“The greatest enemy of our soul, an enemy greater than even the devil, is the spirit of the world. He sweetly carries us away and leaves us with bitterness forever ... In our era, a lot of the worldly entered the world, a lot of the spirit of this world. This "worldly" is destroying the world.Taking in myself this world , (becoming "worldly" from within),people drove out of themselves Christ …

The one who is enslaved is under the rule of the devilvanity. A heart captivated by a vain worldkeeps the soul in a state of non-development,and the mind is darkened "

Elder Paisiy Svyatorets

“If a person's heart is attached to the vain things of this age, then already he is not a servant of God,but a slave to the world, and with him he will be condemned "

Elder Arseny Minin

Vanity of vanities - everything is vanity -Peacefulness and love for God -On the meaning and purpose of life - the kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of this world

“Vanity of vanities, vanity of vanities - everything is vanity. What is the benefit to a person from all his labors? .. "(Eccl. 1: 2-3).

“Do not love the world, nor what is in the world: whoever loves the world does not have the love of the Father in that. For everything in the world — the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life — is not from the Father, but from this world. And the world passes away, and its lust, but he who does the will of God abides forever " (1 John 2, 15-17).

Monk Macarius the Great (391) writes: “The children of this age are like wheat poured into the sieve of this land, and they sift among the fickle thoughts of this world amid the constant agitation of earthly affairs, desires and multi-tangled material concepts. Satan shakes souls and with a sieve, that is, earthly affairs, sifts through the entire sinful human race.
From the time of his fall, as Adam transgressed the commandment and obeyed the wicked prince who took power over him, he sifts through all the sons of this age with constant seductive and rebellious thoughts and brings him into conflict in the sieve of the earth.

As the wheat in the sieve of a sifting person beats and, thrown incessantly in him, turns over, so the prince of guile with earthly affairs occupies all people, hesitates, confuses and alarms, makes him try to vain thoughts, vile desires, earthly and worldly connections, ceaselessly captivating, confusing, catching the whole sinful race of Adam ...

People are brought in the fluctuation of fickle thoughts of fear, fear, all embarrassment, wishes, all kinds of varied pleasures. The prince of this world excites every soul that is not born of God, and, like wheat, constantly rotating in a sieve, excites human thoughts in various ways, shaking everyone and catching them with worldly seductions, carnal pleasures, fears, embarrassment. "

writes about our temporal earthly life and about our future, eternal life as follows: “The life of this world is like writing letters on tables; and when anyone wants and wills, he adds to them, and subtracts, and makes a change in the letters. A future life like the manuscripts inscribed on blank scrolls sealed with the royal seal, in which neither addition nor subtraction is allowed... Therefore, while we are in the midst of change, we will be attentive to ourselves, and while we have power over the manuscript of our life, which we write with our own hands, we will try to make additions in it with a good life and iron out the shortcomings of the previous life in it. For while we are in this world, God does not apply a seal to either good or bad until the very hour of his departure from this life. "

Reverend Abba Dorotheos Palestinian (620):“If someone loses gold or silver, he can find another; if he loses time, living in idleness and laziness, then he will not be able to find another to replace the lost».

Saint Maximus the Confessor (662) writes: “He who flees all worldly lusts puts himself above all worldly sorrow.

Blessed is the person who is not attached to any perishable or temporary thing. "

Saint Demetrius of Rostov (1651-1709):« Do not seek comfort for yourself in what has been given to you for a very short time; true consolation in God- this consolation will remain with you forever.

Being in prosperity and veneration, they were not very instructed and, being in contempt, do not fall into murmur and despair: in both, be moderate and prudent.

Do not apply your heart to human honors and glory: it is flattering and short-lived; everything in the world is impermanent, except for the One God and His eternal glory: everything in this world changes, and all honor and glory pass away together.

The world and its honors are wicked. When a person is prosperous, then everyone reveres and praises him; and when he is in contempt, everyone turns away ... So, do not hope for well-being and human respect, but place all your hope and hope on God: day and night, ascend to Him alone with your heart and mind. "

: “As the water is flowing, so is our life, and everything that happens in our life ... I was a baby. And that passed. I was a boy, and that passed away. I was a young man, and that departed from me. I was a perfect and strong husband, and then that has passed. Now my hair is turning gray, and I am exhausted from old age, but even that passes, and I draw near to the end, and I will go on the path of all the earth ... I was born to die. I am dying in order for me to live ... Since our temporary live is impermanent and everything in it changes and passes, we should not cling to temporary and worldly things, but with all the zeal of eternal life and these blessings to seek, to think about things above, and not about earthly (Col. 3, 2).

Our life in this world is nothing more than an incessant journey to the next century.

Our earthly life is nothing but an incessant and uninterrupted approach to death.».

Elder George, the Hermit of Zadonsk (1789-1836):“Woe to the world from temptation! And we see and hear rumor and vanity, envy and anger, enmity and slander; temptations are encountered everywhere; however, one need not be tempted. All essence is possible for those who believe in the Lord.

The kingdom of God is within you, said Jesus Christ. From this it is clear that no matter what external things surround us and no matter how much they delight the sight and sensuality, however, the Kingdom of God is not in them. And where he is not, there darkness embraces those walking; and all those go into darkness who do not return to the light, who love darkness more than light, love dark and smoky dreams, imaginations, thoughts and conversations, indulge in wrong prejudices, falsely presented as a free-thinking judgment for the truth, and are used to acting and living according to sensual desire his heart, and not according to the commandment of God. Here is misfortune greater than any misfortune and the most dangerous of death itself!

How can one get rid of this misfortune - in the short time of this life? Whom else should we ask about the means to when Savior Jesus Christ teaches everyone to be saved by prayer and fasting? And those who joke and laugh, unwilling to take upon themselves this necessary feat proposed by God, how do they understand themselves and how do they know God, despising His commandment? "

Saint Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow (1783-1867): “We are all on the way, and it’s good to think about it so as not to forget the travel instructions.

A man sitting on a pale horse is quickly approaching us, his name is death (Rev. 6, 8).

The day of a man's life is often before evening, before noon, the mortal night suppresses.

Acquire as if you had no need; lose as if you were giving away what is superfluous.

Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894) writes in one of the letters: “There will be everyday worries all the time. There is nothing to say about taking care of the soul. But you do care, I think. If the soul is not happy with what you are doing, add, and God will be merciful. But what you said: "once" is not true. Time always remains, only it is not used that way. "

“A renewed life is a life that is removed from everything sinful, sensual, fleshly and zealous for one that is pleasing to God, holy and heavenly ...

The person has three lives - spiritual, mental and physical... The first is directed to God and heaven, the second - to the arrangement of earthly life, the third - takes care of the life of the body. It rarely happens that all these lives are revealed in the same strength, but one predominates in one, another in another, in a third a third. Spiritual above all because the spirit is higher than the soul and body and because through it a person is placed closer to his goal, that is, to heaven and God ...

Spiritual Departments Must Be Head, under them and in subjection to them - mental occupations ... and under both of them - bodily life. Behold - the norm! When this order is violated ... human life deteriorates. "

Venerable Elder Sevastian of Karaganda (1884-1966):“A person in the field of his soul should not work in vain, heed himself so that enemies do not come: peace, the devil, flesh and death, and do not rob her. Peace comes - takes its own, attracting with wealth, luxury, ambition. The devil comes and takes away all the last: purity, chastity, innocence, fear of God. Old age and death comes - a person wants to reap something in his field himself, and gains nothing. Only here and there is the intention to do a good deed in a sinful life. And the person regrets that he lived his life and did not acquire good deeds for future life... And death has come, and there is no time for repentance, for tears and prayer. Accidental death is especially dangerous. Therefore, there is no need to postpone repentance and the acquisition of good deeds in old age, when there will be no more physical or mental strength. Everything will be concealed by the enemies, but nothing for yourself, the lamps are empty ...

Everything here is temporary, fickle, why worry about it, something to achieve for yourself. Everything will pass quickly. You have to think about the eternal».

Elder Paisiy Svyatorets (1924-1994):“Believing in God and the future life, a person understands that this temporary life is vain, and prepares his“ passport ”for another life. We forget that we all have to leave. We will not put down roots here. This century is not for living it happily, but in order to pass exams and pass into another life. Therefore, we should have the following goal: to prepare ourselves so that when God calls us, leave with a clear conscience, soar to Christ and be with Him always.

The deepest meaning of life (not monastic, but in general) must be understood by all people. If they did this, then petty quibbles, bickering and other manifestations of selfhood would completely disappear. Since there is divine reward, we will think about how to earn a little "money" for the future life, and not about how to behave in this life with dignity and receive glory from others.

When a person moves in the plane of real life, he rejoices in everything. To the one that lives. For the one to die. Not because he rejoices that he is tired of life, no, he rejoices that he will die and go to Christ.

- Elder, is he happy that he does not oppose what God allows?

— He rejoices seeing that this life is transient, and the other life is eternal.... He was not tired of life, but thinking: "What awaits us, shall we not leave?" - he prepares to go there, realizing that this is his destiny, the meaning of life. "

Peacefulness and love for God

"Those who are in the flesh cannot please God"(Rom. 8, 8)

“No one can serve two masters: for either he will hate one, and love the other; or one will become zealous, and neglect about the other. You cannot serve God and mammon ”(Matthew 6:24).

“Do you not know that to whom you give yourself up as slaves for obedience, you are also slaves to whom you obey, or slaves of sin to death, or obedience to righteousness?"(Romans 6, 16).

“Many ... act as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction their god is the womb, and their glory is in shame, they think about earthly» (Phil. 3, 18-19).

Rev. Isaac the Syrian (550) writes that atm, busy with vanity and worldly care, cannot talk about spiritual things, and therefore whoever wishes to get closer to God, one must renounce vanity: “It is as indecent for a carpenter and glutton to enter into the study of spiritual objects as it is for a harlot to talk about chastity.

The body, extremely sickly, does not tolerate fat in food: and the mind, occupied with the mundane, cannot come close to the study of the divine.

Fire does not kindle in damp wood: and divine ardor is not kindled in a heart that loves peace.

Just as one who has not seen the sun with his own eyes, cannot describe its light to anyone by hearing alone, and does not even feel this light: he who has not tasted the sweetness of spiritual deeds with his soul.

Just as it is impossible for one who has a head in water to breathe in the subtle air: so it is impossible for one who immerses his thought in the local worries to breathe in himself the sensations of this new world.

As a deadly stench disturbs the bodily composition, so an obscene sight is the world of the mind.

As the trees are uprooted by a strong and constant influx of water: so the love for peace in the heart is eradicated by the influx of temptations directed at the body. "

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (1724-1783) writes that who wants to be a friend of the world, he becomes an enemy of God:“Whoever cleaves his heart to worldly and vain things, there is no love of God. For any love of this world is enmity to God; like a friend of the world will delight, the enemy of God is(James 4, 4) - teaches the apostle James. Because God and the world are two opposite things, and love for one drives out love for the other. Whoever loves God does not have worldly love in him, and whoever has worldly love does not have God's love in him. So, God's and worldly love cannot get along in one heart ...

O! How, how grievous, those Christians sin before Christ, who loved them and gave Himself for them, who do not preserve His faithfulness, which, entering Christianity, they promised to keep to the end, and thus all spiritual blessings, which in baptism were honored , - voluntarily, to their extreme distress, are deprived. It is not in vain that the apostles of the saints lead us away from the love of this world. Do not love the world, nor else in the world(1 John 2:15), - says St. John. Like love of this world, - says Jacob the saint, - there is enmity to God: others like the world will delight, the enemy of God is(James 4, 4). So great is the harm from love for this world that he who loves it is the enemy of God, what is scary to think about, although a person, being blind, does not even think about that! "

writes: “A friend of the world, he certainly becomes, perhaps imperceptibly to himself, the worst enemy of God ... When serving the world, it is impossible to serve God, and there is none, even though it ... seemed to exist. He's not there! And what appears to be nothing more than hypocrisy, pretense, deception of oneself and others. "

Saint righteous john Kronstadt(1829-1908) writes: “We only call the Lord God, but in fact we have our own gods, because we do not do the will of God, but we do the will of our flesh and thoughts, the will of our hearts, of our passions. Our gods are our flesh, sweets, clothes, money, etc.

The Lord does not live in that heart in which greed reigns, an addiction to earthly goods, earthly sweets, money, etc. This has been proven by experience and is being learned every day. In that heart lives hard-heartedness, pride, arrogance, contempt, malice, revenge, envy, avarice, vanity and vanity, theft and deception, hypocrisy and pretense, cunning, caressing and groveling, fornication, profanity, rampage, treason, oaths ...

A heart worried about everyday things, especially superfluous ones, leaves the Lord - the source of life and peace, and therefore loses life and tranquility, light and strength, and when it repents in vain care of perishable things, again with all its heart it will turn to the incorruptible God, then it starts again in it flows a source of living water, again silence and calmness, light, strength and boldness before God and people. One must live wisely. You don’t want to pray for a person you hate and despise, but that’s why you don’t want to, and that’s why go to a doctor because you yourself are spiritually sick, indignant with anger and pride; pray that the gentle Lord will teach you to love enemies, not well-wishers only ...

To love God with all your heart, you need certainly consider everything earthly as rubbish and not be seduced by anything.

The whole world is a spider web in comparison with the soul of a man - a Christian; nothing in it is permanent or reliable; you cannot reliably rely on anything in it: everything is torn.

What a person loves, what he turns to, he will find: will love the earthly, - the earthly and find, and this earthly heart will dwell with him, and impart to him its earthlyness, and bind him; will love the heavenly, - the heavenly and find, and it will settle in his heart, and will move it life-giving. It is not necessary to apply the heart to anything earthly, for with everything earthly, when we use it immoderately and biasedly, the spirit of malice somehow dissolves, which has ground itself with immeasurable resistance to God.

They say: it is not an important matter to eat fast food, not fast food.; it is not important to wear expensive, beautiful outfits, to go to the theater, to evenings, to masquerades, to start up magnificent expensive dishes, furniture, an expensive carriage, dashing horses, to collect and save money, etc.; but - because of what our hearts turn away from God, the Source of life, because of what we lose eternal life? Is it not because of gluttony, is it not because of precious clothes, like the rich man of the Gospel, is it not because of theaters and masquerades? What makes us hard-hearted towards the poor and even towards our relatives? Is it not because of our addiction to sweets, in general to the belly, to clothes, to expensive dishes, furniture, carriage, to money, etc.? Is it possible to work for God and mammon "(Matthew 6:24), to be a friend of the world and a friend of God, to work for Christ and Beliar? Impossible. What caused Adam and Eve to lose Paradise, fall into sin and death? Is it because of a single poison? Take a good look at why we do not rejoice about the salvation of our souls, which cost the Son of God so dearly; why do we apply sins to sins, we constantly fall into opposition to God, into a vain life, is it not because of an addiction to earthly things, and especially to earthly sweets? What makes our heart coarse? What makes us flesh and not spirit, perverting their moral nature, not because of addiction to food, drink, etc. earthly goods? How, then, can we say that eating something that is fast during fasting is not important? The very thing that we say so is pride, superstition, disobedience, disobedience to God and distance from Him.

If you read secular magazines and newspapers, extracting from them what is useful for yourself, as a citizen, and a Christian, and a family man, then especially and most often read the Gospel and the writings of St. Fathers, for it is a sin for a Christian, reading secular writings, not to read inspired scriptures. You follow the events in the outside world - do not lose sight of your inner peace, your soul: it is closer to you and dearer to you. Reading only newspapers and magazines means living only with one side of the soul, and not with the whole soul, or living only according to the flesh, and not according to the spirit. All worldly things will end in peace. And the world passes away and its lust, all his undertakings, but do the will of God abides forever(1 John 2:17).

Praying with people, we must sometimes break through with our prayer, as it were, the hardest wall - human souls, petrified by everyday addictions, go through the Egyptian darkness, the darkness of passions and addictions. This is why it is sometimes difficult to pray. Than with more common people you pray, the easier. The end of everything on earth: my body, and sweets, and clothes, and all treasures, is destruction, decay, disappearance. But the Spirit lives forever.

A person who dreams of a perishable life and does not think of an endless, heavenly life! judge: what is your temporary life? This is the constant laying of wood (I mean food) so that the fire of our life burns and does not become scarce, so that our house (I mean the body) is warm ... Indeed, what an insignificant web is your life, man: you say twice daily inside its support for its strength (i.e. you twice reinforce yourself with food and drink) and every night you lock your soul in the body, closing all the senses of the body, like shutters at home, so that the soul does not live outside the body, but in the body, and warms and revived him. What a web is your life, and how easy it is to tear it apart!Humble yourself and be in awe of endless life! "

Venerable Ambrose of Optina (1812-1891): « We must live on earth as the wheel turns, - with just one point it touches the ground, and the rest will certainly tend upward; but we both lay down on the ground and we cannot get up».

The Monk Elder Barsanuphius of Optina (1845-1913):"Grief We Have Hearts"- our soul strives, our mind to the Lord. But, like wild beasts, thoughts, temptation, vanity surrounds, and wings that lifted the spirit descend, and it seems that grief never rushes to him. “Lord, Lord… I thirst for communion with You, life in You, remembrance of You, but gradually I dissipate, have fun, go away. I went to church for mass. The service has just begun, and I have thoughts: “Oh, I did not leave this and that at home. Such and such a student has to say this. I didn’t have time to iron the dress ... ”And many other thoughts about supposedly urgent concerns. You see, the "Cherubim" has already been sung, and mass is already at the end. Suddenly you will come to your senses: did you pray? Have I talked to the Lord? No, my body was in the temple, and my soul was in everyday vanity. And such a soul will leave the temple with embarrassment, not comforted.

What shall we say? Thank God that at least she went to the temple in body, at least she wished to turn to the Lord. All life is spent in vanity. The mind walks in the midst of vain thoughts and temptations. But gradually he will get used to remembering God in such a way that in vanity and troubles, without thinking, he will think, without remembering - to remember Him. If only he did not stop. As long as you have this striving forward, do not be afraid ... Life's hardships and storms are not afraid of those who march under the guise of a salutary prayer: "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." They are not terrible, if only not to fall into despondency, for despondency breeds despair, and despair is already a mortal sin. If you happen to sin, believe in the mercy of God, bring repentance and go on without being embarrassed ...

There is no complete joy in this life, where we see God as a mirror in fortune-telling. This joy will come there, behind the grave, when we see the Lord "face to face." Not everyone will see God in the same way, but according to the perception of everyone; after all, the vision of the Seraphim differs from the vision of ordinary Angels. One thing can be said: whoever has not seen Christ here in this life will not see Him there either... The ability to see God is achieved by working on oneself in this life. The life of every Christian person can be depicted graphically in the form of a continuously ascending line. Only the Lord does not allow a person to see this ascent, hides it, knowing human weakness and knowing that, observing his improvement, a person will not be proud for long, and where there is pride, there is a fall into the abyss ”.

Venerable Nectarios of Optina (1857-1928) said that “A person was given life to serve him, and not he to her, that is, a person should not become a slave to his circumstances, should not sacrifice his internal as a sacrifice to the external. Serving life, a person loses proportionality, works without prudence and comes to a very sad misunderstanding, he does not know why he lives. This is a very harmful bewilderment, and it often happens: a person, like a horse, is lucky and lucky, and suddenly he finds such a ... spontaneous punctuation. "

Saint Nicholas of Serbia(1880-1956): “The Lord Jesus Christ often repeats and reminds people not to worry about food, drink, clothing . This is the main concern of the Gentiles, not His followers. It is not worthy of the sons of God that what is most important for animals should be important for people as well. The one who called us as his guests into this world knows our needs and will try for us. Or do we think that God is a worse Master in His house than man? No, this cannot be. With all our care for the body, we cannot save it from old age, disease, death and decay. But we know that the Almighty, Who clothed our souls in this miraculously woven body pulled out of the earth, which we consider precious, and He is worthless, will clothe us after death in incomparably more beautiful bodies, immortal and incorruptible, not subject to disease and old age. This was promised to be done by the One who created us out of pure love and who expects reciprocal love from us ...

If, brothers, the world will attack us with its charms, delights, fleeting glory, then how will we resist him and how will we overcome his onslaught, if not by this faith? Truly nothing but this invincible faith, which knows something more than all the blessings of the world.

When all the delights of this world reveal their reverse side: beauty will turn into ugliness, health - into illness, wealth - into poverty, glory - into dishonor, power - into humiliation, and all violently blooming bodily life - into abomination and stench, then how will we overcome all this sorrow and save ourselves from despair, except for this invincible faith that teaches us eternal and incorruptible values ​​in the Kingdom of Christ?

When death shows its destructive force over our neighbors, over our relatives and friends, over our flowers, over our crops and seedlings, over the works of our hands; when she inevitably bares her teeth at us, how will we overcome the fear of her and how will we open the doors of life, which is stronger than any death, if not by this faith? Truly nothing but this invincible faith, which knows the resurrection and life without death. "

Hegumen Nikon Vorobiev (1894-1963) in letters to spiritual children he writes: “We must do everything within our power. For the bodily, all forces are killed, but for the soul there are several sleepy minutes. Is it so possible? We must remember the words of the Savior: Seek first the kingdom of God ... This commandment is like “Thou shalt not kill,” “Do not fornicate,” etc. Violation of this commandment often harms the soul more than an accidental fall. It imperceptibly cools the soul, keeps it insensible, and often leads to spiritual death: “ let the dead bury their dead», dead at heart, without a sense of the spiritual, without ardor in making the commandments, neither hot nor cold, which the Lord threatens to vomit from His lips ...

That is why the Holy Fathers here wept and begged the Lord for forgiveness, so as not to weep at the Judgment and in eternity. If they needed crying, then we, cursed ones, why do we consider ourselves good and live so carelessly and think only of everyday life ...

The point is that we read and know what to do, but we do nothing. We are waiting for some guy to do it for us. But we can get the fate of a barren fig tree. Cursed is everyone, do the work of the Lord with negligence... And how are we doing the work of our salvation? How do we pray, how do we fulfill the commandments, how do we repent, etc., and so on? The ax lies at the root of the tree ...

"Seek first of all the kingdom of God and His righteousness." Does a person provide for himself with his own strength? If you work in the physical, you must also work in the soul. Your heart is the same, or rather, you need to work more than a vegetable garden. If a person pays wage laborers, will the Lord leave without payment those who will work for Him? How should he work? - You know everything. You must both pray and listen to yourself, struggle with thoughts, not quarrel over trifles, give in to each other, even if the matter suffers (then you will win many times more), rather put up, open your thoughts, take communion more often, and so on.

Can this be combined with work? If not everything is due to weakness, then much is possible. And in non-doing, one must at least be distressed and through this acquire humility, but not justify in any way, for through self-justification we deprive ourselves of the opportunity for spiritual growth. If we do not do what we should, moreover, we do not tolerate offenses and sorrows, and through that we do not grieve and do not humble ourselves, then I don’t know what to say. In what way will we be better than non-believers then? Therefore, I ask you all: endure insults, reproaches, human injustices, bear the burdens of each other, so that at least they can fill the lack of spiritual work. The main thing is to realize that you are worthy of all insults and sorrows (“what is worthy in our deeds is acceptable”).

Elder Paisiy Svyatorets (1924-1994) says that " the soul, which is touched by the beauties of the material world, confirms that a vain world lives in it. Therefore, she is not fond of the Creator - but the creation, not by God - but by clay. Captivated by worldly beauties, which, although not sinful, do not cease to be vain, the heart feels temporary joy - joy devoid of divine consolation. When a person loves spiritual beauty, then his soul is filled and prettier.

If a person ... knew his inner ugliness, then he would not chase after external beauties. The soul is so filthy, so filthy, and are we going to take care, for example, of clothes? We wash clothes, iron them, and we are clean on the outside, but what we are inside - it's better not to ask about it. Therefore, having paid attention to his inner spiritual impurity, a person will not waste time scrupulously cleaning his clothes to the last speck - after all, these clothes are a thousand times purer than his soul. But, not paying attention to the spiritual rubbish that has accumulated in it, a person carefully tries to remove even the smallest speck from his clothes. All care must be turned to spiritual purity, to inner, and not to outer beauty. Preference should be given not to vain beauties, but to the beauty of the soul, spiritual beauty. After all, our Lord also said that how much one soul is worth, the whole world is not worth. (Matthew 16:26).

The most important thing today is not to adapt to this worldly spirit... Such inappropriateness is a testimony of Christ. Let us try, as far as possible, not to let this stream carry us away, carry us along the secular channel. A smart fish doesn't get hooked. He sees the bait, understands what it is, leaves this place and remains uncaught. And the other fish sees the bait, hurries to swallow it and immediately falls on the hook. So is the world - it has bait, and it catches people with it. People are carried away by the worldly spirit and then fall into its snares.

Worldly wisdom is a disease... As a person tries not to get infected with any disease, so he should try not to get infected with worldly wisdom - in any of its forms. In order to develop spiritually and to be healthy, in order to rejoice in an angelic way, a person must have nothing to do with the spirit of worldly development.

… We must try every day to put in ourselves something spiritual, opposing something worldly and sinful, and so, on the sly, shake off the old man and subsequently move freely in the spiritual space. Replace sinful pictures in memory with holy images, secular songs with church chants, worldly magazines with spiritual books. If a person does not break the habit of everything worldly, sinful, has no connection with Christ, with the Mother of God, with the saints, with the triumphant Church and does not give himself entirely into the hands of God, he will not be able to achieve spiritual health. "

Elder Paisiy Svyatorets to the question “Why is the devil called a“ world ruler ”? Is he really in charge of the world? " replied:

“This was not enough for the devil to rule the world! Having said about the devil “ prince of this world "(John 16:11), Christ did not mean that he is the ruler of the world, but that he rules over vanity, a lie. Yes, really! Would God allow the devil to rule over the world? However, those whose hearts are devoted to the vain, worldly, live under the rule "Ruler of this age"(Eph. 6, 12). That is, the devil rules over vanity and those who are enslaved to vanity, to the world. After all, what does the word "peace" mean? Decorations, vain tricks, isn't it? So, under the rule of the devil is one who is enslaved by vanity. The heart, captivated by the vain world, keeps the soul in a state of non-development, and the mind in darkness. And then a person only seems to be a person, but in essence he is a spiritual miscarriage.

The greatest enemy of our soul, an enemy greater than even the devil, is the spirit of the world. He sweetly carries us away and leaves us with bitterness forever. Whereas if they saw the devil himself, then we would be seized with horror, we would have to resort to God and no doubt would go to paradise. In our era, a lot of the worldly has entered the world, a lot of the spirit of this world. This "worldly" is destroying the world. Having accepted this world into themselves (having become "worldly" from within), people expelled Christ from themselves».

Elder Paisios says that worldly success brings worldly anxiety to the soul: “The more people move away from the natural, simple life and thrive in luxury, the more human anxiety increases in their souls. And due to the fact that they move further and further from God, they find no rest anywhere. Therefore, people revolve restlessly - like the drive belt of a machine tool around a "crazy wheel".

Mirskaya easy life worldly success brings worldly anxiety to the soul... External education, combined with mental anxiety, daily brings hundreds of people (even those who have lost the peace of mind of small children) to psychoanalysis and psychiatrists, builds more and more psychiatric hospitals, opens training courses for psychiatrists, while many of the psychiatrists are not in God believe, nor do they recognize the existence of a soul. So, how can these people, who are themselves filled with spiritual anxiety, help other souls? How can a person be truly comforted who have not believed in God and in true eternal life after death? If a person comprehends the deepest meaning of true life, then all anxiety disappears from his soul, divine consolation comes to him and he is healed. If Abba Isaac the Syrian was read aloud to the sick in a psychiatric hospital, the sick, believing in God, would become healthy, because the deepest meaning of life would be revealed to them. "

Elder Arseny (Minin) (1823-1879) about worldly vanity he said: “The human race, as much as it succeeds in inventions, discoveries and other affairs of this age, becomes dull in its concepts of spiritual life.

Man has entangled himself with various whimsical desires like nets and he will not be freed from them until the grave.

We are like people standing on the seashore and throwing gold into it - this is the most precious time given to us for the salvation of the soul; time will pass, we will look for it, but we will not find it.

Looking at the vanity of this world, one comes to the idea of ​​what great care people have about their temporary life, how many worries, enterprises, assumptions, what vigilant activity, tirelessness in work, patience in achieving their goals! And all this is done for the sake of short-lived earthly life. All this has the main engines: vanity, avarice, ambition. These three giants are holding the entire sinful world.

Your sinful body, which you do not live for, you adorn and for whose welfare you use all diligence, do you think that it will once be food for worms, and the more solid it will be, the more abundant it will serve as food? Have you ever thought that everyone who now wants to be close to you will once be far from you? - the stench of your body will drive them away. Think about all this and care less about your mortal body, and more about your immortal soul.

As a person becomes detached from the earthly, peace and silence will settle in his soul.

If a person's heart is attached to the vain things of this age, then he is no longer a servant of God, but a slave of the world, and together with him he will be condemned.

People of this age are constantly chasing happiness, but it, like a treasure, is not given to them, they are like thirsty people who drink salt water, because instead of tempering their vain desires, they expand them.

One must look coldly at everything mundane, earthly, asking oneself: is it according to Bose?

If you put your heart on something earthly, then you are caught... This is the only thing the catcher strives for in order to divert your mind and heart from God.

Living in the world, one cannot but care about the necessities of life; but these worries should be in the background, without attaching a heart to them and with perfect devotion to the will of God. Saint Cassian calls the superfluous about the care of life as deadly.

You furnish yourself with the comforts of life, provide in the future, but you do not know and do not think that, perhaps, in the midst of your vain activity, you will suddenly find your death hour, you do not remember what was said: in what I find you, in that I will judge you.

If you were invited to a merry feast and told that at the end of the feast they would shackle you hand and foot and put you on trial, would you go to the feast with all its sweetness? Isn't this the very thing that is depicted in the parable of the rich man who lived brightly and was thrown into eternal fire for this? For short-term delight of the body ...

Look at money and everything earthly as a breath of wind and as diabolical nets (the latter is even more true). "

Elder Seraphim (Tyapochkin) (1894-1982):“Let's awaken in ourselves a thirst for hearing the word of God!

As it often happens in our life that among our daily labors and worries we have no time to come to the temple of God, where the word of Christ is preached, we have no time at home to take His saving word in our hands. We are fussing with you, we are mired in the mud of sins and lawlessness, we are drowning in everyday vanity.

Let's not deprive ourselves of this good part. We will also try to hear the word of God and fulfill it. In it we will find answers to the questions of our life that concern us ”.

Archimandrite John (Krestyankin) (1910-2006) writes (from letters to spiritual children): “There are no accidents in life, and there cannot be, God the Provider rules the world, and every circumstance has a higher spiritual meaning and granted by God to fulfill this eternal purpose - to know God. It is necessary and possible to remain faithful to the highest goal, faithfulness and devotion to Holy Orthodoxy, despite outwardly hostile circumstances.

Every person enters the school of life from birth and goes through life, led by parents, teachers, mentors. The school of spiritual life, however, is so much higher, more important and more complex, how incommensurably more majestic is the final the goal of spiritual education is the knowledge of God, union with God and confirmation in God. And everyone comes to the school of spiritual life in due time depending on your appeal to the truth, but there is a danger of avoiding it altogether.

... So you will spend your whole life in the struggle with yourself, with the enemy, and this until the end of our days. Peace will be the mercy of God only behind the grave. There is no paradise on earth, and we are not angels…

We have one outcome, and we all know it - through mortal gates to enter Eternity. Diseases, on the other hand, are notification telegrams so that we do not forget about the main thing in life. And this does not mean walking around with a sense of the doom of tomorrow. It tells lively and be responsible for time. It is necessary to confess, to swallow, to take communion and, without going into speculation, speculation and human calculations, surrender oneself to the will of God.

Both saints and sinners leave the battlefield by God's command. And those who created, and those who ruined. And unless we utter judgment on how they lived. No and no! And here you will definitely have to answer for yourself.

Sins are easy to commit, but rebellion from sin requires a lot of effort and labor. But life is so short, and Eternity lies ahead ".

About the meaning and purpose of life

“God created man to be incorruptible and made him the image of His eternal existence; but death entered the world through the envy of the devil, and those belonging to his inheritance test it. And the souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and torment will not touch them " (Wis. 2, 23-24; 3, 1).

Saint Simeon the New Theologian (1021) about the purpose of a person's birth into the world, writes: “ Every person born into this world, much less a Christian, let him not think that he was born in order to enjoy this world and taste its joy, because if this was the end and this is the purpose of his birth, then he would not die. But let him contain in the thought that he was born, first, in order to be (to begin to exist) from non-existent, as he was; secondly, in order, like a gradual bodily growth, to co-grow little by little in spiritual age, and by a good deed to ascend into that sacred and divine state, about which blessed Paul speaks: "Until we reach you ... perfect as a husband, according to the age of fulfillment of Christ"(Eph. 4:13); thirdly, in order to become worthy to dwell in heavenly villages and be led into the host of holy angels, and sing with them a victory song Holy Trinity, which, as one, gives him being, the same one, by her grace, grants well-being, that is, the shown sacred, divine state. "

The Holy Fathers write about the meaning and purpose of life:

“Our real life is not the true, real life for which we are intended by the Creator. In relation to the future life that awaits us, it is the same as the life of a chick in an egg, that the life of a baby in the womb.

The truest goal of this finite life is to learn to live an infinite ...

Life is a gift from God: to dispose of it according to your own will, and not according to the will of God, is to be a criminal.

Our fatherland is in heaven, but here is a foreign side, with which we pass to heaven. That is why we are sometimes so bored here that we cannot dispel our secret sadness with anything earthly - this is a longing for the sky as a native land.

Our summer is like a spider web(Psalm 89, 10). The spider's dwelling, no matter how strongly it is built, immediately collapses as soon as a hand or something else touches; so our life can immediately stop at the slightest chance, from something from which you do not think at all, do not expect.

Life is a field of struggle. Woe to him who does not emerge victorious from it! Eternal death is his lot!

Look at every work of life as a step to heaven or hell.(Cyril, Bishop of Melitopol).

We must never forget that we are all on the road and returning to our homeland, some with a knapsack on our shoulders, some in a playful four, but we will all enter the same gate. (Count M.M.Speransky)

Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (Bloom) (1914-2003) says about the calling of a person:

“When God rested from His works, He did not leave the earth created by Him, the cosmos created by Him to the mercy of fate: He continued to surround him with care and love. But He entrusted a concrete concern for the earth to a man who, as it were, belongs to two worlds. On the one hand, he is from the earth, he belongs to the whole range of living beings that God created. On the other hand, man belongs to the spiritual world; he is not only created in the image and likeness of God, but a spirit lives in him, which makes him his own and dear to God Himself. AND vocation man was in the way he speaks Saint Maximus the Confessor so that, being at the same time a citizen of the Kingdom of the Spirit and a citizen of the earth, to unite the earth and Heaven so that the earth would be permeated with the Divine presence, permeated with the spirit of life. The seventh day is the whole story, at the head of which a man was supposed to stand, as if leading the whole world to the Kingdom of God.

But the man did not fulfill his calling; he betrayed God, and the earth, and his neighbor; he betrayed the earth under the rule of dark forces, he committed betrayal. And the earth, and its historical destinies, and the personal destiny of a person are already under the rule of the forces of evil. And when Christ was born, the only sinless, the only true one, true Human He became the focus of history, He became the head of the created world, He became its guide. And that is why so many miracles are performed by Him on the Sabbath day, that day, which is a symbol of all human history. By these miracles, He says that the order of true history in Him is restored and is restored by Him wherever a person turns away from evil, ceases to be a traitor and enters the work of God about transforming the earthly world into the heavenly world. "

The kingdom of Christ and the kingdom of this world

Saint Theophan the Recluse (1815-1894):“There is on earth the grace-filled Kingdom of Christ, this is the Church, saved in the Lord, the object of God's blessings and the goal of the desires of all people who truly understand their purpose.

There is another kingdom on the same earth, the kingdom of the prince of this age, erected and supported by the malevolent malice of the primordial enemy of our salvation, which attracts man into deception, deception and destruction.

All of us living on earth are inevitably under the influence of both these kingdoms and tend to one or the other, then we stand between them, as if in indecision - which side to stick to and where to lean.

Each of these kingdoms has its own characteristics.

In every kingdom we see a king, or head of government, laws, benefits, advantages, or promises, and the end, and the goal to which it leads.

All these features in the Kingdom of Christ are definitely clear, undoubtedly true and immutable, but in the kingdom of this age they are deceitful, deceptive, illusory.

Who is the King in the Kingdom of Grace? God, worshiped in the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit, who created the world and provides for everything, Who, having arranged salvation for us in the Lord Jesus Christ, imperiously imposed His commandments and commands on all who followed Him for their own good; everyone makes Himself known, tasted and touched spiritually; He has mercy and cares about everyone, helps everyone, and confirms everyone with His immutable word: “Work according to My will in My helipad; I see everything and I will repay you for everything! " And the working people in the Kingdom of Christ definitely know who they are working for, this gives them inner strength and patience in their work. I suffer, - says the apostle, - but I am not ashamed. Wem bo, Himzhe of faith, and are reported, that is, I am deeply sure as strong is my tradition to keep on the day he(2 Tim. 1, 12).

In the kingdom of the prince of this century, it is not at all the same. No one here knows who their king is. If the most desperate peace-lover knew consciously that his king is an evil and gloomy Satan, to whom he subservience to his own destruction, then with horror he would rush out of his area, but the enemy hid his vile image from the sons of the age, and the peace-lovers grovel, not knowing whom. You hear every minute: one cannot, another cannot, and this is how it should be, and that way it is necessary, but ask: why? who ordered? - no one will tell you. Everyone is ashamed and burdened by their established order, they even condemn and scold them, but no one dares to deviate from them, as if afraid of someone; someone supervises them and is ready to exact, but whom, however, no one can indicate and definitely name. The world is a collection of persons working for an unknown ghost of their imagination, under which, in fact, the evil Satan is cunningly hiding.

What are the laws in the Kingdom of Christ? Christ, our true God, definitely said: “Do this and that, and you will be pleasing to Me, and you will be saved. Deny yourself, be poor in spirit, meek, peaceful, pure in heart, patient, love the truth, cry for your sins, abide in reverence for Me day and night, wish good and do good to your neighbors and fulfill all My commandments faithfully, not sparing yourself " ... You see how all this is clear and definite, and not only definite, but also imprinted forever with inviolable immutability: as it is written, it will be so until the end of the age. And everyone who enters the Kingdom of Christ knows for sure what he should do; does not expect any changes in the legal provisions of the Kingdom, therefore, he follows its path reliably, in full confidence that he will undoubtedly achieve what he is looking for.

Not quite in the kingdom of the prince of this age. Here it is in no way possible to stop your thought on anything definite. The spirit of peace-lovers is still known: it is the spirit of selfhood, pride, ... all-round pleasure and sensuality... But the application of this spirit, the law and rules of the world are so shaky, indefinite, changeable that no one can vouch that tomorrow the world will not begin to consider that which is now admired as unvirtuous. The customs of the world flow like water, and its rules for clothing, speeches, meetings, relationships, standing, sitting, in general, regarding everything, are impermanent, like the movement of air: now so, and tomorrow there is no news from where fashion will fly in and turn everything... The world is a stage in which Satan mocks poor mankind, forcing him to spin at his beck, like monkeys or dolls in booths, forcing him to consider something valuable, important, essentially necessary that which in itself is petty, insignificant, empty. And everyone is busy with this, everyone - both small and large, not excluding those who, both in origin, in upbringing, and in their position in the world, could, it seems, use their time and labors for something better than all these ghosts.

What are the benefits and what are the promises of the Kingdom of Christ? Our Lord and our God says: “Work for Me, and I will repay you everything. Every deed of yours, thought, desire and feeling, in your pleasing to Me by you, manifested and contained, will not be deprived of their wages. What others do not see, I see; that others do not appreciate, I appreciate; for which others, perhaps, will oppress you, I will be your patron, and in every possible way for your labor an eternal abode is ready for you, which is created by your labor. " That's what the Lord promised, that's the way it is. And all who enter His Kingdom experience by their very deeds the fidelity of these promises. Here they also taste the bliss of their labors - the bliss of humility, meekness, truth, peacefulness, mercy, patience, purity and every other virtue. All these virtues, produced by the grace of God, make their hearts a vessel of the Spirit of God, which is for them the pledge, or betrothal of the future inheritance, undoubtedly expected for the sake of these beginnings of it, assimilated by everyone who works unfeignedly in the Lord.

Are these the promises of the world? Not at all. The world promises everything and gives nothing; beckons, annoys with hopes, but in the minute, so to speak, of the delivery of the promised, he kidnaps him. Then he again points out something in the distance, again beckons and again steals from the one who has reached from the hands of what, it seems, has already been received. That is why everyone in the world is chasing something promising, and no one gets anything; all are haunted by ghosts that fall apart in the air at the very moment they are ready to grab them. Peace-lovers take pride in the belief that, acting in a worldly manner, they deserve the attention of the world, but the world either does not see their deeds, or, seeing, does not give them a price, or, having recognized the price, does not give the agreed reward. Everybody in the world is deceived, and yet they deceive themselves with hopes for which there is not the slightest support.

Those who work for the Lord are outwardly invisible, often even despised and persecuted, but inwardly they ripen constantly in spiritual perfections, which in another world will shine in them like the sun, and will give them their corresponding place and bliss.

Those who work for the world are outwardly visible, brilliant, often omnipotent, but inwardly they are consumed with tightness, torments of the heart and burning worries. Not having a moment's rest here, they go there- into a bleak eternity.

And yet the kingdom of this world exists and is never empty, and yet it is made up of all of us; what kind of a miracle is this? Whether our mind at times or on some sides is not very smart, or the spirit of the world that surrounds us, acts so quickly that it darkens before we have time to figure out anything, with one glance attracting to itself and absorbing prey, like some poisonous snakes ? It is not clear, but it is true that many Christians cling to the world, and the world cannot complain that the ranks of its worshipers are rare».

Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov (1807-1867): « Flattering, deceiving the path of earthly life: for beginners, it seems like an endless field full of reality; for those who have committed it - by the shortest path, furnished with empty dreams ...

And glory, and wealth, and all other perishable gains and advantages, for the acquisition of which he uses all earthly life, all the forces of the soul and body, the blinded sinner, he must leave in those minutes in which her clothes are forcibly removed from the soul - the body, when the soul is led by inexorable angels to the judgment of a righteous God, unknown to her, neglected by her ...

People are working, in a hurry to enrich themselves with knowledge, but only with insignificant knowledge, suitable only for time, contributing to the satisfaction of the needs, conveniences and whims of earthly life. Knowledge and deeds that are essential, for which earthly life is only given to us - the knowledge of God and reconciliation with Him through the mediation of the Redeemer - we completely despise ...

Striving for earthly prosperity how strange, how monstrous! It seeks with frenzy. As soon as it finds it, what it finds is deprived of its value, and the quest is excited with new vigor. It is not satisfied with anything present: it lives by one future, it longs only for what it does not have... Objects of desire lure the seeker's heart to themselves with a dream and the hope of satisfaction: deceived, constantly deceived, he chases after them throughout the entire field of earthly life, until his unexpected death delights him. How and how to explain this quest, which treats everyone like an inhuman traitor, and possesses everyone, carries everyone away. - A striving for endless blessings is implanted in our souls. But we fell, and the heart blinded by the fall seeks in time and on earth what exists in eternity and in heaven…

The prophet called the earth a place your arrival, and myself as a stranger and a wanderer on it: as a preselnik I am with you, he said in his prayer to God, stranger, like all my fathers(Psalm 38, 13). Obvious, tactile truth! Truth forgotten by people, despite its obviousness! I AM - alien and on earth: I entered in birth; I will go out by death. I AM - preselnik on earth: transferred to it from paradise, where I defiled and disfigured myself with sin. I will also move from the earth, from this urgent exile of mine, into which I have been placed by my God, so that I change my mind, be cleansed of sinfulness, and again become capable of living in paradise. For persistent, final incorrigibility, I must fall forever into the dungeons of hell. I AM - wanderer and on earth: I start my wandering from the cradle, end in a coffin: I wander by age from childhood to old age, wander through various earthly circumstances and situations. I AM - a stranger and a wanderer, like all my fathers. My fathers were strangers and strangers on earth: having entered upon her by birth, they departed from her face by her death. There were no exceptions: none of the people remained forever on earth. I'll leave too. I am already beginning my departure, becoming impoverished, submitting to old age. I will leave, I will leave here according to the immutable law and the mighty ordinance of the Creator and my God.

Let's make sure we are strangers on earth. It is only from this conviction that we can make a calculation and order infallible for our earthly life; only from this conviction can we give it the right direction, use it for the acquisition of blissful eternity, not for empty and vain, not for ruining ourselves. Our fall has blinded and blinds us! And we are forced, for a long time, to convince ourselves of the clearest truths, which do not need, by their clarity, conviction.

The wanderer, when he stops on the way, in a strange house, does not pay special attention to this house. Why attention when he took shelter in the house for the shortest possible time? He is content with one necessary; tries not to spend the money that he needs on the continuation of the path and on the maintenance in the great city in which he is marching; he endures shortcomings and inconveniences generously, knowing that they are an accident to which all travelers are subjected, that inviolable peace awaits him in the place where he aspires. He does not attach his heart to any object in the hotel, no matter how the object seems attractive. He does not waste time for extraneous pursuits: he needs it to complete the arduous journey ... Having spent the right time in the hotel, he thanks her owner for the hospitality shown to him and, leaving, forgets about the hotel or remembers it superficially, because his heart was cold to her ...

We will also acquire such an attitude towards the earth. We will not waste madly the abilities of soul and body; let us not sacrifice them to vanity and decay. Let us be protected from attachment to the temporal and material, so that it does not prevent us from gaining the eternal, the heavenly. Let us guard ourselves from the satisfaction of our unsatisfied and insatiable whims, from the satisfaction of which our fall develops and reaches terrible proportions. We will be protected from excesses, contenting ourselves with only essential things.

Let us direct all our attention to the afterlife that awaits us, which no longer has an end. Let us know God, who has commanded us to know Him and who gives this knowledge by His word and His grace. Let us assimilate to God during our earthly life. He provided us with the closest union with Himself and gave us the time to accomplish this greatest deed - earthly life. There is no other time, except for the time determined by earthly life, in which a wonderful assimilation could take place: if it does not happen at this time, it will never happen. We will gain the friendship of celestials, holy angels and deceased holy people, so that they accept us to eternal homes.

Let us acquire knowledge of the fallen spirits, these fierce and insidious enemies of the human race, in order to avoid their intrigues and cohabitation with them in the hellish flame. Let the word of God be a lamp on our life's journey ... "

Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco miracle worker (1896-1966): “The grief of a man is that he is constantly in a hurry, but he is in a hurry in vain, fruitlessly. Man turns mountains with his energy, erects and destroys entire cities in a very short time. But if we look into its energy and look at its consequences, we see that it does not increase the good in the world. A what does not increase goodness is fruitless... Even the destruction of evil is fruitless if this destruction is not a manifestation of good and does not bear the fruits of good.

The life of people in the world has become very hasty and is becoming more and more hasty; everyone is running, everyone is afraid of being late somewhere, not catching someone, missing something, not doing something. Cars rush through air, water and earth, but do not bring happiness to humanity; on the contrary, they destroy the well-being that remains on the earth.

Diabolical haste, haste entered the world. The secret of this haste and haste is revealed to us by the Word of God in the 12th chapter of the Apocalypse: And I heard a loud voice speaking in heaven: now has come salvation and the power and kingdom of our God and the authority of His Christ, because the accuser of our brethren has been cast out, who slanders them before our God day and night. They overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their souls even unto death. So rejoice, the heavens and those who dwell in them! Woe to those who live on earth and at sea! Because the devil has come down to you in great rage, knowing that he has little time left.(Revelation 12, 10-12).

You hear: the devil descended on land and on the sea in great fury, knowing that he has little time left. That is where this irrepressible, ever-accelerating circulation of things and even concepts in the world comes from, that is where the general haste in technology and in life comes from the increasingly unrestrained race of people and peoples.

Satan's kingdom is about to end. This is the reason for the joy of heaven and those people on earth who live in heaven. The doomed evil, anticipating its death, rushes about in the world, agitates humanity, inflates itself to the utmost limits and makes people, who have not put the seal of the Lamb of God on their foreheads and hearts, unrestrainedly all strive forward and accelerate their life. Evil knows that only in such a senseless rotation of people and nations can it expect to add a part of humanity to its destruction. Stiffened, rushing somewhere, people are little able to think and reason about the great and eternal truths, to comprehend which one needs at least a minute of divine silence in the heart, at least a moment of holy silence.

Technology has long been increasing the speed of movement of people and their acquisition of earthly values. It would seem that people should have more time for the life of the spirit. However, no. It became harder and harder for the soul to live. The materiality of the world, spinning rapidly, draws into itself the human soul. And the soul perishes, it has no time for anything sublime in the world - everything revolves, everything revolves and accelerates its run. What an awful ghostly deed! And, nevertheless, she firmly holds the person and the peoples in her power. Instead of spiritual striving, the world is already dominated by a psychosis of carnal speed, carnal successes. Instead of strengthening the saint fervor of spirit the flesh of the world is increasingly heated. A mirage of deeds is created, for a person is called to deeds and cannot be calm without work. But the deeds of the flesh do not comfort a person, since it is not a person who owns them, but they do it. Man is a slave to the deeds of the flesh. Builds on the sand(see Matthew 7, 26-27). The sand building collapses. A heap of dust remains from the earthly house of a man. Instead of many proud buildings, there was a pile of sand. And from this sand again man builds his world. The sand crumbles, and the person works, picking it up ... Poor man! All are chained in a chain of small, nothing to the soul of affairs, which must be done as soon as possible in order to be able to start a number of other, equally insignificant affairs as soon as possible.

Where to get the time for good? There is no time to even think about it. Everything is filled in life. Good is like a wanderer who has no place either in a service room, or in a factory, or on the street, or in a person's house, and still less in places of his entertainment. Good has nowhere to lay his head. How hurry to do it when you cannot even invite him to your place for five minutes - not only into a room, but even into a thought, into a feeling, into a desire. Once! And how does good not understand this and try to knock on the conscience and torment it a little? Deeds, deeds, worries, necessity, urgency, awareness of the importance of all this being done ... Poor man! And where is your good, where is your face? Where are you? Where do you hide behind the spinning wheels and propellers of life? Still I will tell you: hurry up make good, while you live in the body. Walk in the light while you live in the body. Walk in the light while there is light(cf .: John 12, 35). The night will come when you will no longer be able to do good, even if you wanted to.

But of course if you on earth, this threshold of both heaven and hell, did not want to do good and even think about good, you hardly want to do it when you find yourself in the middle of the night, outside the door of this existence, pushed out of the bustle of earthly life that scattered and dispelled your soul into the cold and dark night of nothingness. Therefore, hurry up to do good! Start thinking about doing it first; and then think about how to do it, and then start doing it. Hurry to think, hurry to do. The time is short. This is eternal in temporary. Introduce this business as the most important business into your life. Do it before it's too late. How awful it will be to be late in doing good. With empty hands and with a cold heart, go to another world and appear at the Creator's Judgment.

He who does not hurry to do good will not do it. Good requires fervor. The devil will not allow the lukewarm to do good. He will bind them hand and foot, before they think about good. Only fiery, hot ones can do good. Only a lightning-fast-kind person can be kind in our world... And the further life goes, the more lightning speed a person needs for good. Lightning speed is an expression of spiritual strength, this is the courage of holy faith, this is an action of good, this is real humanity!

Let us contrast the haste of vanity and evil with the speed and ardor of movement in the implementation of good. Lord, bless and strengthen! The speed of remorse after any sin - this is the first fervor that we will bring to God. The speed of forgiveness a brother who has sinned against us - this is the second fervor that we will bring. Fast response to every request, the fulfillment of which is possible for us and useful for the asking, - the third fervor. Recoil speed to the neighbors of all that can bring them out of trouble - the fourth fervor of the spirit, faithful to God. Fifth fervor: skill quickly notice who needs it, both materially and spiritually, and the ability to serve at least small to every person; the ability to pray for each person. The sixth ardor is skill and quick determination to oppose every expression of evil - good, to every darkness - the light of Christ, to every lie - the truth. And the seventh fervor of our faith, love and hope, this is skill instantly lift up the heart and all nature towards God surrendering to His will, giving thanks and praising Him for everything. "

“How mistaken are those people who seek happiness outside themselves - in foreign countries and travels, in wealth and fame, in great possessions and pleasures, in pleasures and in empty things that have bitterness in their end! Building a tower of happiness outside of our hearts is like building a house in a place that is subject to constant earthquakes. Happiness is in ourselves, and blessed is the one who understood this ... Happiness is a pure heart, because such a heart becomes the throne of God. Thus says the Lord for those who have a pure heart: "I will dwell in them and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be My people" (2 Cor. 6:16). What else can they lack? Nothing, truly nothing! Because they have in their hearts the greatest blessing - God Himself! ”.

1. "He who walks ... in the way of Christ always rejoices and rejoices in the Holy Spirit, waiting for the blessed hope of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ."
2. “Why… there is more joy in heaven for sinners who bring repentance than for righteous ones who have sinned? Because joy usually comes after sorrow. So, since sorrow is a joy for which they have sinned, then there will be joy (to them) when they repent. "

Monk Ephraim Sirin

1. "... Only those who put their joy in the Lord know how great this joy is, and how much it surpasses any comparison."
2. “If you wish for joy, lack of money, thread-bodied health, nislava, niv power, niveness, luxurious meals, no silk clothes, fields of great value, non-religious houses and anything else like that, but strive for God's love and adhere to virtue; then nothing neither real nor expected will be able to grieve you. "
3. "Joy ... spiritual and rational is produced by something other than the consciousness of good deeds - therefore, whoever has a good conscience and deeds like that, he can constantly celebrate."
4. "... Spiritual joy honestly and decently brings the soul into union with God, fills with sweetness also those who are in a relationship with a person."
5. "... Strong joy is often accompanied by the same consequences as excessive grief ..."
6. "... The joy of God is long-lasting and firm, reliable and constant, not disturbed by any unexpected circumstances, but even more rises from the most obstacles."
7. “The righteous become blessed because of their joy. They do not enjoy any worldly blessings, but God alone ... ".
8. “More merriment and joy are the multiplication of sorrow. Beware of thinking about joy, which is the cause of tears. Those who, amid such tears, are overwhelmed with joy, will never have health of the soul. "
9. “Just as God is infinite, so the joy that comes from God is infinite; it always flows, always blooms, and never runs out; the wicked are deprived of such joy. "

Saint John Chrysostom

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Question number 673

About spiritual joy

Ludmila , Kiev, Ukraine
24/06/2003

Father,
how to correctly understand such an attitude of the soul, which, probably, should be constantly present - joy in the Lord. After all, this does not mean constantly rejoicing and smiling. This is some other joy. And how is it possible to combine it with a feeling of some kind of inner tightness, a feeling of complete loneliness, oppression and anxiety, which are not rare?
God save me for the answers.
Ludmila

Father Oleg Molenko's answer:

You have correctly pointed out that spiritual joy is completely different from carnal joy. Carnal joy is not compatible with any pain, sorrow, or unpleasant experience. Such sorrowful experiences change a person's joyful state to a sad one. Spiritual joy is joy in the Lord! This is the joy of the Holy Spirit! About finding Him! And how much a person sees or feels the Lord, so much he rejoices, and no one can take this joy away! Such joy is compatible with all sorrows and sorrows. Here is an example from the book

Acts 5:
40 They obeyed him; and calling the Apostles, they beat them, and forbidding them to speak of the name of Jesus, they let them go.
41 And they departed from the Sanhedrin, rejoicing that for the name of the Lord Jesus they were worthy to receive dishonor.

You see how the holy apostles combine joy with beatings, persecution and dishonor!

The holy Forerunner John rejoiced with the same spiritual joy when he met the Lord Jesus Christ:

John 3:
29 He who has the bride is the bridegroom, but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices with joy when he hears the bridegroom's voice. This joy was fulfilled.
30 He must grow, and I must decrease.

St. John combined this joy with a humble awareness of the incomparable superiority of the Lamb of God over him and the need to diminish.

Spiritual joy is directly related to spiritual love. It is the response of the soul to this love and the response to the experience of this love. But this love unites everyone who is faithful with God, and in God with each other. Therefore, joy is experienced both from meeting with God, and from meeting or communicating with God's man(i.e. a person who is united in love with God and carries the Holy Spirit in himself). This is how the Lord Himself testifies to this:

John 15:
9 As the Father loved me, and I have loved you; abide in my love.
10 If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love.
11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may remain in you and your joy may be full.
12 This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.

The Lord invites each of His followers to abide in His love. This stay is carried out on our part by the fulfillment of His commandments (beginning with the commandment of repentance) and gracious obedience to His holy will. True fulfillment of the commandments and will of God leads a person to purification from passions, pacification, sanctification, reconciliation and union with God through the instillation of the Holy Spirit into him ("... come and dwell in us ..." - from prayer to the Holy Spirit). From this invasion - which is also called the acquisition of the kingdom of God within oneself, spiritual resurrection, revival for God, and being born again - the love of God is poured into the heart of man, which spreads gracefully to all brothers in Christ, and in another manifestation - to all people. This state and the feeling of a new life (which is only life, for you impute the old carnal life to death) and the love of God gives the soul the experience of ecstatic contentment called joy. Since it comes from the merits of Christ, it is called the joy of Christ. And since it comes through the Holy Spirit, it is called joy in the Holy Spirit. This joy, together with the life-giving Holy Spirit, constantly dwells in a person, despite the current temporary sorrows and anger, and reaches perfection. This state can be called spiritual happiness.

Here is another testimony from the Lord:

John 16:
20 Truly, truly, I say to you, you will mourn and weep, but the world will rejoice; you will be sad, but your sorrow will turn into joy.
21 When a woman is in labor, she has sorrow, because her hour has come; but when she gives birth to a baby, she no longer remembers grief for joy, because a man was born into the world.
22 So you also have sorrow now; but I will see you again, and your heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you;
23 and on that day you will not ask Me anything. Truly, truly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.
24 So far you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and receive, to your joy was perfect.

From these words of the Lord, we see that there is only one sorrow for those who know God - when they temporarily part or lose God. This happens according to the will of God, and therefore such sorrow turns into inherent joy. Because God leaves us on one level (carnal), and returns to us when we are already on another level (repentant or spiritual). Joy in us reaches perfection when we learn to ask God (to communicate with Him) in the name of Jesus Christ, i.e. practice praying in His name (Jesus Prayer). Therefore, prosperity in the Jesus Prayer is prosperity in love and joy.

The great Apostle Paul also teaches similar:

2 Cor. 13:
11 However, brethren, rejoice, perfect yourself, be comforted, be of one mind, peaceful, and the God of love and peace will be with you.

- Rejoice - that means abide in love for God through the fulfillment of His commandments, which all boil down to praying in the sweetest name of Jesus Christ. With this, take comfort in inevitable sorrows and warfare from the enemy and this world. By this, come to unanimity and keep the peace - and the God of love and peace will not leave you, but will always be with you.

Phil. 2:
17 But even if I become a sacrifice for the sacrifice and service of your faith, then I rejoice and rejoice in all of you.
18 For this very thing you also rejoice and rejoice in me.

- Joy for the benefits and fruit of ministry, which lead to perfect and constant joy, should always prevail in a Christian over sadness over a short-term separation (by going to God) from dear and beloved people, such as, for example, the Apostle Paul was for their spirit children.

Phil 4:
4 Rejoice always in the Lord; and again I say, rejoice.
5 Let your meekness be known to all men. The Lord is near.
6 Do not be anxious about anything, but always in prayer and petition with thanksgiving reveal your desires to God,
7 and the peace of God, which is above all understanding, will keep your hearts and your thoughts in Christ Jesus.

The Apostle says here "rejoice in the Lord," and not "in the Lord," that is, must abide in the Lord and experience joy from this. But even such blissful joy is not enough. That is why he adds: "and again I say, rejoice." This is not a repetition of the first joy, but an offering of another joy. Therefore, he said, "and I speak again." What kind of joy is implied here? The joy of God's being in us, for we must be in God, and God is in us! This joy is delivered by being in prayer in the name of Jesus Christ.

One should not be embarrassed by the words of the holy Apostle James from his Epistle to the Council:

Iac. 4:
9 Be distressed, weep and weep; let your laughter be turned into mourning, and your joy into sorrow.

With these words, the holy apostle calls us to repentance and weeping for our sins, which leads to true joy. And the command to turn joy into sorrow refers to carnal joy, which should be turned into sorrow according to God, i.e. into repentance. For until reconciliation with God through repentance for what and how can a person sentenced to death and eternal torment rejoice? But the same apostle in the same epistle welcomes spiritual or true joy:

Iac. 1:
1 Jacob, servant of God and the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes in the scattering, - rejoice.
2 Accept with great joy, my brothers, when you fall into various temptations,

The holy apostles and early Christians often greeted each other with the words: "Rejoice!" or "rejoice!" We see this in the prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos: "Virgin Mary, rejoice ..." and in the akathists of the holy saints of God, for example: "Hail Nicholas, great miracle worker!" From false revelations about the heavenly life of souls who have departed there, it is known that in the Kingdom of Heaven they also greet each other with the words "Rejoice!" Therefore, true joy has an eternal meaning and is contrasted with eternal torment.

It would be most appropriate to end this word about joy with the words of the Apostle Jude, the brother of the Lord:

Jude 1:
24 But to him who is able to keep you from falling, and to set you blameless before his glory in joy,
25 To the only Wise God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord, glory and majesty, power and power before all ages, now and for all ages. Amen.

We have collected a precious collection of quotes and sayings of the holy fathers Orthodox Church that will be useful to any Christian. We hope that you will find something useful for yourself in this spiritual treasury.

• Holy fathers about family and marriage
• Holy fathers about children
• Holy fathers about love

Sayings of the holy fathers about the family

About the wedding:"It is best if Christ Himself is present at the marriage, because where Christ is, everything acquires dignity, and the water turns into wine, that is, everything changes for the better." Saint Gregory the Theologian

On the union with the infidels: “ If marriage itself is to be sanctified by the veil and priestly blessing, then how can there be marriage where there is no consent of faith? " Saint Ambrose of Mediolan

O family life: "You, on whom in this life an honest marriage has laid its bonds, think about how you could bring more fruit into the heavenly wine press." Saint Gregory the Theologian

St. Gregory the Theologian

“Bound by the bonds of matrimony, we replace hands, feet, and ears for each other. Marriage makes the weak one twice as strong ... The common concerns of the spouses make their sorrows easier and the common joys delight both. For unanimous spouses, wealth becomes more pleasant, and in poverty the most unanimity is more pleasant than wealth. For them, marital ties are the key of chastity and wishes, the seal of the necessary affection. " Saint Gregory the Theologian

“Composing one flesh, (spouses) have one soul and by mutual love they awaken in each other the zeal for piety. For marriage does not remove from God, but, on the contrary, binds more, because it has more impulses to turn to Him. A small ship moves forward even with a weak wind .., but a large ship will not be moved by the light breath of the wind ... a vast sea of ​​life, he needs a lot of God's help, and he himself loves God more mutually ”. Saint Gregory the Theologian

“The divine creation appeared on earth and in the earthly valleys of the eternally blooming paradise - man. However, man did not yet have an assistant like him. Then the wise Word performed a truly miracle - created to be a spectator of the world, that is, dividing my root and my seed of diverse life into two parts, with a powerful and life-giving hand pulled a rib from the side to create a wife, and pouring love into the bowels of both, prompted them to strive to each other". Saint Gregory the Theologian

On the duties of a husband:"Teach your wife the fear of God, and everything will flow to you as from a source, and your house will be filled with many good things." Saint John Chrysostom

On the responsibilities of the spouses:“The husband should think about how to plant godliness in the house by deeds and words; and let the wife oversee the house, but besides this occupation, she should have another, more urgent concern for the whole family to work for the Kingdom of Heaven. " Saint John Chrysostom

“If you need to do something for each other's pleasure, you need to decorate the soul, and not to dress up and destroy the body. It is not so much (external) that makes the spouses loving, as chastity (kindness), affection and willingness to die for each other. " Saint John Chrysostom

For wives:"Wives, glowing with spiritual beauty, over time more and more reveal their nobility, and the stronger becomes the affection and love of their husbands." Saint John Chrysostom

Sayings of the holy fathers about children

"Children are not accidental purchases, we are responsible for their salvation." Saint John Chrysostom

"Who wants to bring up children well, brings them up in rigor and labors, so that, having distinguished themselves in knowledge and behavior, they can eventually receive the fruits of their labors." Reverend Nile Sinai

“While the soul is still capable of education, is gentle and soft, like wax, easily captures images in itself, it is necessary to immediately and from the very beginning awaken it to goodness. When reason opens and reason comes into action, then the initial foundations will already be laid and samples of piety will be taught. Then the mind will instill useful, and the skill will facilitate success. " Saint Basil the Great

“A good upbringing is not about first letting vices develop and then trying to drive them out. We must take all measures to make our nature inaccessible to vices. " Saint John Chrysostom

“Many parents, having a blind love for their children, regret punishing them for their misdeeds: but later, when the children grow up and are immoral, such parents themselves will understand their error in not punishing their children while they were small. God Himself punishes His chosen children, as we see in the Scriptures, so does He not love them? “The Lord punishes him whom he loves; and beats every son he accepts ”(Hebrews 12: 6). In this matter, Christians should also imitate Heavenly Father and love and punish their children. Unpunished in youth, in maturity they remain, like horses unbroken and wild, not suitable for any business. Therefore, Christian, love your children in a Christian way and punish them so that they become serviceable and good. " Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

St. John Chrysostom

"If you have brought up your son perfectly, then he is his, and the other is his, and, as it were, a streak of better lives will go forward, having received a beginning and a root from you and bringing you the fruits of caring for your descendants." Saint John Chrysostom

“This upsets the whole universe that we do not care about our own children; we care about their property, but we neglect their soul, which is utter madness. " Saint John Chrysostom

“Do you want your son to be obedient? From childhood, educate him in severity. Do not think that listening to the Divine Scriptures will be superfluous for him. " Saint John Chrysostom

"Weeds are easier to pull out when the age is more tender, then it is necessary to ensure that passions left unattended do not intensify and become incorrigible." Saint John Zlatous T

Sayings of the holy fathers about love

"Having received the commandment to love God, we also received the power to love that was put into us during creation." Saint Basil the Great

“To love Christ means not to be a mercenary, not to look at a godly life as a business and trade, but to be truly virtuous and do everything out of love for God.” Saint John Chrysostom

"No word is enough to adequately depict love, since it is unearthly, but heavenly origin ... Even the language of the Angels is not able to perfectly examine it, since it continuously comes from the Great God." John Cassian Roman

“People are looking for easy, not hard work. 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 so forth, to do to His servants. No, we don't hear anything like that from Him, but what? - “love one another” (John 13:34; 15, 12, 17). What's easier than loving? It is hard to hate, for hate torments; but love is sweet, for love pleases. He Himself testifies to this: "... My yoke is good, and My burden is light" (Matt. 11:30). Let us, beloved Christian, take upon ourselves the good yoke of Christ, bear His light burden and follow Him. " Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

"The thought of a person who truly loves God never exists on earth, but constantly in Heaven, where the One whom he loved." Monk Ephraim the Syrian

"We see the degree of our love for God with particular clarity in prayer, which serves as an expression of this love and is very correctly called in the fatherly scriptures a mirror of spiritual prosperity."

"We are not so much looking for (love) as God is looking for us to be able to receive it and accept it." Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov)

"He who loves humility, it is easy for him to love God, and who loves pride, he hates God." Monk Ephraim the Syrian

"To those who love God, God will grant His love." Venerable Macarius of Egypt

“The brother said to Abba Agathon:“ I have been given a commandment, but the fulfillment of the commandment is associated with sorrow; and I want to fulfill the commandment, and I fear sorrow. " The elder answered: "If you had love, you would have fulfilled the commandment and overcome sorrow." Abba Agathon

Goodbye - forgiven; have mercy - pardoned, by philanthropy, acquire philanthropy, while there is time for this (14, 147).

Did they hit you on the cheek? Why, then, do you allow your other cheek to remain without gain? If the first one suffered this involuntarily, there is little merit, and if you want, you have to do something more, namely: turn the other cheek arbitrarily in order to become worthy of a reward. Have you taken off your tunic? Give other clothes as well, if you have them; let even the third be removed: you will not be left without an acquisition if you leave this matter to God. Are they slandering us? Let us bless the wicked. Are we spat upon? Let us hasten to acquire honor from God. Are we being persecuted? But no one will separate us from God; He is our only inalienable treasure. Is anyone cursing you? Pray for the one who curses. Is it threatening to harm you? And you threaten that you will endure. Starts executing threats? And your duty is to do good. Thus, you will gain two important benefits: you yourself will be the perfect guardian of the law, and your meekness will turn the one who offends you to meekness, and from an enemy he will become a disciple. Saint Gregory the Theologian (15, 165).

If you, man, do not forgive everyone who has sinned against you, then do not bother yourself with fasting and prayer ... God will not accept you. Monk Ephraim the Syrian (28, 111).

For the sake of God, for the sake of preserving the world, endures the cruel words of a gross and unreasonable person, he will be called the son of the world and can acquire peace in soul, body and spirit (34, 83).

When you remember the insults and those that persecute you, do not complain about them, but rather pray for them to God, as the culprits of the greatest blessings for you. Venerable Abba Isaiah (34, 184).

How do you ask God to be merciful to you, when you yourself are not merciful to those who offend you? (35, 139).

The more someone has sinned against us, the more we must hasten to reconciliation, because he becomes the reason for the forgiveness of more sins. (36, 233).

The Lord wants us to be meek to the guilty, unforgiving to those who sin against us, by forgiving them to forgive ourselves and to prepare ourselves a measure of philanthropy (37, 33)

Being guilty before the Lord of innumerable sins, we, however, by His ineffable love for mankind, receive forgiveness from Him. If we ourselves are cruel and inhuman towards our neighbors and brothers who have the same nature with us, and we will not forgive their sins against us ... then we will incur the wrath of the Lord, and for what we have already received forgiveness, we will again have to pay in pain (38, 281).

If we do not forgive our neighbors, then this will not cause them any harm, but we will prepare ourselves an unbearable Gehenna torment. (38, 282).

Let us not think that, by forgiving our neighbor, we are showing him a blessing or great mercy; no, we ourselves receive a blessing, we derive great benefit for ourselves (38, 282).

If we neglect this commandment (about forgiveness), then what condemnation will we be subjected to, acting contrary to our words, daring to utter the words of the prayer: “and leave us our debts, as we also leave our debts”, pronouncing them recklessly and frivolously, accumulating more and more for ourselves (fire) of Gehenna and stirring up the wrath of the Lord against you? (38, 283).

If necessary, we will both apologize and ask forgiveness from the warring ones, we will not refuse this, even if we ourselves were offended. In this way, we will prepare ourselves a great reward and a firm hope. (38, 870).

Nothing makes us more like God than forgiving evil people who offend us (41, 227).

For this only, God requires from us condescension to our neighbors, so that He Himself have an opportunity to forgive us great sins. (41, 167).

Nothing restrains offenders more than the meek patience of the offended. It not only keeps them from further impulses, but also makes them repent of the previous ones ... (41, 205).

You forgive another because you yourself need forgiveness ... (41, 225).

If (the offender) did something offensive and hostile, then we will leave it behind and erase it from our memory, so that there are no traces left. If at all there was nothing good for us from him, then the more our reward, the more praise, if we forgive (42, 261).

It happens that the raging ones beat us, but we not only are not angry with them, but we also pity them. Do this too - have pity on the offending person: after all, he is possessed by a fierce beast - rage, a violent demon - anger (42, 864).

It is not enough not to take revenge (it was in Old Testament) - we will do everything for those who have offended us, as for sincere friends, as for ourselves. We are imitators of the One who, after the crucifixion, took all measures for (salvation) those who crucified (43, 94).

The one who forgave sins benefited both his own soul and the soul of the one who received forgiveness, because ... he made meek not only himself, but also him. Pursuing those who have offended us, we do not bite their souls as much as forgiving them, for we are thus embarrassed and ashamed. (43, 139).

Has anyone insulted you? Be silent, bless if you can; in this way you will proclaim the word of God, teach meekness, inspire humility (43, 285).

A person who has forgiven his neighbor cannot but receive perfect forgiveness (from God), because God is incomparably more humane than us ... (43, 325).

In imitation of God, we will also do good to our enemies; we will not reject those who hate us (45, 61).

Love for enemies is love for God, who gave commandments and laws, is imitation of Him. Know, then, that in doing good deeds to your enemies, you are doing good not to them, but to yourself, you do not love them, but obey God. (45, 64).

When an offended person prays for the offender, he gains great boldness. (45, 105).

Why did you become a child of God? Because you are forgiven. On the same basis on which you have been awarded such a great honor, you yourself also say goodbye to your neighbor. (45, 143).

He who blesses his enemy blesses himself, and whoever curses him curses himself. He who prays for the enemy prays for himself (45, 664).

Has anyone insulted you? Pray to God that He would quickly have mercy on him: he is your brother, your member. But, you say, he insults me too much. The more you will be rewarded for this. Therefore, it is especially necessary to leave anger at the offender, because the devil wounded him. Do not reproach him also, and do not overthrow yourself with him. Indeed, while you are standing, you can save him too; if you also throw yourself down through a reciprocal insult, then who will then raise you up? Is it the wounded one? But he will not be able to do this. Or you, who fell with him? But how do you, being unable to help yourself, stretch out your hand to another? That one was wounded by the devil, do not inflict a wound yet, but, on the contrary, take out the old arrow. If we treat each other in this way, then soon we will all be healthy, and if we begin to arm ourselves against each other, then the devil is not needed for our destruction. (46, 624).

When someone insults you, think about the torment that he is experiencing, and you will not only have no anger against him, but you will also shed tears. Saint John Chrysostom (46, 624).

Whoever wants to win a brilliant victory must not only courageously endure insults and resentments, but even give in to the offender more than he wants to take, and with an excess of his own generosity extend beyond his crafty wishes. And if it seems strange to you, then we will take the decision from Heaven, and there we will read this law. The Savior did not say: “Whoever hits you on your right cheek,” bear it courageously and calm down, but commanded: “turn to him the other one too” () willingly accept the blow. Here is a brilliant victory! The first is wise and the second is supernatural and heavenly (50, 285).

The king of all that is premium and earthly came down from Heaven and brought us the sign of heavenly living, which he offered us in contrast to the Olympic struggle. For there is crowned the one who strikes and overcomes, and here - who accepts them and endures them. There the one who rewards the blow with the blow triumphs, and here the one who turns the other cheek is praised at the angelic spectacle, because victory is not in revenge, but in wisdom (51, 175).

Although obliged to apologize from you and does not ask him, and does not worry about why you might also consider it excuse for yourself not to forgive him for the wrongs committed against you, you, in spite of the fact, forgive him, if possible, calling him to yourself, and if this is impossible, to yourself, without showing by your actions that you want to take revenge. Venerable Isidore Pelusiot (52, 156).

We must forgive those who have offended us, knowing that the reward for forgiving offenses exceeds the reward for any other virtue. And if we cannot do this because of our sinfulness, then we must, in vigil and in suffering, pray to God that He would have mercy on us and give us all strength. At the same time, at any time, in every place and in every business, we must have one intention, so that we rejoice in the face of various insults from people, and not grieve; to rejoice not simply and not without reasoning, but because we have an opportunity to forgive the one who has sinned against us and receive (thus) the forgiveness of our own sins. For in this lies the true knowledge of God, which is immeasurable than any knowledge and with the help of which we can pray to God and be heard. This is the fruitfulness of faith, this proves our faith in Christ, so we can take up our cross and follow Christ. This is the foundation of the first and great commandments, for through this we can love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. To do this, we must fast, stay in vigil and depress our body, so that our heart and inner disposition open up, take it into ourselves and no longer throw it out. Then, because we forgive our neighbor's sins, the grace secretly given to us at Holy Baptism will begin to act in us already clearly, perceptibly for our consciousness and feelings. Monk Mark the Ascetic (66, 521).

“If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him ”(). The holy Gospel we have heard teaches us the forgiveness of sins. The words “seven times a day” () are spoken instead of “no matter how much,” and not so that if your brother sins eight times, you refuse to forgive him. So what does "seven times a day" mean? Always, no matter how many times he sins and repent. What one psalm says: “I glorify You seven times a day” (), in another psalm it is expressed by the words: “His praise is ceaselessly in my mouth” (). And the reason why the number "seven" is put instead of "always" is obvious, because the whole reversal of time consists of the continuation and return of seven days. God Jesus Christ Himself, about whom the Apostle Peter said: “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example so that we would follow in His footsteps. He did not commit any sin, and there was no flattery in His mouth ”(), so He Himself had no sin, and died for our sins, and shed His blood for the remission of sins. He took for us what he shouldn't have in order to get rid of our debts. He shouldn't have died as we shouldn't have lived; why? because they were sinners. As for Him death, so for us life was not a duty; but what He did not owe, He accepted, and what He did not owe us, He gave. And lest you think that for the sake of forgiveness of sins it is much for you to imitate Christ, listen to the words of the Apostle: "Forgive one another, just as God in Christ forgave you ... imitate God" (). These are the words of the apostle, not mine: "imitate God." Is it too arrogant to imitate God? Listen to the apostle: "imitate God as beloved children" (). You are called a child; how do you want an inheritance if you refuse to imitate? I would say this even if you had no sins at all, the forgiveness of which you would need. Now, whoever you are, you are a man: if you are righteous, you are a man; are you a layman; whether you are a monk - you are a person; whether you are a cleric - you are a man; whether a bishop - are you a man; whether you are an apostle - you are a man. Pay attention to the words of the apostle: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." Here he himself, John, the evangelist, whom the Lord Jesus Christ loved more than anyone who reclined on His chest, says: "If we say ...". Do not “say, you said that you have no sin,” but: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and righteous, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness ”().

So, I demand that you forgive, because I find you demanding forgiveness. They ask you - goodbye; they ask you - and you will ask to be forgiven you. The time for prayer will come, and I will catch you in the words that you say. You will say: "Our Father, Who art in Heaven." You will not be among the sons if you do not say, "Our Father." So, you say: "Our Father, Who art in Heaven." Continue: "Hallowed be Thy name." Say further: "Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth." Then look what you add: "Give us this day our daily bread." Where is your wealth? You ask like a beggar. But tell me after that what it comes from. Say the following: "Leave us our debts." You have reached my words: "Leave, you say, our debts are ours." By what right? with what condition? by what law? with what assurance of your own? "As we also leave our debtor." Not only do you not let go, you also lie to God. The condition is imposed; the law is decreed: leave as I leave. It means that He does not leave, if you do not leave. Leave as I leave. If you want it to be left to you, the one asking, leave it to the one asking. This forgiveness was promised to you by the Heavenly Lawmaker Himself; He is not deceiving you. Ask, following His heavenly voice; say: "leave it to us ... as we leave it too," and do as you say. Whoever lies in prayer loses his work and is punished. If someone deceives the king, he is convicted of deceit when he comes, and when you lie in prayer, then in the very prayer you are convicted.

It is impossible to pass this verse if we do not fulfill what we say. Is it possible to erase this verse from our prayer? Do you really want to say: "Leave us our debts," and blot out the following words: "As if we also leave our debtors"? You will not iron it so that you will not be ironed out. So, you say in prayer: “give”, you say: “leave” in order to receive what you do not have, and may you be forgiven. Blessed Augustine (116, 241–242).

"If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will forgive you too, and if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins" (). What a simple and handy way of salvation! Your sins are forgiven on condition that your neighbor's sins against you are forgiven. Himself, then you are in your hands. Break yourself and go from non-peaceful feelings to your brother to sincerely peaceful ones - and that's it. Forgiven day, what a great heavenly day of God! If we all used it as we should, then the present day would make heavenly societies out of Christian societies and the earth would merge with Heaven ... (107, 52)

“If you will not forgive people for their sins (against you), then your Father will not forgive you for your sins,” the Lord said (). Who doesn't forgive others? The righteous or the one who recognizes himself as righteous. Such a person has no choice but to judge and pronounce only sentences and demand execution of those guilty. Who, then, feels himself a sinner, is it up to others? His tongue will not turn to condemn another and demand satisfaction from him, when his own conscience constantly denounces and constantly threatens with the righteous judgment of God. So, isn't it better to sin than righteousness? No, be zealous for righteousness in every possible way. But, for all your righteousness, realize that you are an unbreakable slave. And be aware with an undifferentiated thought, that is, not so that the thought of your non-isolation is in front, and the feeling of righteousness hides behind, but consider yourself to be non-switchable with full consciousness and feeling. When you get to this (and you have to get to this, because it is not suddenly acquired), then, no matter how your brother has sinned against you, you will not exact, because your conscience will keep repeating: "And you are not yet worth it, this is not enough for you" , - and forgive; but having forgiven, you yourself will be worthy of forgiveness. So all my life: forgiveness for forgiveness, and at the Judgment you will be forgiven for this (107, 301–302).

Wanting to know how many times one should forgive a brother, Saint Peter asked, anticipating the answer: "up to seven times?" And having said this, I thought that I had appointed the largest measure. How short is human patience! The Lord, applying His longsuffering to our weaknesses, determined: “I do not say to you: until seven, but? Until seventy seven” (). This is the same as saying: always goodbye, and do not think not to forgive. Forgiveness will be the hallmark of the Christian spirit, for forgiveness is the source and constant support of life in us in the Lord, on behalf of God. The everlasting forgiveness of everything to all is the outer garment of Christian love, which, according to the Apostle, “is longsuffering, merciful ... not irritated ... covers everything (). It is the surest guarantee for forgiveness at the Last Judgment, for if we let go, our Heavenly Father will let us go too (). Thus, if you want to go to heaven - goodbye to everyone, sincerely, from the heart, so that even a shadow of hostility does not remain. (107, 225–226).

“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest (). Oh divine, oh dear, oh your sweetest voice! Let us all follow the Lord who calls us! But first we need to feel that it is difficult and difficult for us, that is, to feel that we have many sins, and these sins are grave. From this feeling will be born the need to seek relief for yourself. Then faith will show us the only refuge - in the Lord the Savior, and our steps will automatically go to Him. A soul that has longed to get rid of sins knows what to say to the Lord: take my heavy, sinful burden, and I will take your good yoke (). And it happens like this: the Lord forgives sins, and the soul begins to walk in His commandments. And the commandments are a yoke, and sins are a burden. But, comparing both, the soul finds that the yoke of the commandments is light as a feather, and the burden of sins is heavy as a mountain. Let us not be afraid to willingly accept the Lord's good yoke and His light burden! Only in this way, and not otherwise, can we find peace for our souls. Saint Theophan the Recluse (107, 184-185).

In a war, where people fight with people, the side that drives the enemy wins, but not so in the Christian battle, which happens against the devil. Here the man who conquers the devil is the one who yields to people who offend him, forgives, does not repay evil for evil. An even greater ulcer on the enemy occurs when a person not only does not repay evil for evil, but also loves his enemies. (104, 1549–1550).

There is nothing safer than to forgive, and there is nothing more dangerous than not to forgive and take revenge on your neighbor for sins. "Judgment without mercy to the one who did not show mercy" (). God in His Goodness shows mercy to all of us, we feel it not only every day, but every hour. But when a person, having been rewarded with the mercy of God, himself does not want to show mercy to a person like himself, then God and His mercy from him, as an ungrateful and crafty slave, takes away. Then, instead of mercy, a person is subject to God's righteous Judgment and for all his sins, whatever he did in life, he will be judged. You see, Christian, how terrible and dangerous it is not to forgive and take revenge on your neighbor (104, 1550).

Christian love requires not to take revenge on our brother, who was defeated by natural weakness, encouraged by the devil's action and sinned against us, but, having mercy, forgive so that he would not suffer from revenge and we would not regret afterwards that we caused our brother trouble. For it often happens that both the offender and the one who took revenge regret what happened, but what was done can no longer be returned. Therefore, all this must be foreseen in advance and not to allow anger to develop into hatred and anger, but immediately extinguish the evil that begins to smoke with the spirit of meekness and philanthropy. (104, 1550).

If everyone took revenge on each other, society could not have survived, everyone would have exterminated each other in mutual enmity. “If you bite and eat each other, beware lest you be destroyed by one another,” says the apostle () (104, 1551).

If someone offends you, do not hold anger at him, but forgive him immediately and pray to God for him, that God would forgive him. And although your heart does not want this, you bow down to him and convince and pray to the Lord that He will help you to overcome yourself, and put the carnal wisdom to death. This is difficult, but it is required from a Christian, and even more from a monk. You must forgive your neighbor if you yourself want to receive forgiveness from God. Forgive - and you will be forgiven, if you do not forgive, then you will not be forgiven. This is terrible, but true, for the Holy Gospel teaches so (104, 1551–1552).

The parable means nothing more than that to those who are angry with their neighbors and who do not leave their sins, God will not only not forsake sins, but also his previous sins, already forgiven, will return and remember. For the merciful king had forgiven the debtor, but for his lack of mercy to his brother he again demanded a debt from him and gave him over to the tormentors for torture. Therefore, the Lord finishes the parable as follows: “So will my heavenly Father do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart his sins” (). Therefore, when we receive the forgiveness of our great debts from God, then for the sake of this grace of God we must themselves forgive the small debts of our neighbors, so that the same thing does not happen to us as to this wicked gospel servant. (104, 1554).

If the earthly king commanded you not only to forgive your neighbor's offenses, but also to serve him - or die, what would you choose? die - or forgive and serve your neighbor? I hope that you would rather want to forgive and serve your neighbor than die. The Heavenly King commands not only to forgive those who offend, but also to love enemies, and to do good to those who hate. Otherwise, eternal death will follow to those who do not listen to the commands of the Heavenly King: “Not everyone who says to Me:“ Lord! Lord! "Will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven" () (104, 1554–1555).

Know for sure that if you reflect offense with insult and backbiting - with backbiting, that is, repaying evil for evil, then you will give way to the devil, for he wants us to repay evil for evil. And then God will not stand for us, for God says: "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" (), because then we ourselves do what befits God alone. And when we will yield to people who have offended us, forgive, be silent, and even pray for them and return good for their evil, then there will be no place for the devil. Then we will not yield to him, but we will stand against him and resist him, for the devil does not want us to do good to people. This is the Christian victory, which conquers not the flesh and blood of people like themselves, but the spirit of malice. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 1555-1556).

Abba Vitaly asked Abba Pimen: "If someone has enmity towards me and I ask him for forgiveness, and he does not forgive me, what should I do then?" “Take two brothers with you,” the elder answered, “and ask him for forgiveness. If he does not forgive again, take five others; but if he does not forgive even in their presence, take a priest. And if he does not forgive even then, pray calmly to God, let Him himself enlighten him, and you don’t worry. ” Memorable legends (79, 220).

There were two brothers in spirit - the deacon Evagrius and the priest Titus. And they had great and unhypocritical love for one another, so that all marveled at their unanimity and immeasurable love. The devil who hates goodness, who always walks "like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" (), aroused enmity between them. And he put such hatred in them that they shied away from each other, did not want to see each other. Many times the brethren begged them to be reconciled among themselves, but they did not want to hear. When Titus walked with the censer, Evagrius ran away from the incense; when Evagrius did not run, Titus passed him without leaving. And so they stayed for a long time in sinful darkness; they were approaching the holy mysteries: Titus - without asking for forgiveness, and Evagrius - in anger, the enemy embittered them so much. Once Titus got very sick and, already dying, began to grieve about his sin and sent to the deacon with a prayer: "Forgive me, for God's sake, my brother, that I was in vain angry with you." Evagrius responded with cruel words and curses. The elders, seeing that Titus was dying, forcibly led Evagrius to reconcile him with his brother. Seeing him, the patient raised himself a little, fell on his face at his feet and said: "Forgive and bless me, my father!" He, unmerciful and fierce, refused in front of all of them, saying: "I will never reconcile with him - not in this century, not in the future." Evagrius escaped from the hands of the elders, but suddenly fell. We wanted to pick him up, but we saw that he was already dead. And it was impossible to straighten his arms, or close his mouth, as in the case of the long-dead. The patient immediately got up, as if he had never been sick. We were horrified by the sudden death of one and the quick healing of the other. We buried Evagrius with much weeping. His mouth and eyes remained open, and his arms were outstretched. Then we asked Titus: "What does all this mean?" And he began to say: “I saw Angels departing from me and crying for my soul, and demons rejoicing in my anger. And then I began to pray to my brother to forgive me. When you brought him to me, I saw an unmerciful Angel holding a fiery spear, and when Evagrius did not forgive me, he struck him, and he fell dead. The Angel gave me his hand and lifted me up. " Hearing this, we were afraid of God, who said: Forgive, and you will be forgiven (). Kiev-Pechersk Paterik (86, 55–56).

I remember when I was 6 years old, - recalled Archimandrite Kronid, - I lived in the house of my father, a psalmist. Once our horse went to a strip of oats that belonged to a neighbor, Father John Desnitsky. Fr. John was the rector of a village church, at which his father served as a psalmist, and, despite all his kindness of soul, was no stranger to irascibility. Seeing our horse in his estate, he caught it and, as it were, in the form of a pledge, led him into his yard through the gate of his gate. A large sharp nail was sticking out from the top of the gate. With this nail, the horse ripped its back from mane to tail. Seeing such a misfortune, the priest immediately released our horse, which returned home covered in blood. The mother and older children, in indignation, advised their father to immediately complain to their father dean, who lived in our own village not far from our house. But the father cried over the loss of the horse, prayed, but complained about Fr. John did not want to.

Three days have passed. Apparently, Fr. John expected a complaint from my father, but without waiting for her, he called him to him, kneeling down in front of him, said: “Forgive me. For God's sake, I am guilty before you. I accidentally ruined your horse. I ask and I pray you: take these 50 rubles and buy yourself a horse for working hours. " For a long time the father did not agree to take money from the priest, but the priest begged him to take at least 25 rubles. Father soon bought himself a horse with them and worked on it all summer. And our horse had also recovered by this time. Priest Fr. After this incident, John was very kind and attentive to my father, until his death he continued to treat him with special love. Trinity flowers (91, 53–54).

Offenses

"Vengeance is mine, I will repay" (Rom. 12, 19)

Has the neighbor offended you and grieved you and did you a lot of harm? In this case, you yourself do not take revenge on him, so as not to offend your Lord; leave everything to God, and He will arrange the matter much better than you want. He commanded you only to pray for the offender, but what to do with him - he commanded to leave it to Him. You yourself will never avenge yourself as He is ready to avenge you, if you only leave it to Him, if you do not pray for the punishment of the offender, but transfer the judgment to His will. Indeed, even if we forgave those who offended, even if we were reconciled with them, even if we prayed for them, but if they themselves do not change and become better, God will not forgive them, he will not forgive, however, for their own benefit. He will praise and approve of you for your wisdom, and punish (the offender) so that he does not become worse from your wisdom (36, 229).

Let us never resent and harbor enmity towards those who have caused us trouble or any other insult. But let us imagine what kind of blessing and boldness they give us before the Lord, and most of all, that reconciliation with those who have offended us erases our sins, and let us hasten, we will not hesitate and, reflecting on the benefits that come from this, we will show such disposition to the enemies, as if they were our true benefactors (38, 282).

Grievances that we unjustly endure from anyone else, God imputes to us either for the forgiveness of sins, or for the reward of rewards (41, 91).

How can you, you say, not be indignant? Has anyone offended you? Protect your chest with the sign of the cross, remember everything that happened on the Cross - and everything will go out. Do not think about offenses alone, but remember together about the kindness that you have ever received from someone who offended you ... Especially and first of all, bring to mind the fear of God - and soon you will become moderate and calm. (41, 864).

Think how much you are guilty, and not only do not refuse to forgive those who have offended you, but hurry to them so that you too have a reason to receive forgiveness. St. John Chrysostom (41, 798).

A bee, when it stings someone, dies itself. The same is what a Christian undergoes when he somehow offends and embitters his neighbor. He cannot offend his neighbor without his greatest and most grave offense. And the more offense he inflicts on his neighbor, the more he offends himself; and the more he hurts another, the more he hurts himself ... Why? because the other is on the body, but he offends himself in the soul; the other has a body, but in his own soul it hurts and embitters. The better and more worthy the soul is than the body, the greater the resentment, wound and bitterness of it than the bodily. For every sin, whatever a person does, his soul is hurt and embittered. He sins before his neighbor, but he also inflicts a wound on his soul. With his sin, like a sting, he bites himself (104, 1253).

As a blessing shown to a neighbor, Christ God imputes to Himself: “as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me” (), so the offense inflicted on a neighbor concerns Christ Himself: “Saul, Saul! why are you persecuting Me? " - says Christ (), for the offense touches the father himself when they offend the son, and the master imputes to himself for the offense when his slave is embittered. God is the Father and Lord of all, therefore, the offense inflicted on people as His servants, and He himself touches, as the Lord and Father. How scary it is, everyone can see (104, 1256–1257).

Children, when someone dishonors or offends them in front of their father, do not take revenge on the offender themselves, but look at their father and entrust him with their offense. This is how Christians should: when someone offends them, not to avenge themselves, but to look to Heavenly Father and to Him as one who judges righteously, entrust vengeance, for He says: "Vengeance is mine, I will repay" (). Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (113, 1253).

The Lord concluded the parable of the two debtors with the following words: “So will My Heavenly Father also do to you, if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart his sins” (). It seems that such a little is required: forgive - and you will be forgiven; and when he is forgiven, he is also accepted for mercy; and when he was received in mercy, he became a participant in all the treasures of mercy. Therefore, here is salvation, paradise, and eternal bliss. And such a great acquisition for such a little! ... Yes, a little, but for our pride there is nothing harder than forgiving. Some unintentional nuisance, secretly inflicted on us, so that no one sees, we will probably forgive, but a little more sensible, but in front of people, even if you don’t ask - there is no forgiveness. There are circumstances that you want - you don’t want to, but you cannot express your displeasure - and you are silent; but the tongue is silent, but the heart speaks and makes evil plans. Trouble will rise one more line - and there is no restraint: no shame, no fear, no loss - nothing will hold back. The boiled self makes a person seem to be insane, and the one who succumbs to it begins to fence nonsense. It is not just some people who are most susceptible to such misfortune, but the more civilized one is, the more sensitive to insults, the less forgiving. On the outside, the relationship is sometimes still smooth, but on the inside there is a decisive rift. Meanwhile, the Lord requires that they forgive with all their hearts. Saint Theophan the Recluse (107, 249–251).

The brother came to the elder and said: "Father, I am in sorrow." The elder asks: "Why?" "A brother offended me, and a demon torments me until I repay him." The elder says: “Listen to me, and God will deliver you from this passion. For reconciliation with your brother, go to your cell, be silent, praying earnestly to God for your brother who offended you. " The brother did as the elder told him. And after seven days God took away his anger for the sake of the compulsion that he made to himself out of obedience to the elder. Ancient Patericon (72, 310-311).

INSURANCE

The highest pleasure is for Christ's sake to be hated, cast out, for faith in God to endure any insult and shame. Venerable Macarius the Great (33, 342).

Has anyone insulted you? Do not insult him mutually, otherwise you will insult yourself. Has anyone made you sad? Do not grieve him on your part, because there is no profit from this, meanwhile you will become like him (42, 338).

The soul does not easily endure insults, but if we think that by forgiving an insult we are doing good not so much to the offender as to ourselves, then we will easily expel the poison of anger from ourselves. (42, 261).

Do not get carried away at the first minute, insulted, and you will immediately correct everything; do not give in to the movement and you will extinguish everything. Great comfort to endure something for Christ (43, 285).

As the enemies who besieged the city and besiege it from the outside, when they stir up civil strife in it, then they gain victory, so the offending one, if he does not stir up passions in us, will not be able to overcome us. (43, 434).

Chagrin comes not so much from the quality of insults as from ourselves. (43, 433).

Has anyone insulted you, offended, ridiculed you? Remember that you yourself do a lot of the same in relation to others, even in relation to the Master Himself; I'm sorry and I'm sorry (the offender) (45, 891).

He who does not receive honor in real life, but endures contempt, does not enjoy any respect, but is subjected to insults and humiliation, if he does not acquire anything else, then at least he will be freed from the responsibility for receiving honor from slaves of his own kind. By the way, he gets another benefit: he becomes meek and humble, and if he is more attentive to himself, he will never be exalted, even if he wanted to (45, 851).

When someone insults you, look not at the offender, but at the demon driving him and pour out all your anger on this latter, and have pity on the one who is aroused by him (46, 624).

If the offended person gets irritated, then by this he proves that he is aware of himself what they say about him. If he endures calmly, then he is freed in the eyes of those present from all suspicion. Even if he wants to take revenge, then this will be achieved with complete success, since God will punish the offender for his words, and before this punishment, your wisdom will be like a fatal blow for him. St. John Chrysostom (46, 626).

The Lord, being God, became a man for us, endured humiliation, spitting and the Cross, and with such sufferings as He endured, dispassionate in Divinity, he teaches us and says to each of us: “If you want, man, to gain Eternal Life and be together with Me, humble yourself also for me, as I humbled for you, and, putting aside my proud and devilish wisdom, accept blows to the face, spitting and strangulation and do not be ashamed to endure all this to death. But if you are ashamed for my sake and for my commandments to suffer, as I suffered for you, then I will also consider it a shame to be with you in My Second Coming, when I come with great glory and say to My Angels: this one was ashamed of My humility and did not want to forsake the glory of man. to become like Me. Now, when he destroyed the perishable glory, and I am glorified by the immeasurable glory of My Father, I am ashamed even to look at him; drive him out. Let the wicked take it and not see the glory of the Lord "... This is what those who apparently fulfill the commandments of Christ will hear, but for the sake of shame in front of people do not tolerate abuse, dishonor, humiliation and wounds, when they should have suffered for the commandments of the Lord. Terrify and tremble, people, hearing this, and joyfully endure the sufferings that Christ endured for our salvation. God chokes from some slave to give you an example of victory, but you don't want to accept a choking from someone like you? Are you ashamed, man, to imitate God? How can you reign and be glorified with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven, if you do not tolerate the same? If the Lord wanted to follow your rule and was ashamed to become a man for your sake, then it is not known what would have happened to the human race. Saint Simeon the New Theologian (60, 457).

And one who lives virtuously must certainly endure grievances from the vicious. For the envy arming against them often drives them to ridicule. Therefore, if it is absolutely necessary to endure evil speech, then it is better to endure unjustly with wisdom; but the wicked must justly endure. Venerable Isidore Pelusiot (52, 296).

Be extremely careful to offend any person in word or deed, for this is a grave sin. When a person is insulted, then God is insulted. Who loves a person. An insult to a person cannot but be an insult to God. Whoever sins against man will also sin against God. It is hard, as you yourself see, therefore, as soon as you offend your neighbor, immediately humble yourself before him, and with humility ask him for forgiveness, so as not to fall under the righteous judgment of God. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 1271).

In one of the Egyptian hostels there was a Greek youth who could not extinguish the flame of carnal lust with any abstinence, no intensified deeds. When the father of the monastery was told about this temptation, he used the following method to save the young man. The elder ordered one of the brothers, an important and stern husband, to start a quarrel with the young man, heaped curses at him and, after insulting him, came to complain about him. This was accomplished: witnesses were called and testified in favor of the husband. The young man, seeing that he was slandered, began to cry. Shed tears daily; being very grieved, he was alone; deprived of any help, lay at the feet of Jesus. In this position, he spent a whole year. After a year had passed, the elder asked the young man about the thoughts that had previously troubled him, if they still disturb him? The young man replied: “Father! I have no life. Are there any prodigal thoughts to me? " Thus, art spiritual father the young man overcame passions and was saved. Edema (82, 475–476).

The brethren praised Abba Anthony of one monk. When this monk arrived, Antony wanted to test whether he would bear the insult. And when he saw that he could not stand, he said: "You look like a village, which is beautiful in front, and robbed by robbers in the back." Memorable legends (79, 6).