Instructions of the holy fathers to those living in the world. Instructions of the Holy Fathers on Spiritual Life - Holy Fathers - Beginning Christian - Beginning Christian - Church of St.
The Lord gave man two ears and one tongue so that he would listen twice as much as he spoke; and we, due to the disease of our mind, talk 20 times more than we listen.
“This century is not to live happily ever after, but to pass exams and move on to another life.”
Elder Paisios.
“The insincere behavior of parents, no matter how good they may seem, does not inspire confidence in the soul of children, and therefore they do not obey, even if they are treated strictly.”
Elder Paisios.
“The holy life of parents inspires confidence in the soul of children, and they willingly obey them and grow up reverent and without mental trauma.”
Elder Paisios.
“The “chicks” are guarded by a loving mother, who has the wings of chastity and warms her children with reverence and fear of God. If she is “plucked”, her chicks will freeze.”
Elder Paisios.
"Whatever a mother does to her children: scold them, beat them, caress them - she does all this out of love, all this comes from the same loving maternal heart."
Elder Paisios.
“Great reverence for God, along with great reverence for elders, attracts much Divine grace into the souls of children.”
Elder Paisios.
“If a tree is saturated with drying oil, it does not rot. If you “saturate” the children a little with reverence, the fear of God, then this will help them all their lives.”
Elder Paisios.
If a person received spiritual help in childhood, then he will come to his senses again, even if he later lost his way.”
Elder Paisios.
“Children are blank tape cassettes. If Christ is written on them, they will be with him forever.”
Elder Paisios.
If a person is not attentive, then his heart can become hard as a stone in an instant. And in an instant it can again become tender. Grab your mother's heart.
Elder Paisios.
You know how a mother feels: she forgives everything and sometimes pretends not to notice some pranks. Be patient and justify, condescend to others, so that Christ will condescend to you.
Elder Paisios.
From the moment I begin to believe that I am better than another, and pity him, I should no longer pity him, but myself.
Elder Paisios.
Putting ourselves in the place of another person, we will treat him with sympathy and justify him.
Elder Paisios.
When you “revenge” your enemy with kindness, he changes and corrects himself in a good way.
Elder Paisios.
Good people, of course, do not keep evil in their hearts, but they also do not keep their kindness for themselves.
Elder Paisios.
Whoever offends others offends himself forever, and whoever gladly accepts the offenses that are inflicted on him deserves eternal retribution in abundance.
Elder Paisios.
Often a good God gives good people into the hands of evil people so that they can give them their kindness and deserve a heavenly reward.
Elder Paisios.
Kindness softens and opens the heart, like butter a rusty lock.
Elder Paisios.
The earth is a land of weeping; the sky is a land of joy. Heavenly joy grows from seeds sown on earth. These seeds are prayer and tears.
The main signs of pride are cooling off towards others and leaving confession.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov.
The Lord shows His mercy to His servants not in earthly prosperity, but in earthly sorrows.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov.
Prayer for them has a stronger effect on neighbors than a word to them: because prayer puts the Almighty God Himself into action, and God does with His creation everything that pleases Him.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov.
The time of our earthly life is priceless: at this time we decide our eternal fate.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov.
According to the Gospel commandments, we will be judged at the judgment set by God for us Orthodox Christians... We will be judged according to the Gospel, that neglect of the fulfillment of the Gospel commandments is an active rejection of the Lord Himself.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov.
Do not be satisfied with one fruitless reading of the Gospel; try to fulfill his commandments, read his deeds. This is the book of life, and one must read it with life.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov.
When they offend you, keep silent, imitating the prophet David, who said about himself: he was confused and did not speak. (Ps. 76:5). Do this once, and the next time you will keep silent more easily, and the more often you keep silent, the less embarrassment you will meet insults. Established non-disturbance will bring peace, and peace will be reborn into peace; then you will be in front of insults, like a solid wall under the blows of grains of sand thrown up by the wind.
Prpmch. Kronid (Lubimov).
The domain of patience must extend to the whole life of man and to all the destinies of mankind in this world. With patience, a person acquires goods and keeps them, harmlessly withstands the battles of evils; losing patience, he is immediately in danger of losing the good, or, even worse, doing evil. A moment of impatience can upset years and centuries.
Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov).
He who has much reasoning has generous love, sacrifice and humility.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky.
Reasoning is purity, it is Divine enlightenment, spiritual clarity.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky.
Even if the pure ones are thrown into the swamp, they remain pure, like the rays of the sun, no matter what they fall on, they remain bright and pure.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky.
A Christian should not be a fanatic, he should have love for all people. Whoever throws words without reasoning, even if they are correct, does evil.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky.
Any person, if he works spiritually, sharpens his character, will become a blessed, beautiful soul.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky.
Blessed are those who have an axis in their hearts - Christ, and in joy constantly revolve around His holy name, saying: "Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me."
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky.
We must believe that God only allows things to happen from which good can come, because He loves His creation.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorsky.
God rejoices when we revere and love the saints.
Elder Paisios.
When we think of the saints, the saints also think of us and help us. This is how a person makes friends with the saints, and such friendship is more reliable than any other.
Elder Paisios.
If you live in harmony with the commandments of God, you will become a friend of God.
Elder Paisios.
Whoever is even a little disposed not to grieve God will go to heaven "in galoshes." Good in His nature, God will “push” HIM INTO PARADISE. He will give him much more than the man deserved. He will arrange everything so as to take his soul in the hour when he is in repentance.
Elder Paisios of Athos.
A person should ask himself about his every action: “well, let me like what I do, but does God like it?”.
Elder Paisios of Athos.
He who prays in the Church is better listened to than in the house: for it is impossible to pray in the house in the same way as in the Church. There are so many Fathers here. Here the cry to God is raised collectively. Here - unanimity, harmony, the union of love and the prayer of the priests. For this is why the priests are coming, so that the prayers of the people, as the weakest, unite with their prayers, the strongest, together with them ascend to heaven.
St. John Chrysostom.
One of the biggest problems of modern false culture is the way people communicate. How often here we see rudeness, a desire to defeat an opponent with a strong and strong word, or even the person with whom you communicate, to show him your strength, your significance! How often people simply brag, lie about their importance! How often we use rudeness, how we try to put pressure on a person with words, how easily we insult each other! A huge number of conflicts are connected with our word .... An example of communication for us should be the Mother of God. Through humility, a quiet word, through a sincere word, our essence is fully manifested.
Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia Kirill.
Only in Christ does a person find genuine, real joy, because only Christ gives joy and spiritual comfort. Where Christ is, there is true joy and heavenly exultation.
Elder Paisios.
Reverence is the greatest virtue, because a reverent person attracts the grace of God to himself, he becomes a recipient of grace, and it naturally abides with him.
Elder Paisios.
Reverence is the fear of God, inner modesty, spiritual sensitivity.
Elder Paisios.
A reverent person behaves everywhere with attention and modesty, he vividly feels every sacred thing.
Elder Paisios.
If a person works peacefully, he keeps the peace and sanctifies the whole day.
Elder Paisios.
When the heart is in Christ, then the work is sanctified. And the person himself then retains the inner spiritual freshness of forces and experiences real joy.
Elder Paisios.
The inner joy, the Divine consolation that a person feels, is the announcement that a person is reconciled with God.
Elder Paisios.
Christ does not require something great from us to help us in the achievement. He expects little from us.
Elder Paisios.
It is easy to think Orthodox, but to live Orthodox one needs work.
Elder Paisios.
Whatever a man does, he must do it for the sake of God.
Elder Paisios.
There can be no spiritual life without sacrifice.
Elder Paisios.
Only by sacrificing does a person stay with Christ, because Christ is the Sacrifice.
Elder Paisios.
A person who is driven only by self-interest is a worthless person.
Elder Paisios.
The more a person forgets himself, the more God remembers him.
Elder Paisios.
The one in whom there is sacrifice and faith in God does not take himself into account.
Elder Paisios.
Christ endured the crucifixion so that we could be resurrected, and we are indifferent!
Elder Paisios.
If from the heart to do something for Christ, then it is not tiring and not painful, for pain for Christ is a spiritual feast.
Elder Paisios.
Read the fathers, at least one or two lines a day. These are very strengthening vitamins.
Elder Paisios.
The work that we have done on our old man will most strongly incline God in mercy on the Day of Judgment.
Elder Paisios.
People today are doing anything but themselves, because it is easy to take care of others, but it takes work to take care of oneself.
Elder Paisios.
He who takes up the uncultivated field of his soul will fly out of it all the thorns of passions and plant virtues in their place. However, this is a very difficult task, requiring great willpower and patience.
Elder Paisios.
Self-reproach and self-condemnation greatly contribute to the fact that the veil falls from our spiritual eyes and we begin to see well. Self-reproach must always be accompanied by trust in God.
Elder Paisios.
As far as a person advances in spiritual life, watching himself, the eyes of his soul are opened and he sees his shortcomings and the many blessings of God so much better.
Elder Paisios.
The salvation of man does not depend on the minute, but on the second. By a humble thought a man is saved; accepting a proud thought, he loses everything.
Elder Paisios.
If a person has a little grace, but treats it without due reverence, then even the little that he has will be taken away from him. Modern people lack the grace of God, because when they sin, they throw away from themselves those crumbs of grace that they have. Abiding in repentance, a person keeps the grace of God.
Elder Paisios.
If you work for sin, then the devil will pay you back. If you cultivate virtue, then Christ will pay you. A person will be paid by the owner for whom he works.
Elder Paisios.
One of the biggest problems of modern false culture is the way people communicate. How often here we see rudeness, a desire to defeat an opponent with a strong and strong word, or even the person with whom you communicate, to show him your strength, your significance! How often people simply brag, lie about their importance! How often we use rudeness, how we try to put pressure on a person with words, how easily we insult each other! A huge number of conflicts are connected with our word ... The Mother of God should be an example of communication for us. Through humility, a quiet word, through a sincere word, our essence is fully manifested.
When you communicate with each other, try not to upset each other, do not offend, but help whenever you feel that someone needs your help. And then you will understand how great is the power of kindness. A kind person wins over others. A kind person in most cases has a happy personal, family life. When a husband gives himself to his wife, and a wife gives herself to her husband, when it is done unselfishly, it strengthens the bonds between spouses.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
The soul of the righteous rejoices at death, because after being separated from the body it wants to enter into rest. The death of the righteous is the end of the struggle with the passions of the flesh; after death, the wrestlers are glorified and receive victorious crowns. Death is bliss for the saints, joy for the righteous, sorrow for sinners, despair for the wicked.
Rev. Efrem Sirin.
Death leaves no one, and the longer we live, the closer it is to us. This limit of God is both unknown to us and very terrible. Unknown, as death snatches indiscriminately old and young, infants and youths, ready and unprepared, righteous and sinful. Terrible, because from here begins an endless, unceasing, always abiding eternity. From here we depart either to eternal bliss or to eternal torment; either to a place of joy, or to a place of weeping. From here we begin to either live forever or die forever; either reign forever with Christ and His saints, or suffer forever in hell with Satan and his angels.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk.
People of the 21st century will be saved and even acquire holiness for three obediences: for keeping the Orthodox faith and passing it on to others, primarily to their children and grandchildren; for daily repentance and for regular participation in the Sacraments of the Church.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorets.
Most people are so immersed in earthly things that they do not feel Divine love.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorets.
For a child, hell is to be away from the mother; for a person, to be away from God.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorets.
The Word of God is the presence of God Himself among us by the power of the Holy Spirit. So, in order for the Word of God to work, human forces are not enough - the power of the Holy Spirit is needed. And we know that this action of Divine energy, the action of the Holy Spirit takes place in the Church, in the community of believers. When we all stand together around the throne of God and celebrate the Divine Eucharist, partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, then by the power of the Holy Spirit we become participants in the Last Supper, and therefore in everything that God in Christ has done for people. And then the Word of God comes to life in our consciousness, fructifies our heart, we begin to understand it correctly, and we have the strength to fulfill it.
His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia.
Know: in what you reveal yourself to your spiritual father, that will not be written down by the devil. The sacrament of repentance is such a great gift of God's love for us that we can never worthily thank the Lord for it. It is necessary to write down even a small sin for repentance, as you remember.
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky.
There is no better weapon than confession - the most powerful and most effective weapon. The devil does not tolerate being discovered and declared: being convicted and declared, he throws his booty and leaves.
St. Grigory Dvoeslov.
Repentance is the key to the Kingdom of Heaven, without which no one can enter there.
St. Macarius, Metropolitan of Moscow.
Endure all insults in silence, then by reproaching yourself, then by prayer for those who offend.
Seek unceasingly works of mercy and compassionate love. Without these works it is impossible to please God. Be the sun for everyone, mercy is above all sacrifices.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Get yourself a remembrance, write down there, if possible, all living and dead acquaintances, all those who hate and offend you, and remember them daily.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Your faith should be strengthened by frequent repentance and prayer, as well as by association with people of deep faith.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Give your whole heart to God without a trace, and you will feel heaven on earth.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Constantly ask: "Your fear, Lord, plant in my heart." Oh, how blessed is he who has a constant trembling before God.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Be afraid to unite with the sinful thought approaching you. He who agreed with such thoughts has already committed the sin that he thought about.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Remember: to die, you need to be negligent.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Spiritual life is a constant unceasing struggle with the enemies of the salvation of the soul; never sleep in your soul, your spirit must always be alert, be sure to always call on your Savior in this battle.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
A person embarking on spiritual life must remember that he is sick, his mind is in error, his will is more inclined to evil, and his heart is impure from the passions bubbling in it, therefore, from the beginning of spiritual life, everything should be directed towards acquiring spirituality. health.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
In fasting times, fast and know that God is pleased with the fast of not only the body, i.e. abstinence of the stomach, but abstinence of eyes, ears, tongue, and also abstinence of the heart from serving the passions.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
When demons attack and sin approaches you, and you have no strength to resist, then sing the hymns of Passion Week and Holy Pascha, read the canon with an akathist to the Sweetest Jesus Christ, and the Lord will release the bonds of darkness that bound you.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
In temptations and misfortunes, recite the Psalter and read the Paraklis to the Most Holy Theotokos. She is our only Intercessor.
(In the Assumption Church in Pestyaki, the Paraklis is read weekly on Sundays. Ed.)
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
In your free time, read the writings of the fathers and teachers of spiritual life.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Greetings of thanksgiving to the Queen of Heaven - “Our Lady of the Virgin, rejoice ...” say more often, although every hour.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
If you hear about someone that he reproached you, and he comes to you, do not rebuke him, but rejoice with him; make your face pleasant to him, that you may find boldness in your prayer.
The saying of an ancient elder, whose name has not come down to us.
Forgiveness is taught only to those who consider themselves guilty. Humble yourself before God and people, and the Lord will never leave you.
Rev. Nikon Optinsky.
Only those who have Christ as their head are saved, and only those who are in His body, which is the Church, have Christ as their head.
Blzh. Augustine.
If the beginning of wisdom is the fear of the Lord, then the beginning of stupidity is the ignorance of the Lord... Ignorance comes from pride.
St. John Chrysostom.
Whoever can proclaim the truth and does not proclaim will be condemned by God.
St. Justin Philosopher.
Where there is gratitude to God, there will be humility. And even the most capable and strong person, living a rich religious life, can always say: “Lord, I am weak and weak. And what I have is from You. Help me". And God, in response to a man's humble awareness of his unworthiness, will give an even greater gift, because the gift of God in the hands of such a person will bring only good. This gift will not destroy him and others. This gift will be to the glory of God, to peace, love, to the joy of fellowship with others. This gift will never make anyone unhappy.
Patriarch Kirill.
Take holy water with thirst for the consecration of the soul and body - do not forget to drink it.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
You need to know the New Testament with your mind and HEART, learn from it constantly; do not interpret the incomprehensible yourself, but ask St. fathers.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Do not stop praying when the enemy makes you feel insensible. Whoever forces himself to prayer when his soul is dry is higher than the one who prays with tears.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
None of those around you will be left in the morning without your sincere greetings.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
In order for God to hear a prayer, one must pray not with the tip of the tongue, but with the heart.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Prayer is the wings of the soul, it makes the soul the throne of God, all the strength of a spiritual person is in his prayer.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Throughout the day, everywhere and in every deed, pray with short prayers.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Do not start the day without a prayer rule.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
Waking up in bed, first of all, remember God, and put the sign of the cross on yourself.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin).
It is not a great thing to work miracles, it is not a great thing to see angels; it is a great thing to see your own sins.
Rev. Anthony the Great.
Of all human evils, one sin is real evil, and not poverty, not illness, not resentment, not slander, not dishonor, and not even death.
St. John Chrysostom.
Try to do good to everyone, what and when you can, and do not think about whether he appreciates or does not appreciate him, whether he will or will not be grateful to you.
Right. Alexy Mechev.
Just as the separation of the soul from the body is the death of the body, so the separation of God from the soul is the death of the soul.
St. Gregory Palamas.
Unrepentant sinners after death lose all opportunity to change for the better and, therefore, invariably remain devoted to eternal torment.
Right. John of Kronstadt.
May the will of God be in all your affairs, which does not want evil and wants good.
St. Tikhon Zadonsky.
Since God freely, without any benefit, loved a person so much, then a person should simply, without any benefit, love God.
St. Tikhon Zadonsky.
To be a Christian means to belong to the Church, for Christianity is precisely the Church, and outside the Church there is no Christian life and cannot be.
Shmch. Illarion Troitsky.
What are the signs of love for God? The Lord Himself taught us this, saying: "If you love Me, then you will keep My commandments."
St. Basil the Great.
The waves will not leave the sea, and the lover of money will not leave anger and sorrow.
Rev. John of the Ladder.
By repentance, patience and humility save your souls. Repentance - because we constantly sin; patience - for it is said: he who endures to the end, he will be saved, and humility - for God gives grace to the humble. “The reason why you cannot pray without distraction is that 1) you are too attached to the world and 2) there is no deep consciousness of your sinfulness, but always self-justification. From deep contrition and heartfelt crying, the heart is cleansed and a feeling of the presence of God appears, and the fear of God is born, then the prayer becomes warmer and more collected.
Hegumen Nikon Vorobyov.
We must pray to receive the Spirit of God while still on earth.
Rev. Macarius the Great.
Grace is preceded by humility, and punishment by self-conceit.
Rev. Isaac.
Serving God and mammon cannot be combined together - mammon commands to admire someone else's, and God commands to give one's own.
St. John Chrysostom.
If you always say: “Forgive me,” you will acquire humility.
Abba Anthony.
Whoever wants God to hear his prayer soon, let him first pray for his enemies, and for this God will hear all his prayers.
Abba Zeno.
The basis of all virtues is humility of mind; the basis of all passions is gluttony, non-observance of fasts.
Abba Isaiah.
Do not leave the rule of prayer, so as not to fall into the hands of your enemies.
Abba Isaiah.
Whatever grief befell you, do not blame anyone but yourself for it, and say: this happened to me for my sins.
Backbiting is the death of the soul.
The crown of a Christian is humility of wisdom, i.e. revering oneself as the worst of all people.
Crazy - to leave mourning your sins and start to get upset and cry about the sins of your neighbor.
Abba Moses.
Do not reproach anyone, but say: God knows everyone.
Abba Moses.
Fasting and vigil tame the body and humble the soul.
Abba Moses.
When I was young, I thought that I was doing, perhaps, something good; Now, having grown old, I see that I have not a single good deed.
Ava Matoy.
The more a person approaches God, the more he sees himself as a sinner.
Ava Matoy.
I prefer a rule that is easy, but constantly done, to a rule that is difficult at the beginning, and then abandoned.
Ava Matoy.
He who does not reproach himself is overcome by anger.
St. John Chrysostom.
This is why we also honor the saints, because they, being above all, humbled themselves before all.
St. John Chrysostom.
Sickness is a teacher of many good things: moreover, it is a message from God in exchange for and to supplement our insufficient deeds.
St. Ignatius Brianchaninov.
Take care of God's things and God will take care of yours.
St. John Chrysostom.
It is better for your subordinates to love you than be afraid, because from fear lies and hypocrisy are born, and from love - truth and zeal.
St. Dimitri Rostovsky.
Everything that happens to you, accept it as good, knowing that without God nothing happens.
Rev. Simeon the New Theologian.
Let us give God time to end the calamities, and we ourselves will only pray, we ourselves will live piously, because our business is to turn to virtue, and to end the calamity is the work of God.
St. John Chrysostom.
If you have a ruble in your wallet, give it to the poor, and you will never have money transferred. Let's not regret, then God will reward you! You will regret and grumble - you will lose the last.
Rev. Seraphim Vyritsky.
Give, and it will be given to you. Do not forget charity, and the mercy of God will overshadow you.
St. Theophan the Recluse.
Whatever sorrow befalls you, blame yourself for it, and say: “This happened to me for my sins.
St. John of the Ladder.
You are mistaken, man; It is, of course, possible to pray at home, but it is impossible to pray as in a church, where there are so many Christians, where a song is unanimously sent up to God, at home. You will not be heard so soon, praying to the Lord at home, as praying with your brothers. There is something more here, like this: unanimity and harmony, the union of love and the prayers of the priests. For this, the priests are coming, so that the prayers of the people, as the weakest, uniting with their strongest prayers, ascend together to heaven ... If the prayer of the church helped the Apostle Peter and brought this pillar of the church out of prison, then how do you, tell me, neglect its power and what excuse can you have? Listen also to God Himself, Who says that He is propitiated by the reverent prayers of many (John 3). How much holier is the House of God in your home, so much higher is the prayer offered in the temple, the prayer at home.
St. John Chrysostom.
When you are separated from the body, then you will regret that you had so much care for that which does not bring you any benefit.
Rev. Isaiah.
God stops a person's life when he sees him ready to pass into eternity, or when he sees no hope for his correction.
Rev. Ambrose Optinsky.
Shmch. Illarion Troitsky.
I study higher nervous activity and I know... that when the body ceases to live, then all these feelings and thoughts of a person, as if torn off from brain cells that have already died, by virtue of the general law that nothing - neither energy nor matter, - do not disappear without a trace and constitute that soul, the immortal soul, which the Christian faith professes.
Academician Ivan Pavlov.
The dead are alive, only with a different life. They live consciously, they are in communion with each other according to local conditions and orders, and they look at us and come to us. They hear our prayers for them, and they pray for us, and make suggestions to us (everything according to local laws and regulations, and not as they please) - this should be considered positively true. Although nothing definite can be said on all these points (everything is different there).
Beware of apostasy from the faith, as the beginning of all evil. Abba Anthony.
Our life is a spiritual war with invisible spirits of malice. They revolt us with our own passions and compel us to transgress the commandments of God. When we delve into and consider carefully, we will find that for every passion there is a cure - a commandment opposite to it. We must strive in every possible way to acquire humility. We must learn from the writings of St. fathers about this virtue and to have self-reproach in everything, and to see their neighbors as the best of themselves; do not reproach or condemn them in anything, but accept reproaches from them as sent from God to heal our mental illnesses ...
Optina Elder Macarius.
It is especially necessary to go to church in a peaceful spirit, for prayer is not acceptable if we have something against someone, or if someone is offended by us...
Optina Elder Macarius.
About church prayer, know that it is higher than your home prayer: for it ascends from a whole council of people, among which, perhaps, there are many purest prayers, from humble hearts uplifted to God, which He accepts, with which yours, although weak and insignificant, accepted...
Optina Elder Macarius.
By our sin, we give the devil the right over us. There is a lot of madness in the world today. The devil went wild in earnest, because today's people have given him many rights. People are exposed to terrible demonic influences. Christ deprived the devil of the right to do evil. He can do evil, if only the person himself gives him the right to do so. By not participating in the Sacraments of the Church, a person gives these rights to the evil one and becomes vulnerable to demonic influence. Rationalism, contradiction, stubbornness, self-will, disobedience, shamelessness, cruelty, cynicism - all these are the hallmarks of the devil. A person becomes vulnerable to demonic influence to the extent that he has in himself the properties listed above. However, when a person's soul is cleansed, the Holy Spirit instills in him, and the person is filled with Grace. If a person stains himself with mortal sins, an unclean spirit enters into him. If the sins with which a person has soiled himself are not mortal, then he is under the influence of an evil spirit from outside. Unfortunately, modern people do not want to cut off their passions, their own willfulness. By shamelessness they drive away the Grace of God from themselves. Therefore, man cannot succeed, for he has become vulnerable to demonic influences. If people confessed, the demonic influence would disappear. Repentance, confession deprives the devil of rights over a person. The devil does not have any power and authority over a person who believes, goes to church, confesses, takes communion. The devil only barks at such a person as a toothless dog. However, he has great power over an unbeliever who has given him rights over himself. The devil can direct such a person to any sin, to any crime. The devil has power over the soul in accordance with what rights she gives him. When a spiritually ordered person dies, the ascent of his soul to Heaven is like a rushing train. The dogs rush after the train, choking on barking, but they cannot catch up with it. In the event that the enemy has acquired great rights over a person, has prevailed over him, the reason for what happened must be found so that the devil is deprived of these rights. Otherwise, no matter how much others pray for this person, the enemy does not leave.
If the fear of temporary punishment ... shakes the hearts of people, how much more should the fear of eternal torment shake! For every temporal punishment, no matter how great or long, passes; eternal has no end. Once started, it never ends.
St. Tikhon Zadonsky.
Let no one think that sin is something unimportant; no, sin is a terrible evil that kills the soul now and in the next age. The sinner in the next age is bound hand and foot and plunged into outer darkness, as the Savior says: “Having bound his hand and foot, take him up and cast him into outer darkness (Matt. 22, 13). Those. he completely loses the freedom of all the forces of his soul, which, being created for free activity, endure through this some kind of deadly inactivity for all good: in the soul the sinner is aware of his strength and at the same time feels that his forces are bound by some indissoluble chains : “Everyone is dragged into captivity of his sins” (Prov. 5, 22); add to this the terrible torment from the sins themselves, from the consciousness of one's recklessness during earthly life, from the idea of an angry Creator.
St. John of Kronstadt is right.
Judge not, lest you be judged... And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not feel the beam in your own eye? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your eye, and then you will see how to take the speck out of your brother's eye.
And now you lay aside everything: anger, rage, malice, slander, foul language of your mouth. Do not tell lies to one another, having put off the old man with his deeds and put on the new... So, put on mercy, goodness, humility, meekness, long-suffering. Condescending to each other and forgiving each other ... Put on love, which is the totality of perfection. May the Word of Christ dwell in you abundantly, with all wisdom... And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
St. Apostle Paul.
The mind, freeing itself from the enslavement of feelings through the silence of the lips and the deprivation of external stimuli, streamlines the soul. He does not allow evil and satanic thoughts to penetrate into the so-called subconscious, into the depths of the soul. Then all the thoughts and deeds of a person whose mind is the autocratic ruler are pure.
Metropolitan Hierofei (Vlachos).
I said, I will watch my ways, that I may not sin with my tongue; I will bridle my mouth if the offender is before me. I was mute and mute, and was silent even about the good; and my sorrow has passed away... I have become mute, I do not open my mouth... for I am a stranger with you and a stranger, like all my fathers.
Prophet King David, Psalm 38.
…We all sin a lot. Whoever does not sin in the word, that person is perfect, able to bridle the whole body. Here are the ships, no matter how big they are, and with a small rudder they are controlled wherever the helmsman wants. So the tongue is a small member, but it does a lot. Look, a small fire, how much substance ignites! And the tongue is fire, an embellishment of untruth; being itself inflamed by hell, it defiles the whole body and inflames the circle of life. Every nature of animals and birds is tamed and tamed by human nature, and none of the people can tame the tongue: this is an uncontrollable evil, full of deadly poison ... Humble yourself before the Lord, and He will exalt you. Do not slander one another, brethren: whoever slanders his brother or judges his brother, he slanders the Law and judges the Law; you are no longer a doer of the Law, but a judge. There is one Lawgiver and Judge, able to save and destroy; and who are you, who judges another? “If anyone thinks that he believes in God, and does not bridle his tongue, but deceives his heart, his faith is empty. Let every man be quick to hear, slow to speak, and slow to anger.
St. Apostle James.
There is no more wickedness than to cause grief to someone, and to be proud of others. Do not consider yourself wise, otherwise your soul will be lifted up with pride, and you will fall into the hands of your enemies. Rev. Anthony the Great.
If you leave the church service and cell prayer, then the soul feels coldness towards everything good and is filled with all sorts of impious thoughts, about which it is a shame to retell. Rev. Anthony Optinsky.
Another sprinkles generously, and he still gets more; while the other is thrifty beyond measure, and yet grows poorer. king Solomon.
It is difficult to save the soul of someone who does not keep silence, who at all times engages in empty talk about earthly and vain things, especially condemns others. It is not for nothing that they say: he who is verbose is also sinful. What deep truth in these words! Try to analyze your ordinary conversation, take it apart piece by piece, and you will be convinced that almost every word is a sin: either a complaint, or a reproach, or a grumble, or an argument, or even scolding or condemnation and slander ... A wise Christian is always silent, because he knows: although the tongue is small and soft, it hurts the heart painfully, and most importantly, it destroys the soul. Schiegumen Savva Ostapenko.
The time is coming when people will go mad, and if they see someone who is not mad, they will rise up against him and say: “You are mad,” because he is not like them. Rev. Anthony the Great.
From affection - people have completely different eyes. Rev. Ambrose Optinsky.
The rule of a wife over her husband is an insult to God. Rev. Paisios the Holy Mountain.
The mind that moves away from God becomes either animal or possessed. holy Gregory Palamas.
If a people loses faith in God, then disasters befall it, and if it does not repent, then it perishes and disappears from the face of the earth. St. Matrona of Moscow.
It is not a great thing to work miracles, it is not a great thing to see Angels; it is a great thing to see your own sins. Rev. Anthony the Great.
The woman originated from the rib of the man. Not from the leg, to be humiliated….Not from the head, to surpass….But from the side, to be side by side with him, to be equal with him. From under the arm, to be protected .... And from the side of the heart, to be Loved. Saint Augustine the Blessed.
Speaking, you give birth to the word, and it will never die, but will live until the Last Judgment. It will be with you at the Last Judgment and will be for you or against you. holy Theophan the Recluse.
Hatred from irritability, irritability from pride, pride from vanity, vanity from unbelief, unbelief from hardness of heart, hardness of heart from negligence, negligence from sloth, sloth from despondency, despondency from impatience, impatience from voluptuousness. Rev. Macarius the Egyptian
Only love can be above the law, only mercy can be above truth, and only forgiveness can be above justice. Patriarch Alexy 2.
Use labor, keep the dimension, you will be rich. Drink moderately, eat little, you will be healthy. Do good, run evil - you will be saved. Saint Mitrofan of Voronezh.
If someone learns chastity, then he will consider his wife the sweetest of all, he will look at her with great love and have great agreement with her, and with peace and harmony all good things will enter the house. Saint John Chrysostom.
Earth is a place of exile, exile. For criminal offenses, people are sentenced to hard labor for different terms. So we have sinned before the Lord and are condemned to exile, to penal servitude. But the Lord is so infinitely loving that even in this place of exile He left us many beauties, much joy and consolation ... These beauties of this world are only a hint of the beauty that was the primordial world is full, as Adam and Eve saw it. That beauty was broken by the sin of the first people. Imagine a wonderful statue of a great master, and suddenly they hit it with a butt. What will be left of her? Shards. We can pick them up, find the neck, part of the face, hands. Signs of beauty are preserved in these individual fragments, but you can no longer find the former harmony, integrity, former beauty of a statue that has not yet been destroyed.
Our life is a children's inexcusable game: we amuse ourselves with food and drink, regaling ourselves, instead of using it only for the necessary nourishment of the body and the maintenance of bodily life. We amuse ourselves with clothes, instead of decently covering our body with them from the harmful influence of the elements. We amuse ourselves with our dwellings and with their various utensils, decorating them richly and exquisitely. We amuse ourselves with our spiritual gifts, mind, imagination, in a word, using them only for the service of sin and the vanity of this world, only for the service of the earthly and corruptible. We amuse ourselves with our knowledge of worldly vanity and waste our most precious time in acquiring them.
Sin puts a seal not only on the soul, but also on the appearance of a person, on his external behavior and appearance. Reverend Nikon of Optina
People of this age are constantly chasing happiness, but it, like a treasure, is not given to them; they are like thirsty people drinking salt water, because instead of moderating their vain desires, they expand them. , would return with millions, then without a doubt, the whole world would flow there! The Lord has prepared for mankind not perishable millions, but infinite bliss, but people, deceived by the vain blessings of this world, answer the call of the Lord: Have me repudiated.(Luke 14:18) Elder Arseny Athos
There are people who get so accustomed to playing a certain role in life that they can’t find more than themselves later. They have become so united with the image that they invented for themselves that they never meet the real themselves. Metropolitan Anthony Surozhsky
What is a non-residential house? Empty, musty, homeless. Such is the soul that does not repent and does not have the fear of God. The soul of the unrepentant enemy makes a garbage pit into which he throws all sorts of rubbish.Saint Theophan the Recluse
In our time, people are not at all the same as they were even 20 years ago. Hypocrisy, I would even say - sincere insincerity, deeply rooted in the soul, becoming, as it were, its nature, grew and spread to such an extent that it became impossible to understand a person without a long test.Hegumen Nikon
God does not despise prayers, but sometimes he does not fulfill their desires solely in order to arrange everything better according to His Divine intention. What would happen if God - the All-Knowing - completely fulfilled our desires? I think, although I do not claim, that all terrestrial would have perished. Reverend Lev of Optina
Everywhere, the fading of spiritual life is rooted in the victory of philistinism, which is determined by the growth of worldly well-being. The more this well-being and comfort in the earthly environment of a person, the less he feels attraction to the beyond. And the more it leans towards the calm comfortable neutrality between good and evil. Comfort breeds traitors. Selling one's own soul and homeland for thirty pieces of silver, open deals with Satan for profits, obvious worship of Satan... - this is where the petty-bourgeois ideal of well-fed contentment leads in the end. Prince E. Trubetskoy
At the present time (written in 1866), some already voluntarily accept the seal of the Antichrist on their foreheads and on their right hands, because for the sake of secular decency and worldly benefits they are ashamed to protect themselves with the sign of the cross; and at first they do so in society and for the sake of man-pleasing, and then, from custom, they do not place the sign of the cross on themselves and at home before eating food and drink, and in other cases than they create great joy for the enemies of the soul, for whom they, being not protected by the power of the cross and prayer , become a plaything and a demonic mockery.
There is a surest rule for determining how close or far a person is from God: the closer a person is to God, the more dissatisfied he is with himself and pleased with those around him. And vice versa: the farther a person is from God, the more pleased he is with himself and dissatisfied with everything around him. Everyone around is bad. How to explain such a paradox? Everything is explained simply: when a person is far from the source of light, in complete darkness, he simply cannot see himself in the mud. But as soon as he begins to approach the source of light, he immediately begins to notice: here is a speck on me, and there ... Standing very close to the light, he already desperately sees: “My God! Who do I look like?!”Priest A. Zakharov
By its very nature, our world is neither heaven nor hell, but a mixed environment where a fierce struggle of both takes place. Accordingly, the world is dominated not by saints and not monsters, but by that mixed, worldly type, about which the proverb speaks: “Neither a candle to God, nor a poker to hell.” How will God judge them at the moment when the time comes for the irrevocable, final separation of the wheat from the weeds? Prince E. Trubetskoy
One monk knew how to "get along with jasmine." In November, he completely cut it off and put it in a dark place. But then the plant was covered abundantly with leaves and flowers. So it happens with a person: first you need to stand in the dark and cold, and then there will already be a lot of fruit. When a person walks the straight path, there is no cross for him. But when he retreats from him and begins to rush in one direction or another, then various circumstances appear that push him onto a straight path. These tremors constitute a cross for a person. They are, of course, different, who needs what. Rev. Ambrose of Optina
The Lord only accepts those who come in a sense of sin. From the one who comes to Him in a sense of righteousness, He turns away. He came to save sinners, not the righteous... Someone had a habit of asking: are you going to pray, are you going to receive or ask for alms? A very understandable question.Saint Theophan the Recluse
Whether someone succeeds in life and how far he succeeds, one fails to notice this ... Ignorance of this keeps one at bay and constantly renews jealousy, assuring that nothing has been done yet and that, therefore, one must start again. Starting again - such is the law of spiritual life ... Every day should be considered the first day of life in the fear of God, forgetting everything behind, except for sins, about which one must always repent. Saint Theophan the Recluse
There is often no love in our prayer. It is mostly self-love, because we usually ask ourselves. And even if we pray for someone, it is most often not out of compassion for this person, but because his plight annoys us, it is difficult for us to endure. Therefore, we ask for it in order to get relief for ourselves. And the Lord, seeing this, does not stop our sorrows. He is waiting for our faith to grow stronger, for our mercy towards our neighbor to grow, for our humility to give way to the grace of God. . And it will take a long, long, long time to pray. And why? Is it really difficult for God to fulfill everything at once? No, God is not difficult. God can instantly help correct a person. Why doesn't He do it? Yes, because what is easy is given little value. The Lord wants to teach us to pray without ceasing. Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov
If the sun always shines, then everything will wither in the field, so rain is needed. If it always rains, then everything will be trampled, because sometimes the wind is needed to blow it through. And if there is not enough wind, then sometimes a storm is also needed to carry everything through. Everything in its time is useful to a person, because he is changeable. We thank You, God, that You send us not only the sun's rays - otherwise we would turn into a desert, but You also send us clouds and rain so that we can bear fruit. Rev. Ambrose of Optina
All life is a great mystery of God. All the circumstances of life, no matter how small and insignificant they may seem, are of great importance. We will understand the meaning of this life only in the Future Age! How cautiously one should treat everything, and we turn over our lives like a book, sheet by sheet, not realizing what is written there. There is nothing accidental in life - everything is created by the will of the Creator. May the Lord grant us this life to acquire the right to enter into eternal life. Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
Observation of the surrounding nature also gives us much instructive. Everyone knows the sunflower plant. He always turns his yellow head towards the sun, reaches for it, from where he got his name. But it happens that the sunflower stops turning towards the sun, then those experienced in this matter say that it has begun to deteriorate, a worm has wound up in it, it is necessary to cut it off. The soul, thirsting for God's justification, like a sunflower, aspires, reaches out to God - the Source of Light. If, however, it ceases to seek Him, then such a soul perishes. It is necessary in this life to feel Christ; whoever did not see Him here will not see Him there, in the Hereafter. Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
One disciple told the elder that he had neither prayer nor anything good, which led him to great sorrow and grief. To which the elder said: “And the king of the earth does not have all the soldiers as generals, there are both officers and ordinary soldiers. So it is with the Heavenly King: if you are not a general, then you will be a simple soldier, but you will still be a warrior of the Heavenly King. Humble yourself and reproach yourself in everything, like an indecent slave.” Life appears to us in the form of a white stripe, black dots on it - sorrows, it is desirable for us to get rid of them as soon as possible. But in fact, life is a black stripe, and white dots are scattered on it - consolations. Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
Sincerity in prayer inevitably presupposes sincerity and directness of heart in all the behavior of a Christian, in his whole life and in his dealings with people... The Lord uncomfortablely accepts the one who is not upright with people in prayer, making him feel that he is also insincere in relation to God... Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt
Seeking advice here and there is disapproving. Counselor to all - a God-appointed confessor, who is usually a parish priest. Saint Theophan the Recluse
The Monk John of the Ladder was asked if there were any sure signs by which one could know whether the soul is drawing near to God or moving away from Him. After all, with respect to everyday objects, there are certain signs - they are good or not. When, for example, cabbage, meat, and fish begin to rot, it is easy to notice this, because spoiled foods emit a bad smell, change color and taste, and their appearance indicates spoilage. But what about the soul? After all, she is incorporeal and cannot emit a bad smell or change her appearance. To this question, the holy father replied that a sure sign of the mortification of the soul is evasion from church services. A person who grows cold towards God, first of all, begins to avoid going to church. At first he tries to come to the service later, and then he stops attending the temple of God altogether. Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
The youth of today do so much debauchery to get pleasure, whereas in the spiritual life they would get much deeper spiritual joys... Young people today think they are getting something. They resemble hungry children who pick up what the occupying soldiers threw away. They gnaw at it and imagine they got something when it's nothing.Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer
Demons… do not go where you defeat them without complaining, but they check where you have a weakness. Where you do not expect them at all, they break through the walls of the fortress. And when they find a weak soul and a weak area, they always defeat a person and make him guilty. Where there is obedience, humility and struggle, demons can never captivate a person. Bitterness, disobedience and pride give rise to despondency and negligence, and then all the demons come and make a dump and a stall out of the soul of that person. And they do not rest until they make him guilty of new and old sins, and completely captive.Elder Joseph of Athos
In spiritual life, sometimes you need to force yourself... This happens, for example, with a dislocated arm. If we just stroke her, there will be no sense. A sharp movement is required for the joint to snap into place. Let's not be like the turtle that went to the wedding and arrived at the christening. Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer.
There are also harlots who adorn the body, and they often dress in the most colorful clothes, but only virtuous people have adornment of the soul. Saint John Chrysostom
As soon as you start looking for others to notice you and find in you dignity and some virtues, then goodbye to the world of your soul! In order to preserve peace of mind, one must avoid condemning others in every possible way. Peace of mind is not preserved by condemnation and silence. Reverend Anatoly of Optina
When we intend to speak with one of the people who are higher than us, we put in proper order our appearance, and gait, and clothes, and everything, and then we enter into a conversation, and when we approach God, we yawn, we itch , we turn around in different directions, we are careless; we kneel, and we ourselves wander thoughts around the square ... With Hierarch John Chrysostom
You can participate in the Sacraments only insofar as you are in God. If you come to a service and just stand there waiting for the end, you are not participating in the service. If you come to communion just because today is Sunday, or your name day, or along with everyone, it is very likely that you did not take communion. Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
In case of non-fulfillment of petitions, one must pray and not lose heart. Prayer is capital. The longer it lies, the more interest it brings. The Lord sends His mercy when it pleases him, when it is useful for us to receive it. If we urgently need something, then we should pray two or three times, and thank God for the fulfillment of the request. Sometimes after a year the Lord fulfills the petition. An example should be a brother with Joachim and Anna. They prayed all their lives and did not lose heart, and what a consolation the Lord sent them!
We did not give our children any education: neither secular nor church. And there is nothing surprising in the fact that our son in prison either began to drink, or divorced his wife. This is a consequence of the fact that we did not teach him anything good. And now, when our overage child gets into trouble, we come, and we ask, and we want them to immediately give some special prayer or for the priest to pray - and right there he would correct himself, stop drinking right there or get him out of prison released, immediately got along with his wife ... How is this possible? That's how much you didn't pray, raising him, how much you didn't invest in him, you now have to spend these forces on praying for him, so that he embarks on a good path. And maybe he will embark on this good path at the age of eighty or sixty, but still he will rise ... Therefore, do not despair if something does not work out right away, you must patiently pray. Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov
Know that someone else's prayer can only help your own, and not replace it. This is our common limit - to pray ourselves and ask others for prayer. And the Savior promised that prayers together are always heard ... Saint Theophan the Recluse
Prayer alone is not perfect, but together with all the virtues. As one improves in virtue, so does prayer. Saint Theophan the Recluse
The position of Job is the law for every person. While rich, noble, in prosperity, God does not respond. When a person is in a dungeon, rejected by everyone, then God appears and Himself talks with the person, and the person only listens and cries out: “Lord, have mercy!” It would seem that it is enough for us to say once in prayer: “Lord, have mercy!”, And we we say three, and twelve, and forty times. This is for those sufferers who cannot even say: “Lord, have mercy!” The Church is praying for them. Venerable Nektarios of Optina
Enemies must be revered as virtues and prayed for them even more than for benefactors, for benefactors, doing us temporary good, do themselves even more good, preparing an eternal reward from the Lord. And the persecutors, perhaps with the loss of their eternal salvation, are making our eternal salvation, purifying our sins with sorrows, by persecution, as it were, forcibly persecuting us into the Kingdom of Heaven, in case of danger at this time we ourselves will fall into hell. How can we not thank them, how can we not pray that the Lord would preserve and have mercy on them too?Schemamonk Zosima
Saul, the king of Israel, was often subjected to spiritual anguish and demonic insurance. During these attacks, he called to him David, who was then with him as a squire and skillful in playing the harp, and Saint David usually played his divinely inspired psalms. With his game, David drove away from Saul an hostile demon, who fled, not enduring the presence of the power of the Holy Spirit. So do you: read the Psalms of David as often as possible and, moreover, aloud. Rev. Ambrose of Optina
It is impossible to demand from a fly that it does the work of a bee, each person must be given according to his measure, it is impossible for everyone to do the same.Venerable Nektarios of Optina
After praying well, the enemy tries to move him to anger under plausible pretexts. Remember this and be careful. When you pray fervently, then see that there will be temptation. It happens to everyone.Rev. Ambrose of Optina
If the devil, worthy of all hatred in himself, would immediately reveal himself, then everyone would know him. For this reason, he hides and covers himself, assumes the guise of truth, and by this means pours poison into his followers. Hegumen Mark
Visually, this can be explained as follows. Sometimes a child is sent to someone and instructed to report on the case. The child does not understand and does not know either that person or a separate thing - he only transmits the mother's words, and they produce their action and the thing is completed. So it is with the reading of the Psalter. You read: “Let God rise again, and let His enemies be scattered…” – and the demons disappear. Reverend Nikon of Optina
One restless intellectual writes: “I listened to you, I started reading the Psalter and I don’t understand anything.” I answer: “You don’t understand, but the demons understand and run away. Read for now without understanding, but someday you will begin to understand. Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
One saint asked the demon: what are they most afraid of? He replied: “That with which you are washed in the church [Baptism], that which you wear on your chest [the Cross], and that which you partake in the church [Communion].” “What is the scariest thing of all?” - The demon answered: "If Christians kept what they partake of, then we would not have access to them." Metropolitan Macarius (Nevsky)
Sin is not necessarily an act, but even more often the absence of an act, the fact that we do not do any good deeds, because all the bad things can leave us only if we replace them with good ones. Sin, passion can only be driven out by the opposite virtue. Archpriest Dimitry Smirnov
The Lord gave the Holy Church pastors, and they serve in the image of Christ, and they are given the power to forgive sins by the Holy Spirit. You may be thinking: how can such and such a bishop, or confessor, or priest have the Holy Spirit when he loves to eat and has others infirmities? But I will tell you: it is possible if he does not receive bad thoughts: so although he has some vice, this does not prevent grace from living in his soul, just as a green tree has some dry branches, but this does not harm, and it bears fruit; or there is a lot of wheat in the field, and although there are tares among it, but this does not prevent it from growing.Reverend Silouan
It happens that although our sins are forgiven us through repentance, our conscience does not cease to reproach us. The late old man Macarius, for comparison, sometimes showed his finger, which had once been cut a long time ago: the pain had long since passed, but the scar remained. So exactly, even after the forgiveness of sins, scars remain, that is, reproaches of conscience.Rev. Ambrose of Optina
The overwhelming majority of the people do not know Christianity at all and are looking not for the path of salvation, not for eternal life, but for those who would help them to do “something” in order to immediately get rid of this or that sorrow. Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev)
You do not see with every prayer that you do, how many demons fall, how many show their backs. You only see how hurt you are. But they are also beaten. And they suffer. Every time we endure, they run away in a hurry and are seriously injured at every prayer. And do not wait during the war when you throw arrows and bullets at your enemies so that they throw marmalade and chocolate at you. Elder Joseph of Athos
What is in the stomach is known through vomiting, and what is in the heart, good or evil, is known through offensive temptation. Saint Gregory (Zadonsky)
While giving advice, Elder Ambrose of Optina was not in the habit of insistently demanding that they be fulfilled without fail, and he never bound those related to him with any prohibition... However, he added as an edification to those who asked him for advice: obedience to the will of God. I am of a soft nature - I will give in, but it will not be good for the soul.
May we not be ashamed to confess the Crucified Christ, with boldness let us depict with our hands the sign of the cross on our foreheads and on everything: on the bread that we eat, on the cups from which we drink; yes, we portray it at the entrances, at the exits, when we go to bed and get up, when we are on the road and rest. He is a great protection given to the poor as a gift and to the weak without difficulty. For this is the grace of God, a sign for the faithful and a fear for evil spirits. Saint Cyril of Jerusalem
We believers have a great weapon! This is the power of the Life-Giving Cross. As you think, it becomes scary for the unbelievers, they are completely defenseless. It is the same as if a man, completely unarmed, would go into a dense forest at night; yes, the first beast that comes across will tear him apart there, but he has nothing to defend himself with. We will not be afraid of demons. The power of the sign of the cross and the name of Jesus, terrible for the enemies of Christ, will save us from the devil's snares. Venerable Barsanuphius of Optina
The human heart itself clings to sin. If you leave a person to himself, tell him: “Roll wherever you want,” he will certainly roll into hell on his own, but he will never rise to heaven. Because going down is always easier than going up. Priest Timothy
With all our sins, blasphemy, disrespect and insults, we cannot offend the name of God and make it less holy. Does the sun lose anything if misty clouds obscure its light? At the same time, we only feel the lack of light and warmth, but it itself remains unchanged and relentlessly emits its rays even beyond the clouds.. Elder Joseph of Athos
Joy and sorrow are the destiny of all people: both the righteous and the sinners. Everyone in life sometimes mourns, sometimes rejoices. But the righteous first mourns - when he fights against the sin that seduces him, and then rejoices - when he overcomes this sin with the help of God. The sinner, on the contrary, rejoices at first - when he indulges in his beloved sin, and then he mourns. My dear child, when will you mourn, and when will you rejoice? It's up to you. Choose! Priest A. Zakharov
Prayer is never in vain, whether the Lord grants the petition or not. Out of ignorance, we often ask for unprofitable and harmful things. Without doing this, God will give something else for the work of prayer, which is imperceptible to us. Saint Theophan the Recluse
One woman came and said: “We have a priest, but I know that he is not entirely pious. How am I going to confess to him?” “Tell me,” I ask, “if you put the same incense and the same coals in a copper censer and in a golden censer, will the incense be the same?” - "Yes, the same." “Here are the fathers. The pious among them are the golden censer, and the less pious ones are the copper censer. And the grace of God still goes through them. Therefore, there is no need to be embarrassed by this: not for the sake of the priest, but for the sake of the grace of the priesthood, grace acts through him. Shiigumen Savva
Do not think that the confessor is disgusted by the confession of sins. If there is sincere contrition, then the confessor feels special mercy and love for the penitent. That's for sure! Such a state of the spiritual father is evidence that the Lord forgives the penitent and lovingly accepts him into His fellowship, as He accepted the prodigal son. Any discovery of sin with sincere repentance makes the sinner a closer person, dear, dear to the confessor. This is a general phenomenon. The enemy only frightens with opposite thoughts... Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev)
There is a lot of evil from the thought that death is just around the corner. Review all the kinds of sudden deaths and decide which of them cannot be repeated over you, this very hour, when you read these lines? a stake on your head.” “If villages are hanged at one end, then at the other end they will not stop sinning, saying: they won’t reach us soon.” Saint Theophan the Recluse
If you leave your confessor embarrassed, it means that you have made an unclean confession and have not forgiven your brother from the bottom of his heart for his sins. this pride will certainly be given to you for the sake of admonishment. Reverend Silouan
A necessary condition for the formation of a Christian family is to find a good spiritual father for the future spouses. He will play the role of an arbitrator, making sure that there are no quarrels in the family... all family members had one confessor, because, knowing family problems, he would be able to give everyone the appropriate direction.Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer
Do not forget that the spiritual father should not think for you, but only bless what you bring for a blessing. I will not refuse to pray for you, but neither my mother, nor the confessor, nor I can make a choice for you ... Each person is responsible before God and people in what he chooses. Does a father live for his child? So the spiritual father is only your assistant, adviser and prayer book, giving a blessing to the proposal you have considered. After all, even in monasteries there is no such invented obedience for monks.
Some people ask for advice not out of obedience and humility, but out of their spiritual laziness, from their unwillingness to make decisions on their own and be responsible for them before God and people. Such persons are guided by a crafty desire to shift the responsibility to another, that is, to the priest. They argue like this: if a priest made a mistake, gave wrong advice, then he is responsible for it... Such a position is a search for an easy spiritual path under the guise of obedience. Eventually it leads to spiritual self-enslavement. His Holiness Patriarch Alexy II
I once saw a priest who baptized all of us in our homeland. He was a holy man. He did a lot of charity. And in a dream he says to me: “During my lifetime I thought that only liturgies rescue souls from hell, but now that I have died, I saw with my own eyes that the prayers that you perform also deliver tormented souls.” So, do not stop praying for souls, for the merciful God is looking for a reason and a reason to save a soul.Elder Joseph of Athos
The need to work, to endure, to humble one’s self becomes for many who are accustomed to seek only joy and pleasure in life, an obstacle to the continuation of spiritual life. And outwardly worshiping the Cross of Christ and His Passion, a person will deftly and ingeniously shun his personal saving cross. And then so often begins the most terrible substitution of spiritual life - a game of spiritual life. Archimandrite John (Krestyankin)
A confessor cannot make a novice out of a layman according to a monastic model, but he must give him true spiritual guidance. Every life turn of a layman tests his relationship with his confessor for trust and strength. A sign of good spiritual guidance will be that the voice of the conscience of the flock and his desire for good will intensify, and the demands of the passions will subside. At the same time, it will be revealed that the conscience and the confessor command the same thing. Priest Timothy
Death has many weapons to defeat people, but it does not dare to touch a single person without the command of God.
The Lord promised us that if we hope, then our sins will be forgiven, but that we will live to see tomorrow is not promised to us. Reverend Nikon of Optina
If you constantly read the Psalter and the canons for the dead and regularly make commemorations on Saturdays, give alms and do good deeds in their memory, then sinful souls will be led out of the darkness of torment into the land of God's Light ... And the person who lives piously and helps the deceased relatives through prayer and almsgiving, receive remission of sins and inherit eternal life. Shiigumen Savva
The Lord came to save sinners, BUT THE PENTENT! Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev)
Christ got us out of hell, and we ourselves are going to hell: we go fearlessly, closing our eyes, so as not to see the light and to quickly plunge into it. Many of us fearlessly indulge in all sorts of sins and do not think of being corrected, as if Christ is a servant of sin and as if all, even unrepentant, sinners who have not changed in heart and deeds, will enter into paradise. An incomprehensible hardness of heart and insensitivity possesses many of us.Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt
The Lord only then stops a person's life when he sees him ready for the transition to eternity or when he sees no hope for his correction. Rev. Ambrose of Optina
You ask me to pray for your speedy death, but I am at a loss because of this request of yours, for how to ask God for something that is not pleasing to Him. Since the continuation of life is the continuation of God's mercy to man, how can we ask for its cessation? Do not wish for death as a denouement, for man does not know what fate awaits him beyond the grave.Reverend Anthony of Optina
To the remark that Daryushka, the wanderer, died well, father Ambrose of Optinsky said: “That’s why the death was good, because she lived well. As you live, so you will die.” They asked the priest: “Such and such does not die for a long time, she always imagines cats and so on. Why is that?" “That is why some do not die for a long time, because some unrepentant sin delays, but as soon as they repent, they are relieved” ...Schemaarchimandrite Agapit (Belovidov)
It is bad to die with a bad temper. First you need to correct yourself and pray a lot so that the Lord cleanses the soul from non-reconciliation, envy, enmity, malice, cruelty and pride. Archimandrite Feofan Novozersky
Cemetery! ... What is the need to fuss about it? Wherever they bury - all the same. What help is there for the soul from the place of burial of the body? If something is wrong in the soul, do not spice it up with a funeral. Saint Theophan the Recluse
There is an obvious degradation of a person, a transition from a rich and deep spiritual life to the level of primitive instincts and reflexes. Know also that for the eternal life of a dying person, the appearance of a burial is of little importance. Everyone will be judged by their deeds, that is, what a person did while in the body on earth, for that he will be judged, and everything else is not important, except for what the Holy Church offers, that is, prayers for the departed and good deeds in memory them. Reverend Nikon of Optina
Earthly life is given to man so that he freely chooses here either God or the devil. The future life therefore depends on the life here, because those who have worked all their lives for sin and the devil will be with him even after death forever. And those who have been drawn to the Lord all their lives, although at times they have fallen, after death will be with the Lord in eternal bliss. Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev)
If after our death there will be more demonic in our soul, then the demons will take possession of us. If, however, we are still here aware of our demonic qualities, we will ask for forgiveness from the Lord in them and we ourselves will forgive everyone, then the Lord will forgive us, destroy everything bad in us and will not give demons into the hands. If we do not condemn anyone here, then the Lord will not condemn us there either. So it is in everything. Let us live in peace, forgiving each other, reconciling with each other sooner, let us repent of everything before the Lord and ask for His mercy and salvation from demons and eternal torment, while there is still time. Let's not play with our eternal fate. Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev)
It can be said without exaggeration that we live in a new era, the era of the information revolution and new technologies, unprecedented democratic freedoms and unprecedented spiritual slavery, when sin and crime not only do not meet with due resistance, but, using the democratic system, seize power all over the world. This is the era of unprecedented migrations of peoples all over the world, the era of new wars and the unprecedented power of money. Finally, this is the era of a new morality, because the concepts of conscience, honor, shame, fidelity, love are disappearing before our eyes. And what is called sin and crime in Christianity is now the natural norm of life, "the realization of human rights." Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov
If no temptation can touch a person without the will of God, then complaints, grumbling, grief, self-justification, blaming neighbors and circumstances are the movement of the soul against the will of God. Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov
Repentance is expressed by the Greek word metanoia. In the literal sense, this means a change in one's mind, one's wisdom, in other words, repentance is a change in one's mood, one's way of thinking, a change in a person within himself. Repentance is a revision of one's views, a change in one's life. Archbishop John (Maximovich)
Without Holy Communion of the Mysteries of Christ, a person is the same as a tree without the juices of life.
People are like clouds, which, with the changing winds, rush back and forth through the air. A live fish swims against the current, while a dead fish swims down for water. The true Christian goes against the tide of the sinful age, while the false one is carried away by its swiftness. Saint Basil the Great
Not a place will save a person, but will. Adam, our forefather, fell in paradise, but the righteous Lot preserved himself in Sodom.Venerable Ephraim the Syrian
God does not leave people forever, neither in misfortune, so that they do not fall ill, nor in happiness, so that they do not become careless, but He arranges their salvation in various ways.Saint John Chrysostom
A rose covered with thorns gives people the following wonderful instruction: “Everything that is most pleasant in this world is mixed with sorrow; you do not have pure goods here, but everywhere and in everything some evil is mixed with good: repentance is connected with pleasure, widowhood with marriage, labor and care with abundance, unnecessary expenses with nobility, satiety with pleasures, health - diseases. Saint Basil the Great
Outside the Church
What is the cause of spiritual emptiness?
All the labors of a man are for his mouth, but his soul is not satisfied.
(Eccl. 6, 7).
Because of the increase of iniquity, the love of many will grow cold.
(Matthew 24:12).
If you sometimes feel, apparently without any reason, anguish in your heart, then know that your soul is weighed down by the emptiness in which it is, and is looking for a Being that would fill it sweetly, life-giving, that is, it is looking for Christ, Who is One. peace and comfort to our hearts.
Oh! What darkness there is in our souls without the Lord, without faith in Him: the realm of spiritual light or knowledge is sometimes so limited that a person sees almost nothing but the miserable image of his soul.
If we see a person suffering from severe spiritual anxiety, grief and sadness, despite the fact that he has everything his soul desires, then we need to know that he does not have God.
Worldly joys do not "charge" the human soul, but only clog it. Having experienced spiritual joy, we do not want material joy.
Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer (1924–1994).
Four things make the soul empty: moving from place to place, love of entertainment, love of things and stinginess.
Insensibility, both bodily and spiritual, is the deadening of feeling from a long-term illness and neglect.
Saint John of the Ladder († 649).
“Insensibility”, stonyness, deadness of the soul - from neglected and unconfessed sins in time. How relieved is the soul when immediately, while it hurts, you confess a perfect sin. Delayed confession gives insensibility.
Priest Alexander Elchaninov (1881–1934).
No creature can please, saturate, cool, console and rejoice souls. There is another peace by which one rests, there is food by which one is nourished, there is drink by which one cools down, there is light by which one is enlightened, there is beauty by which one rejoices, there is a center towards which one aspires and, having reached that, seeks nothing more. God and His divine grace are everything for the soul: peace, food, drink, light, glory, honor, wealth, consolation, joy, merriment, and all the bliss that he will then be satisfied with when he finds Him…
And from the fact that the soul cannot be satisfied with this world, one can learn that the more peace-loving people seek their treasures here, the more they desire them and cannot be satisfied ... The reason for this is that they want to please their soul with what it will not be satisfied with. For the spirit is immortal, and therefore it is satisfied not with the corruptible and mortal matter, but with the living and immortal Divinity.
"We don't know if there is another world"
His invisible, His eternal power and Divinity, from the creation of the world through the consideration of creations are visible.
(Rom. 1:20).
On everything visible is written the testimony of the Invisible.
There was such a case in the seminary. In the mornings, at 7 o'clock, after prayer, we went to the pantry to get our portion of half a loaf. Somehow we got there ahead of time, so we had to wait. From idleness, some began to joke ... One of the comrades, Misha Troitsky, who had never before been distinguished by freedom of thought, suddenly blurted out: - And who has seen God?
Either we did not want to argue, we did not even like such talkers, or we were unable to object to him - and were silent. There was also an assistant to the housekeeper, for some reason called the "commissar", named Vasily. Seeing our silence, he turned to Misha with a question:
- Barin! (That's what the ministers used to call us for some reason).
- So you say that if you have not seen God, then He does not exist.
- Have you seen my grandmother?
- Nne-e-t, - Troitsky answered timidly, feeling some kind of trap.
- Well! And she is still alive!
Without a future blissful, endless life, our earthly sojourn would be useless and incomprehensible.
Rev. Ambrose of Optina (1812-1891).
An uncorrupted mind and heart has nothing to prove that there is a God. He knows it directly and is convinced of it more deeply than all the evidence can prove.
From the action in our heart of two opposite forces, of which one strongly opposes the other and forcibly, treacherously invades our heart, always killing it, while the other is chastely offended by every impurity and quietly moves away from the slightest impurity of the heart (and when it acts in us, then it dies , delights, enlivens and pleases our heart), that is, two personal opposing forces - it is easy to see that the devil undoubtedly exists, as an everlasting homicide(Compare: John 8:44), and Christ as the everlasting Giver of Life and Savior.
St. Righteous John of Kronstadt (1829-1908).
“Why does God allow such suffering?”
You spare everything, because everything is Yours, soul-loving Lord... You gradually rebuke those who err and, reminding them of what they sin, you admonish, so that, having departed from evil, they would believe in You, Lord.
(Wisdom 11, 27; 12, 2).
My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. But as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
(Isaiah 55:8-9).
The ancient people had a memorable saying: "if we did what we must, God would have created for us what we want."
Saint John, Metropolitan of Tobolsk († 1715).
It is great philanthropy, brethren, that we are punished while in this world; but we, not knowing what is going on there, regard it as heavy here.
Venerable Dorotheus of Palestine († 620).
God sends people a much lighter punishment for their sins than they deserve.
Saint John Chrysostom († 407).
God is Love, and Love cannot allow harm to the beloved. That is why everything that happens to a person, sad or joyful, is allowed for our good, although we do not always understand this, it is better to say that we never see and do not understand this. Only the All-Seer Lord knows what we need to acquire eternal blissful life.
Believe that every moment the Lord wants to give you the greatest blessings, but you cannot accept them without harm to yourself.
Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev) (1894-1963).
Nowadays, people have become proud and are saved only by sorrows and repentance, but rarely does anyone achieve love.
If sin, for all its torment, is difficult for us to avoid, then what would happen if it were not tormenting?
St. Righteous John of Kronstadt (1829-1908).
Do not imagine God as a very strict judge and punisher. He is very merciful, took our human flesh and suffered like a man, not for the sake of the saints, but for the sake of sinners like you and me.
Schiegumen John (Alekseev) (1873-1958).
Why is it difficult for many to believe in God?
Anyone who does evil hates the Light and does not go to the Light.
(John 3:20).
How can you believe when you receive glory from one another, but do not seek the glory that is from the One God?
(John 5:44).
Just as the blind do not physically see the sun that shines everywhere, and do not see what is in their eyes because they are blind, and just as the deaf do not hear voices or conversations of those who are near them, and those who reach them, because they deaf, in the same way the soul, blinded by the sin that has entered into it, and covered with the darkness of wickedness, does not see the Sun of Truth and does not hear the living and Divine and omnipresent voice.
Those accustomed to evil deceit, when they hear about God, are grieved in their minds, as if convicted by bitter teaching.
Saint Macarius the Great (4th century).
Unbelief comes from a vicious life and vanity.
Saint John Chrysostom († 407).
Unbelief comes from our desire for human glory.
Saints Barsanuphius the Great and John (VI century).
Sin obscures the eyes of our soul - the mind, conscience, heart - and blinds them to such an extent that a person, seeing, does not see, hearing, does not hear and does not understand. It seems, for example: how can a reasonable person, who directs his gaze to the beauty of nature, to the wise arrangement of the visible world, to the wonderful order of the universe, not see in creation the Creator, God, Creator and Provider? How can a reasonable person, thinking about himself, about his conscience, about his thoughts and feelings, about his lofty aspirations, not see an immortal soul in himself? How can a reasonable person observing life fail to see in it the hand of God's Providence? And yet, there were and now are people who do not believe in anything, but create their own imaginary, false doctrine and do not want to know anything more.
Archimandrite Kirill (Pavlov) (b. 1919).
Experience shows that a vicious life and unbelief are connected... People who have turned to the path of repentance admit that in their sinful state they previously considered a lot of things unreprehensible, not sinful, it seems the same, in their consciousness enlightened by faith, in the light of the Gospel bad.
... Our rational and thinking soul, created in the image of God, having forgotten God, has become bestial, insensitive and almost insane from enjoying material things, because usually a habit transforms nature and changes its actions in accordance with the free decision of the will.
Saint Gregory of Sinai (XIV century).
There is a volitional rejection, but there is a rejection due to ignorance, when certain atheistic complexes have been artificially created in a person. Then he does not deal with religion, but with his own caricature of it, and, therefore, rejects not God, but the caricature that he has been shown since childhood as a model of religion. This kind of disbelief is most easily destroyed by a serious acquaintance with the Christian religion as a worldview and with faith as a metaphysical phenomenon.
Archimandrite Raphael (Karelin) (born in 1931).
To know God, you need a revelation from above. The Word of God preaches God, but without God we cannot know God. Blind and dark is our mind: it needs the enlightenment of Him Who produces light out of darkness.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783).
Peace of conscience is the first condition for a peaceful relationship with God, and these latter are the conditions for the prosperity of the spiritual in the inner life.
Saint Theophan, the recluse Vyshensky (1815-1894).
"Religion takes away freedom"
The truth will set you free... Anyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.
(John 8, 32, 34).
And the boyar is in captivity at his whims.
God's servants are happy.
Russian proverbs.
The noble and rich should not be called truly free when they are evil and intemperate, because they are the slaves of sensual passions.
Free and blessed is he who is in purity and contempt for the temporal.
Saint Anthony the Great (251-355).
Freedom is freedom from passions.
Saint Isaiah the Hermit († 370).
A good man, even if he serves, is free, but an evil one, even if he reigns, is a slave, and, moreover, one who has not one master, but as many masters as there are vices.
Blessed Augustine (354-430).
Like a bird that has fallen into a net, wings are of no use, so you are of no use to reason, if you have fallen under the power of evil lust, you are in captivity.
He is truly free who lives for Christ: he stands above all disasters. If he does not want to do harm to himself, then the other will never be able to do it to him.
Saint John Chrysostom († 407).
There are people who think that they are expanding the circle of freedom in limiting their desires, but who in fact are like monkeys, arbitrarily entangling themselves in a network.
Saint Theophan, the recluse Vyshensky (1815-1894).
The world gives its slaves as many heavy masters as there are needs and whims, passions and habits.
Where disbelief begins, there begins miserable low slavery and discouragement; and on the contrary, where faith is, there is greatness, sublimity, freedom of the spirit.
St. Righteous John of Kronstadt (1829-1908).
The grace of God does not take away freedom, but only helps to fulfill the commandments of God.
People usually seek the freedom to do "whatever you want". “But this is not freedom, but the power of sin over you. The freedom to commit fornication, or to eat and drink intemperately, or to bear rancor, to rape and kill, or something like that, is not freedom at all, but as the Lord said: “everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.” We need to pray a lot to get rid of this slavery.
Saint Silouan of Athos (1866-1938).
"I don't believe it's better to be pious than passionate"
Although a sinner does evil a hundred times and stagnates in it, yet I know that it will be good for those who fear God, who revere before His face; but the wicked will not be well, and, like a shadow, the one who does not revere God will not last long.
(Eccl. 8:12-13).
Piety is profitable for everything, having the promise of the present and future life.
(1 Tim. 4:8).
Sorrow and oppression to every soul of a person who does evil.
(Rom. 2:9).
For a sinner, the path is wide at first, but after that it is narrow.
Russian proverb.
There is no sorrow for the righteous that does not turn into joy, just as there is no joy for sinners that does not turn into sorrow.
Saint Demetrius of Rostov (1651-1709).
The fall of man is so deep that, in the state of the fall, he can no longer receive by himself any concept of his lost bliss; his sin-loving heart lost all sympathy for spiritual pleasure.
Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) (1807-1867).
Although it takes a lot of work to establish oneself in virtue, it pleases the conscience a lot and produces so much inner pleasure that no word can express it.
Saint John Chrysostom († 407).
And how can anyone understand what he has not seen or tasted? I, too, when I was in the world, I thought that this is happiness on earth: I am healthy, beautiful, rich, and people love me. And I was proud of it. But when I knew the Lord by the Holy Spirit, then I began to look at all the happiness of the world, like smoke that is carried away by the wind. And the Grace of the Holy Spirit gladdens and gladdens the soul, and in the deep world it contemplates the Lord, forgetting the earth.
Saint Silouan of Athos (1866-1938).
Remember, when you warm an orphan and a poor man, when you save a drowning man, when you comfort, reassure a heartbroken one, when you help a brother out of trouble, or do other good, isn’t your soul, your heart then filled with a peaceful, joyful mood? This is the fruit of the spiritual life of man.
Holy martyr. Arseny (Zhadanovsky), bishop. Serpukhovskaya (1874–1937).
Sweet is sin for people, but its fruit is bitter.
True virtue is in itself a reward to those who have it. For where true virtue is, there is love; where there is love, there is a kind and calm conscience; where there is a calm conscience, there is peace and quiet; where there is peace and tranquility, there is consolation, joy, fun and sweetness.
It is easy for Jesus to work. He does not order stones to be carried, He does not order mountains to be torn apart and the like to do to His servants. No, we don't hear anything like that from Him. But what? Love each other(John 13:34). What is easier than to love? It is hard to hate, because hatred torments, but to love is sweet, because love rejoices.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783).
Piety and happiness go hand in hand, they are friendly and pleasant to each other. Pious people, growing in spiritual life from day to day, enjoy the true peace of their conscience.
Archpriest Valentin Amfiteatrov (1836–1908).
Why do people need God?
No matter how good we are by human standards, where there is no God, there is no living, creative life, there is no joy of life. Where there is no God, the enemy of God is in charge.
Human happiness lies in nothing else than in unity with God, the fulfillment of His saving commandments.
There are people who, by all human standards, are completely unhappy, one thirty years lying motionless, but, God grant us all such happiness in which he lives.
Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) (1910–2006).
Nothing is as important to a person as faith. On it depends not only the bliss of the future life, but also the well-being of the present life, and not only the well-being of each of us, but also the well-being of entire societies.
Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow (1783-1867).
God is the highest goodness, from Whom all goodness and bliss flows, which is and can be ... To live with God and in misfortune is happiness, in poverty - wealth, in dishonor - glory, in dishonor - honor, in sorrow - consolation. Without God there can be no true rest, peace and comfort.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783).
Life is bliss... Life will become bliss for us when we learn to fulfill the commandments of Christ and love Christ. Then it will be joyful to live, joyfully endure the sorrows that find, and ahead of us the Sun of Truth - the Lord will shine with an inexpressible light ... All the Gospel commandments begin with the words: Blessed are the meek, blessed are the merciful, blessed are the peacemakers... From this it follows, as a truth, that the fulfillment of the commandments brings people the highest happiness.
Rev. Barsanuphius of Optina (1845-1913).
Sinful life is the death of the soul, and the love of God is that paradise of sweetness in which Adam lived before the fall.
When the soul knows the love of God through the Holy Spirit, then it clearly feels that the Lord is our Father, the dearest, closest, dearest, best, and there is no greater happiness than to love God with all your mind and heart, with all your soul, as the Lord commanded, and neighbor as yourself. And when this love is in the soul, then everything pleases the soul, and when it is lost, then the person does not find peace and is embarrassed, and accuses others of having offended him, and does not understand that he himself is to blame - he has lost love for God and condemned or hated his brother.
Saint Silouan of Athos (1866-1938).
Is heaven worth giving up earthly pleasures?
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the Kingdom of their Father.
(Matthew 13:43).
No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no one has entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him.
(1 Cor. 2:9).
Just as a poor man does not believe that he can become a rich man and a very noble person, so many Christians do not believe that they will have a wealth of future blessings and will planted in heaven in Christ Tune (Eph. 2:6).
Many do not believe the honor that is promised to the righteous in the Hereafter, because Satan has humiliated mankind in his own eyes.
St. Righteous John of Kronstadt (1829-1908).
There is no weeping in the hall of the righteous; there is no sighing, there is unceasing chants, praises and eternal joy.
Venerable Ephraim the Syrian (4th century).
Believe me, beloved, that a person would want to suffer all his life, if there was a need, if only he would not be deprived of eternal bliss, if he saw at least a particle of it. It is so big, so beautiful, so sweet!
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783).
Oh, if you knew what joy, what sweetness awaits the soul of the righteous in heaven, then you would decide to endure all kinds of sorrows, persecutions and slander with thanksgiving in your temporary life. If this very cell of ours were full of worms, and if these worms ate our flesh throughout our temporal life, then we would have to agree to this with every desire, so as not to be deprived of that heavenly joy that God has prepared for those who love him.
Venerable Seraphim of Sarov († 1833).
What is promised to us transcends all human reason and transcends all reasoning.
There is the same difference between present and future glory as there is between a dream and reality.
Saint John Chrysostom († 407).
Well, just think what "that" world promises us! He discovers and affirms, first of all, that he is, truly is, this other great world. God! what a joy! If Columbus and his sailors did not know how to express their delight, and shouted in admiration: “Earth, earth!”, Then how should we, believers, rejoice and cry out: “Heaven, Heaven”! no need; there the sun is not needed, for everything is replaced by the Lamb of God Himself, the Lord Jesus Christ! There, a person throws off his limitations - space and time, throws off his great physicality, like a chrysalis, takes off his shell of the former worm and joyfully flutters through beautiful flowers, sucking sweet drink from them! There is no longer any struggle over a “piece of bread”, over clothes on a naked and helpless body, over a “living place” - because of which the fiercest wars of brutalized people are now being waged ...
And whom will those who are worthy be able to see there? Not only their loved ones on earth, relatives, but incomparably more glorious giants of holiness and spirit: forefathers, prophets, apostles, thousands of thousands of martyrs and martyrs for Christ, the greatest ascetics of monks, hosts of unknown saints in the world, marvelous Angels and Archangels, Cherubim and Seraphim ... And then the Most Pure Mother of God Ever-Virgin Mary. To the vision of Her even Rev. Seraphim of Sarov prepared for several days, as if for an amazingly beautiful event! O Mother of God! Do not deprive me, the accursed one, of seeing this! ..
I will already keep silent about the fact that I can see my Creator Himself, the Savior and Comforter of the Spirit! .. Oh, I am a cursed person! ..
And those who knew about that world from their own experience - like John, Paul and many others - they told us that “there” is such a blessedness that the eye has not seen, and the ear has not heard, and that the human heart has not come (1 Corinthians 2:9). Contemplating ap. Paul, who was silent for 14 years about the vision, then said that he saw something that even after that he could not retell in the weak language of a man (2 Cor. 12, 1-4).
Well, before that, all the blessings of the earth! A whole new blissful world of secrets, miracles, glorious things opens up to our faith!
Metropolitan Veniamin (Fedchenkov) (1880–1961).
PREP ANATOLY OPTINSKY:
“My child, know that in the last days, as the Apostle says, hard times will come (2 Tim. 3:1-6). And now, as a result of the impoverishment of piety, heresies and schisms will begin in the Church, and then, as the Holy Fathers predicted, there will be no people experienced and skillful in spiritual warfare on the altars of saints and in monasteries. From this, heresies will spread everywhere and deceive many. The enemy of the human race will act with cunning to incline even the elect to heresy. He will not rudely reject the dogmas about the Holy Trinity, about the Divinity of Jesus Christ, about the Mother of God, but imperceptibly begins to distort the teaching of the Church transmitted by the Holy Fathers and from the Holy Spirit, his very spirit and statutes, and these tricks of the enemy will be noticed only by a few, the most skillful in spiritual life. Heretics will take power over the church, they will place their servants everywhere, and piety will be neglected. But the Lord will not leave His servants without protection and in ignorance. He said, "By their fruits you will know them" (Matthew 7:16). So you, by the actions of heretics, try to distinguish them from true shepherds. These are spiritual thieves, plundering the spiritual flock, and they will enter the sheepfold - the Church "climbing someplace," as the Lord said, that is, they will enter in an unlawful way, using violence and violating God's statutes. The Lord calls them robbers (John 10:1). Indeed, their first step will be the persecution of true shepherds, their imprisonment, exile, for without this it is impossible for them to plunder the sheep. Therefore, my son, when you see the destruction of the divine rank of the Church, paternal tradition and the order established by God, know that heretics have already appeared, although, perhaps, they will hide their wickedness from time to time and will distort the faith imperceptibly in order to be even more in time, deceiving and luring the inexperienced online. There will be persecution not only against pastors, but also against all the servants of God, for the demon who leads heresy does not tolerate piety. Recognize these wolves in sheep's clothing by their proud disposition, voluptuousness and love of power: they will be both slanderers and traitors, sowing enmity and malice. True servants of God are humble, brotherly-loving and obedient to the Church. There will be great oppression from heretics and monks, and monastic life will then be reviled: the monasteries will become impoverished, the monks will be reduced, and those who remain will endure violence. However, haters of monastic life, having only an appearance of piety, will try to win over the monks to their side, promising them patronage and worldly blessings, threatening the disobedient with expulsion. From these threats, the fainthearted will then have great despondency, but you, my son, if you live to see this time, rejoice, for then the orthodox, but who have not shown other virtues, will receive crowns for one standing in the faith, according to the word of the Lord: “Everyone, whoever confesses me before men, him I will also confess before my Father in heaven” (Matt. 10, 32, 33). Fear the Lord God, my son, be afraid of losing the prepared crown, be afraid of being rejected from Christ into outer darkness and eternal torment. Stand courageously in the faith of Orthodoxy and, if necessary, endure exile and other sorrows with joy, for the Lord and the holy Martyrs and Confessors will be with you: they will look with joy at your feat. But woe will be in those days to monks who have acquired property and wealth, and, for the love of peace, will be ready to submit to heretics. They will lull their conscience, saying: "If we protect and save the monastery, the Lord will forgive us."
The unfortunate and blinded do not think that a demon will enter the monastery with heresy, and then it will no longer be a holy monastery, but simple walls, from where grace will depart, but God is stronger than the enemy and will never leave His servants. And true monasteries will remain until the end of time, only deserted and solitary places will be chosen for this. Do not be afraid of sorrows, but be afraid of pernicious heresy, for it will expose a person from grace and separate him from Christ, therefore the Lord commanded to consider a heretic a pagan and a publican (Matt. 16:17). So, be strong, my son, in the grace of Jesus Christ, hasten with joy to the exploits of confession and endure suffering, like a good soldier of Jesus Christ (2 Tim. 2.1-2), who said: “Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life” ( Rev. 2.10). To him, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, Honor, Glory and Power forever and ever.
Reverend Lavrenty of Chernigov:
Russian people will repent of mortal sins that they allowed Jewish wickedness in Russia, did not protect the anointed Tsar of God, Orthodox churches and monasteries, a host of martyrs and confessors of saints and all Russian saints. They despised piety and loved demonic wickedness.
Having abundantly acquired the All-Holy Spirit of God, Elder Lavrenty often talked with his children about the last times, warning them to be vigilant and careful, since the Antichrist was near.
The Reverend said that this would be a world war, that no one would be left anywhere, except in the gorge.
And they will fight, and two or three states will remain, and they will decide: "Let's elect one king for the whole universe." And they will choose. And in the last times, true Christians will be exiled, and the old and weak, even if they grab the wheels, but run after them.
About the coming Antichrist, the Elder, enlightened by the Holy Spirit, spoke the following words: “There will be a time when they will go to sign for one king on earth. And they will strictly rewrite people. They will go into the house, and there - the husband, wife, children. And now the wife will persuade her husband:
“Let’s sign, we have children, because you can’t buy anything for them.” And the husband will say: “You do as you wish, but I am ready to die, but I will not sign for the Antichrist.” Such a touching picture of the future.
“The time will come,” said the Reverend Father Lavrenty, “when inactive (closed) churches will be restored, equipped not only outside, but also inside. Domes will be gilded, both temples and bell towers. And when everything is finished, the time will come when the Antichrist will reign. Pray that the Lord will continue this time for us, for strengthening, because a terrible time awaits us. And do you see how insidious everything is being prepared? All temples will be in the greatest splendor, as never before, and it will be impossible to go to those temples.
The Antichrist will be crowned as king in the magnificent Temple of Jerusalem.
There will be free entry and exit from Jerusalem for every person. But then try not to drive, because everything will be done to seduce.
The Antichrist will be descended from a prodigal Jewish maiden of the twelfth tribe of fornication. Already as a boy, he will be very capable and intelligent, and especially since then, when he, being a boy of about twelve, walking with his mother in the garden, will meet with Satan, who, having come out of the very abyss, will enter him.
The boy will startle with fright, and Satan will say: "Do not be afraid, I will help you." And from this lad the Antichrist will mature in the form of a human.
The prophets Enoch and Elijah will descend from Heaven, who will also tell everyone that the Antichrist has come: “This is the Antichrist, do not believe him.” And he will kill the prophets, but they will rise and ascend to Heaven.
The Antichrist will be trained in all satanic tricks and will give false signs. It will be heard and seen by the whole world at the same time. The Holy Pleasure of God said: “Blessed and trebleblessed is that person who does not wish and will not see the ungodly face of the Antichrist. Whoever sees and hears his blasphemous speech, his promises of all earthly blessings, will be seduced and go towards him with worship. And he will perish with him and will burn in eternal fire.
They asked the Elder: “How will all this be?” The holy Elder answered with tears: “The abomination of desolation will stand in the holy place and show the filthy deceivers of the world, and they will deceive people who have apostatized from God and work false miracles. And after them, the Antichrist will appear and the whole world will see him once. The Fathers asked the Saint: “Where, in the holy place? In the church?" The monk replied: “Not in the church, but in every house. In the corner where the holy icons now stand and hang, there will be seductive fittings to seduce people. Many will say, "We need to watch and listen to the news." It is in the news that the Antichrist will appear.”
“He will “stamp” his people with seals. Will hate Christians. The last persecution of the Christian soul will begin, which will refuse the seal of Satan... Nothing can be bought or sold to a Christian. But do not be discouraged: the Lord will not leave his children... There is no need to be afraid! There will be churches, but an Orthodox Christian will not be able to go to them, since the Bloodless Sacrifice of Jesus Christ will not be offered there, and there will be all the “satanic” gathering ...
I repeat once again that it will be impossible to go to those churches, there will be no grace in them.”
Christians will be put to death or exiled to desert places. But the Lord will help and nourish His followers.
Jews will also be rounded up in one place. Some Jews who truly lived under the Law of Moses will not accept the seal of Antichrist. They will wait, keep an eye on his affairs. They know that their ancestors did not recognize Christ as the Messiah, and here God will give it so that their eyes will be opened and they will not accept the seal of Satan, but will recognize Christ and will reign with Christ.
And all the weak people will follow Satan, and when the earth does not give a harvest, people will come to him with a request to give bread, and he will answer: “The earth will not give birth to bread. I can not do anything".
There will also be no water, all rivers and lakes will dry up. “This disaster will last three and a half years, but for the sake of His chosen ones, the Lord will shorten those days. In those days there will still be strong fighters, pillars of Orthodoxy, who will be under the strong influence of the heartfelt Jesus prayer. And the Lord will cover with His Almighty Grace, and they will not see those false signs that will be prepared for all people.
Of you, my children, many will live to see this terrible time. One sister, listening to this conversation, asked: “What to do? I wouldn't want to live until then!" “And you are young, you can wait,” said the Elder. "How scary!" - "And you choose one of the two: either earthly or heavenly."
“There will be a war,” Father continued, “and where it takes place, there will be no people. And before that, the Lord will send small illnesses to weak people, and they will die. And with the Antichrist there will be no death. And the Third World War will no longer be for repentance, but for extermination.
“Repairs of temples will continue until the very coming of the Antichrist, and everywhere there will be unprecedented splendor,” said the Elder. - And you, for our church under repair, be moderate, in its external form. Pray more, go to church while you have the opportunity, especially at the Liturgy, at which the Bloodless Sacrifice is offered for the sins of the whole world. Confess more often and partake of the Body and Blood of Christ, and the Lord will strengthen you.
To one deacon, who is still alive, but already old, Father directly said: “You will live until the time when the Antichrist will be. Do not be afraid, but tell everyone that this is “he”, and there is no need to be afraid!
1948: Abbess Domnitskaya with two cell-attendants (born in 1923) went to Batiushka for tea, and at dinner he said: “You and I, mother, will not live to see the Antichrist, but these (he pointed to his nieces) will live.”
The slanders of the evil one and false teachings in Russia will disappear, and there will be a One Orthodox Church. And we must remember that there is one God, one faith and one baptism.
Russia, together with all the Slavic peoples and lands, will constitute a mighty kingdom. The Orthodox Tsar, God's Anointed One, will nourish him. The king will be from God.
The Lord Jesus Christ created one Church (and not churches), which even the gates of hell will not prevail against. We, the Orthodox, do not need anything, but only the Orthodox Faith, the salvation of the soul and the receipt of the Kingdom of Heaven, and our Mother, the Holy Orthodox Church, has this weight. Thank the Lord! And to break away and depart from it is the greatest and unforgivable sin both in this life and in the future - this is blasphemy against the Holy Spirit.
REVEREND HIEROSCHEMONK SERAPHIM VYRITSKY:
“The time will come when there will be a spiritual dawn in Russia. Many churches and monasteries will open, even non-Christians will come to us to be baptized. But this is not for a long time - for fifteen years, then the Antichrist will come. When the East gains strength, everything will become unsustainable. The time will come when Russia will be torn apart. First they will divide it, and then they will begin to rob wealth. The West will contribute in every possible way to the destruction of Russia and will give up its eastern part to China before the time comes. The Far East will be taken over by the Japanese, and Siberia by the Chinese, who will begin to move to Russia, marry Russians, and in the end, by cunning and deceit, will take the territory of Siberia to the Urals. When China wants to go further, the West will resist and will not allow it. Many countries take up arms against Russia, but she will stand, having lost most of her lands. This war, about which the Holy Scriptures narrate and the prophets speak, will be the cause of the unification of mankind. Jerusalem will become the capital of Israel, and in time it must become the capital of the world. People will understand that it is impossible to live like this, otherwise all living things will perish, and they will choose a single government - this will be the threshold of the reign of the Antichrist. Then the persecution of Christians will begin; when echelons from cities leave deep into Russia, we must hurry to be among the first, since many of those who remain will die. The kingdom of lies and evil is coming. It will be so hard, so bad, so scary that God forbid we live to see that time... The time will come when not persecution, but money and the delights of this world will turn people away from God, and much more souls will die than during open rebellion . On the one hand, they will erect crosses and gild the dome, and on the other hand, the kingdom of lies and evil will come. The true Church will always be persecuted, and it will be possible to be saved only by sorrows and illnesses, while persecution will take on the most sophisticated, unpredictable character. It will be terrible to live up to these times.”
“The elder loved the youth very much. At that time, young people hardly went to church, and he was so happy when they came to him. The elder spoke about the enormous role of the young in the future revival of the Church. He said that the time will come (and is already coming!) when the corruption and decline of the morals of the young will reach the last limits. Almost no one will remain uncorrupted. They will consider that everything is permitted to them to satisfy their whims and lusts, because they will see their impunity. They will gather in companies, gangs, they will steal, debauchery. But the time will come when the voice of God will come, when the youth will understand that it is impossible to live like this any longer, and they will go to faith in different ways, the craving for asceticism will increase. Those who were previously sinners, drunkards, will fill the churches, feel a great attraction to spiritual life, many of them will become monks, monasteries will open, churches will be full of believers - and the majority will be young people. And then the young will go on pilgrimages to holy places - it will be a glorious time! The fact that they sin now - they will repent so hotly. Just as a candle, before it goes out, flares up brightly, illuminating everything with its last light, so does the life of the Church. And that time is near.
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