peter and Paul I would save everything for everyone, that I might save some (1 Cor. 9:22). This is how the now glorified Apostle Paul labored! Full of love for everyone, flaming with the desire to bring both Jews and pagans to Christ, he treated the Jews like a Jew, the pagans like a pagan, the weak like a weakling. To be everything, he says, but I will save some. The wonderful breadth of Pavlova’s love! And this love, condescending to everyone for his salvation, is what some want to recognize as one with indifference to faith! Strange dreams of time! They say that intolerance in faith is an insult to humanity; Let everyone believe in their own way! Tolerance in faith is a smart and good thing. Not a word about that. But indifference to faith is wickedness. Preachers of indifference in faith pose as champions of happiness and the improvement of the commonwealth - as friends of humanity. In vain, they are extinguishers of light, enemies of general happiness. Neither general happiness nor moral perfection are possible on earth when everyone is left to live according to the desires of a corrupt nature. What can people expect when the strongest bridle on passions is removed - the rules of the holy faith? Faith is the soul of the people. When it goes out among the people, they turn into a lifeless corpse, quickly decomposing, indulging in decay. With indifference to faith, the mind, inanimate by high motives, devoid of solid foundations and spiritual activity, will not move forward along the straight path of truth, but will begin to wander along various crossroads, not understanding where it wanders and where it is going. Is improvement possible here? Is it possible to care only about the inviolability of everyone's freedom, without the concept and without concern for true freedom? This means demanding complete indifference to the happiness and misfortune of others, complete indifference to their fate. Is this love for others? If I calmly watched how the fire was destroying my neighbor’s house, and did not take a single step to save anything from his house, would I still be my neighbor’s friend? What do delusions of mind and passions of the heart mean to poor humanity, if not a fire, the most terrible? And they demand indifference to this? No, not the heartfelt desire for happiness and perfection for others, but cold selfishness, soulless self-interest, the wicked desire to live only peacefully and cheerfully, even if others perished, these are the secret but true teachers of indifference in faith! Let them not deceive themselves or others with strange attire; true love, pure love for others is not limited to either place, name, or nationality - it embraces Jew and pagan, Mohammedan and follower of Christ, but why? because he loves and respects the image of God in everyone. It is therefore clear that true love cannot respect in a person that which did not come into him from God, that which offends the Lord in him, that which destroys the person himself. To love and cherish the latter would mean to wish the destruction of another, and this is possible only for an indifferentist, but not for a friend of humanity. Love for an erring brother makes me grieve over his sad situation, makes me seek means to lead him out of error, and not be cold towards his situation. My fallen brother is dear to my soul, and that’s why I tell him, get up, brother, go to the Father who is waiting for you. They say live well and all faith will be good. No, you cannot live well if your faith is bad. If there are no strong motives in faith for a holy life, then life will not be holy, but weak and bad. If faith says, no exploits are needed, but only faith is needed, reasoning of the mind is needed, the great Pauls, the great Anthonys - do not look for this faith in the history; they did not exist and cannot exist. If faith sanctifies laziness and idolizes selfishness, what can we expect from life if not the vices of self-interest and carnality? The life of a pagan was dirty because his gods were dirty. Expect nothing else for people and their societies except frustration and misfortune if the mind is corrupted by thoughts of false faith. The mind is the beginning of spiritual life, and with its corruption the corruption of the entire soul is irresistible. The life of the mental organism begins with thought, thought awakens feelings and disposes the will. If your thought is false, then both your feelings and the dispositions of your will will be unclean and untrue; according to this, the purer the thoughts of faith, the more spiritual the thoughts about God and man, the more perfect life is. Therefore, the demand, “live well before you know faith,” is a demand devoid of meaning, a demand of a dark mind that does not give itself an account of the words. “On earth, they say, there are so many faiths, so many paths, that you don’t know what to follow; the calmest thing to do is to follow the path that you end up on.” How? Are you leaving your eternal salvation to chance? Why is meaning given to man? Why is prudence given? or is our mind a sound without meaning? They use it in everyday things and receive many services from it; why not use it in the matter of eternal salvation? They ponder with success what can be useful or harmful for health, for honor, for happiness! How can they not want to be judicious in a matter of utmost importance, on which eternal fate depends? Saints are not born on earth, but they are formed through feats of self-examination, activities that strengthen the mind and will. People will be born pagans, people will be born Jews; but it is strange to think that the birth of a pagan from a pagan obliges him to remain a pagan until the grave; it is strange to forget that reflection gives rules for a life worthy of a person, and good will accepts and fulfills them (Rom. 1:19, 28, 2:14). Sanctifying the indifference of faiths? Do they understand what they are doing to you? - insult human nature within themselves. They demand from her that it makes no difference to her - truth and lies, holiness and ungodliness, the path of life and the path of destruction. This is already too much; This is a mockery of human meaning, an attempt to take away all meaning from a person. Why not be the same on both sides? Because it is impossible. One of two things, either my soul is on the side of faith, on the side of truth, or it is against faith, against the truth, I cannot be there or here. Preachers of indifference in faith also show through their experience and their deeds. Not being on the side of faith in their souls, they rebel against those devoted to the faith not only with daring words, but also with acts of violence and cruelty; their indifference is only on the tongue, but in their souls there is contempt and hatred for the truth and holy faith. Take a closer look at their deeds, and their deeds will show what is in their souls; they do not have enough calm patience to leave without a sharp, malicious outburst the two or three words you said in defense of the truth and in exposing their mistakes. If indifference to truth and lies is possible, then it is nothing other than a disease of the soul, a terrible disease. To the sick, all poverty seems indifferent, sour, sweet, bitter, and salty, why is this? not because the food is like that, but because the poor man has lost his taste, his stomach is upset, he is being consumed by fire. This is the same state of mind of an indifferentist. The predominance of sensual passions, the thirst to live cheerfully on earth upset his soul, and it lost its taste for heavenly sweets. Let him invite a spiritual doctor to heal his illness, but let him not desire his abnormal state for others, if he still has a conscience. They say, “are the highest truths, the truths that serve as the subject of faith, accessible to the mind? If not, then why raise disputes over them?” At first glance there is a touching humility of mind; but look closer and proud hypocrisy will be revealed. This is not what a sincere awareness of what we have and what we don’t lead to. Experience tells us that in man there is an irresistible need to resolve issues of faith. And the same experience says that although we do not have the strength to solve all the highest questions of faith, we have an acceptance of ready-made solutions, there is an opportunity to assimilate the instructions of heaven. If so, then what can we do? It remains not to drown out the desire of the spirit to resolve higher issues within oneself with coldness and negligence. No, sincere consciousness of the weakness of the mind forces us to seek help from heaven, encourages us to inquire into the instructions of the true revelation of God, to study the true will of God for us, with all reverence and jealousy. This is what sincere, true humility of mind means! Do preachers of indifference in faith speak sincerely about the weakness of the mind? No! – it’s not at all what’s on their mind, or what’s in their soul. They only conceal within themselves the desire for proud self-will - not to accept anyone’s law and living the way they want; but they want to live and they live only according to the instincts of animal nature, without thought or concern for eternity and God. At other times, they directly say, “only that should be recognized as true that turns out to be so, in my opinion, useful for my personality.” They do not seek or desire heavenly help; they are as pleased with themselves as possible. Judge, isn’t this hypocrisy of pride dressed in the guise of humility disgusting? Indifference to the holy faith, insulting all the best in our soul, means the terrible wickedness of the soul against the Lord. Only impious unbelief can think that for God, the purest mind and eternal goodness, it makes no difference whether you walk the path of lies and wickedness, or the path of pure holiness. Didn't He send His Son to earth to show people the right path to heaven? Did not the Son of God send chosen disciples to preach His gospel to the whole universe? Did He not establish His church on earth as a pillar and foundation of the truth? This is where God's will for people is! Test the scriptures, in them is eternal life. Test the scriptures, but not without the guidance of experience, not without the guidance of the church. You produce many products with the name ver. This is a matter of your discretion. God does not desire this; He revealed His saving will. He is one, and His faith is one. If not all people adhere to the high means of salvation - the truth revealed by heaven, who is to blame for this except the people themselves? They do not accept it because they do not want to accept it; but they don’t want to because, through acquired habits and age-old passions, they suppress their acceptance of the highest good. Let them not blaspheme the goodness of heaven, which desires salvation for everyone. Is indifference in faith approved by the revelation of God? No. Whatever is not with Me is upon Me, and whatever does not gather with Me scatters (Matthew 12:30), said our Lord. I am the seven way, and the truth, and the life, and no one will come to the Father except Me (John 14:6), He said. Is it possible to have a clearer teaching about the necessity of faith alone for salvation, namely the faith proclaimed by Him? He allowed communication with the Samaritans, whom the Jews considered enemies of their faith and turned away. His disciples, not yet fully familiar with the spirit of His teaching, wanted to bring down fire on the Samaritans, who did not accept their Teacher. But the Lord kept them from doing so and said, “You don’t know what spirit you are” (Luke 9:55). And, however, do not the threatening denunciations that He uttered against the unbelieving cities show wickedness in coldness towards faith? (Matthew 11:21–22). If your brother disobeys the church, let him be to you the same as a pagan, said our Lord. The apostles taught and acted exactly the same way. According to their instructions, there is nothing in common between Christ and Belial (2 Cor. 6:15), between Christianity and paganism. If we or an angel preach the gospel to you any more than we preach the gospel to you, let him be anathema (Gal. 1:8), says Saint Paul. This is how unity in faith is needed! That's how scary impersonality is in choosing faith! Be all one body, one spirit, teaches the Apostle of God (Eph. 4:4), so that there are no children, tossed about and tossed about by every wind of teaching, in the lies of men, in the deceit of the wiles of flattery (Eph. 4:14). What do the introducers of new faiths mean according to the judgment of revelation? Evil workers (Phil.3:2), messengers of lies and vessels of oaths, defilers and servants of passions (Jude 1:4, 12). Are they worth listening to? Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but tempt the spirits if they are from God (1 John 4:1). Amen. Why are you standing idle all day? (Matthew 20:6). There are two kinds of idle people. Some people don’t like to stumble over anything practical; others are busy, but not busy. The first do not like work at all; wandering around idle from house to house; indulge in fun and empty conversations, eat and sleep - this is their favorite circle of activities! Such are the people whom a bad upbringing has inspired to believe nobility lies in inaction; Such are many artisans who often feel blind boredom while doing work, and, carried away by dreams of their abilities, turn from work to idleness; These are the same as day laborers who go about their business while they are looked after; Such are the farmers who don’t care about a wife or children, as long as they have fun. Idlers of the second category are much more common. These people, instead of diligently doing what is due according to their status and rank, according to the time and circumstances in which they find themselves, are either completely foreign to them, or empty, unworthy of the name of a Christian person. Why are you standing idle all day? According to the general feeling, idleness is an unpleasant thing, a wrong, illegal state, which the soul abhors, life requires movement, and idleness is like death. And for earthly life, work is necessary; you cannot get honor, money, food, or clothing through idleness. And in paradise man had to work, he had to perfect his soul in order to get closer to its All-Perfect model. Sin called man to the work of repentance. Baptism invites you to work to acquire high Christian virtues. At the end of life, conscience and God, of course, will condemn not many, or not very many, for idleness in relation to earthly pursuits. But does this mean that all earthly workers are saints? To be occupied with something that is not necessary is criminal idleness, as is the idleness of not loving work at all. We are all called to work in the vineyard of God; rewards are given to those who worked in the garden of God. What does it mean? This means that all our labors must be devoted to the glory of the name of God, and that they must be carried out under the influence of heaven. One thought about God elevates the soul, how high is life when it is all dedicated to Him. He is the source of perfection, and only that which strives towards Him can be perfect as it approaches Him. Where is our peace? Where is the light? Where is the joy? In Him alone, in connection with Him. So “whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything to the glory of God” (1 Cor. 10:31). That works unsanctified by the name of God are rot and wind. Only extreme foolishness, only enmity against ourselves can keep us from working for our God, from serving Him sincerely. He is so good, He rewards more than our labors are worth. The smallest work does not go without payment for Him! And a glass of water given to a poor man for Him, and every breath of heartfelt prayer are not forgotten by Him. He himself makes it easier for his workers with his grace, gives them help when they encounter obstacles, consoles them in sorrows and does everything to make their work successful. The Prophet says, “they sowed much and received little; ate and were left hungry; you drank and didn’t get drunk, got dressed and you weren’t warm; whoever received the reward threw it into a bag with holes” (Hag. 1:6). Such are the works for one land, for one time. The world is a cruel master, it demands a lot and gives little, very little. He promises mountains of wealth, and immediately deprives him of everything; promises cheerfulness and pleasure, but sends boredom and languor; His honors are smoke, his words are sound. Why is this so? The immortal soul will not be satisfied with perishable goods, and the world, even if it would like, is not able to calm the desires of the eternal soul. How blind we are, my God, working so hard for a land that feeds only boredom! How blind we are, passing by the One who is able to make us so happy! Is it difficult to please the Lord? Is it difficult to keep up with good? No, it is much easier than idle laziness imagines. By her grace, it is difficult to do good and very easy to commit sins, as if we were not the only ones working here and there. “Now, if I want, I can be close to God,” says St. Augustine. Yes, if I want, every word, every thought, every activity will be a service to God. Let my soul be turned to God with both thoughts and desires; it, sanctifying itself, will do what is pleasing to Him. It is true that habits of sin are not easily overcome. But heavenly goodness! when and to whom did you refuse help? What habit was not overcome with your help by a soul that was sincerely zealous for good? Christianity imposes on the believer the work of continuous exercise of the strengths and abilities given to him by God - work not for himself, but for the glory of God. The essence of this work is a merciless criticism of a person to himself, to everything he thinks, feels, does, and a constant desire to approach the Heavenly Father in perfection. Christianity provides a person with complete freedom - to choose his own type of work and external activities, according to his inclinations and abilities. It makes no difference to him whether a Christian is a scientist, an artist, a craftsman, or a farmer, as long as he vividly feels his relationship to the Heavenly Father and walks worthy of heavenly recognition. It does not violate nature; on the contrary, he helps nature, sanctifies every gift and gives his aid to develop every gift of God. Why complain about the hard work in the vineyard of God? We cannot change the meaning of temporary life; it is determined from above. 9Then become idle? speaks to us every day, pointing to eternity. Let capricious pride be dissatisfied with this reminder. That doesn't change the matter. Life is temporary - the time of sowing, and the harvest is beyond the grave. A smart farmer does not miss the time when he should plow the land and sow it with seeds, otherwise he would be left without bread. An intelligent Christian does not let earthly life pass by his eyes, without labor and intensive activities, especially since the value of his work is very high. He cultivates the soil of his heart with contrition, sows his soul with deeds of love for God and neighbors, and through prayer asks for blessed rain on his soil. So he works until the grave and passes into that life with hopes of a peaceful eternity. “Let us not become weary in doing good,” the apostle of God tells us, for in due season we will reap if we do not give up” (Gal. 6:9). Oh! we must work while there is time. Who knows whether tomorrow will come for us to spend it usefully after the current day killed in idleness? An absent-minded life, a life without high thoughts, is in no way a joy to the soul. She is the subject of God's wrath. If we lose this grace through inaction, hoping to receive a new, reckless hope! For neglect of the grace of God, for indifference to heavenly mercy, we must expect the reward of God's truth, and not the gift of goodness. “Take a talent from him (the lazy person) and give it to him who has ten talents, and throw a needy servant into outer darkness” (Matthew 25:28, 30). This is the verdict that is ready for us! It’s unpleasant, it’s hard to paint a sad picture of a grandfather of idleness. Idleness imparts relaxation of mental strength. The less one practices goodness, the more weak one’s good will becomes, so that finally the soul, as it were, is struck by paralysis, does not move or do good, does not even think about good. There are insects that willingly stay in the mud. Such is the idle soul. Her imagination is filled with unclean pictures, from which dirty passions are ignited. Feasts, revelry, fun, vile deeds - that’s what’s on her mind! Will there be no money and a meaninglessly cheerful life? They accept criminal means, deception, unscrupulous gambling, theft and, perhaps, murder. From the tongues of idle people a stream of dirty speech flows; they do not even know how to speak about good things; Having been corrupted themselves, they scatter moral corruption in all directions. The families into which these people fall are unhappy; youth, innocence, marital happiness, family peace, perish from them like the plague. You cannot find the fear of God in their souls; they have long ago lost it. Idle - prodigal son! May God save everyone from the misfortune of having a passion for idleness. Amen. Word in the Gamaleev monastery Peace was proclaimed and given by the risen Savior to his disciples. The letters of the apostles begin and end with the desire for peace. The peace of God, says the apostle, which surpasses all understanding, may guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:7). In the midst of a world agitated by so many upheavals, with hearts so susceptible to cowardice and the movement of various passions, peace of mind is truly a great blessing for people. I wish all the best for those living in this monastery, and I wish it peace. Peace be with you, sisters in the Lord! The higher, the more necessary we need the good of God, the more we should value it, the more sincerely we should take measures to preserve this good. Keep, sisters in the Lord, peace in your hearts, peace of mind, contentment of soul. And in order for this great treasure of heaven to be preserved in you, take to heart the three pieces of advice of my pastoral love: do not interfere in other people’s affairs, do not be too sensitive to unpleasant incidents, keep a clean conscience. Don't worry about matters that don't concern you. The father and mother of the family must supervise the behavior of their children and everyone living in their house. This is a matchmaking duty. The civilian commander and the military commander collect information about the behavior of those subordinate to them, take measures against the hobbies of human passions, punish or approve of others. They are meant to do this, and if they did not do this, societies would suffer from thieves and bad people. In exactly the same way, a shepherd must vigilantly look in all directions around the circle of his flock. In the same way, the head and mistress of the monastery must take care of the salvation of those entrusted to their supervision; they must recognize the ways of their hearts and, either with a spirit of meekness or with parental severity, guide their souls to spiritual life. The Lord will punish them if they do not do this. But what conscience will approve if a person is busy all day only with what does not concern him; if he talks and even invents news about the fifth and tenth, from morning to evening he talks and worries about what such and such is doing, what such and such is doing; if you go from house to house, from cell to cell, to find out and convey to others news that is offensive to your sister and brother, to judge and talk about matters that you do not understand at all? Agree that such people are harmful to themselves, harmful to others, and cannot have peace either with themselves or with others. They cannot have peace with themselves, not only because they worry a lot about others, but especially because, remaining with themselves, they are punished by their conscience for their unreasonable passion. Poor soul! this is what conscience says to such a soul; you are told, pay attention to yourself, look after yourself, evaluate your deeds, prepare to answer for yourself to the Eternal Judge, hasten to do good deeds necessary for your salvation. How much time have you managed to do good? Alas! there is no concern about one’s position, one’s eternal fate; everyone was concerned about others. How many sins are put into the soul in these troubles! And gossip, and foolish laughter, and lies, and slander, and empty speech, and cruelty towards sister and brother and fearlessness before God. And all this is only due to the grace of spiritual emptiness. How many temptations, how much sin you brought into the hearts that listened to you! What expects you from others for your idle talk and slander? Those who are offended by your frivolity and offended, of course, completely undeservedly, if they learn about your slander, will rightfully begin to move away from you, like from a snake; If they don’t know, with what eyes will you look at them? Are you going to be a hypocrite? This is the new satanic sin. Unhappy passion! Pernicious passion! Sisters and brothers! If, under the influence of well-wishing love, someone is bothered by the thought of another’s mistakes, let him, calling on God’s help, tell someone else about his mistake in private, or tell someone else about it, but not out loud to many. Such a deed will be a deed of holy love. Whether his word will or will not benefit another, let him not worry about that. And the word of God does not benefit each of us. And the Lord does not like our bad deeds, but He endures. Snore and you remain silent when words are of no use. The best help for a sick person is prayer. Pray for the sick soul. Prayer can bring down the grace of God to the sick person, and what is closer to the one praying, will bring down light and peace to the prayer booker himself. The greatest enemy of our peace is our pride. This blind self-love does not see the bad in us, but wants to see only the good. By her grace, we want to be praised for everything, even for things that, on occasion, we ourselves do not approve of. By her grace we are very sensitive, light praise puffs up our pride, light reproach offends us; Moreover, when he tells us the unpleasant truth directly about us, we lose our temper, enter into arguments and abuse. Our pride is insulted and when someone else is praised, it seems like a humiliation of our honor, our dignity. ABOUT! love humility to maintain peace in your soul. Why should we serve self-love when it is both blind to us and lures us into sins? Are they telling lies about you? Is it complete? On the contrary, are there not more sins in you than the human eye can indicate? No, say in your soul, Lord, save your sister and brother, they remind me of my weaknesses, which I remember so poorly; and how many sins I have! save me, Lord, through the prayers of my brother and sister. Then you will feel the quiet peace that your blind pride wanted to disturb. If, by God's permission, in order to teach you patience and humility, an evil person constantly persecutes you with slander and abuse, then you especially need to be deaf to the cry of pride, and since this can be difficult, very difficult, you need to pray to the Lord for help, to pacify the unrest of pride. Otherwise, in such cases, you will hear nothing from pride except untruth, you will not learn anything except anger, enmity, malice, and your poor heart will suffer, tormented by sin; then especially remember the multitude of your sins, which need to be cleansed by repentance and sorrow, and humility will bring clarity of thoughts and silence of feelings into your soul. Self-love disturbs us not only when there are unfavorable reviews about us, but it also stands up for everything close to you, as for dear property. It values ​​our health, food, clothing, and money. That’s why it raises a storm in us when something dear to it is taken away. But why does it value all this? Only because he finds in it food for himself, food for pride, vanity, the bliss of an absent-minded, carefree life. This already shows us how careful we must be when faced with the loss or lack of means of earthly life, so as not to become cowardly at the mere suggestion of sin. Property, food, health, of course, are needed for life, but still our life is in the power of God. Let us thank the Lord when He sends us the consolations of life. But let us bless Him even when He refuses anything, at His good discretion. We will be happy with what they give. Do you need much to live? Ah, the Saints of God were content with very little. The little that is given to us is a luxury, an abundance superfluous in comparison with what the saints lived with. Let us be ashamed of our criminal folly. There is only one holy cause of mental anxiety, the anxiety of a conscience offended by sin. We should not be afraid of this worry. On the contrary, there is nothing sadder, nothing more unhappy than a soul in which the conscience is drowned out by the habits of sin. May God deliver everyone from such a condition! But the sadness aroused by conscience is desired only when sin exists. Who can wish for the worst of sins? Sins are poison to the soul, frustrating it for eternity. They are torment for the soul in time and eternity. So try not to allow sins, especially serious ones, to reach your soul. Guard your hearts from the breath of sin, in all its forms; guard your purity of conscience. If, even in your struggle with sin, sin touches your soul, you have a remedy - sincere confession. Don't hide your temptations. Many of the saints were subjected to temptations and were freed from them as soon as they revealed them to others. The prince of darkness fears the light; he looks for prey at night and disappears when daylight appears. Like the father of pride, he flees from those who, in meekness of heart, open the wounds of the soul. It happens that they are greatly disturbed by unimportant sins and are not disturbed by important ones. Open your whole soul to your spiritual father or spiritual mother, and whatever they say, follow it in peace of conscience. By thus protecting your soul from sin, you will enjoy quiet peace, a blessed world. Then not only will you be peaceful here, but your earthly peace will be the guarantee of eternal peace. Peace to many who love Your law, O Lord. May the God of peace be with you (Phil.4:9). Amen. A certain man heard a parable He is a steward who planted grapes (Matthew 21:33). The parable of the vineyard was spoken aloud to the Jews for their admonition. Hear the parable, as the Lord speaks to the Jews, drawing their attention to the meaning of the edifying parable. You have heard the parable, He speaks to us, brethren. This is why the parable was written in St. gospel so that we can listen to it. This is why the Holy Church repeats it out loud to us, so that we can learn from it salvation. If we are reverent listeners of Christ; you need to listen to the parable of Christ. A certain man was a homemaker, and he planted grapes and fenced them as a stronghold and a stone press in them, and created a pillar, both in coming and being a worker and in going away (Matthew 21:33). A homely person or the owner of the house means God, the ruler of the whole world. Grapes are the Jewish people chosen by God. A stronghold is a fence, a winepress is a hole that was dug in a vineyard to squeeze wine from the berries in it; pillar - a tower that was placed to monitor the integrity of the garden. All these are images of God’s care for the Jews. The fence is the law given to the Jews; winepress - an altar on which the blood of educational sacrifices flowed, pointing to the best sacrifice of the Redeemer of the world. The tower is a tabernacle, later replaced by a church. The vinedressers are high priests, teachers and leaders of the people. Oh! how much heavenly goodness has done for the Jews! St. Luke says about the lord of the vineyard: there will be many years of rest. What is it? From there, he gave time for the planted vineyard to develop and bear fruit, under the supervision of the overseers. The Lord does not restrict human freedom, but allows us to use it at our discretion. The Jews were given the opportunity, according to their will, to accept the commandments and promises of God and serve God freely, to their happiness. What does heavenly goodness want for people, if not for them to create their eternal happiness through free will? Many years span the time from Moses to the appearance of the first prophets, which are discussed below. When the time for fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the laborer to receive his fruits. And the laborers ate slaves with it, slaughtered another one, killed another one, and stoned another one with a stone. The ambassadors again sent many more servants than the first, and did likewise to them (Matthew 21:34–36). The fruits that God expected from the Jews are the essence of piety and pure faith. The slaves sent to the Jews were prophets. They should have seen with consolation in the Jews high virtues worthy of God’s care, but they saw pagan vices and denounced them. They were supposed to lead the Jews to the highest perfection and illuminate their minds with new and clearer instructions about the Savior of the world, but they met stubbornness and hatred from the Jews. The ingratitude and malice of the Jews were so great that they treated the messengers of God as public criminals. Some of them were beaten and imprisoned, like Ananias (2 Chronicles 16:17-20) and Micah (1 Kings 22:24, 27); others were stoned, like Azariah (2 Chronicles 24:20). God sent his servants, the prophets, one after another. But the new ambassadors were treated the same as the previous ones. They were paid for their denunciations with beatings and death. Another time the Savior directly told the Jews, “you are the children of those who killed the prophets.” And then he added his heartfelt complaint, “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to you” (Matthew 21:31, 37). The Apostle Paul depicts the fate of God’s servants this way: “Some were martyred; others were subjected to ridicule and beatings, also to chains and prison; they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, they died by the sword” (Heb. 11:35-37). ABOUT! leaders - leaders of the people! your responsibility before God is heavy. If other atrocities are committed by the people without your direct participation, without your permission, then the court of God places the blame on you, because you were supposed to instill piety in the people, but you instilled in them wickedness and a thirst for the blood of the innocent. Follow the messenger of your Son to them, saying, “They will put My Son to shame” (Matthew 21:37). The patience of the heavenly Lord was not exhausted by the evil deeds of people. After the Jews either drove out or killed the heavenly messengers, the Heavenly Father revealed to the Jewish people the most amazing experience of his love. After the slaves, He sent His Son to admonish people, or as St. Mark, “having one dear Son, sent Him last” (Mark 12:6). St. Luke completes the picture of love with the words, “What should I do? I will send my beloved Son” (Luke 20:13). A stunning picture of heavenly love! The parable says: I sent the Son to them, saying, They will put My Son to shame. The Omniscient knows everything that is and everything that will be. But heavenly love does not seem to want to know that people will not take advantage of new experiences of its goodness and continues to show goodness; heavenly love wants people to understand the greatness of its new goodness and exposes this greatness to them; “indicates what they should have done, because they should have been ashamed.” 77 The Son of the Heavenly Father appears in the parable as a witness of the truth of God, as a heavenly and greatest teacher. Christ Jesus definitely began his ministry to people with a call to repentance and faith. Repent and believe the gospel, so He preached. And what abundant heavenly light the Son of God brought with him to earth! What a pure, what a lofty, what a comprehensive teaching He offered to people! How powerful were His instructions! “Never has a man spoken as this man speaks,” even some of the Jews confessed. And how did it all end? The worker, having seen the Son, having decided within himself, this is the heir, come, let us kill him and retain his inheritance. And having eaten it, he brought forth the grapes and killed him (Matthew 21:38–39). Here the parable turns into a prophecy and into a prophecy that reveals not only future deeds, but also the very secrets of hearts. The Lord depicts the sad reality that was revealed a few days after the conversation. According to the story of St. John, this is what happened three days later. The chief priests and Pharisees in the assembly formed a council about Jesus, “What should we do? They talked. This man does many miracles. If we leave Him, then everyone will believe in Him and the Romans will come and take possession of both our place and our people.” Caiaphas decided: “It is better for us that one should die for the people” (John 11:48–50). Do you see what was on the hearts? They were afraid that the great miracle worker would attract everyone to himself. They were afraid that they would lose their importance among the people, that they would lose so much honor and power that was dear to them, that they would be left without primacy in the vineyard of God. The Lord sees what is happening in the hearts of His enemies, He sees more clearly and further than they themselves see. They cover up the anxieties of the bloodthirsty self-love with forms of love for the fatherland, but the Lord reveals to them what, in fact, is happening in the depths of their hearts. He tells them. that it is only for selfish reasons that they decide to kill; let us kill Him so that ours will be ours (Luke 20:14). And these people don’t have it on their minds to remember how much holy blood of St. has already been shed. prophets Instead of learning the fear of God from the lives of their fathers, they decide to kill the greatest of the prophets, the One Whom they themselves recognize as a miracle worker. Amazing dazzle! The words, let’s keep his property, are without a doubt not smart words. Is it smart to think that the Lord of the vineyard or the Heavenly Father will leave the death of His Son unpunished, or is not able to take away property from the hands of impudent thieves? But can our passions speak and act intelligently? Their usual business is to cloud the mind and drive us to stupidity. The enemies of Jesus, as He Himself revealed, acted under the influence of the prince of darkness, an open enemy of the power of God (John 14:30; Luke 22:31, 23:53). So a terrible decision was pronounced, and it was carried out, as predicted in the parable. Betrayed by Pilate, as an enemy of Caesar, Jesus was taken out of the city to a place called the forehead (Luke 23:33) and crucified there. The Apostle Peter told the Jews about the Jews that they did not know what they were doing when they crucified Jesus (Acts 3:17). Yes, they did not understand the mystery of the reconciling death of Christ and did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah (Acts 13:27). But why is all this? Because they were occupied only with the earth and did not think about the spiritual, they expected from the Messiah only earthly greatness, earthly happiness, earthly power. That is why, although at times they saw the spiritual greatness of Jesus, they were carried away by earthly passions and killed the Author of life (Acts 3:15). ABOUT! earth - earth! How destructive is your charm for the immortal spirit! When the lord of the grapes comes, what will the worker do? He says to him: the wicked will destroy them with evil, and the grapes will be given over to another worker, who will reward Him with the fruit in their own time (Matthew 21:40-41). If the Savior’s question were put to the most unjust, most unscrupulous judges, and they, at least out of fear of appearing to be bad people, would answer, the villains would be put to death, and the grapes would be given to others. The scribes did the same. The enemies of Jesus pronounced judgment on themselves, of course, without realizing at first that it was about themselves. St. Luke notes that some have added, let it not be (Luke 20:16). This means that these understood who the sentence of truth applied to and were horrified. They were horrified even more than that, that the vineyard would be taken away from their hands and handed over to other guards, other authorities. He looked at them and said, “Whether there was no one in the scriptures: the stone that they carelessly built, this became the head of the corner... For this reason I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and will be given to the tongue that creates its fruits (Matthew 21:42-43). People occupied with the earth did not want to see the Messiah in the humble Jesus and therefore did not want to allow God’s terrible judgment to apply to them. But the Savior denounces them with the words of the psalm and pronounces a decisive verdict on their fate. The Jews themselves recognized Psalm 117 as a prophetic song about the Messiah and his church. “The people who preceded and accompanied,” meeting Jesus as the Messiah in Jerusalem, repeated in delight the words of the psalm, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest! (Matthew 21:3). The Apostle Peter speaks in the Sanhedrin about Jesus, “He is the stone that was despised by you builders, but became the head of the corner” (Acts 4:11). So let the Pharisees and scribes reject Jesus, but they thereby fulfill the prophecy about the Messiah over Him. They throw Him like a worthless stone, but by the will of God He ends up at the base of the building, at the junction of two corners. After this, what awaits the Jews? The kingdom of God will be taken away from them and given to a people who will bear fruit. Thus the Lord spoke firmly to the Jews. Unhappy Jews! They still wander throughout the world, scattered by the wrath of God for the death of the Son of God. The parable of the vinedressers directly refers to the Jews, but indirectly it concerns the entire human race and each person in particular. Come into yourself, whoever you are. Has God not planted the seed of love for piety in your heart? As a child, your parents, relatives, and teachers served as a fence for you. You live in a Christian society. How many lessons for goodness do you have! Before you is the word of the Son of God. You read it and felt how life-giving it was. The shepherds and teachers of the church are the guardians of the new grapes of Christ; they are duty-bound to ensure that the garden of God bears the expected fruits. Do not think that their instructions can be ignored with impunity. Do you love the Lord Jesus as His love for you requires? Christians have been given more means to fulfill the will of heaven than Jews. ABOUT! The human mind cannot comprehend all the breadth and height of God’s love poured out on us in Christ Jesus. But it is all the more terrible to be ungrateful in front of such love. Sometimes you completely forget about your Lord and live with your mind and heart according to your own whims, like an apostate and a rebel. Shall I tell you what will happen? If you continue to follow this path, your fate will be similar to the fate of the Jews. All the best in you will die; the feeling of goodness and piety that delighted you will become dull. Fear the Jewish passion for earthly gain, which crucified the Son of God! Otherwise, you may end up with the kingdom of God taken away from you. Perhaps even now, following the false prophets, they say, peace, peace among us! But how long will this last? What does this thirst for unbridled passion mean, wrapped in the name of humanity, humanity? Wasn’t it what those who beat the prophets breathed? The false prophets smiled at the novelties of depraved paganism, which the Jewish people greedily adopted from their neighbors. Isn’t the same thing visible today? Here and here cries are heard against backwardness in thought, against the dilapidated faith, against Byzantineism; here and here they demand a new faith, a new life - life and faith according to the rules of the material order. But do not be embarrassed by this, reader of the truth of Christ! Whoever falls on this stone will be broken, and whoever it falls on will be crushed, so said our Lord, and His word will not change. His Word was fulfilled over the Jews, it was fulfilled over other enemies of Christ’s truth, and it will be fulfilled over every new enemy. The Truth of Christ, despite all that has been and is being attacked, will not change its place, it is an immovable stone; it is unchangeable and irreplaceable; it is eternal, just as God is eternal. You will find nothing but confusion in thoughts, except pitiful contradictions to yourself and the eternal laws of truth in the words of people who rebel against Christ’s truth; the more and more persistently they rebel against it, the more obvious their weakness and inconsistency becomes. They are pathetic. The Son of God, after being killed by people, will appear again, only in the form of a Judge and then criminal people. Brethren! It is the duty of each of us to guard the vineyard of Christ, the holy faith and its institutions. “There is nothing more precious to us on earth than holy faith.” Protect her from freethinking and freethinking; darkness and destruction follow in their wake. Do not trust teachers of lies, they may speak eloquently, but their words are poison for minds and hearts; These are wolves dressed in sheep's clothing. – Obey the pastors of the church, they are entrusted with the word of God and the sacraments; whoever obeys them obeys not people, but God. It is the duty of each of us to cultivate God's vineyard, producing the fruit expected by the Lord. Use the grace-filled means of salvation. How can one not value eternal salvation? Life is short, but eternity is endless. Walk worthy of the calling with which you have been called by heaven, with all humility and meekness (Eph. 4:1-3). The calling of a Christian is high; one must work hard to fulfill it. ABOUT! May Your mercy continue over us, our irreplaceable Savior! Amen. Conversation in the 15th week, which commandment is greatest in the law? The Sadducean philosophy is low, in its eyes the human soul is as insignificant as the life of a worm; her desires, like the desires of the worm, are limited only to eating and drinking. God forbid we see Sadducees among us! But even those who want to think and live differently from the Sadducees may not yet be in the kingdom of God. This is what the gospel now read shows. A certain lawyer approached Jesus, tempting Him and saying, “What is the greatest commandment in the law?” The lawyer listened to the Savior’s answers to the Sadducees and was comforted by the thoroughness of the answers. So says the saint. Mark (12:82). Because if St. Matthew says about the lawyer that he came, tempting Him; let us not explain this to the disadvantage of the lawyer. And from the approval that the Savior gave to the lawyer (Matthew 22:34), it is clear that the lawyer did not approach the Savior with the intentions of the enemy. His temptation was, in fact, an inquiry into the truth; he wanted to resolve his perplexities, to confirm his guesses with the voice of the great Teacher. If, as the lawyer’s contemporaries thought, and he with them, if Moses gave 365 prohibitions and 244 commands, a total of 613 rules, then, of course, this number of rules is not all the same important. Which commandment is more important than all others? The opinions of teachers about this are different; some considered the commandment to offer sacrifices to Jehovah to be the first commandment; others greatly revered the Sabbath, and still others – circumcision. All the more urgent is the need to find out what is true. And now the lawyer wants to know the opinion of that great Teacher. Jesus answered him that the first of all commandments is, “Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one Lord,” and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart... This is the first commandment (Mark 12:29). The Savior teaches the readers of the law in the exact words of the law itself (Deut. 6:5). How did God's law begin? Just as God is one, so He must be loved first and most of all. This is the beginning of the law! There is no object for love higher than God. God is the highest good and the only good. He is the beginning and the end of everything. We exist by Him and we exist for Him, so without Him our life is ruinous. Therefore we must love Him most of all. We must love Him with our whole being, we must love Him with all our hearts, with all the movements of our feelings, with all our souls, with all the aspirations of our will, with all our thoughts, with all our actions of the mind, and with all our strength, with all our mental and physical activity. This is the first and most important commandment! (Matthew 22:38) This is why it is the first in the series of commandments because it is the most important in terms of content. So, why so much debate about important and unimportant commandments? The law is in the hands of lawyers. The second is similar to her, love your sincere one as yourself. The second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself. This commandment is lower than the first in its subject matter, there is God, here is man. But it is important in connection with the first; Without loving your neighbor, you cannot love God. Your neighbor is a wonderful creation of God; His high qualities, intelligence, freedom, dominance over nature are before our eyes. Whoever does not respect this lofty creation of God, who persecutes him with hatred, has no place for the love of God; by neglecting creation, he insults the Creator. In essence, whoever sincerely loves God cannot help but love his neighbor. Therefore, whoever understands and accepts with his heart the commandment to love God does not need the commandment to love his neighbor. But for people with a hard heart and a rude mind, for people who claim that they love God, while they hate their brother, it is necessary to declare that there is a second commandment, love your neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself. This is the measure for loving your neighbor! We love ourselves, this is our life’s work. But why should you love yourself? Because life was not given to us by us, because we are God’s creation. In the same way, we must love another, as a creation of God, but made by hand in man, his passions, his delusions are worth only our regret. Love your neighbor as yourself. Temper the impulses of selfishness with love for your neighbor. Do not do or wish for others what you do not wish for yourself. It hurts you when they laugh at you, don’t laugh at others. It’s hard for you when no one wants to share your grief with you, so hasten to share the grief of your neighbor. Try to do for others everything that you wish for yourself. By this two commandments all the law and the prophets hang. “In these two commandments consists all the law and the prophets.” Everything that the books of Moses teach, which were called the law in the language of the Jews, everything that the books of the prophets teach, is briefly contained in two commandments, love God, love your neighbor. No Jewish wisdom will find more there than that. All private instructions and prohibitions of the law, all admonitions and teachings of the prophets are the revelation of the commandment about holy love. Love for God and neighbor is the root of all holiness and without it spiritual perfection is impossible. This is how it is explained for Christians. The Apostle says, even if an Imam prophecies and knows all mysteries and all the mind, and even if an Imam has all the faith, even if he has given up mountains, but I am not an Imam for love, I am nothing. And even if I give away all my possessions and even if I give up my body, having burned it without love, it will profit me nothing (1 Cor. 13:2-3). According to the story of St. Mark, the lawyer, having listened to the Savior’s answer, said, “Okay, teacher! You have spoken the truth, that to love God and one’s neighbor is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” The lawyer not only enthusiastically approved the words of the Savior, but added that, in his understanding, love for God and neighbor is higher than all sacrifices, although others do not think so. Jesus, seeing that he answered meaningfully, said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God” (Mark 12:33–34). According to the judgment of the omniscient, the lawyer answered reasonably, and he is not far from the kingdom of God. He is a reasonable person and is close to the kingdom of God in his dispositions, because he values ​​love above sacrifice. This meant a lot to the lawyer. And, however, he is only not far from the kingdom of God, but not yet in the kingdom of God. What does this mean? What did the lawyer lack? The Savior shows this in conversation with other scribes. Jesus asked the assembled Pharisees, saying, “What do you think about Christ?” Whose son is it? Say to him, David (Matthew 22:42). The Pharisees gathered around Jesus, no doubt, in order to embarrass Him with some question, as they had repeatedly revealed this intention. The knower of the heart sees their hearts and not only destroys their fetters, but puts them themselves in a hopeless difficulty, shows them their delusions. “What do you think about Christ? He asks them. Whose son is He? The Savior offers a question beloved by the Jews - the question of the Messiah; proposes an important question not only for the Jews, which had to be answered respectfully. The Savior knew what the Pharisees would answer Him. The common faith of the Jews awaited Christ as a descendant of David. In this their faith was not mistaken. This is what the prophets said about the Messiah. The Jews, like the Pharisees, saw in the Messiah nothing more than the son of David, an earthly king, and did not understand that at the same time He would be an eternal king and the Son of God. This erroneous belief was shared even by some of the good Jews, such as the lawyer approved by the Savior. It is this error that the Savior wants to expose. As the Savior expected, this is how the Pharisees answered His first question. “The Messiah is the son of David,” they said. He said to them, how David calls Him by the Spirit of the Lord, saying, The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, until I will make Your enemies Your footstool. If David calls Him Lord, what kind of son will he have? (Matthew 22:43–45) Recognizing the Pharisees’ answer as fair, the Savior invites them to compare their opinion about the Messiah, the king of the earth, with the words of David. You are right, He says; The Messiah is the son of David. But why is David in spirit, or as St. Mark, by the Holy Spirit, therefore, not in his own human opinion, but as a prophet speaking under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, calls Christ Lord? The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, He says. Jehovah, the true God, said; said to my Lord, Adonai, which also means the Lord of heaven and earth, the true God. Thus, the very name of the Messiah as Lord of the universe shows that the Messiah is not only the son of man. Not enough. Jehovah said, sit at My right hand. This also means that the Messiah is called to participate in the glory and power of Jehovah. With whom can Jehovah share power if not with His equal? So, it was in vain that the scribes and Pharisees with furious indignation called Jesus a blasphemer, because He, the verb God, was equal to the work of God (John 5:18). The Lord Jesus speaks about himself as Christ, the same thing that David says about Christ. The Pharisees and scribes themselves are to blame if, after reading David and the prophets so often, they did not want to understand David and the prophets. They are to blame for the fact that their earthly thoughts, their proud dreams about the earthly kingdom of the Messiah and their participation in this earthly greatness obscured in their view the teaching of the prophets about the eternal, spiritual kingdom of the Messiah and His divine greatness. They are to blame for limiting their desires and hopes only to the earth, living for the earth alone, and losing sight of the spiritual. The Savior, in denouncing them, could point to many other sayings of the prophets, showing the Son of God in the Messiah. He could point to the words of Micah, who says that the departure of the Messiah from the days of the world (Mic. 5:1); to the words of Isaiah, who called the Messiah Immanuel (Is. 7:14), the mighty God and the everlasting Father (Is. 9:15); to Jeremiah, according to whom the Messiah - Jehovah - is our righteousness (Jer. 23:6). But the Savior points to the words of David, where the Messiah is both the Son of David and the Son of God, and at the same time a formidable Judge. What is this for? To awaken the fear of God in the proud souls of the Pharisees, to make them tremble for themselves; He repeats the words of David about the Messiah as the ruler of the universe, terrible for His enemies. Jehovah says to Adonai the Messiah, sit at My right hand, until I will make Your enemies Your footstool. Let the enemies of the Messiah know that they will not go unpunished, that they will be brought to the saddest, most bitter, humiliation. And no one could answer His words, less than anyone dared to create Him from that day (Matthew 22:46). The Savior’s words placed His enemies in such difficulty that they did not dare to say a word in response to His question about Christ the son of David. This time they felt the justice of His reproof and were silent. They admitted that they were no longer able to grasp the wise Teacher in His words and therefore abandoned attempts to enter into an argument with Him. Isn’t it true that this is enough for the glory of the truth of Christ? But is the love of Christ enough? Oh! she would want more from them, for themselves. She would like not a temporary consciousness of error, but complete correction of them, complete repentance for the wickedness of the heart and humble faith in the Savior of souls; but this was not in their callous souls. St. Mark spoke at this, and many people listened to Him in sweetness (Mark 12:37). This undoubtedly eased the Lord Jesus’ grief over the unrepentant Pharisees. At the end of our conversation, let us repeat the content of the Savior’s instructions. Love for God and neighbor, sincere and complete love, this is what should breathe in all our actions, in our entire life! But where can we get such love? Lord Jesus? You are the Son of man and therefore you know our weaknesses. You are the Son of God and therefore you can give us everything that we do not have. You expect, You demand that our hearts turn to You, as to the Son of man and the Son of God. Our hearts are persistent; crush them with Your fear. Save us, our Savior! Amen. He who is faithful in little and in much is faithful (Luke 16:10). People usually think and say that it is not important to sin in unimportant matters, as long as in great things one is faithful to the will of God. What, for example, is the importance of telling a lie or deceiving when selling? Is it a great thing not to fast? That's what many say and that's what many do! But that is not what the gospel teaches. “He who is faithful in small things, says the Lord, is also faithful in great things; and he who is unfaithful in small things is also unfaithful in great things” (Luke 16:10). If you do not learn to be faithful in small things, you cannot remain faithful when more strength and more firmness are required; in great deeds there are also great obstacles, and in addition to obstacles they require great strength. Do we have a large reserve of strength? We have not yet discovered how much strength we have; and we dream of great things! We need to accurately test our strength, we need to lift small weights many times, we need to get used to faithfulness and dexterity when lifting small stones, after which we will lift larger weights. If we didn’t start doing the first thing, then under the great weight we would strain our strength. It’s exactly the same in moral life, in spiritual life. You must first get used to order and work in ordinary, home life. Then you can begin your spiritual life with the hope of success. If in a close family circle they lived to the misfortune of themselves and others, upset everyone and everything, can one expect good from managing the affairs of a great public area? “If anyone does not know how to manage his own home, how should he care about the church of God?” (1 Timothy 3:5). It is strange to hope to see yourself at the highest step of the ladder when you have not yet climbed the first three steps. The virtues of a pagan are not high, but a Christian cannot stop without them. Otherwise they will say, “because of you the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles” (Rom. 3:24). Those who take upon themselves great things, but every hour turn out to be unfaithful in small things, deceive themselves and others with their dreams. How does the morality of noisy people like Luther turn out in experience? Deceptive light. This is the Christianity of the best Protestants! In words they are angels, in deeds they are worshipers of the golden calf. How many are in search of high positions, honorary titles, visible places! but if they carried out small jobs faithfully, they would know the extent of their own, they would know that they barely do something and somehow somehow even in their close circle, but God save us from great labor! Why, without the strength and ability, take on tricky things? Is it to disgrace yourself and harm others? It is foolish, criminally high position to destroy yourself and others, to the mercy of your inability. A grain of sand is small, but millions of grains of sand make up a mountain. What constitutes small sins repeated every day? What does our constant infidelity in small things lead to? With it, they get used to neglecting great responsibilities, and begin to live as if there were no law or court for us at all; reproaches of conscience, at first quite sharp, become dull over time, and her voice becomes silent in the soul; a terrible state ensues, a state of insensibility and fearlessness. So, violating the holiness of fasting, do they not completely forget over time about the duty of crucifying the flesh with passions and lusts? Don’t we finally live as if we had no needs other than animals? And in this case, why call ourselves Christians? The name and the person are not worth it. Whoever, in spiritual life, as well as in worldly life, knows how to take advantage of small opportunities, will sooner or later accumulate great wealth. Opportunities for great deeds do not often arise, whereas every day, every hour small things pass before us, but which require our constant activity. These are small meetings in appearance, but take a closer look and you will see that they have no small significance for us. Take a closer look and you will see that the small meetings of the day challenge us to fight either laziness and indolence, now with pride and vanity, now with envy and self-interest, now with unclean flesh. ABOUT! how many precious things we can collect in our hearts if we remain faithful to the will of heaven on all occasions of the day! Love should not slumber, it should be constantly kind, and living, active love turns every minute to its advantage. Not only during the hours of prayer is she with her whole soul with her Lord, but with Him she is also in the field, and in the house, and on the bed at night, and in conversation with others, and at the meal of love. So, taking advantage of all opportunities, the faithful soul collects great spiritual wealth. Thus, having gained firm loyalty to her God in the events of the day, she turns out to be faithful in great deeds. Our Savior showed us by his example that we should not neglect small things. On Him rested the greatest work, which no one had accomplished since the beginning of the world - the salvation of the entire human race. And yet He fulfilled the law of circumcision; living in the house of the teacher, Joseph, he was obedient to family responsibilities (Luke 2:51); ordered Peter to pay tribute for himself and for Him (Matthew 17:24). He told the Pharisees, “this ought to be done (judgment and mercy), and this ought not to be forsaken” (tithes of mint and onis) (Matthew 23:23). Did He ever allow a lie? Oh no! Who will catch me in a lie? He spoke to his enemies. He called liars children of the spirit of darkness. For every idle word people will give an answer on the day of judgment, He said. His life is a reproof for all dreamers. Let us try to carry out conscientiously, with all accuracy, not great assignments, things of no important rank. Then our life will be full of God’s praise, and the God we glorify will honor us with glory both here and there. Amen. Word on the birthday of John the Baptist It is now time for us to rise from sleep (Rom. 13:11). This is what the apostle tells us! This is what he says in this reading, when we celebrate the memory of the great ascetic of the desert - the holy forerunner. Let us honor the apostle, and let us precede ourselves by reflecting on the words of the apostle. It's time for us to wake up from sleep. What kind of dream is this that they want to free us from? This is a dream of negligence about the salvation of the soul. If the conscience is silent, the mind does not see what is necessary for eternity, the will is without action for the unchanging good, is this not a dream of the soul? They drink sins like water and multiply wickedness every minute, but think that everything is in order and spend their time carefree, isn’t this a disastrous dream? Let the soul of a friend of the earth, material interests, be occupied with the images of time, let crowds of images be replaced by crowds in it, but even in bodily sleep the same thing happens to us; dreams and dreams are here, aren’t they there too? An immortal soul lives when it lives for eternity, when it fulfills the will of its Lord. If this is not the case with her, the most intense labors are nothing more than feverish delirium. Let others not become intoxicated by sins, but do not distinguish themselves by any virtue; Those who are lazy and timid in doing evil are just as lazy and timid in doing good. Aren't these sleepy people? It's time for us to wake up from sleep. Wake up, my sinful soul! It's time to do the works of the Lord, it's time to work for spiritual salvation. Treasure your time, cherish every hour. Life on earth is short, but not for those who fill it with good deeds; it is short, it disappears from those who spend it meaninglessly, in entertainment and work not for the glory of God. Cherish your time. It goes away uncontrollably. How much of it has already passed without benefit or with harm to you! Cherish the hour. If he passes, he will never return to you. If another hour comes, it will be different, not the same. Treasure the hour, all the time of earthly life should be filled with deeds consistent with the will of God. God did not call us to uncleanness, but to holiness (1 Thess. 4:7). We don’t have a single minute that we have the right to use according to the whim of our hearts. We are not from ourselves and not for ourselves. “Do not be foolish, but know what the will of God is” (Eph. 5:17). Cherish every hour. Every hour you get closer to death, to the limit that ends the time of purchase and merit. Time is precious, it buys blissful eternity. How to let it pass by, carefree? If the infinite future depends on sleep or activity, care is necessary not to indulge even in slumber. ABOUT! “Let us not sleep like the pagans, but let us be awake and sober” (1 Sol. 5:6). It's time for us to wake up from sleep. To encourage this, the apostle says: salvation is now nearer to us than it was through faith (Rom. 13:12). Now, during the Christian revelation, it is easier for us to be saved than for Jews and pagans. We have more grace, more knowledge, and more incentives for salvation than we had before. Shall we leave all this in negligence? Wake up, Christian soul! The Heavenly Father did not spare His Son for our salvation. ABOUT! will we destroy ourselves with a sinful sleep? The Son of God descends to earth to proclaim the will of the Heavenly Father, to open the best, most faithful paths to salvation. Will people really begin to live as the pagans lived after that? “If the word proclaimed by the angels was firm and all disobedience received righteous execution, then how can we escape, neglecting so much salvation?” (Heb.2:23). In order to open heaven for us and bring down on us the waters of grace necessary to heal our frustrated soul, the Son of God humbled Himself even to death, the death of the cross (Phil. 2:8). Is all this really in vain? Are we really going to neglect so much the dear mercy of heaven? Shall we really despise the suffering and death of the Son of God? ABOUT! This would be a terrible wickedness! We pray, do not receive the grace of God in vain, the Apostle tells us (2 Cor. 6:1). Let, when there was a night of pagan ignorance, let, when there was the darkness of fortune-telling, mixed with the darkness of Jewish superstitions, people did dark deeds and slept in sins. But fellow Christians! Pagan life does not suit us Christians; “feasting, drunkenness, sensuality, quarreling and fighting” do not suit us (Rom. 13:13). “Those who sleep sleep at night and those who get drunk get drunk at night. Let us, being sons of the day, be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love and the helmet of the hope of salvation” (1 Thessalonians 5:7-8). It is not becoming for Christians to extend their concern for the comforts of earthly life to the point of passion (Rom. 13:14). No matter how you praise material life, no matter how you present its successes in a beautiful way, this is not a Christian life. This is not what the divine Founder of our faith expects from us. Fire has come to the earth, He says, and how I want it to burn. The Lord wants the fire of zeal to burn in our hearts for deeds of piety, for fulfilling the will of God. “From the days of John the Baptist the kingdom of heaven has been entered by force, and powerful seekers have seized it” (Matthew 11:12). Is this what makes the Christian life different? Let us not say that the work of salvation is too difficult for us. The lazy one says the lion is on the way and does not move. Let's push the lazy one. Don't be crazy, we'll tell him. And according to the structure of the Eternal, the soul loves eternal good, there is in it the knowledge of God, there is also an aversion from sin and corruption. And for a Christian there are so many beneficial benefits! His salvation is near to those who fear Him (Ps. 84:10). The lion is on the way, says the lazy one. And when passion calls, there are no obstacles. For the belly, for honor, for selfishness, what kind of work they don’t undertake, what kind of dangers they don’t overcome! Why this deceit? Brave and strong for deeds of sin, but weak for good deeds! We are weak for good all the more because, by the grace of laziness, we increase our weakness in our own eyes and take upon ourselves, to weaken ourselves, labors and exploits for sin, at the demand of the passions. Poor man! you are afraid of the labors that revive you, and you endure the labors and sorrows that kill you. What is your life? Flour. You live, as it happens, in rebellious bustle; wild desires torment the soul, we give no rest from them at night; dark thoughts, feelings, desires oppress, oppress the soul, because according to the irresistible judgment of conscience they are low, criminal, unworthy of an immortal soul - since for one who lives in oblivion of eternity not a single ray of gratifying hope shines. ABOUT! brethren! It’s already time for us to wake up from sleep. Let's come to our senses, drive away laziness, force ourselves to good deeds. Neglect about the salvation of the soul in a Christian is the same as negligence about the grace of God; and how terrible it is to neglect the grace of God! What awaits such a soul? Retreat of grace. Let us leave the physicians of Babylon and not heal (Jer. 51:9). I waited until he brought forth the grapes and made the thorns; I will leave my grapes to those who are not circumcised, and put on the commandment, so that no rain can fall on them (Is. 5:1-6). God's judgment is the same for both the people and the private individual. If the soul neglects heaven's care for it, then heaven also abandons it. God no longer sends the dew of grace upon it, and it becomes dry land on which not a blade of grass grows. A terrible condition, but inevitable! The stench of sins removes heavenly grace from a careless soul; insensibility closes her from the touches of God's grace. She hears the word of God and is not moved by it; sees examples of goodness and is not carried away by them; along with others, he suffers punishment and receives benefits, but does not become a better person. Terrible condition! The sinner does not see him and that is why his condition is even more terrible. ABOUT! sinner! drive away insensibility from yourself with the fear of God’s judgment. Tremble at the thought that insensibility removes grace from you. There, beyond the grave, they will awaken us if we do not awaken here ourselves. Before the light of God's truth, there and reluctantly sinners will see themselves in their true form and will not allow either fornicators, or murderers, or those who love lies into their places of rest (Rev. 22:15). There they will awaken a shepherd who is careless about the souls purchased by the blood of the Son of God; they will also awaken the ruler, who lived according to the whims of a proud and proud soul; They will also awaken the judge who sold righteousness; They will also awaken parents who taught their children not the fear of God, but the ways of sin; They will also awaken the evil servants who feed on deception and theft; They will also awaken the merchant, who became rich through all his lies. And they will be thrown into the furnace of fire, and there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 13:42). This is the truth of God! We can't change it. Everything is ready for our salvation on this side of the grave; and there is payment for this or that life. Here is the time to repent and unrepentance is the most formidable danger for us, the greatest disaster. Heavenly Father! You do not require anything beyond the strength of Your children. If in another case coldness and immobility are the work of a spiritual organism, You will not condemn something independent of its will. You will condemn only negligence about the highest perfection, you will condemn inattention to the consequences of drowsy laziness. Forgive me for such frequent omissions of my duty, good and merciful one! Give me Your help to fulfill with zeal what my strength allows me. Yours is the strength and power forever. Amen. The Word in the Edinoverie Monastery I pray you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, may you also say everything and may not there will be contention among you, so that you may be established in the same understanding and in the same thought (1 Cor. 4:10). What meekness and what sweetness the words of the apostle breathe! He does not write: I command you, although he had the right to command as the messenger of God. He writes, I beg you. Moreover, he does not offer a humble request on his own behalf. He pleads in the greatest and sweetest name, he pleads in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. How can one not obey such an admonition! How can one not submit to such a suggestion, even if one’s capricious pride does not want to do so! What does the apostle ask for? That Christians should believe the same and live by the same rules. Will we be disobedient to the apostle? May this not happen to us! In the realm of human wisdom, disputes and differences of opinion are common. Out of pride, everyone here wants to think in their own way - and everyone wants their opinion to be accepted by others. Everyone wants, if not to invent a new idea, then at least to dress it in new clothes, and it is not desirable for others to judge this outfit, which was perhaps not very successfully invented. Hence the disputes and squabbles of personal pride. And besides egos, where is the common, unmistakable leader? Intelligence? He is truly a wonderful gift of God, which should be obeyed as the voice of God. But what is it like in a person? Everyone has their own mind, not equally tuned, but what is saddest of all, obedient to passions, which are also unequal. The roads of the mind's ideas are innate, they are given from above. But if you base a system of thoughts on them alone, it is easy to be drawn into subtle, but fruitless and false speculations, especially under the elusive influence of the dreamy imagination. If you take one experience as a guide, you will achieve the ability to live quite pleasantly, but no higher than an intelligent animal, and even then only for yourself. Experience is a matter of a very limited individual; due to the difference in the positions of the observer and the observed, it gives information that is very inconsistent with each other. Should speculation be verified by experience? And here there is a disagreement: one gives more importance to experience, the other to speculation. Thus, in the field of human wisdom we hear incessant disputes, the unceasing noise of opinions, the struggle of convictions and doubts. But why should there be differences of opinion regarding the members of the holy faith? We have one teacher of faith, Christ Jesus; one interpreter of the teaching is the Holy Spirit; one basis of belief is the revelation of God. God's Son Jesus Christ was not her and neither, but in Him she is and in Him Amen (2 Cor. 2:20); The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of truth and is always the same (1 Cor. 12:11). The revelation of God is true, just as God himself is faithful; for 6 and 2 thousand years it has spoken one saving truth for people. It appears to us as scripture and tradition, but here and there it explains the same thing, conveys the same faith and in the same spirit. You can say that scripture is the same as speculation in philosophy and tradition is also experience. But both here are not human, but God’s and therefore the most true. We are not talking about scripture, church tradition is an experience formed under the influence of the Spirit of God, the work of a spiritual life that lasted for centuries, a life that is all the fruit of the Spirit of God. So, let the saints study Scripture and tradition with a mind thirsting for truth, let them form their beliefs based on these principles with a spiritual feeling, what can come of it? Then they will live the life of God, then they will become one with the Lord (1 Cor. 6:17); There is no place for disputes or doubts here, just as there is no place for discrepancies or contradictions in the mind of God. In the field of knowledge of the mind, diversity and change of thoughts are considered a movement towards perfection, a desire for unity. This is natural. Here the truth is not given, it is only sought. That is why one system of thoughts is replaced by another; techniques of the mind that are loud at certain times are forgotten at others. Strong minds carry with them a whole crowd of weak minds, some of which, not having time to follow the rapid flight of other people's thoughts, cause a smile in the viewer with their falls. Here a thinker appears with new thoughts and the crowd rushes after him, forgetting the one whom they were running after with an astonished gaze; the buildings of the former genius are being broken down without mercy, for the amusement of the yawning; the new building evokes both surprise and delight. But this is also not for long, until the appearance of another lucky man of nature, in essence, not as happy as it seems at first glance, because the sad fate of his predecessors awaits him. It seems that the field of knowledge is expanding through the efforts of gifted people. But have you achieved peace? No. The thirst for better knowledge is not quenched. Lots of new knowledge; and humanity is not a hair better. What is the very ascension in the degrees of knowledge? A bitter mockery of the weakness of the mind, all the more offensive since this ascent in degrees turns out to be a particular phenomenon, a phenomenon in one or another people, and not a phenomenon in all of humanity. And this is all human philosophy, this is all the movement of thought towards truth! It’s a sad picture, but they enjoy it for lack of a better one. Not so in the realm of the saint's beliefs. Here, the difference of opinions is not at all a movement towards perfection; on the contrary, it constitutes a departure from the truth of God. Here the truth is given, you don’t need to look for it, you just need to assimilate it with your mind and heart. Here the smallest deviation to arbitrariness is a betrayal of the holy faith. There is no need for many teachers here; there is only one teacher here – the Lord Jesus, the Son of God. About the Holy Spirit himself. it is said not to speak from oneself, but if anyone hears it; verb to have (John 16:13); those. He will not explain anything new, but the same truths that have already been proclaimed by Christ Jesus. So there is only one true faith. The Apostle strictly condemns any opinion that disagrees with the gospel proclaimed once for all. If we or an angel preach the gospel to you any more than we preach the gospel to you, let him be accursed (Gal. 1:8). What does this mean? They say. Is it necessary to repeat the same thing? How boring this is, how unworthy of the human mind! On the contrary, there is nothing more worthy of the human mind than to become more and more akin to the truth of God. Isn't that right? Do they think that it is easy to assimilate the given truth of God? In vain. It takes a lot of time, a lot of work to study in all its breadth one thought of the revelation of God. Your commandment is great, David confessed. There are degrees of holy faith; in no case do they exclude basic knowledge, but the higher they ascend, they enrich the believing soul with greater consolation and greater willpower. Is this boring for an immortal spirit? ABOUT! This is his happiness! After this, what can discord in faith mean? What do schisms and heresies mean? Heresy is a clear struggle with revealed truth and, therefore, with one’s eternal salvation. He who does not believe is already condemned, says the Lord (John 3:18). At first glance, there is not much dangerous in the schism, in the dispute over the ritual. But that’s not the case in reality. Blessed Jerome says, “there is not a single schism that has not invented a heresy for itself in order to assure that it has completely departed from the church” 78 . In fact, let's take the Russian schism, the schism for letters. At first glance, this is nothing more than a pathetic poverty of meaning. But what insolence, what impiety did not Habakkuk say against the holy faith? And in its current form, does not the schism offend the sacraments of the priesthood, the sacraments of St. Eucharist? And this is no longer arbitrariness in ritual, but arbitrariness in faith. Let's take Luther's schism. It seemed that at the beginning Luther only deviated from mistakes, from the self-will of papism, which, of course, not only the Christian spirit, but also human common sense does not approve of. But by raising controversy, Luther took a step, one step from faith, but which was already followed by an endless series of departures from faith. In anger against the arrogance of Rome, he abandoned everything from the court of the church, putting in its place the court of reason. After that, if St. Everyone has the right to explain Scripture in their own way, to trust it with their own mind, then frank faith will remain known only to the name, in its place the arbitrariness of reason will walk. This is how it turned out in the Protestant Church, arbitrariness after arbitrariness appeared in it, heresy after heresy, until recently they reached a decisive departure from Christ the Lord. How else are splits dangerous? St. Augustine teaches, “Neither keeping virginity nor deeds of alms serve schismatics. All these deeds acquire merit in St. churches, but are useless for schism because it dissolves the unity of the church and holy love.” 79 “Nothing offends God so much,” teaches St. Chrysostom, as if someone makes divisions (in the church). Even though we have done many good deeds, we will be condemned no less than those who tormented Christ if we dissolve the integrity of the church.” 80 Where can divisions arise between Christians in matters of faith? Holy faith does not allow division in faith. Where do they come from? The Apostle writes, I pray you, brethren, beware of those who create strife and strife except (against) the teaching that you have learned, and turn away from them. Such people do not work for our Lord Jesus Christ, but for their own belly (Rom. 16:17-18). The Apostle Jude speaks of those who are separated from the church, who are bodily, having no spirit, walking in their own likeness (Jude 1:18-19). So, here is the source of heresies and schisms - self-will, which wants to live according to the lusts of unclean passions, proud self-will, which has removed the Spirit of grace from itself! What an unclean source! Do you think you will find another, purer source? Don't bother, you won't find it. The apostles knew the human heart well, they saw all its secret bends, as no sage is able to see. The experiences of centuries have confirmed the justice of their judgment on the origin of heresies and schisms. At all times, all so-called converters of the faith have been branded with one seal: they are bodily, not possessing a spirit, they do not work for the Lord, but for their own belly; Instead of a gracious spirit, they breathe a spirit of pride that is proud, unyielding, irritable, vain, vindictive and vain. So, brethren, let us, according to the instructions of the Apostle, think and confess equally about the holy faith, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen. Don't be too many teachers. be with you, brothers, knowing that we will receive greater condemnation, We all sin greatly (James 3:1). What does the apostle prohibit with these words? Is it the title of teaching, or the unauthorized assumption of a high title? Let us first turn to the instruction of the Lord Jesus for an explanation. The Savior spoke of the Pharisees, who like to be called from people, teacher, teacher. And then, turning to the peoples and his disciples, he said, “Don’t be called teachers, for there is only one teacher, Christ, and you are all brothers” (Matthew 23:7–8). The Savior does not say, let there be no teachers among you, but do not be scolded as teachers. You cannot be in church without teachers; if truth and piety are to be taught in it, then there must be teachers. The Apostle Paul directly wrote that God has appointed teachers in the church (1 Cor. 12:28). Not only did he show the existence of teachers in the church, but they say that teachers are from God. It was not people themselves who invented teachers in the church; God supplies the teachers of the church; God appointed teachers. The equality of brothers in love and humility does not exclude the title of teachers and students. The Savior condemns the Pharisees’ selfish exaltation of their title as teachers; their passion for teaching, self-imposed. He also drives out pride from the company of his disciples. Don't be scolded, he says, teachers. Do not admire the title of teacher in itself, do not volunteer to teach others when you are not called to do so; and when you are called, do not be exalted by the title that belongs to you only by the gift of heavenly goodness, since initially and essentially there is only one teacher, Christ. After this, the meaning of the apostle’s words is revealed. The Pharisaic passion for teaching crept with the Jews who converted to Christianity and into the Christian church. Ap. directly spoke about this. Paul, “you, he says, consider yourself a guide for the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, a teacher of the ignorant” (Rom. 2:19-20). The Apostle James also writes against this misfortune: do not be too many teachers, my brethren. We would misunderstand the apostle’s thought if we thought that the apostle did not want to see a large number of teachers. In the Christian Church, no matter how large the number of capable teachers may be, it cannot be superfluous. In the school of the wisdom of God there is something to teach and learn; For all eternity we will not study everything that has been revealed by the Son of God. Only for the sins of people, only because of their reluctance to study the thoughts of eternal wisdom, wisdom sends either a not very large, or even a very small number of capable teachers. What is the apostle talking about? True spiritual teachers, as long as they can, hide from people, hiding their ability to teach from both themselves and others with humility. When they are called to the title of teacher, they beg with Moses: choose another who is able, and follow him (Ex. 4:13); or they talk to Jeremiah, I don’t know how to speak, I don’t know how to speak, I don’t see in myself the abilities of a mentor (Jer. 1:6). So the essential difference between true teachers is not to seek teaching, but to evade it. Therefore, if there are many teachers, if many rush to hastily occupy or arbitrarily set up the teaching chair for themselves, the matter is bad. Don’t be too many teachers, self-willed seeking. teacher's dignity is not the path of true teachers, not the path of God's servants; Do they really want not to be servants of God? God forbid! Thus the apostle condemns the unauthorized assumption of the high title of teacher. Intensifying his warning, he says, do not be too many teachers, knowing that we will receive greater condemnation, for we all sin a lot. The urge is strong not to seek teaching; the teacher is subject to more severe condemnation than the student. We will accept greater condemnation. The apostle does not speak according to the example of orators who include themselves among the listeners in words, but exclude them in their souls. No, he speaks from the sincere conviction that whoever is a teacher of the gospel is in danger of severe condemnation for his work, and must approach the office of teacher with fear and trembling. If the apostle thought of himself this way, what should ordinary teachers think of themselves? “I say what I think and feel. I don’t think that there are many priests who will be saved; on the contrary, there are many more who will perish, and this is because the work requires a great soul,” says St. Chrysostom 81 The teacher must be responsible not only for himself, but also for his students; he will be asked whether he has led anyone into error and error with his teaching? Did I say too much? Did you leave out the right one? Did you arrive in time to help? Didn't he preach himself instead of Christ? Wasn't he an example of temptation instead of an example of virtue? He is in great danger, especially since all of us, no matter how attentive we are to ourselves, are weak and sin a lot. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us (1 John 1:8). If those who are appointed teachers by God himself, if those who are purified by His electing grace and protected by obedience to the law of election, should be in great fear for themselves, how can those whom God did not send to teach dare to pose as teachers of the church? How do they, without any fear or fear, take upon themselves a right that was not given to them? How are they so arrogant, so proud, that they do not think at all about their human weakness, about their tendency to mistakes, delusions, sins? How long will it take for the poor to think that with their impurities they will spoil the ministry of teaching? ABOUT! Why shouldn’t they remember that the pride that clothed them with the title of teachers does not promise them anything good? Will she refrain from entering into disputes about her importance with teachers ruled by the will of God? The darkest ignoramus, but full of pride, considers himself a first-rate smart guy and treats others with nothing. The pride of a self-proclaimed teacher is able to divide, and not unite, the children of the church, to form his own disciples, and not to lead the disciples of Christ, to create temptations, confusion, schisms, heresies, to the sorrow of the Church of God and to the insult of the Lord, who cares so much about the unity of his flock. Such were, and such always will be, the affairs of the self-made teacher! The Apostle John writes, written to the church, but their champion Diotrephes does not accept us. For this reason, if I come, I will remember his deeds, which he does, reproaching us with evil words and being not pleased about them, neither he himself receives the brethren, and he rebukes those who want to and drives them out of the church (3 John 1:9-10). Look at the feats of passion for championship! Diotrephes, about whom it is not known whether there was a spark of a sound concept of faith and the church in him, does not accept John, the beloved disciple of Christ, the viewer of the mysteries of God's word, the great prophet about the destinies of the new church! Diotrephes does not respect what the chosen one among the apostles wrote, showers him with reproaches, expels his disciples from the church and forbids others to accept them. Do you see how far human pride can go? Do you understand what senseless riots, what ungodly deeds, what absurd wickedness the desire to be first in one’s own opinion commits in the church? This is what self-satisfied pride means! She does not want to be dependent on God-ordained mentors, no matter who they are! Isn’t it true that we must firmly remember the commandment of the Apostle, do not have many teachers. Those left in the rank of disciples, instead of accepting every word of teaching, as the earth receives every drop of water, bravely inquire whether this is what the teacher says? By the way, does he say that? Is it too strict? Is it too soft? Why does he talk about this and not the other? Judge for yourself: are the students listening to the teacher, or the judges who are authorized by him? My friend! Don't mind your own business; do not teach the teacher how to teach; Look at yourself, are you a good student? Look at your heart, what is it like? Is the soil good, capable of receiving the seed deep, or is it a stone barely covered with soil, or is it a trampled road, or is it loose soil, but clogged with bad herbs? This is what you need to take care of! Enough work for you, go and take care of yourself properly. Nowadays they say, you are not a child to go to Skoda, i.e. to church. Who to listen to? People without education and knowledge of the world? But that’s our trouble, that we like to consider ourselves smart and mature, we like to be called a teacher, but we don’t like to be students. This is not what Christ the Lord expects from us. Don't like teachers? Diotrephes did not like the apostle either, but who was to blame for that? Let them look around to see if they are among the Diotrephes? If, condemning teachers for ignorance, they mean ignorance of secular methods, then they stand lower than Diotrephes, then they do not understand what kind of enlightenment is needed for a church teacher. Wouldn't it then be that very little is understood of what the student should know? Nowadays there are many teachers and many who are dissatisfied with the fathers and teachers of the church! In the spirit of the world, in the spirit of worldly pride, this is natural; there are as many teachers as there are heads, somehow thinking. Because what fables, what lies will you not hear there? What kind of dishonesty will you not learn if you want? And this, perhaps, will be called moving forward, enlightenment and expansion of the mind. God save everyone from such enlightenment; this is not enlightenment, but a darkening of the mind. Is perfection possible without the help of Christ? In the Christian world, where only perfection is possible, they are ordered to study the truths of God under the guidance of experience, they are ordered to listen to the voice of the best people, people enlightened by both the light of the word of God and the light of grace. Doesn't common sense require the same thing, requiring the verification of thoughts by experience? And how can you rely on yourself when you know your weakness? So in the Christian world there are few teachers, but they are all reliable, they all know the same truth, teach the same truth, walk and lead along the same path. What a joy it is to be students of such teachers! Let them say so, but does Christianity really allow only those chosen for the title of teachers to instruct others? No, we too will say, following the apostle. The apostle teaches, “Admonish one another with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs” (Col. 3:16). Only, as you see, these are private and fraternal admonitions, not vested with the right of authority, but inspired only by love. These admonitions presuppose other admonitions, with which they must be consistent, so as not to be admonitions of self-will. Why, they say, do they not recognize the rights of church teachers for teachers of the schism? Strange question! Strange because he allows himself. If these are teachers of the schism, then they are not teachers of the church at all. Otherwise, the church would be both a teacher of truth and unity, and a teacher of schism and error. Otherwise, the church would be both a united church and a divided church, having accepted into its composition the teacher of schism. Those who would like to stand for Diotrephes would not stand for the apostle, and vice versa, whoever is for the apostle is against Diotrephes. Let them choose one of the two, Diotrephes or the apostle, the schism or the church. So says common sense! Why does the church, while abandoning the teachers of the schism, not abandon the children of the schism and stop teaching them? Because the church, by its highest definition, is obliged to teach, God placed teachers in the church. Even if people do not want to obey God’s institution, the Church of God cannot help but obey it. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel (1 Cor. 6:16). Let the champion Diotrephes not accept us; let his pitiful listeners not accept it, that is their business; they will pay for their deeds at the judgment of God, which is not gentle for any self-will. The Church, out of a duty of love, prays that heavenly light may enlighten hearts darkened by proud self-will. She, out of duty, exhorts them to repentance, come to your senses, she says, part with pride, which has turned even the highest spirits into spirits of darkness, rejected by God. We are not speaking our own words, we are telling them the words of the apostle, that they “walk according to their own ungodly lusts, being separated from the unity of the faith” (Jude 1:18). This is the apostolic teaching about teachers! Amen! The apostolic teaching about the Antichrist, proposed in the second letter to the Thessalonians, is very important, it concerns a world event; they solve the mysterious mixture of good and evil in the world. The personality of the Antichrist, who has to concentrate on himself the evil that now acts in parts, shows the significance of the particular phenomena of evil, which often deceive many. Given the significance of the subject, it is not surprising that, starting from the first times of Christianity, they worked very hard to understand the frank thought about the Antichrist. It is also not surprising that many attempts at explanation were unsuccessful. Since the 16th century, the Reformation has allowed the entry of thoughts about the Pope-Antichrist; In the Russian church, since the 17th century, the wildest schismatic crowds about the Antichrist have been widespread. As a warning against the talk of self-will, let us consider not the human, but the divinely inspired teaching of St. Paul about the Antichrist, proposed in 2 epistle (2 Thess. 2:1-17). The content of the apostolic teaching can be briefly expressed as follows: the apostle warns the Thessalonians regarding the day of Christ (2 Thessalonians 2:1–2); indicates the times of the great day - the preliminary appearance of the Antichrist (2 Thess. 2:3-7); represents the fate of the Antichrist and his servants (2 Thess. 2:8–12); applies his teaching to the life of Christians (2 Thess. 2:13–17). We pray, brethren, about the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our gathering to Him, that you will not soon strive out of your mind, nor be horrified in spirit, in word, in message, as if sent from us, as if the day of Christ has already arrived. But no one will deceive you according to any image (2 Thess. 2:1-3). The Thessalonians, after accepting the Gospel teaching about the way of the cross to salvation, were subjected to bloody persecution by the pagans (1 Thessalonians 2:14). Everything on earth rebelled against them. They had only eternity left. In this situation, their desires and hopes were turned to heaven, they looked for consolation only from the Lord Jesus. During his stay with the Thessalonians, the Apostle consoled them with thoughts about the coming of Christ, terrible for the wicked and joyful for the righteous (2 Thessalonians 2:5); and in his first letter to them he spoke a lot about the same thing (1 Thessalonians 1:10, 2:19, 3:13, 4:13–17, 5:1–4, 23). But with the severity of the sorrows that weighed on the Solunians, they began to impatiently await the coming of Christ; and others reinterpreted the teachings of the apostle to the detriment of themselves and others; the day has already come, some said, they went with this news from house to house, aroused unrest and, without engaging in the affairs of the rank, fed themselves at the expense of the labor of others. “We hear,” says the apostle, that some among you act disorderly, doing nothing, but being fussy” (2 Thess. 3:11). And so the apostle calms those who are outraged by empty people. We pray, brothers. Despite the certainty of the future coming of Christ, we conjure you with the same coming and universal gathering to Him. This is the meaning of the word we pray here. And in the first letter to the Thessalonians (1 Thessalonians 4:1) we pray - Εροτωμεν is used in the sense of a strong petition, a spell. In vain some wanted to understand by the coming of Christ the judgment of Jerusalem for the blood of Christ. He will come to be glorified in his saints, the apostle said before (2 Thessalonians 1:10), which obviously refers to the last coming of Christ, and cannot in any way be applied to the judgment of Jerusalem. In 1 Epistle he connects the coming of Christ with the resurrection of the dead (1 Thess. 4:15–16). It is clear that this is the last coming of the Lord. We pray for the coming of the Lord and our gathering for Him. The Apostle in his first letter said that all true believers, both those raised from the dead and those who remained alive until that time, will all be caught up together to meet the Lord in clouds in the air and will remain inseparable from Him (1 Thessalonians 4:17). This is what the apostle means when he speaks about our meeting. For them, such a blissful fate is the subject of ardent desires. And this is what the Apostle begs the Thessalonians. The urge is strong, a reminder of the blessed destiny. It will not be long before you strive with your mind, σαλευσθαι - to waver, as happens to a ship during a storm (Luke 21:25). A living, picturesque image of the state of Thessaloniki! Outraged by their thoughts and especially by the suggestions of people who were not firm in the faith, the Solunians became overwhelmed and wavered like a ship, so that from timidity and inexperience they were in danger of death. The Apostle begs not to worry so much as to become lost in the mind, from false rumors that the day of Christ is already approaching, so quickly consigning to oblivion the instruction of the Apostle. Do not be horrified in spirit - do not be horrified in spirit (Matthew 24:6). Here, of course, is the false teaching of those who pretended to be inspired people, since true prophecy cannot speak in disagreement with the revelation of God. This is the same spirit that the apostle speaks about. John, do not believe every spirit, but tempt the spirits that are of God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world (1 John 4:1-3). The Apostle Paul points out to St. Timothy the spirits of flattery (1 Tim. 4:1). The Thessalonians were outraged by people who said that they knew by inspiration that the day of Christ had already arrived; the seducing spirits about which the apostle spoke were infuriated, but no one will deceive you. Not by word, not by writing, but from us. The seducers tried to support their lies with verbal, fictitious instructions from the apostle, and even a message that the apostle allegedly wrote. As a warning against such deception, the apostle shows how to distinguish his genuine message from counterfeit ones. Thus, the apostle, without weakening his expectation of the Judge of the universe, keeps the Thessalonians from trusting the talk of superstition, as if the day of Christ is already coming. Unless the apostasy comes first and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of perdition, etc. (2 Thessalonians 2:3) The Apostle allows the readers themselves to understand the words, the day of Christ will not come until, etc. similar silence (Luke 13:9; Rom.5:12). What does the apostle mean by retreat? Now it is easy to understand that it was in vain to attribute this to a retreat from Roman power. 82 She fell long ago without any significance for the time of the Antichrist. But accepting here a spiritual retreat, it is not enough to see in it merely a deviation of the mind from the right thoughts of faith. Apostasy according to biblical usage means deviation from faith and piety, otherwise the wickedness of the whole soul (2 Chron. 29:19; Jer. 2:19). And the Savior speaks of the end times, “as iniquity increases, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:12). Consequently, it was in vain that Protestants tried to elevate the particular self-will of papism to the significance of the apostasy of the last times. They accept this retreat as one with an apostate. But this would mean, without any need, arbitrarily, to deviate from the literal meaning of the word. The apostle himself says that the son of destruction will draw away with him those who did not believe the truth (2 Thess. 2:10-11). Consequently, the unbelief of people, or what is also apostasy, is assumed to precede the appearance and deception of the son of destruction; and the apostasy does not apply to the apostate, but to other persons. In his letter to Timothy, the apostle wrote about the end times: in the last days there will come times of cruelty, for men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, majestic, proud, blasphemers, opposed to parents, lovers of pleasure, and, moreover, lovers of God, having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof (2 Tim. 3:1-2). Thus, the apostle indicates in the future, in the time before the appearance of the Antichrist, the emergence of a complete apostasy from faith and piety, which by the appearance of the Antichrist will be revealed in a terrifying extent. And the man of lawlessness will be revealed. Just as it is said about Christ the Savior that He, who now works invisibly among believers and in their hearts, will one day appear visibly for universal judgment, so the man of sin, now invisibly working in sinful people, will in due time appear visibly. Who is this man of lawlessness? Blessed Augustine sees in the son of perdition “not just one person, but the entire region of darkness, fighting against the true Church of Christ” (De civii Dei). Some of our schismatics, the Bespopovites, accepted a similar idea. But the whole connection of thoughts shows that for Apostle Paul the man of lawlessness is an indivisible person. He is not only a man of lawlessness, the son of destruction, but he will appear in the face of Christ and act as a mighty figure. The apostle says that this man will be revealed at a certain time. But the anti-Christian spirit was already active under the apostles, ap. Paul speaks of the enemies of the cross of Christ (Phil. 3:18–19); The Apostle John said directly, and now there are many Antichrists (1 John 2:18). In his description of the son of destruction, the apostle distinguishes this man of destruction from others who are perishing, of which he will be the head. Is not this man of lawlessness the devil himself? But the apostle calls him a man; and, therefore, it is not the devil in the form of a man and not the devil incarnate. The Apostle John in his revelation says, and will create all things, small and great, rich and poor, free and working, he will give them a mark on their right hand or on their forehead, so that no one can buy or sell, except one who has the mark or the name of the beast or the number of his name (Rev. 13:16-17). According to this description, the Antichrist will be some kind of earthly ruler, who, with the rank of king, will issue laws and rule people. Let us follow his image in St. Pavel. A man of lawlessness, according to St. Irenaeus, “an organ, a receptacle for sin, the greatest sinner, the like of which has not been and cannot be” among people; otherwise he is a slave and a creator of sin (Prov. 6:12; Is. 55:71). The son of destruction is destined for destruction and the author of the destruction of many (Rev. 17:8, 11). Enemy - who? What follows shows that the Antichrist will oppose God and everything sacred (2 Thess. 2:4); The Savior says that he will present himself as Christ (Matthew 24:5). They are exalted above any spoken God or worship. His pride will be so great that he will place himself above any God, whether rightly or wrongly recognized as God. Veneration σεβασμα is something that is considered a sacred object and is reverently honored. For the Antichrist, nothing will be sacred except himself. The seer speaks of the beast, and a mouth is given to him speaking proudly and blasphemously (Rev. 13:5). How can he sit in the church of God like God, showing himself that there is a God? What kind of church (ναος) of God is this, where the Antichrist will crap? The Church of God, by its very name, is not the church of the spoken God, but the church of the true God. So, one can understand either the Jerusalem temple, which was called and was the church of the true God, or the community of believers, as the apostle says, “Know ye not, that ye are the church of God” (1 Cor. 3:16), or the Christian church. But the first should not be understood here, since the apostle knew the sad fate of the Jerusalem temple predicted by the Savior, and we know from history that all attempts to restore this church were a useless struggle with the decision of heaven. And even if the Antichrist had erected a temple in Jerusalem, it would have been the church of the Antichrist, and not of God. If by the church of God we understand believers, then in this case the apostle’s words, showing himself to be God, would be a vain identity; Then it would be appropriate to express the apostle’s thought this way: He will appear in the form of God among believers and will appear to be God. One of the two sayings is redundant. And the meeting of believers then would not be the church of God, but a host of Satan. After this, it remains to be understood by the church of God as a Christian church. True, a Christian church is nowhere new. the covenant is not called the church (ναος) of God, but it is called the church of God, the assembly of God's people (1 Cor. 11:22), which in meaning is the same as the church of God (1 Cor. 3:16). Confirmation of the fact that the apostle means a consecrated building under the church of God is also the fact that, according to him, the Antichrist will place all veneration below himself. And so the Antichrist will sit in the Christian church as God, and those deceived by him will, at his request, worship him as God. Otherwise, he will crowd out the service of Christ the Lord from Christian churches and introduce the worship of the Antichrist as God. The seer speaks, and he opened his mouth to blaspheme God, to blaspheme His name and His habitation and those who dwell in heaven... And all who dwell on earth will worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb who was slain from the foundation of the world (Rev. 13:6, 8). Could it be? Is it possible that such gross lies and impiety will not be rejected with contempt by the worshipers of the one God? And when? Whereas believers will be enriched by the experiences of past times, when their knowledge of the truth could have been broader and purer. In explanation of this strangeness, the apostle says that the Antichrist will show himself that God exists. What? Signs and wonders, which are further discussed in 2 Thessalonians 2:9. But since these signs and wonders, according to the apostle himself, will be false, then doubt still remains, how can Christian people become so blinded that they begin to worship a false god? The path to this will be opened in their souls by heart wickedness. Having received the love of the truth, says the apostle, for this reason God will send them the action of flattery, so that they may believe lies, so that you may receive judgment for those who did not believe the truth, but were pleased with unrighteousness (2 Thess. 2:10-11). Here is a psychological explanation of a strange and terrible phenomenon! Out of favor towards untruth, out of disgust from the truth, they accept the grossest lies. To a certain extent, the same phenomenon occurs today. How many geniuses, how many demigods, have already been created in the Christian world! Don't we see to what strange and terrible self-delusion gifted people have reached under the influence of forgetful pride? We are not talking about strong military leaders, great sovereigns. Here is the famous Habakkuk! Man, before the impartial eye, is an example of the saddest ignorance. How, it seemed, could such a tangible ignoramus seem to himself and to another person not vulgar? And, however, his pride was exorbitant, he presented himself as an infallible teacher, a seer of God, one before whom everything modern should fall in the dust. The wickedness of mind and heart goes forward. Don’t you remember that he is still alive among you, saying these things to you? (2 Thessalonians 2:5). Even then, as the apostle verbally preached heavenly truths to the Thessalonians (Acts chapter 17), he told them about the second coming of the Lord and about the events that should precede it. Why did the apostle speak about this? Of course, due to the fact that some Jewish teachers, who did not part with dreams of the kingdom of the Messiah, informed the Thessalonians of an incorrect interpretation of the prophecies; the apostle, a preacher of pure truth, conveyed to the Thessalonians the correct instruction about the coming of Christ. But, as you can see, not all Thessalonians took advantage of the apostle’s teaching. And now the one who holds back knows that it will appear to him in due time (2 Thess. 2:6). Restraining – that which restrains, that which hinders (Rom.1:18; Luke 4:42). What is it that prevents the Antichrist from appearing? According to Theodoret, this is the apostasy of all pagans from idolatry; only then will the Antichrist appear, when the kingdom of Christ is opened; and the kingdom of Christ will open after the destruction of idolatry. Theodorite obviously puts in the ratio of holding with retreat; he is fair in this, but the apostle shows a departure from the faith, and not a departure from idolatry. Therefore, it is necessary to find another phenomenon corresponding to the retreat. Apostasy opens the door to the Antichrist, but what holds him back does not let him in. So, holding with a character and properties completely opposite to retreat. There is coldness towards the truth - here there must be love for the truth; There is wickedness, here is living piety. It was not difficult for the Thessalonians to understand, and it is not difficult for us to understand, that the obstacle to the appearance of the Antichrist is the sincere love of Christians for the pure gospel teaching, visible in experience. As long as Christians adhere to the gospel teaching, regardless of persecution from the world, as long as their love for the Lord is alive and fruitful; it checks the power of the evildoer in the world; this prevents him from strengthening until the man of lawlessness is revealed. “When the time had come, God sent his Son” (Gal.4:4), so there is also a time for the appearance of the Antichrist. From what year this time will begin, only God knows. It is the business of Christians to firmly remember that living piety is a strong defense against the Antichrist. The mystery of iniquity is already being carried out, but keep it now until Wednesday 2 Thessalonians 2:6. The mystery of lawlessness brings to mind the mystery of godliness (1 Tim. 3:16). Although lawlessness and piety are opposite to one another, there are similarities in the action of both. The mystery of piety begins in a person, in a people, in humanity from a small age and invisibly reaches different ages. In exactly the same way, the mystery of lawlessness began back in the days of the apostles, with people who mixed in their souls bright Christian thoughts, either with earthed Judaism, or with crude paganism; this lawlessness continuously operates in the history of the world, appearing in one form or another and growing imperceptibly from time to time (1 Tim. 4:1, 7; 2 Tim. 2:14, 17; 1 John 2:18–19, 4:2–4). It is not surprising that people consider the successes of lawlessness to be the progress of humanity. Are not rationalism and materialism taken for the progress of humanity, while the first is the progress of the pride of the spirit, and the second is the progress of bestial life? Lawlessness is not as easy to spot as it seems to others; it is covered with its own secret, a seductive appearance of goodness, truth, and benefit. In fact, all this is only an appearance and not a reality, but is it easy to find out? It seemed not difficult to understand that pride and animal life are the main wickedness in man and humanity and therefore their successes are the successes of lawlessness. But the first thing is, both pride and animal life, our property, how can we not protect them, with or without consciousness? Then, what is not said, what is not done in order to give full play to both? The mystery of lawlessness is working with success. Until Wednesday there will be εκ μὲσε γενται. This expression is used about persons and things that leave the scene of action, so that they no longer show their strength. May he who has done this be removed from among you (1 Cor. 5:2), which means that he who has committed such lawlessness will not be active in your society. Come out from among them (Col. 2:14), while living in the world, be dead to the world, do not participate in its wicked deeds. And so the words, until Wednesday, will mean until they cease to reveal their power. Who is this talking about? Who's holding this? First of all, it is certain that holding and holding are not the same thing. The Apostle clearly and definitely distinguishes one from the other, showing in one an event in another person. Chrysostom and others understood it as holding the power of the Roman Empire. But it has long become obvious that this power was not terrible for the Antichrist, it fell a long time ago, and the Antichrist, contrary to long-standing expectations, did not appear. It is strange to understand by holding an earthly ruler, some kind of supreme representative of human power and order. As if a person, no matter who he is, can successfully resist such a terrible person as the Antichrist! As if the representative of all possible human power can restrain the one who acts in unison with Satan! No, the one holding the Antichrist must be with powers greater than human, must be with the help of the Divine. Thus, it remains to see the Comforter Spirit underneath. This should be so also because what holds back the Antichrist - love for truth and holiness - is possible in people only through the action of the Holy Spirit. Consequently, as soon as there is holy love in people, this means that there is the Holy Spirit in them. “If he spoke about the Spirit, he would speak without hesitation, but clearly,” noted Chrysostom. On the contrary, he does not speak directly because every true Christian knows who opposes evil in humanity, who revives sinful man. Do you not know that you are the church of God and the Spirit of God lives in you (1 Cor. 3:16), says the apostle. So, the Antichrist will appear when the love for truth and holiness cools in people and the sins of people force the Comforter Spirit to leave them to their own strengths. And then the lawless one will appear, and the Lord Jesus will kill him with the spirit of his mouth and abolish him with the appearance of his coming (2 Thess. 2:8). The Apostle did not limit himself to showing the Thessalonians the appearance of the terrible Antichrist. Loving them, he reveals to their consolation the fate of this terrible enemy of God and man. He kills with the spirit of his mouth. This was predicted by the prophet Isaiah in his prophecy about the branch of Jesse: the Messiah will smite the earth with the word of his mouth and with the spirit of his lips he will kill the wicked (Is. 11:4). In this prophecy, the spirit of the mouth answers the word of the mouth. So, the apostle also has the spirit of the mouth, like the word of the Lord. lips in the meaning of crushing power is compared to a very strong storm (Job.4:9; Wis. 5:23, 11:20). Same thought here. The Lord Jesus will so easily and completely overthrow the Antichrist that he will blow on him and he will disappear, otherwise he will say the word and he will not exist. Will kill. The Apocalypse of John says that the Antichrist will descend into hell alive (Rev. 19:20). Connecting one with the other, we receive such confidence that the Antichrist will be determined by the word of the Lord to inevitable destruction; and since he will be a man, and the transmigration of a man from earth to another world is impossible without the transformation of the bodily organism; then the descent of the Antichrist into hell will be combined with an instant change in his body, leading to an increase in his torment. He will abolish: he will take away his strength for activity, with the destruction of the order of his affairs (1 Cor. 15:24, 26; 2 Cor. 3:7); otherwise the lawless dominance of the Antichrist will cease. What? The manifestation of His coming, the majesty and glory with which He will appear and judge the world, since this will be the manifestation of the glory of the great God (Tit. 2:13), the only mighty Lord of lords (1 Tim. 6:15). His coming is according to the work of Satan, with all power and signs and lying wonders and with all the deceit of unrighteousness among those who are perishing 2 Thessalonians 2:9. The connection with the previous one is this: it will abolish it, although the power of the Antichrist will be terrible. Does coming according to the action of Satan only mean appearance, birth according to the action of Satan? Although it is known that in the very birth of a being there is hidden the germ of future abilities that will develop later, but if one birth of the Antichrist had taken place under the influence of Satan, he would have been a lawless man, but could not be called a man of lawlessness, tantamount to lawlessness itself, something human could still remain in him. So, the coming of the Antichrist through the action of Satan means his entire earthly life, organized under the influence of Satan. According to the revelation of John, “the dragon (Satan) gave him (the Antichrist) his power and his throne and great authority” (Rev. 13:2). According to Damascene’s explanation, “he will take upon himself every work of Satan, and all the power of the devil will unite in him.” In all power and false wonders. These words are sometimes synonymous in writing and only serve as shades of an extraordinary phenomenon. In the circle of deeds of the Antichrist there will be extraordinary deeds of various kinds that will seem like miracles, but these are not true miracles, possible only for the Provider of the universe and His messengers; these will be false miracles, otherwise extraordinary phenomena that will be unfairly considered miracles, such as the works of Elymas the magician (Acts 13:8-9) or the signs of false Christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:24). The works of the Antichrist will be connected “with all the deceptions of those who are perishing.” This is the explanation why the extraordinary works of the Antichrist will be signs and wonders. Knowledge of the forces of nature, very possible for a disciple of Satan, will be combined in him with all the seductions that Satan’s beloved son is capable of, clever and arrogant deceptions, unscrupulous deeds, loud promises and threats - everything will be put into action. Because of the love of the truth, they did not accept the hedgehog, so that they could be saved. And for this reason God will send upon them the power of flattery, because they believed lies, so that all who did not believe the truth, but were pleased with unrighteousness, may receive judgment (2 Thessalonians 2:11-12). Further explanation of the terrible phenomenon! The listeners of the Antichrist will be people who do not love the truth, people who do not love the truth, who are perishing, who do not want to believe the truth (2 Thess. 2:12), revealed by Christ the Lord (Gal. 5:7; Rom. 2:8) and poorly known to them from another source. The consequence of such coldness towards heavenly truth will be that, by God's permission, they will love lies instead of truth and will believe deception, and will wholeheartedly accept a false religion instead of the true one. The subsequent effect of flattery is tantamount to the expression that God gave them (the pagans) up to an unskilled mind to do things that are not like them (Rom. 1:28). God never wants a sinner to be deceived or to perish. But since the sinner wants to be deceived, God allows the sinner’s will to be fulfilled. Because people favored untruth and did not believe the truth, the judgment of God's truth will be revealed to them; because they did not want to believe true miracles, they will believe false ones. And how easy it is for human pride to be put to shame! The great works of God are considered worthless; - and fall in fear of the clever deceiver. They do not go to the church of God and go to the sorceress. “We must always thank God for you, brothers beloved by the Lord, because God from the beginning, through the sanctification of the Spirit and faith in the truth, chose you to salvation. And so, brethren, be constant and preserve the traditions that you have been taught either by word or by our message. May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself comfort your hearts and establish you in every good word and deed” (2 Thess. 2:13-17). So the apostle applies his instruction about the Antichrist to the Thessalonians! People who claim to be the appearance and power of the Antichrist are shown to you (2 Thess. 2:10–12). Are you such as to be troubled for yourselves and to be troubled by the thought that the day of the Lord has come? Not at all. You must thank the Lord for your situation. All you have to do is be firm in the teachings of heaven, whether conveyed to you verbally or by message (1 Cor. 15:3). Heavenly help is ready for you. I joyfully pray to the Lord for your new successes. This is what the apostle said. If after this we asked ourselves, has the Antichrist already appeared among us? Has the day of the Lord come? We would say with firm certainty, no. And they would say not on their own, but following the instructions of the Apostle. According to his instructions, the appearance of the Antichrist must be preceded by apostasy from faith and piety, and the appearance of the Antichrist will be followed by the day of the Lord. And by the grace of the Lord Jesus in the Russian Church they sincerely love faith and St. piety. It reverently honors the word of God, not allowing the arbitrariness of everyone to interpret its saying in their own way. The actions of the Comforter Spirit are obvious in it - various miracles and spiritual gifts, those actions in which the appearance of the Antichrist is impossible. Let some be cold to faith and piety; but these are tares among the wheat, and when were there no tares? Let dark and self-willed people wander through the fabric of their hearts and not want to unite with the Holy One. church. There were such people even under the apostles, and there were even more of them after that - Kafars, Novatians, Donatists, etc. May God lead them to the knowledge of the truth! It remains for us, like the Thessalonians, to be firm in the faith given to us by God and to grow in Christian perfection in love for God and our brethren. May our sweetest Savior give us strength to succeed in every good deed! Amen. Word on the day of the crowning of the sovereign Emperor Alexander Nikolaevich This is our most living desire - the light of saving faith, illuminating minds, strengthening hearts, so that it preserves and improves more and more public morality - this sure guarantee of order and happiness. This is what our most pious sovereign said at the beginning of his reign! Faith and life by faith are the foundations of public prosperity, says the king of a vast kingdom. Is this really true? If we think about it, we think that we will best honor the current celebration. Need I say that without God we are poor and dead? They can dream of themselves as the beginning of every life, scientific, artistic, state, but the dream remains a dream, and the life in us is not from us. Our happiness depends on fulfilling the will of God. What is this will for us? In theoretical and practical thoughts open to us. So the first condition for our well-being is the preservation of the holy faith, the one that is open to us by heaven. To distort this faith, to insult it with coldness and negligence is scary. This would be an insult to God; this would mean depriving oneself of life-giving light, which cannot be replaced by anything else. This is the eternal life, that they may know Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ Thou didst send Him (John 17:3). Believe in Me to have eternal life (John 6:47). This is what the Son of God says! You can hear them say, “Faith is the daughter of heaven, and we are earthly; We don’t care about her, so let her not interfere in our affairs; we need citizens, not priests, public figures can tolerate faith as not a bad thing, and not so necessary as to value it.” Are these people right? ABOUT! no and no. Faith is pure, holy, open to heaven, the road not only to eternal life, but also to temporary life. The religion of the Lord Jesus, with all its sublimity and spirituality, contains life-giving principles for all branches of earthly life, to the point that any deviation from these principles entails a disorder of life. No matter how many theories of social order were built, all the best in them turned out to be the property of Christianity, and any disagreement with Christian principles turned out to be a harmful lie or vanity burdensome for the course of affairs. Faith is pure, heavenly, it does not forcibly interfere with the affairs of earthly societies, it is meek and peaceful. But it is bad for earthly societies when they drive her away from themselves, when they think of living without her services. Poor human pride! It fears for its power over people, while not only do they not want to take it away from it, but they want to strengthen it. This is an amazing phenomenon, and it is overlooked; even members of a band of robbers bind themselves with an oath for the success of their common cause. Religion is so necessary for the strength of human societies! So fragile are all social ties without religious ties! And this is even when people’s religion is not the best, not the most life-giving, like the Christian religion. Without the inspiration of a holy faith, without Christian piety, people serve the state as long as the state serves them, otherwise they do not serve the state at all, but themselves, their own personal species; justice, finance, trade, arts, sciences - in services to individuals and are turned in all ways and forms according to the calculations of personal pride. Can all the disorder of society be eliminated by a change in institutions, an increase or decrease in rights? No, as long as the leaders are bad, things will always turn out bad. And only Christianity produces the best capable workers. Therefore, only forgetful frivolity or wicked self-interest can make the holy faith seem unimportant to society. Therefore, those who speak offensively about the relationship of faith to the state should be recognized not as friends of the public good, but as harmful people, enemies and villains of humanity. May God save Russia from the influence of such people! You can hear others say, “believe as you want, just be honest; let the temple and the mosque, the synagogue and the temple stand one next to the other; as long as they do not interfere with each other and do not disturb the public order; in the state, all faiths are on the same level and there is no advantage for any one.” What is it? Are lies and truth really the same thing? Is there really no difference between pure truth and truth mixed with the dreams of a sick soul? Or is it possible to love and respect both truth and lies equally? Or can a lie be beneficial for society, just as the truth is beneficial? If so, let them abandon common sense; Let them not pretend to be friends of humanity. The one who wants to equally respect all beliefs, respect and love only himself, his volatile opinions, and not humanity, developing according to the laws given from above; he is a man without character and definite thoughts; due to his weakness of sense and will, he is incapable of making any sacrifice for good and humanity, the most empty and superfluous person in society - believe as you want, just be honest. It's easy to say nonsense, but not easy to justify it. If the Talmud tells a Jew, deceive and rob a Christian, how can a Jew be honest? If the strangler's faith tells him to kill as many people as possible, and the strangler is a useful member of humanity? If Greek paganism sanctifies the abominations that destroy the human race, and its pet is an exemplary figure in society? It’s easy to say, “be honest,” but on what is honesty based in the soul? Be honest, the pagan philosophers also said, and at the same time they taught to lie, and deceive, and steal, and take revenge, and take the lives of yourself and your children. Why is this? From insufficient religious thoughts. The purer, the holier, the more exalted the faith, the better the citizens, the stronger and happier the human societies. This is what the experience of centuries says! That's what common sense says! Only a scribbler on paper can separate faith from the political system, but the life of peoples cannot separate them. Tolerance of faiths is a smart thing, but it does not mean indifference in faith. Intelligent tolerance sincerely loves and reverently honors the faith revealed by heaven, is jealous of its integrity, rejoices in its successes, opens all the ways for its glory and rejects all obstacles that interfere with its life. This is required from her by common sense’s respect for truth, heart’s respect for the beautiful, and the soul’s love for the sublime and the holy. With such an attitude towards pure, holy, heavenly faith, mental tolerance gives place to human opinions, otherwise faiths mixed with lies, gives place through condescension towards human weaknesses. She knows their value and does not at all put them on a level with heavenly faith, but tolerates them out of love for weak humanity. Leave both the cockle and the wheat to grow until the harvest, said our Lord. Christian society, obedient to his voice, does just that, does not oppress, does not persecute, does not persecute those who are in error. It does not miss the opportunity to lovingly point out their mistakes, offers freedom to choose the best and, if they do not obey, does not take coercive measures. Such is the true, holy, intelligent tolerance of faiths! With such tolerance, heaven blesses the community with the blessings of earth and heaven. Does fanaticism harm human societies? This is true, but it is as incompatible with pure love for the holy faith as it is close to an indifferent soul. Both are known from experience. Remember how those who preached about general equality, to please their will, cut off the heads of those who disagreed with them on the scaffold, proclaimed enlightenment, desecrated the churches of God, and shed streams of human blood. Through the prayers of his slaves, may the Lord deliver Russia from terrible people, such as fanatics - indifferentists! The wrong direction of the people's activities, their desires, concerns, labors, or, as they say, the wrong development of the elements of people's life - this is the cause of destruction for peoples and states! Society or the state in its composition is the same as a person. Just as in a person there is visible and invisible, bodily and spiritual, so the life of the state has its own spiritual and material side. In man, the spirit knows God, reveres Him, strives to do His will, prepares for eternity; and the body asks for food, clothing, shelter, peace, etc. In the state, the spiritual side is made up of the holy faith with its institutions, and its material side is all the methods of visible life, agriculture, crafts, trade, etc. The law of normal development of life in man and people requires that each aspect of life develop according to its requirements and relative importance. A person becomes an animal when he lives only an animal life; he then loses the significance of a person and destroys himself. Exactly the same thing happens with the state - and it is upset and perishes from the predominance of the material over the spiritual. Let in any state, in the eyes of the people, enterprise after enterprise be compiled and all in the form of improving one external life, there are plans after plans, books after books about agriculture, then about communication routes, then about manufactories and trade, etc. equally, in society the only talk will be about the same material life, as if apart from passing life there is nothing more for a person and besides earthly things he has nothing to desire or expect. Moreover, let all the orders of family and civil life not remind of anything spiritual; on the contrary, they cast a shadow on the bright face of the holy faith, shake the love for the holy, cool the heart for everything lofty, deaden the spirit. What will happen then among the people and the state? The same as in a person, when he feeds and warms only his animal life, the perversion and disorder of life is destruction; Little by little, the people will turn into a stinking and disgusting corpse, and people and heaven will turn away from them. The material, no matter how beautiful a form is given to it, crumbles without strength and spirit; it is held together only by the invisible principles of life. When the spirit of faith extinguishes in a people, the people become indecent in the face of God and are rejected by God; and what can a person rejected by God expect other than destruction? And all this is because they began to develop the elements of people’s life incorrectly, forgetting that in man and the people, in addition to the body, there is a spirit. Fear God and keep his commandments, as every man does (Eccl. 12:13), said the ancient sage. And no wisdom has found or can find another normal life for man and the people. To refuse a person from the eternal laws given to him is the same as giving up life or assuring himself that existence is a dream. In delirium of fever, as well as in delirium of passions, this happens, but who can call fever the desired state? A person, like a state, lives only when he reveres the Lord with his whole life. Thus, sincere, living, Christian piety is a solid and irreplaceable support for the state. It humbles in us all movements of self-love - passions for self-interest, for power, for pleasures, these sources of all the outrages and misfortunes of people, these destroyers of the state system. Christian love is omnipotent; what sacrifices is it not prepared to make for others? Who will separate us from the love of God? she says. Reverent before God, she serves her homeland with complete zeal and selfless intentions, sacrificing all of herself. State laws are not a burden for her, they are for the Lord. does more than the law requires. Neither the insults of people, nor the baseness of her rank, nor the burden of work weaken her energy for good. If the faith of Christ rules the hearts of people, then even with the imperfection of civil institutions, truth lives in society and with truth there is a common peace, everyone takes care of the other and common needs are reduced; over time, imperfect civil institutions are transformed by the advice of selfless love. Such is Christian love! Let us pray that the Lord will grant to all those involved in the management of the domestic ship both the eyes to see and the firmness to avoid the pitfalls along the path of its voyage. Let us pray that the desire of God’s anointed one is fulfilled in all of us - to preserve the foundations of the political system, for the glory of God. Amen. Word on the Day of the Exaltation of the Cross of the Lord There is no person on earth who would not want to own the good that delights all the sorrows of the soul. And how many sorrows there are on earth! They are inevitable for no one here. Where can one find protection against the sorrows of time? They travel by sea and land, spend labor and expense, trying to find the desired happiness. And how often the end of all labors is one collapse of the spirit! Where does the bright and pure stream of happiness flow for our soul? Nowhere else than at the foot of the cross of Christ. It is difficult to endure the loss of wealth gained by labor, especially if you then do not find help in your dire need from those who could help. But deprived of human consolation, do they not find consolation at the foot of the cross of Christ? Who do we see on the cross? We see our Lord, who, while serving the salvation of people, had no place to lay his head, from whom the wicked took off his last clothes and left him naked. Who, in thirst, was given bile and vinegar to drink. Why did He endure all this? In order to bring peace and contentment in eternity to those who patiently endure poverty, hunger and thirst. We know that because of your poverty he is rich, so that through his poverty you may become rich (2 Cor. 8:9). Remember this great grace and be comforted in your poverty, all you poor of God. You are deprived of temporary and perishable wealth, but on the cross eternal wealth is returned to you. You are not surrounded by the honor and contentment that surrounds wealth, but you are surrounded by the honor of your Lord’s earthly destiny. You do not shine among the nobility of earth, but you have entered the path of the nobility of heaven. ABOUT! bless the Lord for your portion. It’s hard to endure slander and undeservedly lose your good name. This misfortune is worse than the loss of wealth. But who has endured such reproaches as our Lord endured? Is He the Lord of glory - on the shameful cross? heavenly holiness crucified among evildoers. “Who will convict me of sin?” He boldly speaks to his enemies and for his earthly, human life. And yet, here He is dishonored, dishonored, abandoned by earth and heaven. ABOUT! how heavy are the sorrows of His dishonor! What does the ignominy imposed on me, a sinner, mean in comparison with this disgrace? Is glory due to a sinner? Isn't dishonor his rightful lot? Empty, unjust people attribute to me a sin, which by the grace of God I do not have, no matter how many other sins I have! How many wickedness and lawlessness that people do not see and my God sees! So the cross of Christ is a teacher and a comforter. He tells me about my iniquities, for which my Lord was crucified, and commands me to humble myself to my agitated pride. He tells me about the glory into which the Lord who suffered innocently ascended from the cross and gives me the hope that the Lord will not forget me, vilified by my mistake, in His kingdom. The Apostle of Christ teaches us, “since you participate in Christ’s sufferings, rejoice... If you are slandered for the name of Christ, then you are blessed; for the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God, rests on you” (1 Peter 4:13–14). Let others undeservedly enjoy glory, and you get the dark unknown as your inheritance, do not be jealous of the one who succeeds here in his path, do not envy the one who commits a crime (Ps. 37:7). He will sing among joys for eternal suffering, and you will sing among sorrows for eternal bliss. How not to suffer if the body is covered with burning wounds, or the body is completely upset, due to improper blood circulation, or for some other reason? Suffering becomes more severe when the doctor's skill is vainly exhausted in the means to end the suffering of the patient. Where can the sufferer find relief? In the participation of friends? If friends who are not smart entertain the patient with empty talk, this is not a relief for the patient, but a new burden on his conscience. It’s another matter if they point him to the cross of Christ. Yes, the suffering of crucifixion is the most terrible suffering, and how can Christ Jesus endure it? Silently, neither a word nor a movement, without revealing any impatience. After this, should we, His sinful servants, be impatient in our illness? The Lord suffers torment for our sins, and is our illness not the fruit of our sins? He suffers in order in due time to transform the body of our humility and clothe it with glorious immortality (Phil. 3:21). Even if our sinful body rots, we will be given a better body, thin, bright, clothed with heavenly beauty, if only we are cleansed here from sins by repentance. “The word is true,” the apostle of God tells us with complete confidence, “the word is true, if we died with Him, then with Him we will live. If we endure, we will also reign with Him” (2 Tim. 2:11–12). Physical illness, endured in the sight of the cross of Christ, cleanses the body from the damage brought into the body by sin, cleanses the soul from the movements of self-love, and through prayer brings down heavenly strength within us. The loss of those close to our hearts, taken away from us by death, is difficult. The loss of a spouse, the loss of dear children, the loss of a father or mother, sister or brother involuntarily sheds bitter tears. They do not console this loss with either wealth or honor, but increase its bitterness even more, exposing the powerlessness of everything earthly. Where is the help for this sorrow? The sorrow of a pagan at the grave of those close to his heart is desolate; he loses them forever. At the cross of the Savior, sorrow over death is dissolved by the sweet hope of immortal life. Christ has risen from the dead and become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep (1 Cor. 15:20). Our ruler lives, our head lives, and with Him live all His subordinates, all the members of His body. Do not grieve for the dead, the apostle tells us, if we know that “Jesus died and rose again, then God will also bring with him those who died in Jesus” (1 Thess. 4:13–14); we are united forever with those whom death separated from us for a time. Sin introduced death into the world. Christ, who made justice for sin and sent down the spirit of life, brought life into the world. – Not all of us know how to use the life of Christ here; the same could have happened to those who left us. So, it remains for us to pray before the sacrifice of the cross for those who have departed from us, so that it will cover their sins. This is what the cross of Christ tells us! It’s hard, very hard, for the soul - the torment of an awakened conscience. A glance at the boundless errors of the mind, at the immensely great crimes before the holiness of God, resonates in the heart with a burden that oppresses the sinner. While the conscience sleeps, the sinner is at peace, but the longer its sleep, the more painful its awakening. Then every failure in life, every easy fall seems like arrows of God’s wrath. Where to go? Where can I find peace? Repent of sins? But what does our repentance mean for our guilt? The boundless truth is insulted; But are the consequences of sins in our power? Will we offer sacrifices for sins, alms, gifts to the churches of God? But all good things are our constant debt, and previous debts remain unpaid. Where is the peace for remorse? On the Savior's cross and nowhere else. Only the gaze of faith on the crucified Son of God returns the soul from hopeless despondency to saving peace. The Cross of Jesus, says faith to the soul, is the altar of universal purification. “If anyone sins, the apostle teaches, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. He is the propitiation for our sins, and not only for ours, but also for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:1-2). Thus, the misfortunes of life and the destructive phenomena of nature no longer frighten the sinner, they do not seem like executions of the vengeful truth of God, the truth of God is reconciled with us on the cross. Before the cross, the soul of the repentant 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). Inner sorrows do not end with the sorrows of repentance. At times, the most steadfast followers of Christ, forgetting the sweetness of the truth of the crucified Jesus, fall into inexplicable despondency; temptations that delay spiritual improvement, the weakening of the heat of zeal for piety sometimes put them in such a state that they feel as if abandoned by heaven, without strength, without help, rejected from the face of God; the waters of sorrows multiply in their souls so much that they seem ready to swallow them up. And here, especially, the gaze of faith on the crucified Lord fills sorrowful hearts with consolation. The hopes aroused by this gaze are strong and boundless. The Heavenly Father gave us His Son, what will He not give us after that? The Son of God experienced our weaknesses; how can He not hasten with His goodness to strengthen us in the sorrows that remain for us? Tested in everything, with the exception of sin, He lovingly takes part in our suffering (Heb. 4:15) and, if He leaves us alone for a while, but only so that we feel our powerlessness more vividly and sincerely call on Him for help. He is the Son of God, as wise and good as he is powerful, the time will come when He will give help - no forces of hell, no temptations of sin will be able to stand against His power. So for all our sorrows there is lasting consolation, sweet consolation - in the cross of Christ. “We worship your passion, O Christ, and glorify your glorious resurrection.” Amen. Word on the consecration of the church in the Rykhlovskaya desert Let us go to the house of the Lord (Ps. 122:1). Remember, Lord, the love of Your servants in the glory of Your name, who created and recreated Your church! People are not always attentive to services or soon forget them. Eternal blessings! and the mite thrown into Your church is noticed by You and the storms of time do not blot out in Your thoughts a single sacrifice made to You. We firmly believe that the house of the Lord, built long ago and now redecorated, will in eternity be an intercessor for Your servants. Glory is due to You, and for us Your glory is bliss. Those who have gathered in this church! Do we feel enough about the value of the church of God? I rejoiced at those who said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord,” said King and Prophet David. Does our heart feel joy, brethren, when we are called to the house of the Lord? Let's go to the house of the Lord. The Church of God is a church of teaching and enlightenment. And what teaching? Not human, so much deceptive, but the teachings of God. How highly the best man valued the teaching of God! It is dearer to me than gold, he said, it is sweeter than any honeycomb to my lips. Nowhere is there such food for all the high needs of our soul as in the word of God. Here is a cure for all the diseases of our soul; and how many of them we have! Here is the solution to all the doubts of an inquisitive mind. Here is consolation for all the sorrows of a poor heart. How pitiful are people who are inattentive to the word of God offered in the church! They greedily drink the rotten water of human books and neglect the fresh, life-giving water that gives eternal life. They pay money and expensive money for products of unclean hearts; but the church offers heavenly teaching for free and they don’t want to listen to it. There are so many people who can’t read! How many people can read, but cannot understand! And services are ready for everyone in the church, just come and listen. Here truth and truth are spoken openly, regardless of faces, although they do not concern anyone’s personality due to personal whims. Here they listen to the truth before the face of God and each person, according to the voice of strict truth, verifies the state of his soul. No school, no department has the same right to attention to itself as belongs to the church of God. And how beneficial are the words of the church of God! To church, says St. Chrysostom, a kite flies in and a dove flies out, a wolf enters and a lamb comes out. Crazy passions subside, those with vices are healed when they listen to church teachings about eternity and our purpose, about why we were created, where we are going and what awaits us beyond the grave. Let's go to the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord is a house of praise and praise to the Lord. The ox knew him who acquired it, and the donkey knew his master's manger, but Israel did not know Me. This is how the Lord complained about the ungrateful Jews. Christians! We would be more criminal if this complaint applied to us too. Far more benefits have been shown to us than to Israel. The Heavenly Father did not send to us prophets, but His Only Begotten Son. Through the intercession of the Son, He also sent us the Spirit of grace. Moreover, we do not say that everything we use in earthly life, health, air, food, clothing, home, children, friends, everything is given to us by the Heavenly Father. How can we not go to the house of the Lord to give praise and thanksgiving for the boundless mercies of God towards us? Let's go to the house of the Lord. The house of the Lord is the house of petitions and prayers offered to the Lord. Who will say that he has nothing to ask the Lord for? We are poor, and blind, and naked. If so, isn’t it strange that few people visit the house of prayer? In the church of God such prayer is performed that does not and cannot happen in any other place. Here the bloodless sacrifice of the Son of God is offered, His prayer on the cross is repeated before the Heavenly Father for criminal people. Do this in remembrance of me, He himself commanded, and in fulfillment of His will, His sacrifice for people is repeated. Hasten to add your name to the names remembered during the offering of this greatest sacrifice. Faith in the sacrifice of God on the cross works miracles. Christians of the first times, our Christian ancestors, valued the fact that their names were commemorated during the holy liturgy. Let's go to the house of the Lord. In the church of God, everything evokes prayer and praise. Here are the faces of the saints of God, breathing and animating with heavenly reverence. Here is a society like us; but on their faces and in their eyes there are either raptures of praise to God, or the tenderness of a repentant heart. Here, everything that the eye looks at, everything that can amaze the ear, is conducive to reverence and prayer. “Standing in the church, standing pretending to be in heaven.” Is it wonderful if someone who comes to church cold and absent-minded is involuntarily struck by a feeling of tenderness when looking at the beauty of the Lord and at those reverently praying, when hearing church prayers, simple and amazing. It’s strange, but someone else says, I’ll pray at home, but doesn’t go to church. My brother! I leave it to your conscience to judge how much you pray at home, entertained by the noise of thoughts and affairs of earthly vanity. But have you thought that your mere disdain for the house of the bloodless sacrifice of the Son of God, your mere preference for a simple house over the house of the Lord is already a serious sin? What is the church of God? The sanctuary from which God, the Father of bounties, pours out currents of grace, a sanctuary sanctified by grace. How then do you despise the house of grace? In the house of prayer of many, the prayer of two or three sincerely praying brings down grace to all those gathered in the church. The Lord said, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there I am among them.” His word is immutable. Be kind to yourself, do not deprive yourself of the grace of the church. Be careful, do not forget the apostolic commandments. The Apostle prescribed, “with one mind and one mouth glorify God through the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Rom. 15:16). Let's go to the house of the Lord. The one who understands the high advantages of the house of the Lord, who with the bright gaze of the spirit looked at his relationship with God, how he loved the house of the Lord! He not only desired to visit the house of the Lord frequently; He desired to live in the house of the Lord all his life. I have asked one thing of the Lord, and I will require that I live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life (Ps. 26:4); That's what King David said. After this, it is clear that you are happy, brothers of the desert monastery, you glorify the Lord every day in His house; With joy, each of you can repeat with David, it is good for me to cleave to God, rather than live in the villages of sinners. But the Lord is also lenient towards those living in the world. He provided six days a week for everyday worries and left only one day for Himself. Be afraid of being unappreciative and insolent before the merciful. Do not take away a week's day from the Lord. Go to the house of the Lord to serve the All-Good on the seventh day. Let at least one day be a monument to the fact that you are not bad children before the Heavenly Father. With sorrow I tell you that by doing work on Sunday you are only collecting the wrath of God on your own heads; sooner or later the truth of God will reveal itself in a formidable form and will exact its toll from you. Beware of stealing God's property and if you touched it. repent. Why don’t they like to go to the house of God? Because they do not love the Lord God, but love sins. Loving God, one cannot help but love the house of God. In the same way, loving everything except God, it is natural to be cold towards the house of God. For one, money has become the idol of the heart; how can he serve two gods? Another’s entire soul is occupied with objects of another passion, so that there is no room in it for God and serving Him. What does passion do to the soul? The object of passion is criminal, but the soul wants to enjoy its favorite object - it is dear to it. Therefore, she avoids what awakens reproach for criminal pleasure. since conscience most likely awakens in the church of God, where there is so much to awaken the soul from a criminal sleep, then the soul that has fallen in love with sin avoids the church and its worship in every possible way, and to make it easier, it comes up with various excuses for evasion. As sin intensifies, dislike in the soul for the house of God even reaches the point of wild hatred of the church and its worship. ABOUT! My God! let us see the depths of our criminal heart. My friends! How long do we have left on earth to go to the house of the Lord? How much time we have already lost! Let us cherish what remains, let us go to the house of God as often as possible, let us take advantage of the benefits of the church, to our temporary and eternal happiness. Amen. Watch how dangerously you walk, not like not with wisdom, but as with wisdom (Eph.5:15). Are we not commanded to have the ability to live in the world, which derives the benefits of earthly life from everything we encounter, from people, from circumstances, from things? A lot of intelligence is also required in order to guess and choose what can be useful for our temporary personality, how and when we can ward off dangers and honor, for our pockets, for our pride. Yes, a lot of such work is assigned to the wonderful gift of God. But are the benefits worth the effort? Is work worthy of God's gift? No, the apostle does not reduce his high teaching to the low circle of life. “Walk as children of light,” he says (Eph. 5:8). Otherwise, act as if you are enlightened by the grace of God, which is given for the acquisition of eternal life. “Have no fellowship with the works of darkness” (Eph. 5:10). Do not allow sin either to desire or to think, “carnal wisdom”: wisdom that cares only for the peace of the flesh is “death, but spiritual wisdom is life and peace” (Rom. 8:6). Thus, the apostle demands caution in spiritual life, in matters of spiritual salvation. Here you need, according to his judgment, the ability to live. If only so many attractions, feelings, and thoughts did not arise within us that, in essence, do not agree with the will of God; if there were nothing around us hostile or dangerous to spiritual salvation, of course, then we would not need to watch ourselves much. “I am sending you like sheep into the midst of wolves; be wise as serpents and innocent as doves” (Luke 10:9). This is what the Savior spoke to the apostles. Yes, the more precious are the goods that can be taken from us by evil encounters; The more important the eternal soul, which can be harmed by certain cases, or benefited by certain measures, is more important than the eternal soul, the more we need spiritual prudence. Spiritual wisdom knows how to find means to ward off spiritual dangers and selects the best aids for success in good. Does this mean that she can ever, for beautiful purposes, allow dishonorable means that are offensive to a clear conscience, such as lies and deception? ABOUT! no, never. The life of a Christian, in all respects, should be pure and holy. For a high, holy goal, a Christian will sacrifice his life, but will not allow himself to lie, or deceive, or anything like that. The father of lies is the devil. How can one put oneself under the influence of such a terrible father? The paths of hell will not get you to heaven. “Do not be deceived; you will not deceive God” (Gal.6:7). Worldly prudence is unscrupulous in its means, but spiritual wisdom is another matter. And experiments have shown that illegal means used for the cause of the saint brought the same success to the cause of the saint as they bring to the affairs of everyday life, illusory and temporary, the end of which is shame and watch. Such were the successes of the Jesuits in China and other places! Spiritual wisdom has only pure and holy means at its disposal. Spiritual wisdom does not offer the baby that food that is nutritious for an adult and harmful for a child; She prescribes classes according to her strength. Ardent youth does not consider going towards dangers at all and takes on difficult feats. But experienced wisdom tells her, do not rush to let go of the heat from your soul, the path is long, and do not rely on your own strengths, they are deceptive; walk more quietly and you will go further. Inexperience, just as it is ardent in initial exploits, is just as cowardly when faced with temptation, with a temporary cooling of the soul. “What should I do, father, have I become careless?” So one Abba complained. The elder replied, “This is a mental illness. For patients with eyes, when the disease is severe, and small light seems harsh. Likewise, the faint-hearted are immediately embarrassed by a little carelessness, and think that they are already extremely careless, while the strong in spirit rejoice more in temptations.” 83 Experienced wisdom knows what medicines are needed for what mental illness and what nutrients add strength to the body in one state or another. “Every enterprise,” says St. Basil the Great, must be preceded by reasoning; without it, even what seems good will turn into sin if done at the wrong time or without keeping the measure.” Yes, and in spiritual things there is a time and a measure for everything. Just as a farmer tests the soil of the earth and notices the time so as not to throw away seeds in vain; just as the owner of a house looks around to choose cases and ways to organize his household in the best way, so a Christian uses time and ways to increase his spiritual wealth. Against deviations of thought from the truth, spiritual wisdom uses teaching in the law of God and trusting oneself. “The holy scriptures, says the apostle, are able to make us wise unto salvation, through faith in Christ Jesus” (2 Tim. 3:5). Against weakening of the will, one must renew in oneself the determination of the will to live for good alone. “I remind you to kindle the gift of God,” says the apostle to his disciple Timothy (2 Tim. 1:6). Be sober, stay awake, writes the apostle. Jacob (James 5:8). Wakefulness is a necessary means of success in spiritual life. It vigilantly watches over desires, which so often disagree with the law, over imagination and internal sensations, which often interfere with unclean things in pure affairs; it does not yield a step before the attacks of sin (1 Cor. 16:13). The aspirations of our sensuality imperceptibly tilt our soul towards impurity. The lust of the flesh has nothing to do with the world, but that is not how the people of the Spirit of God understand it (1 John 2:16). Therefore, Christian wisdom commands us to curb our feelings and sensual attractions and imposes abstinence on the body. Job says, “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to think about the virgin.” Christian wisdom discusses persons and things according to their essential value, without being deceived by their appearance. No matter how beautiful the appearance, it is not essential, and therefore it is deceptive; instead of joy, it brings grief. Accordingly, wisdom also has its own relationships to things and people. The Sage of God says, “Whoever deals with the smart will also be smart; but the companion of fools will fall into trouble” (Proverbs 13:20). Connections with others can bring us a lot of pleasant and useful things, but they can also be harmful. Our way of thinking and our rules of life can lead to a one-sided direction if we remain only with ourselves and do not hear the advice and reasoning of experience. An intelligent and sincere friend can warn us against many mistakes, guide us to better thoughts and strengthen our love for goodness. Therefore, “a wise man listens to advice” (Proverbs 12:15). You just need to be careful in choosing comrades and friends. Doesn’t it happen that a pleasant appearance, a wonderful gift of speech, an educated mind lures the most corrupt soul into community with a person? Having entered into a relationship with him, they quietly accept from him his frivolity, his stupidity and vices. St. Augustine, lamenting the misfortunes of his youth, confessed, “I wandered in such blindness that I was ashamed not to have as much shamelessness as my comrades had; and he became more vicious day by day, so that for his honesty he would not be considered dishonest among them. My God! You saw with what pleasure I wandered through the streets of Babylon and how I consoled myself, wallowing in the mud, as if in a balm. Why is this? ABOUT! hostile friendship! You corrupt the hearts of young people so much that they do evil, not for their own benefit and not with the intention of doing harm to another, but without intention, just for the sake of a joke. Oh! sometimes they would just say, come with us, do this and that, and I was ashamed not to indulge in all the nonsense.” The Apostle says, “Know how to use the time, because the days are evil” (Eph. 5:16). When the apostle wrote this, Christians suffered a lot for their faith, endured ridicule, contempt, hatred, prison, executions, and among such troubles they were in danger of changing their holy faith, recognizing idolatry’s lies as truth. In our time they do not threaten us with prison and sword for our faith. But don’t Christian beliefs face their own dangers? Are there people among us who speak no more modestly of pagans and Jews about holy faith and piety? Are there people who, calling themselves advanced people, laugh at everything holy, although they cannot give themselves an account of their words? Are there people who take the lofty name of freedom as one with a riotous life and who, driven by the desires of dirty, bestial sensuality, are ready to pass off life as a normal life? These people share the common hostility towards everything holy that is common among many. And so they brand with the most shameful names both the institutions of piety and everyone who leaves the paths of a vicious life to the path of piety. Isn’t it true that one must have enough intelligence to defend one’s best convictions both before oneself and before others? One must have enough fortitude to remain on the side of truth and holiness, and not on the side of lies. Out of shame or fear, to renounce the truth and betray piety is low and criminal. For temporary peace, for deceptive self-interest, for a decaying life, breaking your conscience and exposing yourself to the dangers of eternity is foolish and scary. Be strong for truth and holiness, even if it costs blood! Worldly prudence condemns even the righteous to the cross, if the crowd shouts, crucify him. It means to float on water. Of course, it’s easy to swim in this case, but where will you swim? Christian wisdom is not arrogant to rely only on its own reasoning, but is not afraid to stand against the general opinion of people, if it means the inconsistency of human opinion with the judgment of the eternal God; she knows that a crowd of people is often only a plaything of clever people, for whom conscience is an empty thing, who arouse in the crowd this or that opinion for their own species and announce, in the form of a general opinion, an opinion that is necessary only for them alone and is completely harmful for the common good. Christian wisdom is not arrogant to present its life experiences as unconditionally true and condemn everything new. But she also knows that much of what is new is only a new type of old evil. Therefore, she is not carried away by the cries of the crowd against everything old and in favor of the new. Sometimes it is necessary to speak to a madman according to his madness. How to do this? “People who say unkind things to you are either below you in status and age, or equal to you, or above you. Each one needs its own answer. If anyone who dares to speak to you against faith and piety is beneath you, speak to him firmly in defense of the holy truth and pray to the Lord to lead him to the straight path. This is your duty towards your younger brother; for failure to fulfill your duty you will be answerable to the Lord. If a detractor of the faith is equal to you, admonish him brotherly, with meek and tender love. He will change, thank God. If he doesn’t change, don’t be embarrassed, but don’t stop praying for him. If a bold insulter is taller than you, let your silence answer him, that a lie does not become true because it is expressed by a high person; When they demand your word, say it with all respect for it and for the truth. In any case, firmly remember that you are not protecting your personality, but only the truth. Let the personality be remembered - be patient. Beware of flaunting your convictions to people and boasting about them; your job is to give honor to holy truth and piety. You must tell the truth, but not without caution. It happens that revealing the truth endangers the peace of many and does no good to anyone. It happens that, under the guise of sincere affection, they extract secrets from you in order to use them to harm you and others. Our relationships with others should breathe the desire for good. But if you see that they are not able to use your goodness, that the fulfillment of good desires will cause more harm to others than good, give up your desires at least for a while. Why throw beads under the feet of unclean animals? Take care of the shrine. There is no need to be too indignant at the impudence of the preachers of this or that lie and rush to fight with them for the truth. Be patient, tread carefully. Do not be afraid for the truth, it will justify itself, and the lie will appear in its form. Here's a fresh experience! “Now we,” says the chronicler of the St. Petersburg Gazette, are pleased that we are not the only ones indifferent to the so-called progress, voices are beginning to be heard against this progress, which is marked by destruction both materially and morally by the absence of positive goals, strong principles and beliefs in society, pettiness, emptiness and corruption of interests, and finally by the endless fun, noise and din of some kind of universal an orgy that brings despondency to anyone who has still retained any mind and heart from the influence of the atmosphere, little by little and, however, mercilessly finishing off the reasonable traditions and interests of society.” 84 See, the truth has come out! Previously, to say anything against the noisily glorified progress meant inviting all kinds of abuse against oneself. Now they are beginning to see who our progressives are. This always happens with human lies! “Take heed and walk carefully, not as fools, but as wise.” Conversation in the church Shkryabina I lift my eyes to heaven, to You, the Word! Show mercy to me, so that I may live for You (Antiph. 6). Beautiful song of Damascus! It is short, but so rich in thoughts! I lift my eyes to heaven. Our gaze should be directed to heaven, and not to earth. The earth is a foreign country for us. What are we on earth? Travelers, let’s walk along it and that’s all. Where is the country of our constant, endless life? Not on earth, not on this damned earth. Everything on earth is changeable, passes like a shadow, runs like a wave, fades like a color, disappears like smoke. Life on earth is a series of sleepy dreams, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, and always deceptive. Wealth is a fugitive; bosses - heaviness; subordination is a burden; poverty is shackles; happiness is a tormentor; glory - sound; nobility is old blood; youth - summer heat; old age is the sad west. Where is life? In life, not for the earth, but for the sky. In heaven is God and in him is all our happiness. Our life is in heaven, the apostle teaches (Phil. 3:20). And our soul itself teaches the same thing, which nothing earthly can nourish, which strives beyond the boundaries of time, thirsts for eternal truth, eternal beauty, eternal goodness. She punishes herself with torment if she gets carried away with temporary joys, fleeting happiness. Nowadays they place great value on the material comforts of life and take great care in improving manufactures, trade, and agriculture. Yes, it is a good deed to alleviate the needs and sorrows of poor humanity. But in this case, humanity comes first, not material comforts. And oh, if only it were like this for everyone! Do we care about earthly things to the extent that the needs of both require? Otherwise, there is no reason to look at the earth; life for the earth is a bestial life, it does not suit one who is created in the image of God. Thoughts, feelings, freedom are far higher, far more precious than anything material, already because thought tests and verifies the order of material life; and who doesn’t respect the moral principles of life? Under the influence of passions, through the violence of perverse movements of the soul, they can weaken the best needs of the soul, but never destroy them; they are eternal in us, just as God is eternal. So God is in heaven and all our happiness is in Him. I raise mine to heaven. But it is not enough to look not at the earth, but at the sky. The best pagans did not forget about heaven, but experience showed both themselves and others that much was lacking in them. People who were smart in words turned out to be not very smart in life. All aids to correcting hearts, invented by human wisdom, turned out to be useless. All the means used to reconcile earth with heaven were considered far from sufficient. We had to expect special help from heaven. And the Heavenly Father, in His mercy, sent His Son to people. So I lift my eyes to heaven, to You, the Word! You, my Savior, have been awaited for centuries. In You is light and life for people. Under the shadow of Your cross is my safety. You send the Spirit of grace, reviving my soul, upset by sins. ABOUT! if the truth of God pursues my countless sins, my destruction is certain. Only in You, reconciliator, is my defense. What, our knowledge, what our virtues, what our exploits, if the truth of Christ’s merits does not cover the untruths of our mind, our will, our body, our entire organism? Show mercy to me, so that I may live for You. I plunge the abyss of my sins into the abyss of the generosity of the Father reconciled by You. Forgive me for being lost; accept me as one of Your hired servants. Only from Your mercy do I expect mercy for myself. Only from generous goodness do I expect generous gifts for the beggar. Send me light for my mind and strength for my will, so that I may live for You, may I live for the glory of Your name and according to Your holy water. I can live with Your grace, it is omnipotent; she also resurrects the dead. How many sinners, the grossest, the most carnal, or the most proud sinners, have changed their lives to the highest life, having been revived by your grace! Yes, experience is before the eyes of everyone, the experience of centuries and peoples. What were people without Christ? And what did you become by the grace of Christ the Lord? What a vast, what a radical transformation has been wrought in humanity by the grace of Christ! Whatever branch of life you look at, the best is everywhere - the gift of Christianity. And poor people are still not grateful to Christ the Lord. They still, to their own detriment, turn from Christ to themselves, from heaven to earth! Poor people! Strange whims of the self! Sad blindness! Why was Christianity so victorious in history, why was it so powerful? Politics and philosophy, priests and judges, people and Caesars are against it, and it has conquered everything. History itself shows that the power of God is at work in Christianity, that its founder is God - the Word. How can we not turn with all our souls to You, the Word, omnipotent Son of the omnipotent Father? Show mercy to me, so that I may live for You. How to pray, may I live to You! How is grace brought down into the soul? By prayer. Ask and you will receive, said the Lord. What an easy way to get everything! The very glance of prayer to the Lord already illuminates the soul and awakens the will to good. When our thoughts deviate towards worldly concerns, the mind becomes covered in the darkness of sensual, empty, unclean thoughts, and the will becomes coarser in earthly desires. This is not at all what happens to the soul when it prays often. Grace descends to help her aspirations towards heaven and raises her from perfection to perfection. How life-giving is the gaze of prayer, bringing down grace! Is my gaze obscured by the brilliance of earthly happiness? I lift my gaze to heaven and see that earthly happiness is only exhaustion of the spirit, a weakening of its best desires, and together with David I pray, according to the multitude of Your bounties, cleanse me. Do the sorrows and hardships of life visit me? Call me in the day of your sorrow and destroy you, says the Lord himself (Ps. 49:15); and His word is true. Will the slander of human anger sting me? Its wounds are searing, striking in us both pride and love of truth. But a glance at eternal holiness shows me that I have much more sins than people can find and - I am silent before my Lord. The yoke of Christ is good, but it is still a yoke, not lightness for my weak soul. Where can I get strength? I lift my eyes to heaven, to You, Word! Asking for heavenly help brings perseverance in goodness. Much is needed to be faithful to the title one has assumed. You need a love of work; and how it is weakened by laziness! Precision is required in carrying out the tasks of the rank; but I want to live for myself, of my own free will. Moreover, how many temptations are encountered that divert the soul from the path of duty! But prayer also gives zeal for duty and victory over oneself. “Will not God protect his chosen ones who cry to him day and night” (Luke 18:7). I lift my eyes to heaven, to You, the Word! Show mercy to me, so that I may live for You. Conversation on Wednesday of the 1st week of Lent My soul, my soul! What are you writing off? This is how the holy man Andrew of Crete addresses his soul. Will carelessness about one’s conscience and oblivion about the hour of death boldly approach him? Wasn’t his living soul awake to guard his salvation? And yet he does not think of himself that way; and yet he sings a lamentable song, my soul, my soul! write off what? ABOUT! how persistently we must awaken our souls, how often we must repeat the song of the saint, my soul, my soul! write off what? What do we do to save ourselves? The holy apostles and prophets, for the glory of the name of God, endured ridicule and beatings, wandered, not knowing where to lay their heads. What did the holy martyrs not endure so as not to destroy their souls by betraying the Lord? Horror penetrates the bones when hearing the suffering they endured. The holy ascetics, for the salvation of their souls, spent their entire lives in fasting and prayer, in labors and voluntary sorrows, my soul, my soul! what are you writing off? Where are your exploits for eternal salvation? What are you writing off? But you and I, my soul, do not yet understand that we are sleeping. You also need to be sure of that. So be it. The sleepy one does not understand either the danger nearby, no matter how great it may be, or his erratic movements, no matter how strange they may be; in his dreams he sees himself as a rich man, in honors or at a delicious table. Are we not in the same position, my soul? Don’t we also seem to ourselves to be people with a decent fortune and intelligence, while we are poor and hungry to the point of tears? Do we understand what we should be and what we remain? Do we understand our situation? Alas, no! The awake person vividly senses his needs. Do we have a sense of spiritual needs? God strikes us for our sins with executions to bring us to our senses. And we don’t care. Beat them and you won't get sick. The soul is forced by nature to seek the eternal, but we have both joy and sorrow only about the earth. He who is awake diligently performs the work of his calling. Oh, my poor soul! the title of Christian is a high title; And besides, you were created not for the earth, but for the sky. Where are the affairs of high ranks in your life? They sell, buy, have fun, get married, people breed, that’s all the movements! Is this a life worthy of an immortal soul, a Christian soul? Or, perhaps, they go to church, but according to custom; they pray, but without a soul; they help the poor, but out of vanity; have the form of godliness, but without power (2 Tim. 3:5); They are Christians by appearance, but pagans by heart. My God! What is all this if not a dream of the soul and a deep sleep? How long do we have to sleep? My soul, my soul! You, who am the only one I have, so if I lose you, I will lose everything that you prepare for yourself and that I prepare for myself? My soul, my bush! You were created in the image of God, and you who fell were redeemed by the blood of the Son of God; and you have given yourself up to the miserable slavery of passions and are wandering senselessly across the earth. What are you doing and what are you preparing for yourself? My soul, groan, write it off! Should you sleep when inside you there is a constant, day and night, battle between the unclean flesh and the best aspirations of the spirit? Should you sleep when even in a awake state you faced so many dangers and others lost salvation?! Why do you drink sins like water and wickedness like expensive wine? Because you're sleeping. What terrible, what destructive dream is yours? Rise up, what are you writing off? The end is approaching. Is it possible to sleep here when there is endless eternity before you? Is it possible to sleep here when hell with rejected spirits is in front of you? Is it possible to sleep here when every hour is so precious to you, when you have no right to spend a single minute at your whim? You are sleeping, my poor soul, and the time of grace and pardon flows and goes irrevocably; it is no longer the morning of your life - your youth has long faded; It’s no longer noon—the courage has flowed away; It’s already the evening of days – gray old age. And you're still asleep! You are sleeping, and the number of your sins, and the number of your iniquities is growing and multiplying, and the danger for you is becoming more and more formidable. You sleep and don’t think that they will push you into the abyss of hell. You sleep contented with the goodness of God, as if she expects nothing from you, as if she should do everything for your whims, and you do nothing for her. Don’t you think that your dream is blasphemy against the Lord? Don’t you think that the goodness of God is calling you to repentance? (Rom.2:4). You are sleeping, but God’s patience, no matter how great it is, is God’s truth. You are sleeping, and death is approaching you, will approach you, overtake you, hit you, and what will happen to you? Imashe will be embarrassed. From the wrath of the offended truth of God, earthly troubles for which you forgot about God are no protection for you; not the protection and frivolous friends with whom I had fun. Will you seek peace and consolation in the wisdom of worldly unbelief? Before the terrible reality of the opening eternity, all sophisms will flee from you, to your shame and grief. Then you will know with all your might that you will reap only what you sow, and having sowed throughout your life only for a corrupt nature, you will reap only corruption for the flesh (Gal. 6:8). Will you find out and how will this knowledge respond to you? Confusion and despair. Imashi will be embarrassed. You will also be embarrassed by the past, which will appear before you with your untruths and iniquities. To be embarrassed by what is coming, which has been forgotten and neglected for so long, will appear in irresistible reality and in terrifying grandeur. How to resist the greatness of the Judge of the universe? If you become embarrassed, even from the mere fact that in your sleepy drowsiness you were not at all familiar with the fate beyond the grave and to meet everything unknown, you will appear defenseless and helpless, separated from the world for which and by which you lived. Wake up, you unfortunate one, while there is still time. It is not yet the voice of eternal wrath that thunders over you, but the gentle voice of goodness that awakens you; arise from your sleep and rise from the dead, and Christ will give you light (Eph. 5:14). Do you hear how the Lord speaks from the heavenly supper, and there is still room (Luke 14:22). This is the place for you and me, my poor soul. Let's hurry to occupy it, let's hurry before it's too late. Wake up, my poor soul! Rise from your bed of sin. Drive away the dreams that seduce you, collect your thoughts scattered throughout the bustle of the world. Come to your senses. Heavenly goodness has been waiting for your awakening for so long. The Lord Jesus has been waiting for your repentance for so long. This is why he came to earth to call sinners to repentance. He prepared everything for the salvation of sinful people. Here is the gospel to enlighten your thoughts on all the paths of life. These are the sacraments for healing your illnesses and reviving your weakened heart. Wake up, sir. Be encouraged by hope in your merciful Savior. Are there many sins on your conscience, many debts around your neck? Before you is the cross on which the Son of God was crucified for the sins of the whole world. Before you are thousands of pardoned sinners. Your Lord, your Savior, is always the same, for all times and for all people, He is the atoning sacrifice. Wake up, sir. Gather your strength, start a new life, decide to serve the living and true God, as you served the idols of your heart. There is no strength, the weaknesses are so great! Don't be deceitful. For the world, for the flesh, for sin, how much labor you endure! Work half as much for the Lord, and you will see that you are not completely without strength. Wake up, sir. He who sincerely recognizes himself as weak prays for grace-filled help, and heavenly help is sent. Pray too. The forces of grace are ready for you; through prayer you will receive everything. Whom did the Heavenly Father refuse to help? Who has not been helped by the Son - eternal love? If you, being so unkind, do not give your children a stone instead of bread and a snake instead of fish, how much more will the heavenly Father give everything necessary to those who ask Him, so says the Lord Jesus to us. And He said, whatever you ask of my Father in My name, you will receive. Let us rise up, so that Christ God, who is everywhere and fulfills everything, will have mercy on you. No matter how deeply we have fallen, no matter how tightly the strength of our soul has been numbed by the charm of sinful sleep, there is no barrier to the Infinite, the life-giving power of Christ penetrates everywhere, for everyone there is forgiveness and mercy - Christ the Lord. So, let us glorify our Lord with a cheerful soul. Glory and thanksgiving to You, eternal love. Amen. The groom is coming at midnight. Who is this expected groom? To whom is He going? What is this midnight? What is this dream that people tell you to beware of? Wonderful bridegroom Lord Jesus Christ. That is what He is called in St. scripture. According to the word of God, and not man, our soul is betrothed to Him, like a bride to a groom, to always remain with Him in faith, love and bliss. “I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you to Christ as a pure virgin,” teaches the apostle (2 Cor. 11:2). When did this engagement take place? From the side of the groom on the cross, there He, in order to deliver our souls from the destruction of sin and assimilate it to Himself, bore shame before the universe. On our part, this betrothal is accomplished in the sacrament of baptism, here, before heaven and earth, we renounced the world and the devil and took an oath to belong to the one Christ, to live for Him alone; from the time of this betrothal, we are no longer our own, but in soul and body, with all our strength and property, we belong to the Redeemer and our God. What a great mystery this is! What a terrible secret! Engagement is not suddenly followed by marriage, but it happens that the engaged are separated from each other for some time. The same goes for our engagement. Marriage postponed. The groom departed and ascended from earth to heaven. He left many signs of love as a pledge of union with us, a miraculous cross, wondrous mysteries, which in different forms impart to us heavenly life. ABOUT! what precious gifts these are! The angels envy them. The Groom of our souls is invisible, but He will appear, He will come to celebrate His marriage with the church. This is as true as it is true that He was on earth. He is good, He is powerful, He is faithful. How long will the slowdown in the mystery marriage last? Only the groom himself knows about this. When will He come, in what year, at what time, at what hour? This is a mystery even to the angels. “About that day and hour, as He Himself says, no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but only My Father” (Matthew 24:36). And this deep unknown is the midnight on which the groom will come. The time of the groom's arrival is not shown. It is clear that He can come at any time, on any day, at any hour. It is clear that those who are obliged to wait for Him must wait for Him at all times. They cannot go anywhere, they cannot wander anywhere, according to the whims of self-will; You can’t burden yourself with outside worries, they will prevent you from going out on time to meet the groom. “And so watch, the heavenly bridegroom himself told us, because you do not know either the day or the hour in which the Son of man will come” (Matthew 25:13). It would be in vain, absolutely in vain, to refer to the slowness of the coming of the bridegroom. He only desires that as many as possible be worthy of the heavenly palace, so that they prepare as best as possible for His coming. In relation to me and you, my brother, His slowness is very fast. He is slow to come to his church; He may perhaps delay His coming for another thousand years. But will you and I remain here on earth until His appearance on earth? No, now, tomorrow the angel of death will appear and call us to the Bridegroom; This means that for you and me today, tomorrow, the period of waiting for the groom will end. This means that for you and me, the unknown of death is our midnight. That is why the Lord said, “What I say to you, I say to everyone, watch” (Mark 13:37). Blessed is the servant, he will be found vigilant. Those who are faithful to their betrothal vows are always on guard. Their first and last expectation is waiting for the Lord. In order to make themselves more capable of waiting and meeting the Lord, many renounced forever the most permitted pleasures of life, abandoned the world and everything that was dear in the world. Others, remaining in the world, lived according to the commandment of the Apostle, “those who have wives as if they had not, and those who weep as if they were not weeping, and those who rejoice as if they were not rejoicing, and those who buy as if they were not acquiring, and those who use the world as if they were not using them” (Cor. 7:29-31). What is all this for? So that, having occupied yourself with earthly things, you do not grow cold in your love for heavenly things, become heavy in spirit and indulge in sleep. Smart and cautious, they vigilantly guard the expensive clothes that they put on at baptism; persistently cherish the gifts of grace received by the grace of the heavenly Bridegroom in the sacraments and prayer. The Lord the Bridegroom sees their zeal and prepares for them a crown of glory. They are truly happy, truly blessed, even if their earthly fate was invisible and sad. The hardships and losses here are temporary and will pass soon; and in the next century a bliss awaits, which no one on earth can either embrace or understand. Take care, my soul, that you are not burdened with sleep. Are there many Christians who sleep? Alas! a lot, a lot! I will touch the Bridegroom, I will all take a nap and fall asleep (Matthew 25:8). Bodily sleep can be more or less deep. Spiritual sleep is exactly the same. Come on, are they sleeping now? How much movement, how much trouble, how much noise! Forward, forward! scream. Forward? But where? To heaven or hell? We are busy with many, very many things, but it is scary, if with the exception of one Christ the Lord. Do they think, are they concerned about the need to appear to the heavenly Bridegroom? Are there no way out to live on earth? My God! My God! what a disastrous dream has fallen upon the poor people! Not only do they not prepare for eternity, but they want to consider themselves dumb. They strive to drown out the worries of the immortal soul and, in defiance of the mind and heart, repeat only about the demands of animal life. Everything that is best in human nature, everything that puts man above everything visible, is deliberately given over to oblivion and given space to one animal. Yes, pits and pits, we will die in the morning, they say. My friends! this philosophy is not new; The pagans liked her very much, but even the best pagans considered her too dirty, too insulting to man; But we are Christians, do such thoughts suit us? They insult the entire past and present of Christianity. Let's spare ourselves, feverish delirium is too dangerous! What is spiritual sleep, from which they so warn us? This is the state when she remains without movements for good, does not try to thoroughly know herself and God’s will about herself, or correct her bad life. Satisfied with little things, she lives as it happens; awaits neither the Judge nor death; does not remember that she has a Groom, to whom she took vows of allegiance. “How few are being saved!” the Lord told us. And experience speaks too. But do you really want, my soul, to be among the many who are perishing? God forbid! Don't fool yourself. The Apostle teaches us, “You are sons of light and sons of day, we are not sons of night and darkness. Let us therefore not sleep, as do others, but let us be awake and sober” (1 Thessalonians 5:6). This means that we are ashamed to sleep in sins, as the pagans slept. Stay awake, my soul! Don’t live the way bad people lived and live, follow the lead of the best. “With all my soul I desired you at night, and with my inner spirit I sought you in the morning,” this is what the prophet of God says about himself (Is. 26:9). Imitate him. Stay awake so as not to live a life that is illusory and harmful to you; do the will of God, not the desires of people. People will not save you there from being judged for being careless about yourself. Stay awake - stand guard until relieved; keep faith and piety until they call you to the Lord. Stay awake, otherwise from the sleep of carelessness there is one step to death, to fearful death,” to undying death, to joyless eternity. Don't you think that your desires will change your destiny? The truth of the Eternal is unchangeable. Watch, watch the desires of your heart; The heart is deceitful, it presents to you what is bad in the form of good, what is harmful in the form of what is pleasant. Stay awake, do not let sin take hold in your soul; the longer you caress sin in your soul, the more difficult it will be to get rid of it. Why increase the severity of the struggle for yourself? Stay awake, in any case, the path to good is narrow and thorny; He cannot be otherwise, given our corruption. Stay awake and don't get discouraged. The path to the kingdom is difficult, but grace is ready for you. Pray for help and help will be given. Pray for forgiveness of sins and sins will be forgiven. Cry from the depths of your soul, Holy, Holy, Holy are you God, have mercy on us through the Mother of God. Amen. Word for the Week of the Publican and the Pharisee The same speech to others who trust themselves, as they are righteous women, humiliating others (Luke 16:9). How not to trust yourself? Who can you trust if not yourself? How not to judge something in another that is worth condemning? Where will there be respect for the truth? And yet the Lord pronounces reproof on those who are confident in themselves and on those who condemn others. Let us take a closer look at the Lord’s reproof. How can I trust myself when I am so often untrue to myself? It is not smart to trust a person who has deceived me more than once. In the same way, if many times, countless times, I broke the promises made by my conscience to God to start a better life and live as before, it is reckless to rely on myself, it is reckless to trust myself as a person faithful in my word. I feel ashamed to appear before the eyes of a person, before whom I have more than once turned out to be untrue in my words. How can I stand before You, my God, without shame and self-reproach, when so many times before Your throne, before Your angels and saints, I made promises and did not keep them? How low I am! How criminal I am! To You, O Lord, it is true that I am ashamed of my face (Dan.9:7). Only Your boundless goodness can tolerate me. You did not destroy the sinner; do not destroy the repentant. ABOUT! When would I be fair, at least in one thing, would I not rely on myself, would I not consider myself faithful and firm! Carefully, extremely carefully, they touch the fragile and weak glass in which the expensive liquid is preserved. They are careful not to place a burden on a weak child, lest he, completely exhausted, fall under the weight. A sick person is not treated without fear. What is our will in relation to good? Isn't it the same as glass that is fragile, so that every unexpected touch is accompanied by sad consequences? Isn’t it the same as a weak child, so that it falls under the weight of every passion? Isn’t it the same as a sick body, so that even weak activities of good tire her? If I am so weak, if there is so little vitality and steadfastness in my will for good, how can I accomplish the work of my salvation without fear? How can I dare to encounter situations dangerous to my soul? How can I not avoid objects and people who, as I know from experience, can awaken in my weak soul both sinful desires and unclean consolations? This courage with which they rush to dangerous honors and high slippery places, this impatience; with which the riches that stupefy us are collected - isn’t it the work of a half-crazed soul? How can I trust myself when my mind is so short-sighted in spiritual matters? Even if I am enriched with information of various kinds - theological, philosophical, philological, and historical, I am all the more ashamed that in matters of spiritual salvation I am not at all sighted, unless I am blind. How many mistakes there are in my life because I did not at all see the dangers that threatened my soul and, on the contrary, for my reasons, I considered the road smooth and pleasant! Strange thing! in the simplest cases of life, if the soul does not pray for enlightenment by grace, it will certainly fall into mistakes. It seemed that what was closer to me was myself, what was closer to me my sins, my weaknesses? But if humble prayer does not bring down heavenly light into the depths of my soul, how little do I see myself! Let everyone believe themselves in confession. Why is our confession often limited to only the superficial naming of certain sins? Why do they seem to not even know what to tell the confessor about, what sins to reveal to him? This is where the dark ignorance of our mind is revealed, which, judging sensibly about external objects, does not at all understand what is happening in our soul, makes excuses for unrequited guilt, calls black and dirty white brilliant, shows the sinner in such a reduced and altered form that he is almost righteous. Rely on the vigilance of your mind! Trust the salvation of your soul to your mind alone. Darkened by pride, deceived by the desires of a corrupted heart, he will lead you into the impossible mud of life. According to the natural structure, the feelings of the heart and the aspirations of the will influence our mind. Imagine that our heart delights in sin and our will strives for sin - what influence, if not harmful, can they have on our mind? Can the mind free itself from being stupefied by the movements of the heart and the desires of the will? Self-confidence, breathing with pride, does not allow the grace of God, which loves the humble and meek, to reach us! “I am rich and have become rich, and I demand nothing,” he says, more or less boldly, trusting himself. Why should grace descend on someone who does not feel the need for it? Was it only so that they would despise her, subject her to humiliation by the deeds of an unclean heart, and mock her in a riot of passions? No, they do not throw pearls under the feet of unclean animals. The grace of God descends on a soul that highly values ​​its dignity and deeply feels its poverty and need for heavenly help. A humble soul thirsts and seeks heavenly help, and help is given to it. The humble soul is open to the dew of heaven, and this dew descends on it. “As you submit to one another, says the apostle, clothe yourselves with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5). A wonderful thing, but a true thing, in the depths of a humble soul, in addition to its consciousness, grace accomplishes amazing things, and invisibly expands its activity even to the surrounding area; the humble soul seems to seduce all its activity and remain silent, struck by the feeling of its infirmities; and yet great deeds are being accomplished both in her and around her, surrounded by omnipotent grace. “One day we sat and talked with our brother about the benefits of the soul, this is what the elder said to Blessed John Moschus. I remembered the words of Abba Pimen, let everyone constantly reproach themselves for everything. Then my brother told me, I have learned from experience what fruit these words bring. One deacon of the Lavra was a sincere friend to me. I don’t know why he came to suspect me of an act that greatly upset him, and he began to look at me sadly. Seeing him sad, I began to find out from him about the cause of grief. He told me that you did such and such a thing. Since I didn’t know this matter at all, I began to calm him down and say that I didn’t know that I had done this. He said no, I'm not calm. Returning to my cell, I began to test my heart, had I allowed something like this to happen? And I didn’t find anything. Therefore, when he held the holy cup in his hands and divided it among the brethren, I also approached him and swore before the cup itself that I did not know such a thing had happened to me. But I didn’t satisfy him with that either. Turning to yourself and repeating in memory the words of St. fathers, with faith I turned to my thoughts and said to myself, the deacon loves me very much and out of love told me to be sober, vigilant and look forward to myself. But you, my unfortunate soul, who say that you did not do this, have committed countless sins and they are hidden from you. Where is what you did yesterday, the third day ago and ten days ago? Remember if you can. You did this too, like many other things, but it hid from you, like so many things before. This is how I disposed my heart and began to thank God, and I also thanked the deacon, through whom the Lord made me worthy to recognize sin and bring repentance. Getting up, I went with these thoughts to the deacon to ask for his forgiveness. As soon as I pushed him into the door, he suddenly opened it, first bowed to me and said, forgive me. “The Lord informed me that you are innocent.” 85 This is what trust and distrust in yourself means! Holy Scripture is the light of our paths. But this light is also refracted and changed in my soul from its unclean fumes. It is necessary for the grace of God to cleanse my soul; I need heavenly light to heal my mental gaze. Then, only then will I truly see myself and the ways of God’s commandments as they apply to me. When will this be? Until the grave you can remain distrustful of yourself. “He spoke to some who humiliated others” (reproof Luke 18:9). How often it is not uncommon to see yourself among those humiliating others! The best actions of a neighbor seem small to me. And I can’t easily find a name for some of them in order to brand them with shame. Is humiliation of another the same as a true and humble assessment of a bad act? No. What is bad should not be called good, either for oneself or for another. When you show yourself what is unfair in another, for your own precaution, and to another with the desire for the best for him, this is both a fair and good deed; It is especially sacred in leaders and parents, in educators and shepherds; their main duty is to admonish those under their charge. It is a completely different matter to reinterpret the actions of another, to blaspheme and condemn another, without reason and with passion. What does it mean to have a passion to humiliate another? First of all, a spoiled soul. Throw any thing into a smelly vessel, this thing will also emit a bad smell. The same thing happens with the actions of others in my soul. A bad person thinks that there are no good people in the world. A thief considers others to be thieves; the hypocrite does not allow there to be sincerely pious people; the slave of the flesh does not want to believe so that he can maintain the integrity of soul and body. Having drowned out the heavenly love for good in themselves, bad people do not expect good from others, and they put their own stigma on all visible good. Can a pious soul sincerely think this way? ABOUT! No. According to her conviction, there is an image of God in man, damaged, darkened, but restored to its beauty by heavenly grace; how can one not expect the best from such a creature? If I do not become the best, with the help of grace, if my actions are imbued with bad intentions, that is my business; Why do I think that others are the same? My brother's soul is a church closed to me. Let me see my brother’s deeds, but do I see the disposition of his soul? And dispositions mean a lot in business, they change the nature of the action. Let my brother sin in the past moments out of weakness, but do I know that in these moments he is not a joy to the angels? Christianity requires us not to humiliate, but to respect everyone as a creation of God, as one who was purchased by the blood of the Son of God and sanctified by the grace of the Holy Spirit. To humiliate another, no matter who he is, means to show disdain for the One who honored a person so much with his love and gifts. “Honor everyone” (1 Peter 2:17) says the Apostle Peter. “Why do you condemn your brother? Or why do you rebuke your brother?” (Rom.14:1, 10) says the Apostle Paul. Pride can despise another, blind in relation to ourselves, and cruel to another. She puts us before us in the best possible way, and she also makes the weak brother look with contempt. It is fun for her to stand in the majestic pose of a judge and pronounce a harsh sentence on another; for her it is fun to trample her neighbor in the mud and destroy him. The lower others are, the higher she sees herself and this pleases her. Dare another to point out the stain in the life of the proud; dare to be a hindrance to his ambitious, albeit harmful, views, then your life will be filled with dirt, by the grace of offended pride; and your words and deeds are turned inside out and you should not live on earth. That's what pride decided. What cruelty to another! what blindness in relation to oneself! The habit of humiliating another is a matter of the soul at all - not concerned with its own salvation and completely unfamiliar with itself. He who is attentive to himself, aware of his own shortcomings, sins, and stupidities, considers himself lower than others; he correctly knows how to assess his brother’s mental illness, while pride does not understand either himself or others. “In humility of mind,” the apostle tells us, consider each other better than yourselves” (Phil. 2:3). True servants of Christ know from experience how difficult it is to fight passions and how, despite all the desire not to do bad things, bad things are easily tolerated; That’s why they are lenient towards others and strict only towards themselves. How dangerous, how scary it is to be a strict judge of another! “With the judgment you judge, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Matthew 7:2). If you look at your brother’s mistakes without condescension, if you deliberately overlook his good qualities or question their intentions, then heavenly judgment will be strict against you. Much in your affairs seems decent and even rare to you; This is how outsiders look at it too. But what if the Lord, who sees hearts, judges with all severity the secret motives of your deeds? Will you have to experience the execution of murderers and fornicators? ABOUT! My God! Open my eyes to my own rotten heart, so that I do not humiliate my brother. What a grave sin it is to humiliate a brother! What am I doing, judging my brother? Who gave me the right to judge my brother? Is it not He, the Lord of the worlds, who has the right to judge and condemn the thoughts and deeds of men? My neighbor is my brother, but not my servant; he is God's servant. He is responsible for his life to God, and not to me (Rom. 14:4). How dare I assume a right that does not belong to me at all? How dare I take away God’s right to judge people? What impudent insolence is this against my Lord and God! If I had accepted the high title of king, I would have been condemned as a despicable impostor. What will happen to me if, in the eyes of the Omnipresent, I take upon myself the right that belongs to Him alone? ABOUT! My God! Forgive me my blind insolence. The Apostle teaches us all, “Do not judge before the time, until the Lord comes, who will illuminate the hidden things in darkness and reveal the intentions of the heart; and then everyone’s praise will come from God” (1 Cor. 4:5). Once Isaac of Thebes, while in a neighboring monastery, condemned the monk for his careless life. This selfish thought soured Isaac’s heart that even when he returned to his cell he did not stop examining and condemning his brother’s actions. When he approached his cell, an angel appeared at the door and said sternly, “The Savior commanded me to find out from you what should be done with that monk who was condemned by you?” Isaac felt all his guilt and, falling before the angel, he cried out, I have sinned, lawless, untruthful! Pray for me to the Savior of the world. “Get up,” said the angel, this time the Lord forgives you, but henceforth be afraid to condemn your brother before the Lord condemns him.” When we see something truly bad in someone, we will not approve of him, but we will not pronounce a judicial verdict on him. Love tolerates and excuses everything that should be tolerated; she never changes the affairs of another, fearing lies. She can pray for another, but not humiliate him; she may grieve over the mistake of another, but not be consoled by the fact that the other was mistaken; she may wish correction for another, but not his destruction. Speech at the first visit to the Edinoverie Zybkovsky Church Thank you to the Lord that in places of hostility, so much displeasing to Him, I see the establishment of peace - the gift of His grace; in places of hatred for the shrine of God I see sincere reverence for an order not created by people. May the Lord God reward you, brethren, with gifts of grace for the consolation with which my soul is full, looking at your unfeigned piety! I recently visited the former Kazan monastery. I sincerely tell you, my brothers, heavy, bitter feelings weighed on my soul when I examined him. Whatever I looked at, a question burst out from the depths of my soul: is this a monastery? And this is the abode of the best moral order? Every cell has access to a worldly village! This means that every living person went where she wanted and lived as she wanted. No management, no supervision - there is nothing to do here. A bunch of rural huts - a monastery! There are no labors of common obedience, no common meals - and there are no traces. No, this is not a monastery, this is a mockery of the spirit of malice at the holy name of the monastery. No, that’s not what they wanted at all, that’s not what they arranged for St. leaders of monastic life - St. Theodore the Studite, St. Afanasy Afonsky. My God! My God! How far does blinding people go? “What kind of trash is this - a baby born in a nunnery and drowned in a well? What a piece of trash, in Zybkaya a shroud with a four-pointed cross was found in a well.” That's what the pet of the local mentors said! One involuntarily recalls the prophecy of the apostle: God will send upon them the power of flattery, if they believe their lies (2 Thess. 2:11). Wasn’t it a terrible lie that these people accepted and conveyed? Who would have thought that the murder of people, robberies, robberies, and unpunished atrocities could be praised by the teacher of spiritual salvation? And this was the case among the local teachers of the schism. For the honor of humanity, I would not like to believe that it happened; but the written monument is intact. Fearlessly turning to the evil words of the Lord, the local mentor wrote, “Write to the angel of the Voronkovo ​​church, we know your deeds and your work, and lift him up to beat the workers and elders who want to be freed from this vain world and receive crowns from their fathers in Bryn. For this reason, those who blaspheme your name, the flappers, and the slaughterers will be severely punished. Be brave, my beloved child, and do not stop multiplying the number of martyrs, no one will defeat you, either in the courts of Starodub and the provinces, or in the forests and forests of Mashevsky, where your ascetics watch the passing pinchers and butcher them.” Horror strikes the soul and penetrates to the bones when thinking about such a sermon! Tell me, what good can even civil society expect from such people? Or what human sense can justify tolerance towards such people? Won't the current children of the schism say that they now don't have it? Oh, if you just give it full rein, the children will far surpass their fathers! This guarantee is the life of children, but let not my mouth speak of human deeds. Love is a holy thing, love is the difference between true Christians. But who does not know what disagreements there are between the so-called agreements of schism? One person is so disgusted by the other that he considers it desecration to eat and drink with another from the same vessels. In disputes between teachers there is such abuse, such anger, such frenzy that the soul involuntarily says, there is no Christianity here. The Apostle predicted that they will not listen to sound teaching, but after their own lusts they will heap for themselves teachers with scratchy ears (2 Tim. 4:3). Is this not being done in schism? Illiterate laymen who have learned nothing except the alphabet and are familiar only with worldly trickery are shepherds of the spiritual flock! Do they entrust a treasure to a servant who has robbed his former master? An honest man looks with indignation at the prodigal son, who willfully left his parents' home and lives dissolutely on a foreign side. And the schism only accepts those priests who run away from the house of the Heavenly Father, from the Church of God. It would seem that how could one fail to see the simple truth that if runaway priests are accepted, why not accept a non-runaway one? If they recognize the sanctifying action of the archpastor in the person of a fugitive priest, why are they shunned from the same archpastor? Why don’t they accept the best priest he sends? They will not listen to sound teaching, but they will choose teachers according to their own kind, with their ears scratched. This is the apostolic explanation of the affairs of schism! The schism accepts and drives away mentors at its own discretion; arbitrariness runs rampant with him. I want this, and I don’t want another - that’s the law of his deeds! Even if what he wants is petty, empty, or even vile, he doesn’t care. He does not listen to sound doctrine. That is why there is an innumerable number of schismatic rumors. A mercenary sells a shrine for money, and the most dishonest mercenary, bought by the sworn enemies of Orthodoxy, branded with the prohibition of the Holy Patriarch, “give us, they say, this mercenary, he is after us, he will cut the priests we want.” You see, they need the servants of their arbitrariness and do not need the servants of God; What do they care about honest workers of God’s field? What a terrible blindness! I’ll point out one more thing: weren’t the local brethren, more than half a century before this, accepting and extolling the blessed priesthood? Are not the local brethren Nicodemus, Vitaly, Gerasim and many others? They introduced the blessed priesthood in the Raspberry Monastery, and in the Nicodemus Desert, and in the Intercession Monastery, and in the Kazan Monastery, and in Klimova, and in Zybkaya! Why was it completely different afterwards? They will not listen to sound teaching, but they will choose teachers according to their own, with their ears scratched. This is the only correct explanation! You won't find another. Brethren! Who is assigned to hell? Self-will! Oh! Fear self-will in everything, especially in matters of faith! May the grace of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit be with you! Amen. Speech at the beginning of the procession with the Dubovichi Icon of the Mother of God Blessed be God! The Most Pure One is coming to visit the villages and the city of trade. Where did this come from? Was it not the sufferer of his homeland, who died as a martyr for this land, who asked the Most Pure One for this grace? Glory to heavenly mercy to us sinners! The Most Pure One is coming! What kind of companions one must be to Her! The other day I read the following in the ancient life of St. Paul of Obnorsky. One paralytic, lying motionless for many years, at night called on heavenly help. Suddenly his hut was illuminated by daylight. The Most Pure One enters; The rays of the sun emanated from Her face, Her vestments shone as if with lightning. Behind Her walked an old man in deep reverence, holding his hood in his hand - St. Paul. Such is the glory of Our Lady! ABOUT! We need to be more reverent than St. Paul before the Most Pure One. I don’t want to think that many people wouldn’t want to accompany the Most Pure One. I also wish you to be accompanied with dignity. How can this be? Let everyone examine his conscience as to what he is and what he should be. Whether someone is famous or rich, in rank or on the road to rank and money, this is not the place to dream about it. Before heaven, earthly greatness is insignificant; there they require other advantages; there Lazarus, covered with scabs and rags, is received by the angels. Moreover, it is difficult for the rich and famous to get there. Why? Earthly happiness rarely does not blind people with pride and often diverts them onto the path of vice and untruth. It takes a lot of struggle and deeds, a lot of tears and severity towards oneself, so that while enjoying much here, you still have something to gain there. Such is the lot of earthly nobility! There is no reason to put her on display before the Most Pure One, except to cry over her. No matter who you are accompanying, you must be a Christian. A matter that cannot be canceled for anyone or anything, it is an important matter in the face of heaven and the most necessary thing for us. This is what the prophets and apostles, the messengers of heaven, told us! The Son of God himself said so! So, test yourself, are you a Christian? What does Christianity require of us? It requires that we maintain the right faith in Christ Jesus, which is revealed to us in the word of God and the tradition of the church. Do you know the holy faith? “We are dark people, they say, how can we know faith?” How? They call themselves dark people, but do they care about not being dark? Do you go to the church of God? If you diligently visited the church of God and did not ignore what they read and sing in the church, you would learn a lot about faith there. You know a lot of things that are not necessary for the eternal salvation of the soul, don’t you? Despite any interference from everyday affairs, you listen to the stories of depraved people, you listen to women’s fables and the inventions of the unclean imagination, but you have neither the time nor the desire to listen to what they read and sing in the church of God. ABOUT! weep before the Queen of Heaven for your carelessness regarding the holy faith. The Emperor encourages the priests to teach your children so that they do not become dark people like you. Do you help priests teach children? There is no home where to teach children and - you don’t care about that, as if it’s not about your children. In the name of the Lord, I ask you - do not burden your conscience with such negligence, know firmly that you will answer at God's court both for your ignorance and for the ignorance of your children. What does Christianity require of us? Demands that we live in purity and chastity, in sobriety and abstinence, that we be meek and submissive to authorities, gentle and lenient towards our neighbors. The title of a Christian requires that we not only not give free rein to our passions, but also cut off bad desires and vicious thoughts at their very beginning. The calling of a Christian requires that we not only not take someone else’s property, not only not offend our neighbor, but also give up our own in the silence of gentle love. The calling of a Christian requires that we live not for ourselves, but for the glory of the name of God, glorifying and thanking the Lord for His benefits, devoting both time and the fruits of our labors to Him. Look around, are you Christians? Are you fulfilling what the high calling of a Christian requires? Are you meek? Are you chaste? Are they simple-minded, like children, or cunning and vindictive? Answer this to yourself before the Queen of Heaven. Answer, do you use not the seventh, but the hundredth part of your life for the glory of the name of God, for preparing yourself for eternity, for repentance of sins? If you rejoice before the Queen of Heaven for your liberation from the life of a serf, thank heaven for the relief of your earthly lot, this is a Christian thing! And oh, if only they could vividly feel the greatness of the blessing bestowed by the king’s goodness and Christian love! But remember that a slave can also be a Christian, how many famous sufferers of the faith were not only among slaves, but also slaves burdened with chains and suffering bloody tortures! On the contrary, if someone who enjoys bodily freedom spends time in laziness and idleness, in drunkenness and debauchery, in self-will and violence, is he a Christian? Oh, a terrible fate awaits him for disgracing the Christian name. Remember this. You may not fulfill the requirements of Christianity. you can live as you want, not at all like a Christian. The Church, unlike the world, does not force anyone to virtue, no one forcibly drives anyone into the kingdom of heaven. The shepherd, in his duty, reminds you of your duties, the accusatory voice of the gospel sounds in your ears. It is your will to fulfill or not to fulfill the commandments of Christianity. But it is crazy to think that we will always be allowed to live according to our own will. The King of heaven is long-suffering, but He is eternal, and we are immortal. With death, the time of God's long-suffering will end and the reward of righteousness will follow. Woe to those who do not live like Christians! They are awaited by eternal removal into utter darkness, to the hellish hordes of Satan, the leader of the opponents of the will of God. The Most Pure One is coming! Wake up. Following the example of Her Son and Lord, She sees how one approaches her with fleshly uncleanness, the other with a soul greedy for self-interest and bloody insults - and allows everyone to kiss His most pure face. Why doesn't he take revenge? He awaits, like Her Son, our repentance and correction. Repent, repent while you have time. Amen. Speech at the fairgrounds of the city of Krolevets in front of the Dubovichi Icon of the Mother of God Blessed be God! The Most Pure One visited the city. The traders wished for this and the wish was fulfilled. Blessed be God! All that remains is to pray to the Most Pure One in order to receive the gifts of the Merciful One. What a multitude of people we would see if all those who received mercy from the face of the Lady appeared now! What a magnificent word would come out if everyone just told how he suffered in body and soul and how he got rid of troubles with the help of the Most Pure One! The Son of the Most Pure One prepared victory over sin and death for the universe. The Most Pure One, clothed with His grace, demonstrates this victory in her deeds for people. The Son is eternal love, crucified for people. His Mother, with the same love, cares for those beloved by Her Son. Go to the Mother, all who are sick and suffering, all who are oppressed by the earth and the anger of people, all who are burdened with sins and passions. She is a cover for everyone. For everyone, but not for me, says someone who has been lying on a bed of serious illness for 30 years. Not for you either, my friend; just look around. Do you pray to the Most Pure One? If you have learned to pray, is it not a gift from heaven? If you learn to pray as the saints prayed, you will not want to part with your bed, you will learn that your bed is the best school of goodness, the most reliable palace of grace. Yes, brethren, if the Most Pure One does not deliver others from troubles and sorrows, it is because for them sorrows are much more beneficial than earthly joys and pleasures. The spirit of piety, the spirit of faith and virtue grows and strengthens in us through tears and patience; earthly pleasures, wealth, honors do not relax the few, but the majority fall asleep in sins under their caressing spirit. Eternity will reveal to us in all clarity and completeness what great happiness temporary sorrows are for our sick souls. Is it necessary to pray for deliverance from the sorrows of time? Necessary. “Give you this day your daily bread; deliver us from hostility,” this is how we pray according to the instructions of the Lord himself. It is clear that prayer for the provision of what is necessary for temporary life, prayer for deliverance from the troubles of life is a holy prayer, pleasing to heaven. The Vedas of life are dangerous for our weak soul and sometimes greatly harm its health. So, to save our souls, we must ask for deliverance from troubles. Nowadays they rely a lot on themselves, on their discoveries in nature, on the means of life improved by the mind. But isn’t it because they rely so much on themselves that they suffer so much? Is it because they don’t call on heaven for help in their hope on earth that they suffer so many troubles from the earth? They boast about the improvement of manufactures and communications, but there is stagnation in trade; delighted with new financial measures, but no money; Every now and then they talk about the successes of citizenship, about love for humanity, but destructive immorality grows and grows. What is this happening? ABOUT! Our God! You do not give Your glory to anyone and you do not tolerate pride in people. If we forget about You, if we do not ask for Your help for our affairs, in proud hope for ourselves, what can be in our affairs except disorder and sad disorder? It has never happened otherwise; this is what the experiences of centuries say. It cannot be otherwise. Given our short-sightedness, given the corruption of our entire nature, they want to be independent rulers over the world, isn’t this pathetic blindness? Passions that are not restrained by the fear of God, not quenched by the grace of prayer, introduce terrible devastation into all walks of life, into all states and ranks. Mother of light and truth! Send Your light to the lost! Brethren! We need to pray a lot, cry and grieve a lot, so that the Merciful One will give sight to the blind and heal hearts sick with dreamy pride. The Mother of God is ready to help us. But it is necessary that we not insult, but comfort Her. How can you console Her? Through fervent prayer, repentance for sins, deeds of mercy and truth. Traders! beware of lying, be honest in trading, demand rewards for your labor, but do not covet too much. Then the Mother of God will look at you with a smile and, through your prayer, will give you success in your work. Residents of this city! Treasure your visit to the Mother of God, beware of doing evil deeds in Her presence, honor her with holy deeds pleasing to heaven. Then heavenly grace will descend on you. Amen. Discourse 19 on the Gospel of Matthew. Conversations about establishing life according to God. Word 4 about the Lord's Prayer. See Martini Pugio fidei, p. 593. See Martini Pugio fidei, p. 251–252, 599–600. Evidence from Raymond Martini; Pugio fidei, b. 251–252. See Martini Pugio p. 285, 660. The Messiah is explained in v. 24 and 27 midrasch tehillim f. 17. Art. 29 sohar num f. 100. Art. 32 midrasch tehillim, Art. 8. 8 pesiktab rabbat in ialkut Simeoni f. 56. Midrasch tehillim. Art. 16 pesithka col. 5. See Mishaelis comm. in Ps. p. 138. Schottgen. de Messia p. 232. Gishkil means both to act wisely and to be happy, in the first meaning LXX Aquila, Symmachus were taken; the second hemistich does not exclude this meaning. Min in the word, mensch means comparison. Naza, in any case, means to sprinkle, to cleanse, for example, to sprinkle with sacrificial blood, (Lev.4:6, 17, 6:20 LXX) took on a derivative meaning, they will be surprised, without any need, while their own is necessary, sprinkling contains the idea of ​​joy replacing fear (v. 14). Kaionek, in fact, “like a pissing”, figuratively “like a branch” sucking juices from a root. The latter meaning is required by the second hemistich. Vav, as in many other cases, means opposition. The prophet expresses that the Jewish people were waiting for the Messiah. In LXX, his appearance, an increase, in the form of an explanation, but unnecessary. LXX: His faces are turned away; The Slavic translation is not true to the Greek either. LXX they read: lamot, and now they read, lamo. The first is in agreement with the first hemistich. Tract. Talmudi babylon. dist. cholek. Melhata in Yalkut Ruben 2 f. 30 R. Gupne spoke on behalf of R. Akha; All executions are divided into three parts, one was suffered by David and the patriarchs, the other by our family, the third by the king Messiah, as it is said, and He was wounded. Also in Sagar in Genes. f. 29. Other reviews from Rhyme. Martini Pugio fid. R. 3. dift. 3. P. 16. R. 2. sar. 9, 11,12, in Schetgen Horae hebraicae 6. s. 6. Rab Manass lib. de termino, vito p. 175. Seder. Olam in Jalkuf Simeon. 2 f. 19. Midrascb. tehillim. also talmud. in Meghillab f. 3. Other evidence from LGetgema horae hebraice t. 2 p.m. 263 Martine Pugio fid. 228–229. About the Jewish War, book. 4, chap. 6, 9, 26. About the Jewish War, book. 18, chap. 7. R Ioseph Albus in lib. cont. Maimonidem. Hemara, Tract. Sanhedrin s. 11. Maiene Ieschua f. 76 Sanbedrin f. 99 Berachot fol. 346. See Eisenmenger Entdecktes Iudenthum (König. 16. 1711), th 1. s. 720 th. 2.s. 750. Buxtorf. Synagogue Iudaia p. 721. Chrysostom in the 68th conversation on the Gospel of Matthew, 3, 166. Comm. in. 3. sar. er. ad. Tit. Discourse II on Ephesians, p. 191. Discourse 3 on the Acts of the Apostles, p. 35 (29). Tertulian ad. Scapul. With. 62. Lactantium lib 7. p. 25. Jerome in Daniel. e. 7 in Ierem. With. 25. Spiritual meadow, ch. 163. M. 1853. St. Petersburg Gazette, 1861. No. 245.