The Gospel Beatitudes. Three virtues a Christian needs for eternal life, for salvation
Archpriest Victor Potapov
If you love Me, keep My commandments.()
Introduction
In the Old Testament commandments about love for God and for one's neighbor, a revelation was given about the basis of true life, but internal the content of this life has not yet been fully revealed to humanity. In the New Testament, true spiritual life is fully revealed as perfect divine love. She appeared in the person of Jesus Christ - God Himself, who became a man, in His life and in His teaching, and then, after the descent of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, this life, by the power of the Spirit of God, entered the hearts of Christians who are in the Church founded on that day ...
The Divine, uniting with humanity, united humanity with the Divine. According to the saint, the new communion of man with God resulted in the adoption of man by God. Through the suffering of Jesus Christ, all sins were removed from mankind, all responsibility for them, but the most important thing: from moral death, people were raised to a truly moral and eternal life.
The opportunity to receive the benefits of a truly moral life was given by Christ for all people without exception. It is important to emphasize that these benefits are not imposed on anyone by force; they can be used by anyone who wishes to be in communion with Jesus Christ, that is, who will try to fulfill His commandments and who live in the Church and feed on her holy Sacraments.
The Gospel law - the law of spirit and freedom - not only provides theoretical solutions to moral questions, it gives a living Sample of perfect morality - in the Person and life of the Savior. The moral personality of Christ was the ultimate goal of the life of the entire ancient world, especially people who lived according to the law of Moses, all whose moral strength lay in the hope of Christ as the Savior of the world. Christ is the alpha and omega — the beginning and end goal of every true Christian. This is why Christ came into the world to lead us to His Father. So God loved the world, - we read in the Gospel of John, - that he gave his only begotten Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life (.)
We said that the benefits of spiritual life in Christ and moral improvement are not forced on anyone, they are given to the one who seeks them, subject to personal effort. He who seeks, who makes an effort, will surely find, according to the false promise of the Savior, who said in the Sermon on the Mount: Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened for you; for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Is there a man among you who, when his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? and if he asked for a fish, would give him a serpent? Therefore, if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give good things to those who ask Him().
The Holy Fathers of the Church wrote a lot about the role of human efforts in fulfilling the commandments of God. Here, in particular, what the Russian spiritual writer of the 19th century writes about this. the saint in the preface of the book "Invisible warfare":
“He who repents gives himself up to God for his service; and immediately begins to serve Him by walking in His commandments and in His will. The commandments are not difficult, but their fulfillment encounters many obstacles in the external circumstances of the worker, and especially in his internal inclinations and skills. The worker himself acts everything, although with the help of God, surrendering himself to devotion to the will of God, or by surrendering himself to the omnipotence of God. "
“When someone, actively working in the fulfillment of the commandments,” writes St. , - will suddenly be filled with joy unspeakable and ineffable, so that he himself will change with a wondrous and inexpressible change, and , as if having shaken off the bodily burden, he will forget about food, sleep and other needs of nature: then let him know that there is a visit from God, which produces life-giving death in those who struggle and leads them into the state of incorporeal. The culprit of such a blissful life is humility; the nourisher and mother - holy tenderness; friend and sister - contemplation of the Divine light; throne - dispassion; the end - the Most Holy Trinity - God. "
The monks Callistus and Ignatius believe that one must be ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of fulfilling the commandments of God: “We must know that,” they write, “that for the commandments of life-giving and for the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, when time requires, we should willingly destroy the very soul your own, that is, not to spare your life itself, as the Lord Himself says: Whoever loses his soul for the sake of Me and the Gospel will save it ().
As is clear from these statements, the Gospel moral law is not a dry religious and moral system, but a living grace-filled force, the gospel of salvation and eternal bliss in the Kingdom of Heaven. But what is bliss? This is the perfect happiness that all people strive for.
What is human happiness? People understand happiness in different ways. Some see happiness in knowledge and talents, others in beauty, fame, wealth, power over people, in the honor and respect of those around them, in love, in family life, and so on. Sometimes people achieve such happiness, but it is short-lived and illusory. A rich man can lose his wealth, a healthy person can suddenly get sick, a free one to go to jail, a smart one can suddenly lose his mind, and so on. Any such happiness is fragile and therefore not genuine. True happiness should be permanent, eternal.
According to the teaching of Christ, happiness is the Kingdom of God. To be happy means to be a member of the Kingdom of God, to live with God. The Kingdom of God begins here on earth, now, and continues and is fully realized in heaven, in eternity. Happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven No end. Nobody can take it away from a person and it does not depend on any accidents. It is bliss, that is, perfect good, good, beauty and eternal love.
The fourth-century Father of the Church defines the concept of bliss as follows:
“Bliss is the totality and fullness of everything that is good and what is desired as a good, without a single defect, deprivation and obstacle, - and continues, - the followers of Christ not only expect bliss as the future, but it is inherent in their souls, as the present, because Christ Himself is present in them. "
Bliss can also be called an unspeakably happy state filled with the highest joy, when a person's spirit rises so that it ceases to depend on everything that could interfere with such a state. According to the apostle Paul: ... did not see that eye, did not hear the ear, and did not come to the heart of man, which God has prepared for those who love Him ().
The blissful state is inextricably linked with closeness to God. Moreover, it depends entirely on this closeness. In the fifth verse of Psalm 114 we read: Blessed is whom you have chosen and brought near to dwell in your courts. In Psalm 15, the psalmist assures us that ... fullness of joy in your presence, bliss in your right hand forever(Art 11). Bliss is the acquisition of those who have attained the Kingdom of God, for, according to the word of Christ, The kingdom of God is within you. Thus, the believer can enjoy the beginning of bliss while still in earthly life.
“The peace of mind and sweetness that we feel from time to time in the temple of God is the seed of that infinite sweetness that will be felt by those who eternally contemplate the ineffable kindness of the face of God,” the righteous saint teaches.
Christian life is not only about feelings and uncertain impulses, but should be expressed in concrete good deeds. Such is the will of God, such is His plan for man. To teach us what the will of God is, without the fulfillment of which prayer will not be heard, Christ offers nine short teachings - "Beatitudes", which indicate the virtues awarded with bliss.
The entire Gospel points out the path to achieving eternal bliss, but the Divine Revelation and the bliss of eternal life are especially concentrated in the Savior's Sermon on the Mount. The Sermon on the Mount of the Savior is set forth in the 5th, 6th, and 7th chapters of the Gospel of Matthew. Part of the Sermon on the Mount is given in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Luke. The central place of Christ's Sermon on the Mount is occupied by the nine Beatitudes, in which the path of spiritual renewal is outlined. By analogy with the commandments of Moses, they are called the Commandments of Christ. But unlike the ancient Ten Commandments, which were written on stone slabs (tablets) and were assimilated by external study, the New Testament Commandments of Beatitude are written by the Holy Spirit on the very tablets of believing hearts. These are the commandments:
- Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted.
- Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
- Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
- Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy.
- Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
- Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.
- Blessed are those cast out for righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
- Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and in every way unrighteously curse you for Me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.
One of the spiritual characteristics of modern man is that he is looking for ways to return to the rejected and forgotten truths of the Christian understanding of life and, at the same time, stops in perplexity before the basic truths of Christian revelation. The Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, for many of our contemporaries sound like heavenly music, like that, exactly what the human soul is looking for. I repeat once again: the Beatitudes are not compulsion, but a call. They indicate the best ways to achieve eternal bliss and the most important Christian virtues in the order of their height - humility, repentance, meekness, thirst for truth, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, suffering for truth and martyrdom for Faith.
The truths of the Beatitudes are beautiful and holy. One can feel the beginnings of bliss only by delving into their study. To those who are ready to approach the Beatitudes in this way, and indeed to the entire Holy Scripture, Christ left the following promise: Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it().
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven
Usually beggars have nothing of their own and always ask for help from others. Beggars do not hesitate to admit that they receive all their food as a gift.
The poor in spirit, just like those simple beggars, believe that they have nothing of their own in their souls, and that they receive all their spiritual wealth (talents) from God. Better St. right. you cannot say about the poor in spirit:
“A beggar in spirit is that person who sincerely recognizes himself as a spiritual poor man who has nothing of his own; who expects everything from the mercy of God, who is convinced that he can neither conceive nor wish anything good, if God does not give a good thought and desire for good, that he cannot do a single truly good deed without the grace of Jesus Christ; who considers himself more sinful, worse, lower than everyone, who always reproaches himself and does not condemn anyone; who recognizes the garment of his soul as foul, gloomy, fetid, unfit and does not cease to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to enlighten the garment of his soul, clothe him in the imperishable garment of righteousness; who incessantly runs under the roof of the krill of God, having no safety anywhere in the world except the Lord; whoever considers all his wealth to be a gift from God and zealously thanks the Giver of all the blessings for everything and willingly devotes his wealth to those who demand - that is who is poor in spirit. "
The first Beatitude Commandment is also the first condition for spiritual life. He who is poor in spirit is blessed, says the Lord. Such blissful poverty in the Gospel of Matthew is called “spiritual”, because first of all it is a state of mind and heart, a spiritual disposition. It also represents the perfect openness of a person before God, freedom from all pride and faith in the power of his own spirit, his own ideas and opinions, - freedom from vain speculations his heart (;), as the prophet Jeremiah said in the Old Testament, and the Apostle Paul in the New Testament.
Let us turn again to the inspired words about why the poor in spirit is blessed:
“… Where there is humility, the consciousness of one's poverty, one's poverty, and curse, there is God, there is the cleansing of sins, there is peace, light, freedom, contentment and bliss. So poor in spirit, the Lord came to preach the gospel of the kingdom of God, as it is said: He sent me to preach the gospel to the poor(), poor in spirit, not rich; for their pride repels from them the grace of God ... Is it not willingly and people extend a helping hand and mercy to those who are truly poor and in dire need of the bare essentials; Isn't God all the more merciful about spiritual poverty, fatherly condescends to her to call her and fills her with His spiritual treasures? Said: The hungry fulfilled the blessings ().
Are not the valleys abundantly watered with moisture; Are not the valleys blooming and fragrant? Isn't there snow and ice on the mountains, lifelessness? The mountains are high - the image of the proud; the valleys are the image of the humble: let every valley be filled, and every mountain and hill let it go down() (we read from the prophet Isaiah). The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble(James 4: 6), - the Apostle James instructs. " (From the "Complete collection of works" by Archpriest John Sergiev, vol. 1, pp. 167-168)
"Love humility," teaches St. - and it will cover all your sins. Do not envy what goes up, but it is better to consider all people higher than yourself, so that God Himself may be with you ”(From“ ”).
Jesus Christ himself was not only without a place, where to lay your head(), but His physical poverty was a direct result of His complete poverty in spirit. He said:
... Truly, truly, I say to you: the Son cannot do anything from Himself unless he sees the Father doing ... I cannot do anything from Himself ...().
The Christian is called to leave everything and follow Christ in poverty of spirit, freeing himself from the sinful lusts of this world. According to the words of the Apostle John the Theologian:
He who loves the world does not have the love of the Father. 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 remains forever().
The Holy Fathers of the Church write a great deal about humility, believing that this virtue is most necessary for a correct spiritual life. Rev. , for example, writes: “The true righteous always think in themselves that they are unworthy of God, and the very fact that they are true righteous is learned from the fact that they recognize themselves as cursed and unworthy of God's care and confess this secretly and openly and manage to do this By the Holy Spirit, so that we can remain in labor and closeness while they are in this life ”(“ Christian Life According to Philosophy, ”p. 42).
How to understand this? How can a person close to God consider himself a sinner, unworthy of God's care, the last of men? We find the answer in the life of St. ...
“I remember once we had a conversation about humility, and one of the eminent citizens of the city, hearing our words that the more someone approaches God, the more he sees himself as a sinner, was surprised and said: how can this be? And, not understanding, I wanted to know what these words mean? I said to him: Distinguished sir, tell me, for whom do you consider yourself in your city? He answered: I consider myself to be the great and the first in the city. I say to him: If you go to Caesarea, who will you consider yourself there? He answered: For the last of the nobles there. If, then, I say to him again, you go to Antioch, who will you consider yourself to be there? There, - he answered, - I will consider myself as one of the commoners. If, I say, you go to Constantinople and approach the king, who will you consider yourself to be there? And he answered: Almost for a beggar. Then I said to him: This is how the saints are: the more they approach God, the more they see themselves as sinners.
In the ancient patericon (a collection of short stories about devotees of piety) it is said: “The lighter the water, the more noticeable the smallest specks in it. When a ray of sunlight falls into the room, it will make visible to the eye myriads of dust particles floating in the air, which were not visible before, before the ray penetrated. So the human soul: the more purity it has, the more heavenly, divine light falls into it, the more it notices in itself shortcomings and sinful habits. The higher a person is morally, the more humble he is, the clearer and more constant his consciousness of his sinfulness. "
A modern church writer, Tito Colliander, in his book The Narrow Path, gives this advice to achieve poverty of spirit: “Accept the remarks without murmuring: be grateful when you are ashamed or neglected and bypassed. But do not look for humiliating provisions: during the day they will be given to you exactly as much as you need. They pay attention to the one who bows and helpfully fusses about, and perhaps they say:
how humble he is. But they do not pay attention to the truly humble: "the world does not know him" (), for the world he, for the most part, is invisible. When Peter, Andrew, John and James left the nets and followed the Lord (), they disappeared for their brothers in the trade, they disappeared. Do not be indecisive: like them, do not be afraid to leave this adulterous and sinful generation. What do you want to acquire: the world or your soul? (). Woe to you when all people speak well of you() "(" The Narrow Path ", pp. 15-16).
The very first revelation of the will of God was the desire that all His creatures were poor in spirit, and the violation of this spiritual state is called original sin, the source of all our troubles and sorrows. In order to get rid of the consequences of original sin, you need to become a poor spirit who, like hungry beggars, asks God for spiritual food and the Lord feeds him with the fruits of the Spirit. The Apostle Paul lists these fruits: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, mercy, faith (). The poor in spirit can say about themselves in other words ap. Paul: "We are poor, but we enrich many ()."
Let us turn to another such “poor in spirit” who lived in our time, the Venerable Elder, and may he enrich us with his spiritual wisdom and prayer sighing:
“The Lord said: Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. My soul misses this day and night, - writes Elder Siluan, - and I pray to God and all the heavens of the Saints, and all of you who have known the humility of Christ - pray for me, so that the spirit of Christ's humility descends on me, which my soul tearfully desires ... I cannot but desire him, for my soul knew him by the Holy Spirit, but I have lost this gift, and therefore my soul is bored to tears.
Master, the Most Merciful, grant us a humble spirit, so that our souls may find peace in You. Most Holy Mother of the Lord, ask, Merciful, for us a humble spirit. All Saints, you live in heaven, and you see the glory of the Lord, and your spirit rejoices, - pray that we also be with you. My soul also longs to see the Lord, and misses Him in humility, as unworthy of this blessing. Oh, Christ's humility! I know you, but I cannot acquire. Your fruits are sweet because they are not earthly. Merciful Lord, by the Holy Spirit teach us Your humility "(The Elder, pp. 128, 129).
To what was said by St. Siluan can only add one thing: Amen.
The bliss of crying, for they will be comforted
Devastation and grief from the consciousness of one's remoteness from God or separation from Him is the spiritual lamentation, which Christ speaks of in this commandment of His. After the poor in spirit, Christ ranks among the blessed those who tearfully grieve over their unworthiness, as King David exclaimed in his grief of repentance: ... every night I wash my bed, I moisten my bed with my tears(). Thus the apostle who denied Christ grieved: And Peter remembered the word that Jesus had spoken to him: Before the cock crows, you will deny Me three times. And went out, crying bitterly(). The ap. Peter is constantly. His life says that every time he heard the voice of a rooster, he recalled his renunciation, and with a feeling of deepest remorse he shed bitter tears until the end of his days.
“He is naive who thinks that it is possible to walk the path following Christ without crying,” writes the archimandrite in his book “Knowing God as He is”. “Take a dry nut, put it under a heavy press and watch the oil flow out of it. Something similar happens to our hearts when the invisible fire of the word of God scorches it from all sides. Our heart has become petrified in its animal egoism, and, what is worse, in its proud spasm. But truly there is such a Fire (), which is capable of melting even the strongest metals and stones. "
The first bliss is poverty of the spirit, the second gives birth to blissful crying. A person who is poor in spirit, freed from spiritual and physical desires, cannot but grieve for himself and in general over the fallen state of all mankind. Over the horrors of our godless world, captivated by its own vain fictions, a world that considers itself rich and prosperous, not in need of anything, but which in reality, according to the word of the Apocalypse - unhappy and wretched and poor and blind and naked(). Because knowing everything that God gives us, and everything that really is with God, one can only grieve and cry: like the prophets - over sinful Israel, like the Lord - over the corpse of Lazarus or the city of Jerusalem, or, finally, in Gethsemane garden, before the cup of Own suffering.
The absence of crying, according to the teaching of the Church Fathers, is an indicator that our prayer has not yet reached its first stage of ascent to God.
Who hasn't cried in their life? We know the sorrow at the loss of loved ones. This is natural sorrow. Tears are a sign of suffering. But can suffering give happiness and bliss to man? Not always. If a person suffers because of visible benefits, because of pride, passions and pride, then these sufferings only torment the soul and do not bring any benefit. If a person accepts suffering as a test sent by God, then grief and tears cleanse and wash his soul, and even in the grief itself he finds joy and consolation.
The Church Fathers teach us to discern the sources of tears. So, St. writes: “People have three different kinds of tears. There are tears about visible things - and they are very bitter and vain. There are tears of repentance when the soul desires eternal blessings, and they are very sweet and useful. And there are tears of repentance where (according to the word of the Savior) crying and gnashing of teeth(), - and these tears are bitter, useless, because they are completely fruitless when there is no longer time for repentance. "
The second kind of tears, about which St. - blessed sorrow for sin is a necessary part of spiritual life. Such weeping is considered blessed because there is no darkness and hopelessness in it, but, on the contrary, the victory of Christ fills this sorrow with hope, light and joy.
Now I rejoice, not because you were saddened to repentance, - the apostle Paul writes to Christians in Corinth, - for they were grieved for God's sake, so that they did not harm us in the least. For God's sake sorrow produces unchanging repentance for salvation, but the sorrow of the world produces death. For the very fact that you were grieved for God's sake, see what zeal has produced in you ... ().
“One day,” he writes, “getting up very early, I went out with two brothers from the blessed city of Edessa; Lifting up my eyes to heaven, which, like a clear mirror, shone with glory on the earth with the stars, I said in amazement: if the stars shine with such glory, then will the righteous and saints, who did the will of the holy God, no longer shine with the inexpressible light of the Savior, at that hour when will the Lord come? But only I remembered that terrible coming of the Lord, how my bones trembled, - writes St. , - the soul and body trembled; I wept with heart disease and said, sighing: What kind of sinner will I be in that terrible hour? How will I appear before the throne of the terrible Judge? How can I, absent-minded, have a place with the perfect? How can I, the fruitless one, be among those who have borne the fruits of righteousness? What should I do when the saints in the palace of heaven recognize one another? Who recognizes me? The righteous will be in the palace, the wicked on fire; the martyrs will show their wounds; ascetics - their virtues; and what will I show, besides laziness and negligence? "
The Holy Fathers of the Church teach us to ask the Lord for the gift of tears, because without tears there can be no real repentance, genuine cleansing of the soul. Repentant tears are a kind of second baptism, washing away all sinful filth from the soul of a person. “As after a pouring rain,” says St. , - the air becomes clean, and after the shedding of tears, silence and clarity come, and the sinful darkness disappears (6th Conversation on the Gospel of Matthew).
Blessed beloved ones, for they will inherit the earth
Meekness is a necessary quality of a spiritual person; meekness is a spiritual strength that removes anger, anger, enmity and condemnation from the heart and adorns the soul with quiet disposition.
Christ himself was meek. Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.- said Christ. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is good, and my burden is light().
Christ's apostles also preached meekness. In the Epistle of the Apostle James we read: Whether any of you is wise and reasonable, prove it really by good behavior and wise meekness. But if you have bitter jealousy and contentiousness in your heart, then do not boast and do not lie against the truth. This is not wisdom descending from above, but earthly, spiritual, demonic, for where there is envy and contentiousness, there is disorder and everything bad. But the wisdom that comes down from above is, firstly, pure, then peaceful, modest, obedient, full of mercy and good fruits.().
Your meekness will be known to all people(), - instructs the Apostle Paul. This does not mean that we should be meek for show, but strive for meekness to become a well-known Christian quality. Ap. Paul counts meekness as a fruit of the spirit ().
To be meek means to be gentle and kind, free from all selfishness and worldly ambition, and in everything to reject the possibility of coercion and violence. And to have a firm and calm conviction that good is stronger than evil, and sooner or later, it always wins. One can say about meekness in the words of the monk: “Meekness is an unchanging constitution of the mind, which is the same in honor and dishonor. Meekness consists in praying without embarrassment and sincerely for insults from a neighbor. Meekness is a rock that rises above the sea of irritability, against which all waves that approach it break: and it itself does not hesitate. Meekness, - writes the Monk John Climacus further, - is an affirmation of patience, a door, or rather, the mother of love, the beginning of spiritual reasoning; for the Scripture says: the Lord will teach the meek in his ways(). She is an intercessor for the remission of sins, boldness in prayer, a repository of the Holy Spirit. Who will I look at- says the Lord - only for the meek and silent(). In meek hearts, he writes, the Lord rests, and a rebellious soul is the seat of the devil. "
Not the meek one who is completely incapable of anger, but the one who feels the movement of anger and stops it, conquering his sinful self. A meek person never pays evil for evil, resentment for offense; does not get angry, does not raise voices in anger against those who sin and offend; will not reproach, nor cry, and no one will hear his voice(), - according to the word of the Gospel. We can say that the meek is likened to Christ, of whom the ap. Peter, in his first epistle, writes that He, being reproached, he does not reproach, enduring misery and adversity from others, does not threaten with revenge, but allows the Judge righteously to avenge himself(). We find a good illustration of these words in the Prologue (March 12).
“A certain elder monk, by the name of Cyrus, being of a low family and very meek, did not like the brethren of the monastery where he was saving himself. It often happens that for humility or for other good qualities, they finally fall in love with someone they did not love before; but the fate of St. Kira was not like that! With the passage of time, the hatred of the brethren multiplied: not only the elders, but also the young men who were under temptation, insulted him and often even kicked him out of the table. This went on for 15 years.
In this monastery it happened to be St. , we read further in the Prologue. Seeing that the meek Cyrus, being kicked out of the table, often went to bed hungry, he asked him: tell me, what do these grievances against you mean? “Believe me, dear guest in Christ,” answered the humble elder, that the brethren do not act this way out of malice; they only tempt me, whether I am worthy to wear the image of an angel. Having entered this monastery, I heard that the hermit must be under tempers for 30 years, and I lived only half. "
An incident from the life of St. Cyrus is an extreme example of Christian meekness, of which only a few are capable. The ascetic did not want to take revenge on his persecutors, but he even saw benefit for himself in their insults, took for the highest happiness what others would consider for themselves unhappiness and dishonor.
In general, all saints are good teachers of meekness. One can also name a disciple of St. (251-356) - Venerable Pavel the Preprosty (October 4/17), who in his life gave an example of blissful simplicity. Rev. Sergius of Radonezh (September 25 / October 8), “with quiet and meek words and good-hearted verbs,” as the Church sings in one hymn in his honor, reconciled the warring princes. And here is a vivid example of meekness from the life of St. , abbot of the famous Pechersk monastery in Kiev.
Once upon a time, St. Theodosius talked with the Grand Duke Izyaslav until late in the evening. The Grand Duke did not want to let the monk go to the monastery on foot, and ordered one servant to take St. Theodosius to the monastery. But this servant, seeing the wretched dress of St. Feodosia, took him for a simple beggar, and says: "Chernorizets, it's time for me to rest in your place." Rev. Theodosius complacently gave him his place, and he himself began to drive the horses, and the servant fell asleep. In the morning, waking up, the servant sees that all the nobles who were traveling to the Grand Duke are bowing to St. Feodosia. His terror increased when, having driven up to the monastery, he saw that all the brethren came out to meet their abbot and with reverence received blessings from him.
The saints who lived in antiquity were not the only examples of gospel meekness and simplicity. The righteous people of our day also teach holy meekness by the example of their lives. In this regard, let us mention the new martyr of the Russian Petrograd Metropolitan Benjamin (Kazan). At the trial in 1922, Met. Benjamin said in his last word: “I do not know what you will announce to me in your sentence, life or death. With the same reverence, I will turn my eyes to grief, I will put the sign of the cross on myself and say: Glory to Thee, Lord God, for everything. " Shaved, in rags, with a prayer on his lips, Met. Benjamin calmly went to the place of execution. He uncomplainingly accepted a martyr's death, remembering the words of Jesus: whoever does not carry his cross and follows me cannot be my disciple().
The lot of martyrdom is not appointed for everyone, but we have the opportunity to be meek crusaders, according to the spirit of the teaching of Christ, if, as the Apostle says. Paul, we crucify our flesh with passions and lusts (), if we observe meekness and magnanimity in the face of insults and insults, we will refrain from envy, anger, backbiting and revenge.
“… How can we act differently, how can we get irritated, angry, revenge? - asks St. right. , and further says: - God, our common Father, before Whom we sin without number, always works with us according to His meekness, does not destroy us, is longsuffering to us, benefiting us incessantly. And we must be gentle, condescending and long-suffering towards our brethren. For, - according to the word of Christ, - if you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, and if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins ().
In addition, the righteous man of Kronstadt continues, all of us as Christians are members of a single body, and the members take care of each other in every possible way; moreover, we are called the sheep of the verbal flock of Christ - why is it so? Because the sheep is meek, gentle, patient; that's how we should be. Only those of us belong to the flock of Christ, who are meek and gentle, like lambs, and who do not have the spirit of Christ, His meekness and gentleness - those are not His, ”teaches St. right. ... ("Complete collection of works", vol. 1, pp. 173-174)
In the living example of the meekness of Jesus Christ, the only sure way to salvation is indicated. The trial of Christ at Caiaphas, at Pilate, the minutes of nipping Him to the Cross and the hours of blaspheming Him, Crucified - captured the world with the image of heavenly meekness.
And, getting up, the high priest said to him: why don't you answer anything? what do they testify against you? Jesus was silent(), - we read in the Gospel of Matthew. And in the Gospel of Luke: And when they came to the place called Skull, they crucified Him and the evildoers, one on the right and the other on the left. Jesus said: Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing().
We cannot bear the cross of the Savior. This is understandable, for His cross is too heavy for us. But we must take and carry our cross of life, meekly enduring all the hardships of life "for Christ's sake." St. ap. Peter says: it is pleasing to God if someone, thinking of God, endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. For what praise is it if you endure when you are beaten for wrongdoing? But if, while doing good and suffering, endure, it is cue pleasing to God. For you are called to this, because Christ also 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 Him. While he was cursing, He did not curse one another; joyfully did not threaten, but betrayed the Judge to the Righteous().
In the third commandment of the Beatitudes, Christ promises the meek that they will inherit the earth. This is indeed the case. But how difficult it is for a modern person to understand this, especially against the backdrop of the turbulent political events of our time. For the land and its wealth, states, parties and people are constantly fighting. Since the beginning of the history of mankind, peoples, thinking to take possession of the land by force, have been waging wars, committing violence and making innumerable human and natural sacrifices. So, obviously, it will be until the end of time. And as a result, millions suffer and suffer, and the very beauty of our beautiful, God-created earth does not notice and do not enjoy it.
But there are still people who, as the Scriptures say, have nothing, but have everything(). Such are the Christian ascetics living in the bosom of nature - in the deserts and mountains, such were the pilgrims who in Holy Russia walked across the country, from monastery to monastery, from one holy place to another, enjoyed the beauty of the earth, ate its beautiful fruits, breathed clean air, drank spring water, prayed to God in the open air, worked with their own hands and never took any land away from anyone. And the land really belonged to them. They possessed it in their meekness.
Having given us the commandment of meekness, Christ meant not only such a possession of the earth. The time will come when the earth will truly belong to the meek. By the word ap. Peter, we, according to His promise, await a new heaven and a new earth, on which truth dwells(). By God's judgment, the meek will become citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven, which the psalmist calls "the land of the living": But I believe that I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living ().
Meekness is freedom from an evil and sinful world, and, at the same time, a loving appeal to this world, which needs healing and can be healed. Meekness is the willingness to patiently endure suffering and the ability to maintain joy even on this suffering path. This is the only way to win in the highest sense of understanding the word "victory" - not by self-assertion, but by sacrificial love. This is, of course, the direct opposite of that earthly attitude of the soul, which thinks of victory only as the suppression of all its enemies and rivals, as defending its goals and claims against them. By the victory that Christ sought and which He won, He attracts - and will always attract the hearts of people to Him, throws down a decisive challenge to all earthly wisdom, with its flat understanding of man and his aspirations. This is the victory of goodness, self-denial, selfless and selfless love.
Contrary to all earthly experience, in the depths of the believing heart it is revealed to us that all earthly truths evaporate, lose their attractive power in the face of what the Gospel calls "treasure in heaven." Only this treasure is capable of truly nourishing our soul - we will never be fed up with it and will never be deceived by it. Moreover, in the commandment "the meek will inherit the earth" we find an unconditional expression of the empirical truth that selfless, selfless love has an irresistible and irresistible attractive force for the human heart and, therefore, is itself, in the final analysis, an invincible force. This inner experience is stronger than anything that earthly experience teaches us. We know that a mysterious law operates in the world, by virtue of which the true winners are those who, in the categories of earthly ideas, have suffered defeat. The modern French writer Albert Camus expresses this truth in the words: "I cannot help but believe those witnesses who gave themselves to be stabbed."
Let us conclude our essay with the prayer edification of the modern teacher of meekness, Rev. Silouan the Athonite:
“The soul of the humble is like the sea; throw a stone into the sea, it will slightly disturb the surface for a minute, and then sink into its depths. Thus sorrow sinks into the heart of the humble, because the power of the Lord is with him. Where do you dwell, humble soul; and who lives in you; what will I liken you? You burn brightly, like the sun, and you do not burn out, but you warm everyone with your warmth. The land of the meek belongs to you, according to the word of the Lord. You are like a blossoming garden, in the depths of which is a beautiful house, where the Lord loves to dwell. Heaven and earth love you.
The holy Apostles, Prophets, Saints and Saints love you. Angels, Seraphim and Cherubim love you. The Most Pure Mother of the Lord loves you, humble. The Lord loves you and rejoices in you ”(“ Rev. ”, p. 130).
The blessedness of hunger and thirst for righteousness, as they will be satisfied
We all care about our daily bread in order to support our physical strength. But the hungry thinks about bread constantly, looking for it everywhere. Thirsty, he is ready to exchange anything for a glass of cold water, he is ready to pay any price for a sip of fresh water. In the same way, a Christian should seek the heavenly bread and living water, which will spiritually quench his spiritual thirst forever.
The whole life of a person should consist of seeking - craving and thirst for righteousness, and through this seeking he will acquire righteousness. By accepting the baptism from John the Baptist, Christ called the fulfillment of the Law of God true, i.e. what the truth is: But Jesus answered and said to him: Do not hold back, for in this way it is necessary for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then John admits Him ( 15).
In the fourth Beatitude Commandment, Christ promises blessedness to the one who is painfully indignant at all unrighteousness (sin) and ardently awaits the triumph of truth. He Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree, so that we, having rid ourselves of sins, would live to righteousness ().
… Do not worry and do not say: what do we have? or what to drink? or what to wear?- the Savior instructs His followers, - because all this is sought by the Gentiles, and because your Father Heavenly knows that you need all of these. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you ().
The saints followed this teaching of Christ - they sought before the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and found him and were saturated with true happiness and the joy of knowing the truth of God's world, and through this they themselves became righteous.
Satisfaction and peace come from God, but this satisfaction and peace is of such a kind that they themselves always become the source of new craving and thirst. This does not contradict the words of Christ: He who comes to Me will not hunger, and he who believes in Me will never thirst(), but rather confirms that the "anxiety" of the human heart, according to the words, is "directed towards God," and that the peace found in Him, according to St. , there is "deeply dynamic peace", always increasing and developing into an even greater unity with the inexhaustible wealth and fullness of Divine being.
The saint, who lived in the 4th century, expressed it this way in his essay On Virginity:
“... The human mind is constantly spreading and scattered in that which pleases the senses ..., does not have sufficient strength to achieve true good ... For one who has received a constantly moving nature from the Creator cannot ever stop obstacle, he cannot strive for anything but the truth. "
Therefore, a truly spiritual person will not only move from lawlessness to righteousness, but will eternally grow in God in ever greater righteousness and perfection.
Brethren- writes the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Philippians, - I do not consider myself an accomplished person; but only, forgetting what is behind, and reaching forward, I look forward to the goal, to the honor of the highest calling of God in Christ Jesus. So, which of us is perfect, so should think ...().
Righteousness is achieved through the knowledge of God. The more a person knows God, the closer he comes to the goal of his life - to righteousness, to holiness. Some find it difficult to understand that we are called to holiness. The meaning of this Christian truth is blurred for the consciousness of modern man. Under the saint, our contemporaries usually understand some special, and, most importantly, an infinitely distant creature, whose appearance is not even completely clear to the so-called "ordinary man".
In everyday usage, we tend to call a “saint” a person who thinks not of himself, but of other people, or submits his whole life to consistent service to some lofty idea. The second interpretation brings us closer to the Christian understanding of holiness - this state is undoubtedly incompatible with everyday life, with the readiness and even the desire to "be like everyone else." But the biblical doctrine of holiness is even deeper and more significant. For the gospel revelation, each person is not only called to holiness, but also holy because he is the creation of God and the bearer of His image. In the light of the gospel teachings, the meaning of a person's life is to overcome everything that makes him unholy, that removes him from the perfect holiness of God. Holiness, in this understanding, is not only the lot of a few chosen ones - for the very entry into the Church is already chosenness, initiation into a new life. in spirit and truth(), resolutely different from the life of those who have not cognized God and live only in the categories of limited earthly existence. By the word of Christ that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit(). The holy one who with all his being longs for the truth of God, with all his being seeks to know God and, thereby, sanctifies himself and the world around him. The saints also urge us to the knowledge of God.
God, invisible in essence and grace, is visible to those who have become like Him. The most perfect self-revelation of God is given in Christ. No one knows the Father except the Son, and to whom the Son wants to reveal, - we read in the Gospel of Matthew (11, 27). Christ, according to the word of the Apostle Paul - is perfect the image of the invisible Father(). Christ asks that the Father be loved in Him. The Holy Spirit, the continuer and finisher of the redemptive work of Christ, testifies of Christ () and glorifies Him (). Christians honor the Trinity God in Christ. Our salvation is inextricably linked with the knowledge of the Son of God, received with all our heart and mind. For the knowledge of God, revelation is given. But the Son reveals Himself not directly, but through the Spirit of Truth, Who teaches everything and guides in all truth (). The highest sphere of knowledge or vision of the spiritual, divine is revealed exclusively by the Holy Spirit. Knowledge of God without observing the commandments is a lie, teaches John the Theologian ().
To be merciful does not mean to justify lies and sin, or to be tolerant of stupidity and evil, or to pass by injustice and lawlessness; to be merciful is to have compassion for the lost and compassion for those captivated by sin. To forgive those who do wrong, who not only harm others, but, in the first place, destroy themselves, their own human nature.
All people are sinful before God and guilty before each other, and therefore deserve every condemnation. But by His infinite mercy, the Lord forgives and has mercy on the repentant wicked (remember the parable of the prodigal son). If we show mercy to each other, then we will be merciful by God. The merciful can utter the words from the prayer "Our Father" with full responsibility:. ..forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors ().
And in the Old Testament we find numerous references to the importance of mercy. Blessed is he who thinks about the poor (and the beggar)! On the day of calamity the Lord will deliver him(), the psalmist exclaims. From the wise Sirakh we learn that charity cleanses sins(), and from Tobit's book we learn that charity delivers from death ().
But, perhaps, the most striking passage in the Holy Scriptures dedicated to our topic is the conversation of Jesus Christ about the Last Judgment. In it, Christ clearly indicates what will be asked of us at this Judgment first. All our earthly achievements at this Judgment will not count, for the main question that will be asked to everyone is how we served our neighbor. Christ lists six main types of help that can be given to a neighbor. Identifying Himself in His love, indulgence and mercy with every poor person and in need of help, the Savior says: I was hungry, and you gave me food; thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you recognized Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me ().
The matter of mercy to the suffering and those in need of our help is even higher than fasting. That is why the Church reads Christ's conversation about the Last Judgment on the eve of Great Lent, so that believers understand that the most important thing in the exploit of fasting is mercy, mercy towards the disadvantaged. I want mercy, not sacrifice, - says God through the mouth of the prophet Hosea ().
In the Chetya-Minea, in the life of St. Dositheus (February 19), we come across a good illustration of this truth.
“Rev. Dositheus, dying, was admonished by the kind word of his abbot: child, go in peace to the Lord, and pray for us at His throne! The brethren of the monastery, in which Dositheus ascended, were tempted by this parting word of the abbot, for they knew that Dositheus was not distinguished either by fasting or a prayer vigil, he was often late to come to all-night vigils, and sometimes did not come at all. The abbot found out about this temptation, and once, at a general meeting of the brethren, he asked them the following questions: when the bell ringing calls me to the temple of God, and I have a suffering brother in my care: what should I do then? Should I leave the ailing one and hurry to church, or stay in the cell and comfort my brother? They answered: in this case, the Lord will accept help to a suffering brother for true worship. - But when my strength is weakened by fasting and I cannot, as it should, serve the suffering, should I be nourished with food in order to watch the sick more vigilantly, or continue fasting, at least through this the sick have suffered? - Excessive fasting in this case would not so much please God as caring care for the needs of a sick brother, the monks answered. - You are reasoning correctly, the rector said to them, why then do you condemn Dositheus, who, due to the duty imposed on him - to look after the sick, did not always come to church services, did not always fast like others? Meanwhile, you yourself were witnesses with what mediocrity, with what vigilance he served the sick; with what love he fulfilled their often capricious demands! and who of you will say to ever hear from him a murmur of toil and weariness! Such was the divine service of Dositheus; and the Lord accepts him as his faithful and zealous worshiper: for in the person of the suffering brethren he served the Lord himself. "
The more a person exercises in mercy and loves people, the more he approaches God, and the more a person feels the personal Divinity in his heart, the more he loves people. Rev. it explains it this way: “Imagine a circle, its middle is the center and outgoing radii from the center are rays. These radii, the further they go from the center, the more they diverge and move away from each other; on the contrary, the closer they come to the center, the more they approach each other. Put now that the circle is the world. The very middle of the circle is God, and straight lines (radii) going from the center to the circle or from the circle to the center are the ways of human life. And here is the same thing: as far as the saints enter the circle to the middle of it, wanting to get closer to God, as they enter, they become closer to God and to each other ... to the same extent they move away from each other, and as they move away from each other, so much move away from God. This is also the property of love ”(“ Christian Life According to Philosophy, ”p. 24).
The Church is called to serve primarily the needy and disadvantaged. The place of the Church is among the hungry, the sick, and the outcast, not among the self-righteous and prosperous. The Eastern Christian consciousness placed above all the image of Christ humiliated and rejected - the Church saw His royal dignity through the rags of poverty that He voluntarily accepted. The Church has always recognized the moral duty of every Christian to take care of those in need and has always denounced those who remained indifferent in the face of the need and suffering of others.
The Fathers of the Church never stop calling and even the imperious demand - to feed the hungry, to help the sick and homeless. A person, according to the teaching, can fulfill God's will for himself only if he does not separate his fate from the fate of other people. Any indifference to the fate of other people, any individualism was for not only deeply vicious, but also self-destructive in nature.
A pure heart keeps the word of God like a sown seed in Christ's parable about the sower: and those that fell on good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in a good and pure heart and bear fruit in patience ().
Seeing God is the highest bliss. That is why a pure heart constantly seeks the sight of God, desires nothing but His light in the depths of its soul, and strives to live in perfect purity. This is how the Mother of God lived. We call the Virgin Mary "Most Pure" - not only because we gratify Her bodily maintenance, but also because of Her spiritual integrity. Her heart was pure, Her mind was sound, her soul magnified the Lord, her spirit rejoiced in God, Her Savior, and Her body was a spiritual temple.
The pure image of the Mother of God inspired and continues to inspire the saints to keep their hearts pure. The saints live in such a way as to never allow thoughts that are contrary to God into their hearts. in one of his writings points to an example of the purity of the heart of St. Sisoya. Sisoy completely renounced worldly desires and thoughts and, having achieved initial simplicity, became, as it were, a baby, only without infant defects. Rev. Sisoy even asked his disciple: "Did I eat, or did I not?" But, being a baby to the world, he was perfect in soul for God. Reading this one involuntarily recalls the words of Christ: Truly I say to you, if you do not turn and do not like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven().
Purity of heart is a necessary condition for unity with God. Saint writes about this in his sixth word "On the Beatitudes": "... A person who has purified the sight of his soul is offered a joyful vision of God. This is what the Word teaches us (i.e., the Lord Jesus Christ) when he tells us that The Kingdom of God is within you(). This teaches us that a person who has cleansed his soul of all passionate urges will display with his inner beauty a semblance of the image of the Divine ... With a good life wash away the dirt that has adhered to your heart, and then your godlike beauty will shine. "
Ap. Paul wrote about the same in his pastoral epistles: For the pure, everything is pure, - writes the apostle in the letter to Titus, - but for the defiled and unbelievers there is nothing pure, but both their mind and conscience are defiled ().
In the second letter to Timothy we read: So, whoever is clean of this will be a vessel of honor, sanctified and useful to the Master, fit for every good deed. Flee youthful lusts, but keep to righteousness, faith, love, peace with all who call on the Lord from a pure heart().
Abba Pimen, an ascetic of piety experienced in keeping the heart, teaches: “When a pot is heated from below by fire, then neither a fly, nor any other insect or reptile can touch it; when he catches a cold, they sit on him: the same happens to a man: as long as he is in spiritual work, the enemy cannot strike him "(" Venerable tale of the Holy Fathers ", p. 212).
But what if we don't have a pure heart? How can one cleanse him of all filthiness? First of all, we must pray that the Lord will give us spiritual insight, that He will give us the Holy Spirit, who permeates everything, sees everything. Such a prayer is always heard, for the Lord promised: if you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him(). A praying heart filled with contrition is pleasing to God, for, as it is said in the 50th psalm: a broken and humble heart you will not despise, O God(). Sincere prayer warms the heart, awakens reverential affection and attracts to itself the cleansing and sanctifying grace of God. Likewise, the Church teaches us to cleanse our hearts with warm prayer. In the Canon to Holy Communion, we read: "Give me tears, O Christ, drops that cleanse my heart" (Canto 3).
Prayer drives out deceit from the heart - this is the product of Satan, the enemy of our salvation. We need to exercise frequent and reverent invocation of the name of Jesus Christ. The Savior said: in my name they will cast out demons(). Frequent invocation with faith and reverence of this sweetest name in the so-called clever or Jesus prayer can not only drive out all its impure movements from the heart, but also fill it with high bliss, that is, heavenly joy and peace.
Tito Colliander's wonderful book The Narrow Path contains inspirational lines about the meaning of the Jesus Prayer. We will conclude this conversation with them. In the 25th chapter we read: “According to St. , the Egyptian hermit, the Jesus Prayer is the mirror of the soul and the light for the conscience. Someone compared it to a quiet voice that is incessantly heard in the house: thieves who sneak up to the house turn to flight, for they hear that someone is awake in it. Home is the heart, thieves are evil thoughts, prayer is a waking voice. But the awake is no longer I myself, but Christ.
Spiritual work embodies Christ in our soul, and it consists in continually having the memory of God; you enclose the Lord inward, in your soul, in your heart, in your consciousness. I sleep, and my heart is awake(Song of Solomon 5: 2); I myself am asleep, as if I am retreating, but my heart remains in prayer, in eternal life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, in Christ. My essence resides at the Primary Source.
This can be achieved only through the prayer "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner." This prayer is done aloud, or quietly, to oneself, or only mentally, slowly, with attention and in a heart free from everything that is extraneous. It is not only earthly interests that are outsiders, but also all kinds of expectation of answers, all kinds of daydreaming, curious questions and play of the imagination. "
Blessed are the peacemakers, as the sons of God will be called
Our Creator is the God of peace. The Heavenly Father sent His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ to earth to reconcile man with God. Ap. Paul speaks with inspiration about Christ the Reconciliator: For it was pleasing to the Father that all fullness should dwell in Him, and that through Him to reconcile everything to Himself, having pacified through Him, by the blood of His cross, both earthly and heavenly. And you, who were once alienated and enemies, by disposition to evil deeds, have now reconciled in the body of His flesh, by His death, in order to present you holy and blameless and innocent before Him ().
The kingdom of God is the kingdom of peace. I leave peace to you, my peace I give to you ...(), - said the Lord Jesus Christ. And further: Cue I told you so that you have peace in Me(). Peace in my and my world means peace, acquired by the covenant, teaching and example of Christ. These words of the Savior speak of the very peace that the Apostle Paul lists among fruits of the Holy Spirit(). which and there is the peace of God surpassing every mind ().
When Christ was born in Bethlehem of Judea, the angels sang: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will in men!(). Enmity and struggle still continue to reign on earth, but in Christ a limit is set for this sinful enmity, for the Kingdom of God has already begun to be realized. It is carried out primarily in the hearts of individual peacemakers. Peacemakers have peace in their souls with God and with other people and radiate it to everyone around them and spread this blessed peace around them; they will be called, according to the word of Christ, sons of God. The word "peace" was a form of greeting among the ancient peoples. Israelis still greet each other with the word "shalom". This greeting was also used in the days of the Savior's earthly life. The Hebrew word "shalom" is multifaceted in its meaning. In a figurative sense, the word "shalom" meant good relations between different people, families and nations, between husband and wife, between man and God. Therefore, the antonym, the opposite of this word, was not necessarily "war", but rather everything that could disrupt or destroy individual well-being or good social relations. In this broad sense, the word "peace", "shalom" meant a special gift that God gave to Israel for the sake of His covenant with Him, that is. contract, because this word was expressed in a very special way in the priestly blessing.
It is in this sense that this word-greeting was used by the Savior. With them He greeted the apostles, as it is described in the Gospel of John: on the first day of the week(after the resurrection of Christ from the dead). .. Jesus came and stood in the midst(His disciples) and he says to them: Peace be with you! And then: Jesus said to them a second time: Peace to you! as the Father sent me, so I send you(). And this is not just a formal greeting, as often happens in our human life, Christ quite realistically clothe His disciples in the world, knowing that they will have to go through an abyss of enmity, persecution and through martyrdom.
This is the world about which in the epistles of the Apostle Paul it is said that it is not of this world, that it is one of the fruits of the Holy Spirit. That he, this world is from Christ, for He is our world ().
That is why, during the divine services of the Orthodox and other Christian churches, bishops and priests so often and many times bless the people of God with the sign of the cross and the words: "Peace to all!" This is where the whole depth of the meaning of these words, the meaning of which is to nourish us, fill us with that peace that no one can take from us - the peace of Christ.
The Peace of Christ frees man from all anxiety and fear; from worrying about what to eat and drink, or what to wear; a heart filled with it is not subject to embarrassment or timidity even in the most terrible circumstances, even in suffering and death. And only one who is in such a world can say with inspiration, following the apostle Paul: Who will separate us from the love of God: sorrow, or crampedness, or persecution, or hunger, or nakedness, or danger, or the sword? as it is written: for you they kill us every day;
consider us as sheep doomed to the slaughter. But we overcome all cue by the power of Him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor Beginnings, nor Forces, nor the present, nor the future, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.()
The peace of Christ is the expression of the love of God about which St. Paul, but he by no means exempts from opposition to evil. Christ said that He Himself would be the cause of many upheavals and antagonisms between people. We read about this in the Gospel of Matthew: Do not think that I have come to bring peace to earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword, for I came to set a man apart from his father, and a daughter with her mother, and a daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law. And a man's enemies are his household. Whoever loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who does not take up his cross and follow me is not worthy of me; he who has saved his life will lose it; but he who has lost his soul for my sake will save it().
Thus, a peacemaker is one who bears witness to Christ, who fearlessly takes up his cross and gives his life for the Lord, who reveals in his life the truth and love and peace of Christ.
Roots of resentment are deeply seated in the human heart. Sometimes with pain you have to pluck these roots. But as soon as we find the strength to pull out and throw aside that which so painfully and firmly sat in the very depths of our souls, which prevented the reign of peace in our relations with people, so immediately the dark and restless feeling is replaced by the bright joy of forgiven insult, the opportunity to boldly pray Our Heavenly Father: leave us our debts, as we leave our debts ().
Without reconciliation with neighbors, neither fasting, nor fasting, nor prayer, nor sacrifice matters. What prevents us from reconciling with our neighbors? Pride. It must be overcome, because because of pride there is no peace between people, all quarrels come from it, it is the cause of all evil. You need to humble yourself and find the strength to fight your pride. That is why the Orthodox Church established on the eve of Great Lent a touching rite of forgiveness, during which those preparing to follow the path of fasting ask each other for forgiveness of mutual grievances.
We are all to blame for each other. Any our sin, even the most hidden, even mental and not fully realized by us, nevertheless harms everyone and everyone and the whole world. All of humanity has a single essence, and what happens in one person, in one way or another, is transmitted to everyone. Sometimes one can see how the invisible sin of one affects others. An evil person entered the room, or not even an evil one, but simply a darkened person. His darkness is reflected in his gaze, in an unkind smile. Sometimes a simple meeting with such a gaze, such an unkind smile can spoil the mood of other people and increase their own spiritual darkness or anger. On the contrary, even the silent presence of not only a holy person, but the appearance of an ordinary, kind person, his look, his smile, his voice can comfort, bring joy and peace. How much light and joy children often bring by their very presence. Thus, we are all responsible to each other and are responsible to others not only for what we have done or thought bad, but also for what we have not done good enough.
Ap. Peter asked the Lord: how many times to forgive the debtor, seven times? To this Christ replied: not up to seven times, but up to seventy times(), that is, you need to forgive constantly.
We must direct our spiritual effort, find a "peaceful spirit" in order to exert a peaceful influence on our neighbors, so that, according to the word of St. , "Thousands around us were saved." In order for this to happen, you need to develop goodwill towards each person in yourself. We must learn to find and see in the soul of everyone that side of his nature, which is especially susceptible to good. It is necessary to enter the circle of interests of the neighbor and adapt to his concepts and inclinations. This was constantly done by ap. Paul, who in the first letter to the Corinthians writes:. ..for the Jews I was like a Jew in order to win the Jews; for those under the law was as under the law, in order to get those under the law; for those who are alien to the law - as an alien to the law, - not being alien to the law before God, but under the law of Christ, - in order to acquire aliens of the law ().
Paying attention to the good qualities of a person, inherent in him, and not only to his shortcomings, forgiving a person his mistakes and sins, we thereby take part in his spiritual rebellion and revival, in his reconciliation with God. Paying attention to the good in a person, we perform the missionary work of attracting him to the Court of Christ, where those who celebrate the voice of ceaselessness and the endless sweetness of those who see the Lord's face unspeakable beauty. By doing this, we will become sons of God by grace.
Be blessed to drive out the truth for the sake of those who are the Kingdom of Heaven
Blessed naturally, when they revile you, and wear out, and rekut every evil verb against you, lying for Me's sake. Rejoice and be merry, as your wages are many in heaven
We combine these two Beatitudes together because they are similar to one another. In Russian, the 8th and 9th commandments read as follows: Blessed are those banished for righteousness, for such is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are you when they begin to revile you, and drive you out, and utter any slanderous slander against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad then, for your reward in heaven will be great.
The last two Beatitudes say that all who live in righteousness will be persecuted. By truth one should understand life according to the commandments of God. (Hence the word "righteous"). In other words, blessed are those who are persecuted for faith and piety, for their good deeds, performed in the name of Christ, for constancy and steadfastness in faith. Such people in eternal life will be rewarded with the bliss of the Kingdom of Heaven.
Exile for the truth takes many forms. This can be spiritual alienation, rejection or censure, or opposition to the God-pleasing activities of those living in truth, slander, oppression imposed by the authorities, exile, torture, and, finally, death.
Remember the word, - said Jesus Christ, - which I said to you, The servant is not greater than his master. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my word, they will keep yours also. But all this will do to you for my name, because they do not know him who sent me.(). In these words, Christ calls on His followers to imitate Him in everything, including His self-abasement. To imitate Christ is not an external duty or a compulsory requirement. In other words, it is not an external assimilation and repetition of His deeds and actions. Imitation of Christ is a living, free arrangement of religious and moral life in Christ, by the power of love for Him as His Ideal, Redeemer and Savior. To love Christ, we are called to walk the inevitable path of self-denial. Through selflessness as such, we come to reconciliation with all adversities, sorrows, and all kinds of troubles. “There is no greater glory than to share dishonor with Jesus,” the great saint, Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow, loved to say.
True Christians will always be persecuted because of Christ. They will be persecuted together with Him and, like Him, for the truth they profess and the good they do. As we have already said, these persecutions can manifest themselves in various forms, not only physical, but they will always be meaningless, unjust, cruel and unreasonable, for, according to the word of the Apostle Paul all, those who want to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted(). However, we must be wary of a false "persecution complex" and be sure that we only get suffering for the truth, and not for our own weaknesses and sins. The Apostolic Scriptures clearly warn: For that pleases God, - teaches the Apostle Peter, - if someone, thinking of God, endures sorrows, suffering unjustly. For what praise is it if you endure when you are beaten for wrongdoing? But if, doing good and suffering, endure, this is pleasing to God. For you are called to this, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, so that we follow in His footsteps. ().
If they revile you for the name of Christ, then you are blessed, for the Spirit of Glory, the Spirit of God rests on you. … If only one of you does not suffer, as a murderer, or a thief, or a villain, or as an encroachment on someone else's; and if as a Christian, then do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate().
Why does the world persecute true faith, piety, truth, which are so beneficial for the world itself? The Word of God answers us: the world lies in evil(). People, in the words of King David, loved evil more than good(), and the prince of this world, the devil, acting through evil people, hates the truth and persecutes it, since it serves as an exposure of unrighteousness. On this occasion, St. right. wrote: “Always evil, depraved people hated the righteous and persecuted, and will hate and persecute. Cain hated his righteous brother Abel, persecuted him for piety and finally killed him; the animal-like Esau hated his meek brother Jacob and persecuted him, threatening to kill him; the unrighteous children of the patriarch Jacob hated their brother, the righteous Joseph, and secretly sold him to Egypt so that they would not have a thorn in their eye; the wicked Saul hated the meek David and persecuted him to death, encroaching on his life; they hated the prophets of God, who denounced the lawless life, and some of them were beaten, others were killed, others were stoned, and, finally, they persecuted and killed the greatest Righteous One, the fulfillment of the laws and prophets, the Sun of righteousness, our Lord Jesus Christ "(" Poln. cit. ”Archpriest John Sergiev, vol. I, pp. 218-224).
Persecution by the enemies of Christianity embraces the entire set of external conditions for the existence of the ancient Church. The heavy oppression of persecution was further increased by the fact that poverty and poverty were a distinctive feature of the first Christians. Look,- writes ap. Paul to the Corinthians, - Who are you, called? Not many are wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; ... the ignorant of the world and the humiliated and meaningless was chosen by God to abolish the meaningful(). In addition to external trials, materially poor, but spiritually rich Christians had to endure no less difficult internal trials - backbiting, blasphemy, ridicule, abuse, slander, and so on.
The history of the Church shows us that Christians living in truth not only suffered from the pagans, but were persecuted even when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. Such beacons of faith as many others were subjected to non-recognition, reproach, exile and martyrdom. So it is up to our days, when in communist countries with special force the state power was thrown at the destruction of Christianity and Christians.
The last, 9th Beatitude Commandment, is a preparation for us to be able to accept the further preaching of Jesus Christ about following Him, carrying our life's cross; and most importantly - to come closer to the great Mystery of the suffering of the Cross of the Savior Himself.
Let no one be embarrassed by the apparent victory in this world of lies over truth, darkness over light. The basic truth of Christian evangelism is that Christ is risen, that He is the Conqueror of death, and makes us, who believe in Him, partners and heirs of this victory. To those who believe in Him, Christ gave the cross - the most powerful weapon against evil. A sanctifying gleam of the Easter victory - the victory of God's righteousness over the kingdom of the prince of this world - has laid down on the image of the Cross forever.
You were with me in my misfortunes, - says the Lord to His faithful followers - and I will bequeath to you, as My Father has bequeathed to Me, the Kingdom().
In the Apocalypse we read about people who fulfilled the last Beatitudes: these are those who came from the great tribulation; they washed their clothes and poured their clothes in the blood of the Lamb. For this they remain before the throne of God and serve Him day and night in His temple, and He who sits on the throne will dwell in them.().
From the very first to the very last pages of the Gospel, the apostles of Christ, together with the Mother of God and all Christians, constantly rejoice in the salvation that He brought.
As the Father loved me, and I loved you, - says the Lord, - abide in my love. 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. Cue I said to you, may my joy abide in you and your joy be complete(). …And your heart will rejoice, - Christ speaks elsewhere, - and no one will take your joy away from you. …Until now you have not asked for anything in my name; ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full().
True Christian joy is not earthly happiness, pleasure or pleasant pastime, but it is incomparable joy ... in faith(), the joy of knowing God's love, joy is worthy, according to the word of the apostle. Peter, participate in Christ's sufferings().
Spiritual joy is closely related to spiritual suffering. It is wrong to think that joy comes only after suffering: joy in Christ comes with suffering in Christ. They coexist and depend on one another for their strength and power. Just as sorrow over sin comes along with the joy of salvation, so sufferings in this world are in tune with and even directly cause the same ineffable joy of salvation. Therefore, as the apostle James says, Christians should consider great joy when they fall into various temptations knowing that action taken their unshakable faith is expressed in the fact that they can become perfect in its entirety, without any flaw(). The same is the firm conviction of the apostle Paul, who wrote: … We boast in the hope of the glory of God. And not only in this, but we also boast in sorrows, knowing that patience comes from sorrow, from patience experience, from experience, hope, and hope does not shame, because the love of God has been poured out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit given to us(). Such is the spiritual joy of Christians, the joy of martyrs, which more than anything testifies to the truth of the Christian faith and the authenticity of the Christian spiritual life.
Rejoice and be merry, as your wages are many in heaven ().
Here, it seems to me, He speaks not so much about those who show their mercy with money, but also about those who show it with deeds. There are many different kinds of mercy, and the commandment is extensive. What is the reward for mercy? " For they will be pardoned". Such retribution seems to be tantamount to virtue; but in fact it far surpasses virtue. Indeed, the merciful are merciful like men; but they themselves receive mercy from God of all. Humanity and God's mercy are not equal to each other, but differ from one another in the same way as evil is from good.
Conversations on the Gospel of Matthew.
St. Chromatius of Aquileia
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
In many testimonies in both the Old and New Testaments, the Lord calls us to mercy, but we believe that for the shortest path to faith, it is enough that the Lord Himself says in this place: Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy... The Merciful Lord calls the merciful blessed, showing that no one can deserve the mercy of God if he himself is not merciful. Therefore, in another place He says: (Luke 6:36).
Treatise on the Gospel of Matthew.
St. Gregory of Nyssa
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
In a certain vision, Jacob saw the ladder stretching from the earth to the heavenly heights, and God affirming on it, was mysteriously taught, perhaps, something such that now teaching is doing to us by means of the blessings that ascend to it, constantly leading to the most lofty thoughts. For there, too, the patriarch in the form of a ladder, as I think, depicts a virtuous life, so that he himself should know and those who will follow him, conveyed that it is not otherwise possible to ascend to God, as soon as he always gazes into the heavens and has an incessant desire for the higher , and therefore did not like to dwell on what he had already succeeded in, but considered it a harm for himself, if he did not touch on what was even higher. So here, too, the height of the bliss of one person before the other prepares one to approach God himself, truly blissful and affirmed in all bliss. Without doubt, just as we approach the wise with wisdom, and with pure purity, so also the blessed we assimilate through bliss; because bliss is what is in the true sense of God; which is why Jacob told that God is established on such a ladder (Gen. 28: 12-13). Therefore, participation in the blessedness is nothing more than communion with the Divine, to which the Lord elevates us with what has been said now.
Therefore, it seems to me that in the proposed discourse on bliss by what follows in order in it, in some way He makes God the one who hears and understands this word. For he says: blessedness of mercy, as they will be forgiven. It is known from many passages of the divine Scripture that the saints call the might of God merciful. So David in hymns, so Jonah in his prophecy, so the great Moses in many places of his law-making call the Godhead. Therefore, if the name merciful befits God, then does not the Word call you to become God as well, as adorned with the property of the Divine? For if in the divinely inspired Scripture God is called merciful, and the Divine is truly blessed; then the thought arising from this, in order, appears that if someone, being a man, becomes merciful, then he is vouchsafed to God's blessedness, having attained what the Divine is called. The Lord is merciful and righteous, and our God has mercy(Psalm 114: 4). And isn't it more blessed for a person to be called and become what God is called for His works? The divine Apostle also advises to be jealous of the higher gifts in his own words (1 Cor. 12:31).
But our goal is not to convince ourselves, to wish for good; because by itself it lies in human nature - to have a striving for the good, but so as not to make mistakes in our judgments about the good. For our life for the most part sins in that we cannot know exactly what is good by nature, and what is deceptively presented as such. And if vice in life seemed to us, in all nakedness, unadorned with any ghost of the good, then humanity would not surrender to it. Therefore, we need the ability to understand the proposed saying, and having studied the true sweetness of the thought contained in it, to form ourselves according to it. And the thought of God is naturally embedded in all people; but through ignorance of the truly existing God, there is a mistake in the subject of celebration; for by one the true Deity is honored, as represented in the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; while others have lost their way in absurd assumptions, having conceived something venerable in creatures; and as a consequence, deviation from the truth in little things opened the door for wickedness. So in the reasoning of the thought presented to us, if we do not understand the true meaning, there will be no small damage for us who have sinned in the truth.
Therefore, what is mercy, and what is its activity? Why blessed is he who receives back what he gives? For it is said: The immediate meaning of this saying calls a person to mutual love and compassion; because, due to the inequality and dissimilarity of everyday affairs, not everyone lives in the same circumstances, with respect to the dignity and structure of the body, and prosperity in everything else. Life is for the most part divided into opposites, distinguished by slavery and domination, wealth and poverty, glory and dishonor, decrepitude of the body and good health, and all the like. Therefore, in order for the insufficient to become equal to the abundant, and the poor to be made up for by the abundant, the Lord legitimizes people to be merciful to the lower; for there is no other way to induce a neighbor to heal his misfortune, unless mercy softens the soul to accept such an impulse; since mercy is learned from the opposite of cruelty. Just as the cruel and fierce is inaccessible to those approaching, so the compassionate and merciful comes, as it were, in the same disposition with the needy, for the grieved doing what his sorrowful mind requires; and mercy, as someone else will explain, giving this concept a definition, is an arbitrary sorrow produced by other people's misfortunes. If we have not accurately expressed the meaning of this word; then, perhaps, it will be more clearly interpreted by another concept: mercy is a love-filled disposition towards those who endure with sorrow something that is burdensome for them. For, as cruelty and atrocity have their origin in hatred, so also mercy in some way originates from love, and it only has its origin. And if one examines precisely the distinctive quality of grace, he will find that it is an intensification of a loving disposition, combined with a feeling of sadness. Have fellowship in good care of everyone alike, both enemies and friends; but the desire to participate in the unfortunate is characteristic only of those possessed of love. And of all attachments in this life, love is recognized as the most powerful, and mercy is the strengthening of love. Of course, in a proper sense, he is a blessed one who has a soul in the same disposition as one who has reached the very top of virtue.
And let no one imagine this virtue to be in one material; for in such a case, the perfection in such, no doubt, will be the property of the one who has some opportunity for charity. But, it seems to me, it is fairer to look at production facilities in such a matter.
Whoever wished only good, but met an obstacle to doing good, because he did not have the opportunity, by the disposition of his soul is no less than the one who proved his delight by his deeds.
And how much benefit to life, if someone accepts the meaning of this bliss in this sense - it is an unnecessary matter to argue about that; because the advances made in life according to this advice are evident to children themselves. If, suppose so, such a relationship between the soul and the humiliated occurs in everyone, then there will be no higher or lower, and life will not be divided according to the opposite of names; poverty will not burden a person, not to humiliate slavery, not to grieve dishonor, because everything will be common to everyone; both equality of rights and freedom of speech will take root in human life when the abundant voluntarily equals the insufficient. If this happens, then there will be no pretext for enmity; then envy is ineffective; hatred is dead, then rancor, lies, deceit, war - all these products of lust - to have more will become foreigners. After the destruction of this non-compassionate disposition, of course, like some kind of bad root, the offspring of vice will be plucked out, and after the eradication of the deeds of the wicked, a whole list of all the good will appear in their place: peace, truth, and the whole series of what is presented as the best. Therefore, what is more blessed than this, to lead life in this way, not entrusting the safety of your life to locks and bolts, but finding this safety in each other? How cruel and beast-like makes those who have experienced his ferocity hostile to himself; so, on the contrary, all are made benevolent to the merciful, because in those who receive it, mercy naturally gives rise to love.
Therefore, mercy, as the word has shown, is the mother of benevolence, the pledge of love, the union of any friendly disposition: and with this reliable support, can one think of anything more solid for this life? Therefore, the word justly pleases the merciful when so many blessings appear in his name. But although everyone knows that this advice is useful for life; however, it seems to me that the meaning of this something more understood at first glance mysteriously makes it possible to see an indication of the future; for it is said: as if the reward of the merciful for mercy had been postponed for the last.
Therefore, leaving this understandable meaning, and many at first glance find it, we will try, as much as we can, to penetrate the inner veil with our mind as much as possible. Beatitudes of mercy: for they will be pardoned... In this word, one can find out a certain exalted teaching, namely, that He who created man in His own image put the first fruits of all good things into the nature of creation, so that he does not enter into us from outside; good, but in our will, whatever we want, as if from some treasury, to take the good from nature. For partly we learn to judge the whole, that it is not possible for someone to receive what he wants otherwise than if he gives himself this benefit. Therefore, the Lord says nowhere to the listeners: the kingdom of God is within you(Luke 17:21); and: everyone who asks accepts, and seek, you gain, and to the one who pushes it will be opened(Matt. 7: 8); so to get what we want, and find what we are looking for, and become among the goods we longed for - it is in our will, as soon as we want it, and this arbitrariness depends on ours. And as a consequence of this, we are led to the opposite idea, namely, that the inclination to the bad does not come from outside, by some compelling necessity; but together with the consent to evil, evil itself is made up, then it comes into being when we choose it; in itself, in its own independence, outside arbitrariness, evil is nowhere found composed. This clearly reveals self-righteous and free power, which the Lord of nature has arranged in human nature so that everything, both good and bad, depends on our will. And the Divine judgment, following an incorruptible and truthful sentence, in accordance with our will, gives to everyone what a person has acquired for himself. Ovym ubo as the Apostle says, for the patience of a work of good, glory and honor to those who seek, an eternal belly; but for those who resist the truth, who obey unrighteousness: anger, sorrow, and everything that is called strict retribution (Rom. 2: 7-8). For as accurate mirrors show the images of faces as they are in reality, for the cheerful ones they are cheerful, and among the gloomy ones they are blunt; and no one will blame the properties of a mirror if the image of a face drooping from despondency turns out to be gloomy; so the righteous judgment of God is likened to our dispositions; and what is in our will, so will its reward. Come, will say blessings(Matt. 25:31); go curse(Matt. 25:41). Really, what external necessity determines the lot of those who stand at the right hand of this sweet, and those who stand at the right hand - a stern voice? Was it not for what they did that the first received mercy? And the others are not the fact that they treated their fellow tribesmen cruelly, made the Divine cruel for themselves? The rich man who was drowning in luxury did not have mercy on the beggar who was in need at the gate. By this he deprived himself of mercy, and, having the need for mercy, was not heard; not because one drop would damage the great source, but because a drop of mercy is incompatible with cruelty. For some communication from light to dark(2 Cor. 6:14)? Man, it is said, Even if he sows, he is the same and will reap: as if sow to the flesh, from the flesh you will reap corruption, but sow to the spirit, from the spirit the eternal life will reap(Gal. 6: 7-8). Human will, I think, is sowing, and the reward for will is the harvest. The class is abundant in blessings among those who have chosen such sowing; picking up thorns from those who sow thorny seeds in life is difficult; because a man must certainly reap what he sowed; Otherwise it can not be. Blessedness of mercy: as ti they will be... What human word will depict the depth of the thoughts contained in this word? The positiveness and indefiniteness of the utterance give reason to look for something more against what has been said, because it is not added: who are those on whom mercy should extend their action, but it is simply said that bliss of mercy ... For, perhaps, this word gives us to understand something similar to the fact that the meaning of mercy consists in connection with blissful lamentation. There was worthy of gratification who spent his life in tears. And here, it seems to me, the Word also understands doctrine. In what disposition are we from other people's calamities, when some of our loved ones meet any grievous sorrow, or having lost their fatherly home, or escaped naked from shipwreck, or having fallen into the hands of robbers on land or sea, or from free to become slaves, from those who lived happily - prisoners, or having suffered some other similar evil, while until then they experienced life in some kind of well-being - therefore, what a painful disposition there is in our souls; all the more it is much more timely, perhaps, in ourselves to be aroused by such a thought about a humiliating upheaval in life. For when we consider how light is that our abode from which we were expelled, how we have sunk the power of robbers, how we have become naked, mired in the depths of this life, what and how many masters have brought upon ourselves instead of a free and self-lawful life, how the bliss of life has been suppressed by death and decay; Then, if we take up these thoughts, is it possible that mercy was turned to other people's misfortunes, and the soul did not feel pity for itself, reasoning what it had and what it lost? For what is more miserable than this captivity? Instead of enjoying in paradise, we inherited a painful and arduous area in life; instead of this dispassion, they took upon themselves thousands of calamities from passions; instead of this lofty living and coexistence with the Angels, they were condemned to live with the beasts of the earth, and the life of the angelic impassive was exchanged for the bestial. Who can easily count the cruel tormentors of our life, these fierce and fierce rulers? A cruel ruler is irritation, others like them are envy, hatred, passion of pride; some mad and fierce tormentor who despises us like slaves is an incontinent thought that enslaves itself for passionate and impure services. And the torment of covetousness should not exceed the measure of all cruelty? Having enslaved a poor soul, he always forces him to fulfill his insatiable desires, incessantly accepting and never filling himself, like some many-headed beast, with thousands of jaws passing food into an unfulfilled womb, whose acquisition never serves even as a small satiety, but always what is received is made food and set fire to the wish for more. Therefore, who, having understood this disastrous life, will remain mercilessly and unmercifully disposed to such calamities? But the reason for not having mercy on ourselves is not the feeling of evil; for example, what suffer those who are raging from madness, for whom the excess of evil consists in the fact that the feeling of being endured is taken away? Therefore, if anyone recognizes himself, what he was before, and what he is now (Solomon says somewhere: know yourself and be wise(Proverbs 13:10)), then she will never cease to be merciful, and God's mercy will naturally follow this disposition of the soul. Why is it said: blessedness of mercy: they will be forgiven.
They were pardoned, not others. By this, the Lord clarifies the idea, as someone would say: it is a blessed business to take care of bodily health. He who has this care will live healthy. Likewise, the merciful is very blessed; because the fruit of mercy becomes the own property of the one who has mercy, both on the basis of what we have found now, and as a result of what we have studied before, I mean the one who shows compassion for the soul to other people's misfortunes. For an equally good deed is both, and to have mercy on himself according to what has been said, and to sympathize with the misfortune of his neighbor: because the will of a person in relation to the lower, with the superiority of power, shows the truthfulness of God's judgment, why a person in some way judges himself, and in court over subordinates pronounces judgment on himself. So since we believe, and we really believe that the whole human race will appear before the judgment of Christ, yes, take kiyzhdo, even with the body has done, or good, or evil(2 Cor. 5:10); Because (it may be bold to talk about this, but let's say, if only it is possible to comprehend with reason and comprehend the ineffable and invisible bliss in rewarding the merciful) the benevolence that has occurred in souls towards those who show mercy and after the present life in those who have received mercy, it is natural to remain forever in the future life: then, is it not likely that the benefactor, if even during the trial is recognized as benefited, will win over his soul to praise him with voices of thanks before the God of every creature? And what other bliss would be needed at such a spectacle, proclaimed for valiant deeds? For the gospel word teaches that those who are blessed will also be in the judgment of the King over the righteous and sinful. He addresses both of them with an indication, as if with a finger letting them know what is in front of them: before you create one for the one of these my lesser brethren(Matt. 25:40). For in a word: these are shown the presence of the blessed.
Tell me now, you, who prefers the inanimate substance of property to future bliss: what kind of shine does gold have? What kind of radiance is there in expensive stones? What kind of adornment is this garment in comparison with the boon offered to hope? When the One who reigns over creation openly reveals Himself to the human race, splendidly sitting on the exalted throne, when the countless darkness of Angels will be visible around Him, and when the ineffable kingdom of heaven will open to the eyes of all; and also, in contrast to this, terrible torments will be shown; and in the midst of this, the entire human race, from the first creature to the fullness of those brought into being, in fear and hope of the future, will appear in bewilderment, repeatedly shuddered by the fulfillment of what is expected for both; because those who have lived with a good conscience are not sure of the future, seeing that others, by a crafty conscience, as if by some executor of execution, are drawn into this terrible darkness: and yet this one, with the voices of praise and thanksgiving of the beneficent, full of boldness, will be led by deeds to the Judge; then will he begin to calculate his good part based on material wealth? Will he agree that, instead of these blessings, all mountains and plains and valleys and seas, being transformed, become gold?
And whoever carefully hid his wealth under seals, locks, behind iron doors, in safe secret places, and the substance flowing from him to hide and keep with himself preferred to any commandment; Moreover, if headlong into a dark fire, everyone who experienced his cruelty and mercy in this life will reproach him and say to him: remember how you perceived your good on your belly(Luke 16:25); in strongholds with your riches you have concluded mercy, and on earth you have left mercy; you have not brought philanthropy into this life, and you do not have what you did not have; you do not find what you did not believe; you do not collect what you have not lavished; you do not reap what you did not sow; your harvest is worthy of sowing; you sowed bitterness, gather her handles; you respected cruelty, keep with you what you loved; he looked at no one with compassion, and no one will look at you with regret: you despised the grieving one, they will despise you who are perishing; you ran away occasions to show mercy, and mercy will run from you; Thou hast abhorred the beggar, abhorred also thee, whoever is from you in poverty. If this and the like are said, where will the gold be? where are the shiny vessels? Where is the security given to the treasures by the seals? Where are the dogs assigned to the night watch and the supply of weapons for the intruders? Where are the signs written in the books? What do they mean against crying and gnashing of teeth? Who will light up the darkness? Who extinguish the flame? Who will ward off the undying worm?
Therefore, brethren, let us understand the Lord's word, in little that teaches us so much about the future, and let us become merciful, so that through this we may become blessed in Christ Jesus our Lord. Glory and power to Him forever and ever!
About the Beatitudes. Step 5.
St. Dmitry Rostovsky
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
The merciful, loving God, loves his neighbor and wishes him every good, helps him in need, intercedes in adversity, in bewilderment instructs and forgives him the sins committed against him. Deeds of mercy are twofold: bodily and spiritual. The bodily ones include the following: to give the hungry one to eat from the righteous possession, to give the thirsty one to drink, clothe the naked, visit in prison and comfort him so that he does not fall into despair, visit the weak, take the stranger into the house and bury the dead. The spiritual essence is as follows: to admonish someone to live lawfully and hate sin, to teach the ignorant of God's knowledge, to advise the truth, to pray to God for his neighbor, to endure patiently reproach and to forgive the sins of those who have sinned against us.
The mirror of the Orthodox confession. About hope.
Schmch. Peter Damaskin
Blessed by mercy... Merciful is the one who has mercy on his neighbor with what he himself received from God: either with money, or food, or strength, or a useful word, or prayer, if he has the opportunity to have mercy on the one asking him, considering himself a debtor, for he received more than from him is required. And (thinking) that he was worthy, like God, to be called merciful - and this is from Christ both in this age and in the future, before all creation - and that through his brother God asks of him and becomes a debtor to him. A poor man can be alive without what he asks of him, but without being merciful, if possible, he cannot be alive or be saved, for if he does not want to have mercy on those who are similar to himself by nature, then as he asks God to have mercy on him? Reflecting on this and many other things, the one who has been rewarded with the commandments gives not only what he has, but also his soul for his neighbor, for this is perfect charity, just as Christ suffered death for us, showing everyone an image and an example, so that we too should die, friend for a friend, and not only for friends, but also for enemies, in time of need. It is not necessary to have a thing in order to show mercy; Rather, it is a great weakness, but one who does not have anything to show mercy should have mercy for everyone, and thus can help those in need, becoming impartial to the things of life, and having compassion for people. But one should not teach out of vanity, without first showing (by itself) by deed, so that, while healing the souls of the weak, one does not turn out to be even more weak than those in need of healing: because every business requires time and prudence, so that something does not happen untimely or unnecessarily. It is better for the weak to be removed from everything, and non-possession is much better than charity.
Creations. Book one.
Venerable Simeon the New Theologian
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
Also hearing: bliss of mercy, let him test whether he is merciful. But who are the merciful? Are those who give money to the poor and feed them? No, that alone is not what makes merciful; It is necessary that with this there be mercy of the heart. And those are merciful who have become impoverished out of love for Christ, for the sake of us who have become impoverished, and do not have what to give to the poor, but remembering the poor, widows, orphans and sick people, and often seeing them, consume pity for them and cry, becoming like Job. who says about himself: But I wept for every weak(Job 30:25). They, when they have something, with sincere cordiality help those in need, and when they do not have, give them all-convincing instructions on what contributes to the salvation of the soul, obeying the word of the one who said: learn unflattering, teach without envy(Prem. 7:13).
Words (Word 70).
Right. John of Kronstadt
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
Since man is the image of God, infinitely exalted over everything earthly, not speaking over the material and soulless, but also over animate beings, such as animals, birds, fish, reptiles, insects, reptiles, then everything is subdued (the whole earth) under his feet, and therefore it would be insane and audacious if someone began to feel sorry for a person from the gifts of God for something that he needs for his life, for example, a guest, a beggar or a neighbor in general. There is no need to regret anything. On the other hand, since man is the image of God, but he bears the ulcers of sins that invisible robbers inflicted and inflict upon him, then for the sake of precisely that he is the image of God, one must forgive him for his sins, forgive these weaknesses, the weaknesses of his damaged nature. if he is aware of them, feels and repents; honor is given to the King when His image is treated favorably. Because of mercy ... they will be pardoned.
Diary. Volume VI.
I have not spoken to you for a long time, my brethren! Five weeks have passed since I spoke here about the blessedness of those who hunger and thirst for the righteousness of God, or the justification of Christ. I think that in your everyday worries and vanities you have forgotten what was said in that conversation, and not only in that one, but also in previous ones. It is my duty to remind you briefly of what was said before, so that you can thus lay down in your heart the divine commandments and remember them, I do it (Psalm 102: 18), according to the word of the Psalmist. It was said about the four commandments of the Lord for bliss, of which in the first the Lord commands His followers spiritual poverty, humility. Blessed are the poor in spirit: for those are the Kingdom of Heaven(Matt. 5: 3). According to this commandment, we must always think humbly of ourselves, considering ourselves full of countless sins and infirmities, and incapable of any direct, pure good, without the help of the grace of God; to honor everything that we have, not our own, but the gift of God; for everything to thank God, the Giver of all good, and in everything to resort to His mercy. In the second commandment, the Lord calls blessed people who heartily grieve and weep for the sins of their voluntary and involuntary, promising them gracious consolation, consisting in the forgiveness of sins and peace of conscience. The blessedness of crying, he says, they will be comforted(Matt. 5: 4). This commandment of the Lord obliges us to always have our sins in front of our eyes, their vileness, our distraction and our inattention to the commandments of the Lord, great responsibility for sins before God, a terrible judgment and eternal fire, prepared for unrepentant sinners, and inspires us to live in constant repentance. In the third commandment, the Lord pleases the meek by promising them the inheritance of the earth. This commandment of the Lord teaches us to be always meek and gentle, following the example of our Lord Jesus Christ, who was like a gentle lamb - the reproached did not reproach, he did not dislike suffering, but he gave everything up to God who Judges righteously(1 Pet. 2:23); teaches never to get irritated with anything and not to annoy or offend anyone, holding back the outbursts of anger in every possible way; treat everyone kindly, patiently, condescendingly; to overcome evil with good, to correct the faulty with patience and discipline. As a reward for meekness and patience, the Lord promises the inheritance of the earth, that is, firstly, longevity and prosperity here on earth: for meekness and restraint, or the elimination of outbursts of anger, everlasting complacency and tranquility, greatly contribute to the health and longevity of a person, and secondly, blessed and eternal life in the heavenly fatherland. In the fourth commandment, the Lord pleases the hungry and thirsty for righteousness, that is, those people who, feeling themselves the greatest sinners and sincerely repenting, take a firm and decisive intention to correct themselves, voluntarily languish with greed and thirst for truth and holiness, or grace that justifies and saturates the soul Jesus Christ, as the hungry hunger for bodily food, and the thirsty for drink. Here is a brief summary of previous conversations! Add up everything that has been said in your heart and do as the Lord has commanded, so that you will be blessed in your deeds and receive the kingdom of heaven prepared for doing the commandments of God.
Now let's talk about the next, that is, about the fifth commandment of the Lord for bliss. The Lord says: blessedness of mercy, as they will be merciful... What is most needed by a sinner? The mercy of God, non-punishment for our sins, the continuation of God's longsuffering to us, the granting of more time for repentance, the very excitement of the soul to repentance, the forgiveness of sins, and in the end - pardon at the terrible judgment of God. That is why the Church, on our behalf, often says: Lord have mercy! And so, fellow sinner, if you have already recognized yourself as the greatest sinner, you are worthy of any condemnation and torment, if you have known the abomination and absurdity of sins, an immeasurable insult through them to the Lord God and the greatest responsibility for them; If you are hungry and longing for the justification and mercy of God, then try to show the mercy that is possible for you to your neighbors: blessed merciful, says the Lord, they will be pardoned... For mercy to the brethren, you yourself will receive mercy from God; for temporary mercy - eternal mercy, for small mercy - infinitely great mercy: for you will not only be rewarded with mercy from eternal for the sins of condemnation at the judgment of God, but you will also receive eternal bliss. Anyone can conveniently show mercy to a neighbor, because mercy is different, just as the needs of a person are different - spiritual and physical, as the position of people in society, their condition and rank are different.
The boss can show mercy by condescension, meekness to sinners, patience, attention to the merits of subordinates and rewarding them; subordinate to the everlasting serviceability, obedience, diligence; a scientist can show mercy to his neighbors, enlightening the ignorant, conducting right judgments into society about faith, about life, about the purpose of a person's existence on earth, about earthly blessings, about death, about the truth of God, about eternal judgment, or exposing social vices; the rich can show mercy to his neighbor by donating from his property to the needs of the Church and her servants, to charities, or giving generous alms to the poor; the poor by his gratitude and zeal in serving the rich, by his prayer for benefactors; a pastor - with sincere and unceasing concern for the salvation of human souls, unceasing teaching them in the word of God, always ready to fulfill parish requirements, to give advice, instruction, consolation; - and the flock - with respect, humility and gratitude to the pastors, condescension to shortcomings and fervent prayer for them.
The main deeds of bodily mercy, common for all, are as follows: 1) the hungry to nourish, 2) the thirsty to drink, 3) to put on nagago, or who lacks the necessary and decent clothing, 4) to visit the one who is in prison, 5) to visit the sick, to serve him and help his recovery, or Christian preparation for death, that is, call a priest for confession and communion with the Holy Mysteries of Christ, 6) take the wanderer into the house and calm him down, and 7) bury the dead in poverty for his own dependency, or for collected alms. All these works of mercy, except for the last one, are mentioned by the Lord Himself when depicting His last terrible judgment. Here are His words: When the Son of man comes in His glory, and all the holy Angels are with Him, then he will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; And he will separate one from another, as a shepherd will separate the sheep from the goats, and he will set the sheep on his right hand, and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me(Matt. 25: 31-36). From these words of the Lord, you see, brethren, how necessary and how important - infinitely important - Christian mercy is for us. It is necessary because without works of mercy it is impossible to inherit the kingdom prepared from the folding of the world for the blessed of the Heavenly Father, and judgment without mercy will be to the one who has not shown mercy (James 2:18) is infinitely important because the mercy shown to the neighbor is shown personally to Jesus Christ Himself , according to the testimony of Himself: before you create for one, these are my lesser brethren, create for me(Matt. 25:40); for all people, especially Christians, are His lesser brothers, and Christians are also His members.
Deeds of spiritual mercy are as follows: 1) to convert, through admonition, a sinner from error, for example, an unbeliever, or a gentile, a schismatic, or a drunkard, a fornicator, a wasteful, etc .; 2) to teach the ignorant truth and goodness, for example, those who do not know how to pray to God, teach how to pray, who do not know God's commandments, teach the commandments and fulfill them; 3) give good advice to your neighbor at the time - for example, in difficulty or in danger that he does not notice, in illness, when someone is malicious on whose life or welfare; 4) pray for all to God: pray for each other, as if you will heal(James 5:16); 5) comfort the sad: comfort the faint-hearted(1 Thess. 5:14); not to repay or avenge the evil that people have done to us, not a single evil for evil rewarding(Rom. 12:17); or vexation for vexation (1 Pet. 3: 9) or not revenge yourself, love, but give room to anger(Rom. 12:19), that is, God's; 7) to forgive offenses from the heart, knowing and remembering that the one who offends another, first of all, offends himself, drawing upon himself the great wrath of God; that he offends at the instigation of the enemy; that we deserve to be offended by our sins; and, finally, that God forgives us our sins and our offenses inflicted on His majesty. This time we will dwell on this and end our conversation by reminding you of one more thing, so that you remember these commandments of the Lord and try to obey them unacceptably: for the slave is led by the will of his master, and not having prepared, nor created according to his will, there will be many biens(Luke 12:47). Next time we will talk about the motives for charity and how to show mercy and give charity, and with what mood. Amen.
Conversations about the Beatitudes of the Gospels.
Blessed. Jerome of Stridonsky
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
By mercy is meant not only alms, but also condescension to any brother's sin when we wear hardships of each other(Gal. 6: 2).
Blessed. Augustine
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
Listen to what follows: Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy... As you do, so will they do to you. Do to another as you [would like] to do to you. For you abide in abundance and need: you abound in transitory [things], but you need the eternal. You hear a beggar person, but you yourself are a beggar before God. They ask you and you ask. And as you did with your petitioner, so God will do with His. For you are both full and have not: fill the have-not from your fullness, so that from the fullness of God your want may also be filled.
Sermons.
Blessed. Theophylact Bulgarian
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
Mercy can be shown not only by property, but also by word, and if there is nothing, then by tears. They also receive mercy here from people, for the one who showed mercy yesterday, if he loses everything today, will meet mercy on the part of everyone; but especially then God will help him, after death.
Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew.
Euthymius Zigaben
Blessedness of mercy: as ti they will be
By God, of course; and not only to the extent that they themselves have pardoned others. What is the difference between good and evil, or better, between man and God, the same difference between human and God's mercy. You should show mercy not only with property, but also with words and, if you have nothing, even with tears. The image of charity is manifold, and this commandment is broad. Will be pardoned here by people, and there by God.
Interpretation of the Gospel of Matthew.
Bp. Mikhail (Luzin)
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
Gracious... Those who, being touched by misfortunes, calamities and, in general, the suffering of others, help them in whatever way they can: with their acquisitions, or advice, or mercy for their weaknesses, or, in general, with what a neighbor needs. For this they themselves will be merciful: the Lord Himself will be merciful to them for their mercy. He will accept them into His Kingdom, which in itself serves as a sign of God's great mercy towards man, and will harbor them more than they harmed others (cf. Matt. 10:42; Matt. 25: 34-40 ff.). However, they will also be pardoned “here too - from the people. For whoever showed mercy yesterday, and today fell into poverty, all will show mercy to him ”(Theophylact).
Explanatory Gospel.
Anonymous comment
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
Merciful is not the one who pity the poor, the orphan or the widow - such mercy is often found among other [peoples] who do not know God - but he is truly merciful who is merciful to his enemy and does good to him, according to the word of Scripture: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you(Luke 6:27). After all, God also gives rain, or orders His sun to rise not only over the grateful, but also over the ungrateful. Therefore, he says so: Be merciful as your Father is merciful(Luke 6:36). And truly such is blessed, for his mercy, if he does not have sin (which is difficult among people), helps him to come closer to the truth; and if he has, then to the forgiveness of sins, for he can say with confidence: "Forgive me my debts, just as I forgive my debtors."
A.P. Lopukhin
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
And here, as in the second and fourth bliss, the reward is placed in the most natural correspondence with virtue. The word merciful is used in the general sense of people who show mercy, benevolence to their neighbors, and not to the poor alone. In the Old Testament, the same truth was expressed very similarly to the commandment of the Savior, but mercy was limited only to the poor (Prov. 14:21 - LXX). The words of the Savior are more similar to the words of the prophet (Hos. 6: 6; Mic. 6: 8). John Chrysostom writes quite correctly: “It seems to me that He is speaking here not only of the merciful by distributing property, but also of the merciful through deeds. For the ways of mercy are varied and this commandment is broad. " As for the pardon of the merciful, then, of course, in the opinion of some interpreters, pardon is only at the Last Judgment. But the Savior hardly had such a limitation in mind. The Merciful, of course, will be pardoned at the Last Judgment, but this does not in the least prevent them from being pardoned in this life as well.
Prot. Alexander (Schmemann)
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
Mercy is loving understanding, loving trust and, most importantly, the belief that a person, regardless of any guilt, any violation of the law, is worthy of love. Grace affirms the primacy of the personal over the general. The law knows only a criminal - mercy also sees a person in a criminal. The law condemns - mercy is merciful. The law cannot discern all the uniqueness of this person - mercy, without challenging the law, peers into the face of the guilty person, into the depths of his eyes and knows that a person is, in fact, inexhaustible.
Blessed are the gracious- those who in every person always distinguish a living face, those who do not reduce his life to the sphere of the law and therefore are able to take pity, have mercy. Here is the basis of Christian anthropology, i.e. teachings about man, the basis of Christian morality, i.e. teachings about the life of a Christian and his relationship to fellow naturalists. With this commandment, Christianity invariably opposes all the builders of the "new world" who, promising man happiness, bring him the hell of impersonality.
Conversations on Radio Liberty. Beatitudes.
Trinity sheets
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
He who himself is familiar with need, who knows by himself how a person needs the mercy of God, is ready to show mercy to others. He who hungers and thirsts for righteousness himself will create this righteousness, helping his neighbor to the best of his ability in everything he can. "The image of mercy is different," says St. John Chrysostom, "and this commandment is broad." There is no person who could not be merciful to his neighbor, therefore there is no person who could not receive the bliss promised by the merciful. Therefore, the Lord says: Blessed are the gracious: blessed are all those who show their neighbor mercy, either bodily or spiritually! Blessed are those who nourish the hungry, give the thirsty drink, clothe the naked, give rest to the strange, visit the sick and in prison, visit and comfort prisoners! Blessed are those who feed orphans, help widows, give shelter to the elderly and crippled! Blessed are those who instruct the lost on the path of truth, convert unbelievers to faith, teach those who do not know the truth and goodness, warn against dangers, help with good advice, do not repay evil for evil, and forgive insults from the heart! Blessed are those who weep with those who weep, who are compassionate in heart to those who find themselves in trouble, who are drowning in sins! Blessed are those who pray for their neighbor, and especially for their enemy! Blessed are those who do not leave the dead: the beggars are buried in a Christian way, alms are given for all the dead, everyone is remembered at the liturgy: oh, this mercy is the most disinterested, the purest, the most holy! No one ever needs mercy as much as the dead need prayer. So, blessed are all these merciful ones, for they and themselves will be pardoned from God. Those who showed mercy yesterday, but today they themselves have fallen into poverty, to that people willingly show mercy; and even if people had forgotten him, the Lord would not forget; and the mercy of God and the mercy of man, as St. Chrysostom says, are as different as good and evil. The Lord Himself will protect and have mercy on them in times of trouble and misfortune, - on the day of disaster will deliver them, will not deliver them into the hands of their enemies, help them on the bed of illness(Psalm 40: 2). Most of all, on the day of His Last Judgment, He will do mercy with the merciful: all their merciful deeds, rendered to their neighbor, He will impute to Himself and call them, as blessed ones, into the Kingdom of His Heavenly Father. But judgment without mercy will then be to those who did not show mercy! ... Is it necessary to give examples of this great virtue of Christian mercy? Who does not know the wondrous life of the great merciful: the righteous Philaret, St. John the Merciful and others? It is enough to quote here the words of one of them, the Monk Agathon: "If I found a leper and could give him my body, and take his body for myself, I would do it with love ..." So, a sinner seeking, longing for mercy from God! Console yourself; Here is the way for you to have mercy: hurry to do good to your neighbor, even the smallest you can, and God will reward you with great mercy! “A beggar,” says Blessed Augustine, “this is your door, and you yourself are a beggar before God's gates. As you do with your petitioner, so God will do with you "...
Trinity sheets. No. 801-1050.
Met. Hilarion (Alfeev)
Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy
The fifth commandment of Beatitude speaks of one more important human quality, which is a reflection of one of the properties of God: Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy.
Already in the Old Testament, God is called merciful and merciful: God appears to Moses at Sinai with a name The Lord, the Lord, God is man-loving and merciful, long-suffering and many-merciful and true(Ex. 14: 6). These words are repeated almost literally in Psalm 85: But Thou, O Lord, God is generous and merciful, long-suffering and many-merciful and true(Ps. 85:15). Psalm 102 says: The Lord is generous and merciful, long-suffering and merciful(Psalm 102: 8). We meet similar expressions in the books of the prophets:, (1 Kings 3: 16-28). God the Father also possesses this pity and compassion for people as His children.
At the same time, the Old Testament God remains, first of all, a just Judge, rewarding everyone according to his deeds. The mercy of God to man in the Old Testament books is directly related to human behavior: You act mercifully with the merciful, sincerely with the sincere husband, purely with the pure, and with the wicked one according to his craftiness.(Ps. 17: 26-27).
In the New Testament, the emphasis is on mercy as a property of God, independent of the behavior of people: God commands His sun to rise over the wicked and the good and sends rain on the righteous and unrighteous(Matthew 5:45). In the New Testament, the idea of divine justice is almost completely replaced by the idea of divine mercy. Numerous parables of Jesus are devoted to this theme, including the parable of the workers in the vineyard: each worker receives an equal reward from God, regardless of the hour from which he began to work (Matt. 20: 1-16).
Gracious(ελεημονες), which are discussed in the fifth commandment of Beatitude, are people who have that mercy and love, which are a reflection of Divine love, which does not divide people into friends and enemies, evil and good, righteous and unrighteous. Like the sun, God illuminates with His light both; like rain it sprinkles them with His love and mercy. The “merciful heart” in man is the image of Divine mercy extending to all creation. Thus, in the Christian perspective, to be merciful is not only to act mercifully towards others, but also to have that mercy in the heart that is a reflection of Divine mercy. It is not only about the way of behavior, but also about the internal quality.
About people with this quality, the Beatitudes say that they will be pardoned(ελεηθησονται). As in the Old Testament, there is a direct connection between the relationship of man to his neighbor and the relationship of God to man. This connection will be further emphasized in the Sermon on the Mount in the words of the Lord's Prayer: And forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors and also in the commentary with which Jesus accompanies these words: For if you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, and if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you for your sins.(Matthew 6:12, 14-15).
Pardon is one of the fundamental biblical concepts. In the psalms, the word "have mercy" (ελεησον) is repeatedly addressed to God; from the psalms, it was borrowed by the Christian Church, firmly entering the divine service as the main request that believers turn to God. Those who wanted to receive healing from Him spoke to Jesus with the same word (Matt. 9:27; 15:22; 17:15). From His side, Jesus performs healings, having compassion (σπλαγχνισθεις) over the sick (Matthew 20:34; Mark 1:41). His human mercy is inextricably linked to the mercy that He has as God.
To such mercy, Jesus calls all His followers through the fifth commandment of Beatitude, as well as through the words of the Sermon on the Plain: So be merciful (οικτιρμονες), like your Father is merciful(Luke 6:36). Here a word is used that is close in meaning to the term ελεημονες and also means "merciful", "compassionate."
Jesus Christ. Life and Teaching. Book II.
Mercy, mercy, is a property of Divine love and one of the noblest feelings of a person. To be merciful means to be like God, for He, according to the testimony of Psalm 102, is generous and merciful ... long-suffering and many-merciful. Jesus Christ says the same in His Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Luke:
Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing; and you will have a great reward, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is good both to the ungrateful and the wicked. So, be merciful, as your Father is merciful (Luke 6: 27-36).
To be merciful does not mean to justify lies and sin, or to be tolerant of stupidity and evil, or to pass by injustice and lawlessness; to be merciful is to have compassion for the lost and compassion for those captivated by sin. To forgive those who do wrong, who not only harm others, but, in the first place, destroy themselves, their own human nature.
All people are sinful before God and guilty before each other, and therefore deserve every condemnation. But by His infinite mercy, the Lord forgives and has mercy on the repentant wicked (remember the parable of the prodigal son). If we show mercy to each other, then we will be merciful by God. The merciful can utter with full responsibility the words from the prayer "Our Father": ... forgive us our debts, just as we forgive our debtors (Matthew 6: 12).
St. John of Kronstadt writes: “For mercy to the brethren, you yourself will receive mercy from God; for temporary mercy - eternal mercy, for small mercy - infinitely great mercy; for you will not only be rewarded with pardon from eternal condemnation for sins at the judgment of God, but you will also receive eternal bliss ”(“ Complete collection of soch. ”Archpriest John Sergiev, vol. 1, p. 189).
The Holy Scriptures abound with sayings about the need for mercy, mercy in the spiritual life of a person. Judgment without mercy to the one who did not show mercy; mercy is exalted over judgment (James 2:13), - we read in the Apostle James. The Apostle of Love John the Theologian in his first epistle teaches us: Whoever has abundance in the world (wealth), but seeing his brother in need, closes his heart from him - how does the love of God abide in him? My children! let us love not by word or tongue, but by deed and truth (1 John 3: 17-18). And ap. Paul instructs in this way: Do not forget also goodness and fellowship, for such sacrifices are acceptable to God (Heb. 13:16).
And in the Old Testament we find numerous references to the importance of mercy. Blessed is he who thinks about the poor (and the beggar)! In the day of distress, the Lord will deliver him (Ps. 40: 2), the psalmist exclaims. From the wise Sirach we learn that alms cleanses sins (Sire. 3: 30), and from the book of Tobit we learn that charity delivers from death (Tov. 12: 9).
But, perhaps, the most striking passage in the Holy Scriptures dedicated to our topic is the conversation of Jesus Christ about the Last Judgment. In it, Christ clearly indicates what will be asked of us at this Judgment first. All our earthly achievements at this Judgment will not count, for the main question that will be asked to everyone is how we served our neighbor. Christ lists six main types of help that can be given to a neighbor. Identifying Himself in His love, indulgence and mercy with every poor man and in need of help, the Savior says: I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; thirsty, and you gave me drink; I was a stranger, and you recognized Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matthew 25: 35-36).
The matter of mercy to the suffering and those in need of our help is even higher than fasting. That is why the Church reads Christ's conversation about the Last Judgment on the eve of Great Lent, so that believers understand that the most important thing in the exploit of fasting is mercy, mercy towards the disadvantaged. I want mercy, not sacrifice, - says God through the mouth of the prophet Hosea (Hosea 6: 6).
In the Chetya-Minea, in the life of St. Dositheus (February 19), we come across a good illustration of this truth.
“Rev. Dositheus, dying, was admonished by the kind word of his abbot: child, go in peace to the Lord, and pray for us at His throne! The brethren of the monastery, in which Dositheus ascended, were tempted by this parting word of the abbot, for they knew that Dositheus was not distinguished either by fasting or a prayer vigil, he was often late to come to all-night vigils, and sometimes did not come at all. The abbot found out about this temptation, and once, at a general meeting of the brethren, he asked them the following questions: when the bell ringing calls me to the temple of God, and I have a suffering brother in my care: what should I do then? Should I leave the ailing one and hurry to church, or stay in the cell and comfort my brother? They answered: in this case, the Lord will accept help to a suffering brother for true worship. - But when my strength is weakened by fasting and I cannot, as it should, serve the suffering, should I be nourished with food in order to watch the sick more vigilantly, or continue fasting, at least through this the sick have suffered? - Excessive fasting in this case would not so much please God as caring care for the needs of a sick brother, the monks answered. - You are reasoning correctly, the rector said to them, why then do you condemn Dositheus, who, due to the duty imposed on him - to look after the sick, did not always come to church services, did not always fast like others? Meanwhile, you yourself were witnesses with what mediocrity, with what vigilance he served the sick; with what love he fulfilled their often capricious demands! and who of you will say to ever hear from him a murmur of toil and weariness! Such was the divine service of Dositheus; and the Lord accepts him as his faithful and zealous worshiper: for in the person of the suffering brethren he served the Lord himself. "
The more a person exercises in mercy and loves people, the more he approaches God, and the more a person feels the personal Divinity in his heart, the more he loves people. Rev. Abba Dorotheos explains it this way: “Imagine a circle, its middle is the center and outgoing radii from the center are rays. These radii, the further they go from the center, the more they diverge and move away from each other; on the contrary, the closer they come to the center, the more they approach each other. Put now that the circle is the world. The very middle of the circle is God, and straight lines (radii) going from the center to the circle or from the circle to the center are the ways of human life. And here is the same thing: as far as the saints enter the circle to the middle of it, wanting to get closer to God, as they enter, they become closer to God and to each other ... to the same extent they move away from each other, and how much they move away from each other. , so much are removed from God. This is also the property of love ”(“ Christian Life According to Philosophy, ”p. 24).
The Church is called to serve primarily the needy and disadvantaged. The place of the Church is among the hungry, the sick, and the outcast, not among the self-righteous and prosperous. The Eastern Christian consciousness placed above all the image of Christ humiliated and rejected - the Church saw His royal dignity through the rags of poverty that He voluntarily accepted. The Church has always recognized the moral duty of every Christian to take care of those in need and has always denounced those who remained indifferent in the face of the need and suffering of others.
The Fathers of the Church never stop calling and even the imperious demand - to feed the hungry, to help the sick and homeless. A person, according to the teachings of Basil the Great, can fulfill God's will for himself only if he does not separate his fate from the fate of other people. Any indifference to the fate of other people, any individualism was for Basil the Great not only deeply vicious, but also self-destructive in nature.
With even greater force than that of Basil the Great, the theme of mercy is heard in his younger contemporary - the famous Bishop of Constantinople John Chrysostom. Let's turn to his creations:
“Alms is the heart of virtue ... The queen of virtues, who quickly raises people to the very heights of heaven, the best of advocates ... Virginity, fasting, lying on bare ground are important only for those who surrender to them and save no one else, alms extends to all and embraces the members of Christ ”(6 words on Titus, 2). “To do charity is a greater work than miracles. To feed the hungry Christ is a greater work than to raise the dead in the name of Christ. In the first case, you are the benefactor of Christ; in the second, He is yours ... When you perform miracles, you are a debtor to God, when alms, God is your debtor. "
Saint John Chrysostom was deeply convinced that social evil is rooted in a person's thirst for the accumulation of wealth and in the desire to use this wealth only for his own benefit. There is only one rightful Owner of all earthly goods and treasures, says John Chrysostom, almighty God. People are just servants of this one, true Master, and this obliges them to dispose of God's property in accordance with His will. The blessings of the earth are intended, according to John Chrysostom, primarily for the needy, sick, orphans. He understands property exclusively functionally - property is justified only by its correct use.
In those who endure need and wait for help, Christ Himself continues to suffer, the torment of people is His lasting agony. In the groans of those suffering from need, Chrysostom calls to hear the voice of the Crucified Savior Himself. The moral zeal of Saint John Chrysostom, his passionate call for the implementation of social justice are rooted in his understanding of the Church as the living Body of Christ Himself.
Ancient Russia to a large extent lived according to this holy ideal, which is why it was called “holy”. St. Prince Vladimir, Equal to the Apostles, under whom Russia was enlightened by the light of the Christian faith, was a model of mercy in ancient Russia. Having given tithes for the maintenance of the church, he at the same time issued a decree that cripples, beggars, wanderers should be kept at the churches, so that there would be almshouses and hospitals. In his house on holidays he arranged dinners for the clergy, boyars and the poor; on especially solemn days, as, for example, during the consecration of churches, the prince distributed a lot of money to the poor; the poor and the poor could freely come to the prince's court and take their own food and drink. Moreover, for the weak and sick who could not reach his court, Prince Vladimir ordered to arrange special carts, put bread, meat and other supplies in them, and gave them to those who could not themselves come to the prince's court.
One more deed of mercy of Prince Vladimir, which should be mentioned: during the times of paganism, as you know, there was heavy slavery. In paganism, people were usually captured during the war, the strong and the rich enslaved the weak and the poor, and then sold them into slavery. Equal to the Apostles Prince Vladimir not only did not allow this, but he himself ransomed the prisoners and set them free.
G. Fedotov points out the main thing in the Christian consciousness of pre-Petrine Russia: “... probably, thanks to the Slavic liturgy and the Slavic Gospel, the image of Christ and the commandments of His love were deeply engraved in the memory and heart of the Russian people. Sinning and falling, in their cruel and bloody history, the Russian people could not part with this Divine image. He warmed his life, softening human relations with pity and forgiveness, teaching him to see in the poor and suffering not only a brother, but also Christ himself, tormenting his heart with a thirst for another, bright life, fully fulfilling the covenants of brotherly love "(" Christian in the Revolution ", Paris , 1957, p. 95).
Opponents of Christianity do not tire of repeating that love for God is striving for personal salvation only, that is, an egoistic feeling in its essence, and love for a person, in their conviction, should be expressed in improving living conditions for all mankind.
In answering this statement, let us point out, first of all, that sincere love for God and a willingness to live according to His commandments is a difficult feat that egoistic natures are not capable of. Love for God, the feeling of being a citizen of the Kingdom of God excludes the thought of personal salvation only - a Christian strives not only for the renewal and salvation of his own soul, but also of all creation. St. John Chrysostom: “Let us not be content with seeking our own salvation; that would mean ruining him. In war and in the ranks, if a soldier thinks only of how to escape by flight, he destroys himself and his comrades. A valiant soldier who fights for others, together with others, saves himself ... ”(45 words in Matthew, ch. 54).
As for social action, that is, improving the conditions in which the life of mankind proceeds, it should be pointed out that the very ideas of justice, humanity, as well as the condemnation of social inequality, are of evangelical origin.
Christian love for a person is extremely demanding, because it presupposes personal sacrifice as an everyday, lifelong attitude. The Christian is constantly mobilized, for he is called to see Christ in every person he meets on his life path. For him, this person is not a reason for doing a so-called "good deed" - he is revealed to a Christian as the beginning of eternal communion with God Himself. In this meeting, everything that is subject to the usual forms of human communication must fall away and disappear.
The desire and readiness to love a person only because Christ is reflected in him helps us to understand the innermost core of another person, that which has genuine and eternal value in him. Only sacrificial, merciful love can help even the most vicious person to remember the image of God that slumbers in every heart and, thereby, contribute to that spiritual rebirth, without which a person will remain in darkness even in conditions of complete earthly well-being.
Beloved brothers and children in Christ, incline your ear (not only outwardly, but especially inwardly, about which our Lord Jesus Christ said: have ears to hear, let him hear; incline, I say, your ear to listen to the Lord's lead to attain bliss. Man was created by God in the beginning to be blessed and for blessedness, besides, eternal; but sin, which entered the world, that is, in all people, as a single person, destroyed the bliss of people and subjected them to a curse, many different sorrows, misfortunes, illnesses and, finally, temporary and eternal death. Only the endless love of God the Creator for His fallen creation, honored in the image and likeness of God, could again find a means to restore it and open a return path to the lost bliss. This means for the restoration of fallen man is incarnation, life between people, Divine teaching and miracles, suffering, death on the cross and resurrection from the dead of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ; and the return path to bliss is following His teaching, living, participating in His sacraments and obeying the lawful shepherds and teachers of the Church. There is no other way to bliss, as He Himself says: I am the way and the truth, and the belly: no one will come to the Father, only by Me. I am the door: by me, if anyone enters, he will be saved.
As each of us thirsts for bliss! How everyone fears and runs away from sorrow and disease! Only, unfortunately, we yearn for and seek bliss on earth, where it is not, and not in heaven, where it abides forever; we are afraid and run away from sorrows and illnesses, but they are for the most part for us, if not necessary, then useful, because they heal the immortal soul, ailing with many different passions. Indeed, what bliss is there in exile, in exile, in prison? for we are all persecuted for sins from paradise into this world, as into prison. What bliss do those condemned to death have? You will say: there are many innocent people on earth, pleasures that God Himself does not forbid to use, for example. God Himself gave wine to cheer the heart of man, or revealed to people the art of playing the psalter, the harp, the organ, the tympanum and many other musical instruments; He taught himself to make faces and glee; He himself surrounded us with singing birds, as if calling us to joy to bliss; He himself spread before our eyes the majestic spectacle of nature, in which we see the joy and happiness of creatures everywhere, as if calling us to rejoice. So, by the goodness of God, there are some innocent consolations in this world, left to us, stung by the sting of death, to facilitate our wandering path, our sorrows and sorrows; but these consolations should be used very moderately and by no means cling to them, but strive for the promised bliss most closely by work, vigil, prayer, abstinence, purity and all virtue, in which it is impossible to succeed without great speed -beat and temptation. Our true, complete and eternal bliss, brothers, is in heaven, where the all-blessed God lives in unapproachable light, where the faces of the forefathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, hierarchs, martyrs, saints and righteous and all saints are installed; where the Queen of heaven and earth, the Most Holy Theotokos, reigns with His Son and God. And the local bliss is earthly, fleshly, ghostly, fleeting, like a dream, often rough and unclean. Only true virtue anticipates heavenly bliss here on earth.
So where do we find the true path to bliss? With the guidance and observance of what commandments can we achieve bliss? Under the guidance of the nine commandments of the Lord on bliss, which He pronounced on the mountain aloud to His disciples and people, and which for the everlasting teaching and reminder to us are sung or read daily at the liturgy, at the small entrance, when the royal doors. They read like this:
1) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.
2) The blesses of crying: they will be comforted.
3) Blessed beloved ones: they will inherit the earth.
4) The blessedness of hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they will be satisfied.
5) Blessedness of mercy: as there will be mercy.
6) Blessedness of purity in heart: for they will see God.
7) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called the sons of God.
8) Be blessed to banish righteousness for the sake of those who are the Kingdom of Heaven.
9) Be blessed of nature, when they revile you, and depend and rekut
every evil verb you are lying, for my sake.
Rejoice and rejoice, for your wages are many in heaven.
This is the path to true bliss!
On the next Sunday we will talk about why these blessed ones are sung or read at the small entrance, with the royal doors open, and we will show the meaning of the small entrance, the altar and the royal doors; for this is to serve to the explanation and no-any interpretation of the indicated commandments of blessings! But now I ask you to put on your heart the truth that we were created by God for eternal life and eternal bliss, that through sin this bliss, we lost and expelled from paradise, subjected to the curse of God, are doomed to labors, sorrows, sickness and death, that now we are wandering in exile, looking for a fatherland from which we were expelled, lost blessedness, that this fatherland and bliss are returned to us by the Heavenly Father through the intercession and merit of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, under the condition of faith in Him and fulfillment of His commandments. Amen.
Blessed are the poor in spirit: for those are the kingdom of heaven. What is poverty of spirit? All of you have seen and see beggars bodily; therefore, in order to paint an image of spiritual poverty, let us depict bodily poverty in advance, in order to explain similar things to the like. A beggar, as the word itself shows, is one who has nothing of his own, who expects everything only from the mercy of others: he does not have his own piece of bread to quench his hunger, and the usual drink for most to quench his thirst; has no shelter, where to lay his head, if they do not give him money for the night; has no clothes, unless a compassionate person takes pity and does not buy him, or, although he has clothes, but old, dirty, leaky, useless, which you do not want to touch; from all he is in contempt, from all we reproach; he is like rubbish, like some kind of dung, although another beggar in the sight of God, maybe, like melted gold in a furnace. An example is the gospel Lazarus. Now let us apply these features of the bodily beggar to the spiritually beggar. A poor in spirit is a person who sincerely recognizes himself as a spiritual poor, having nothing of his own; who expects everything from the mercy of God, who is convinced that he can neither conceive nor wish anything good, if God does not give a good thought and desire for good, that he cannot do a single truly good deed without the grace of Jesus Christ; who considers himself more sinful, worse, lower than everyone, who always reproaches himself and does not condemn anyone; who recognizes the garment of his soul as foul, gloomy, fetid, unsuitable and does not cease to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to enlighten the garment of his soul, clothe him in the imperishable garment of righteousness; who incessantly runs under the roof of the krill of God, having no safety anywhere in the world except the Lord; who considers all his property to be a gift from God and for everything zealous he thanks the Giver of all blessings and willingly devotes part of his wealth to those who demand. He who is poor in spirit - and such and such a poor in spirit is blessed, according to the word of the Lord; because where there is humility, the consciousness of one's poverty, one's poverty, and repentance, there is God, and where God is, there is the cleansing of sins, there is peace, light, freedom, contentment and bliss. In such a poor spirit, the Lord came to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God, as it is said: evangelize the beggars of Ambassador Me z, poor in spirit, not rich; for their pride repels from them the grace of God, and it remains an empty and fetid temple. Aren't people willingly extending a helping hand and mercy to those who are truly poor and in dire need of the bare essentials. Isn't God so much more merciful about spiritual poverty, fatherly condescends to it to call it and fills it with His spiritual treasures? Fulfill the hunger for the blessings it is said.
Are not the valleys abundantly watered with moisture; Are not the valleys blooming and fragrant? Isn't there snow and ice on the mountains, and lifelessness? The mountains are high - the image of the proud; valleys - the image of the humble: every wilderness will be fulfilled, every mountain and hill will be humbled . The Lord resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
And so, blessed are the poor in spirit, that is, those who consider themselves to be nothing, for those are the kingdom of heaven. Originally the kingdom of God, heavenly, was within men, in their hearts, as the Lord said: the kingdom of God is within you but then, as a result of the disobedience of the will of God by our ancestors, who listened to the tempter - the devil, it departed from the human heart, and sin with its culprit began to reign in the hearts of people, making them earthly from heavenly and enslaving them to earthly vanity; from the simple - the crafty, from the good - evil, from the humble - proud, from the pure - unclean, from the strong to everything holy, true, good - powerless to everything good and impetuous to every evil, so that, according to the testimony of St. scriptures became diligently a man's thought for the crafty from his earliest youth Only poverty of spirit or humility of mind would bring again into the heart of man the kingdom of God, which had gone away due to his conceit and pride, and all the saints of God were distinguished in this life by deep spiritual poverty. The Apostle Paul himself, caught up to the third heaven, called himself the first of the sinners The Holy Apostle James also sets himself up among sinners, saying: we all sin a lot St. Apostle John writes: if we say that we have no sin, you deceive yourself, and the truth is not in us putting himself among the sinners. But who were the apostles? Living abodes of the Holy Trinity, the verbal organs of the Holy Spirit, friends of Christ, holy men par excellence. If they so humbly philosophized about themselves, then what should we think of ourselves? Should we not say about ourselves in the real truth that we are a sinful stench, fetid temples of passions, alien to all true virtue, cursed, poor, blind, naked, and constantly pray to the Lord that He Himself would cleanse our souls and bodies from the stench of the passions and filled them with the fragrance of virtues and the holiness of the Divine Spirit? For without Him we cannot do anything good Whoever wants to acquire true and deep humility must enter into himself as often and deeply as possible, bring to mind and impartially examine with his inner eyes all his sinful thoughts, desires, intentions, deeds from his earliest youth to the present; then we will see that we are drowning in the abyss of sins. The literate can be advised to read more often, in addition to morning and evening prayers - in which the poverty of our spirit is beautifully depicted - even the great canon of Andrew of Kritskago - canons and akathists to the Savior and the Mother of God, the canon to the Guardian Angel and canons for every day of the week; Of course, one should not leave the Gospel and the Psalter, which are the best school of humility.
Can rich people be poor in spirit? Of course they can, if they do not consider themselves great people just because they have perishable wealth and with its help they can do whatever they want. How can they be poor in spirit? When they sincerely realize that their wealth, and even the wealth of the whole measure, mean nothing in comparison with an immortal soul, - that it is a gift of God not only to us, but also to our neighbors: for abundances are given to us to help the poor; when they realize that with material treasures they are extremely poor and poor in spirit and will not be arrogant about themselves and rely on perishing riches, but in God who gives us everything abundantly in pleasure; they will do good things, they will be rich in good deeds, they will be generous and sociable, gathering up treasures for themselves, a good foundation for the future, in order to achieve eternal life Such was the rich Abraham; such was Job and many, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament. However, since wealth represents many temptations to sin, the desire for Christian perfection, deep poverty of spirit and steadfastness on the path of salvation, usually sold their property and distributed to the poor, while they themselves retired in silence, so that God would work day and night completely and without entertainment. ... Therefore, the Lord said to one rich man: if you want to be perfect, go, sell your property, and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me.
So, blessed the poor in spirit: for those are the kingdom of heaven; it is not said: those will be the kingdom of heaven, but there is; because already here - on earth - God rests and reigns in humble hearts, and in the future life will reign in them forever and glorify them with incorruptible glory.
And so, gather here, brethren, the riches of humility, that there in heaven you may receive riches of glory. Amen.
Blessed are those who weep: they will be comforted.
Now the Church offers us, her prodigal sons, the Savior's parable about the prodigal son and to remind us that we are all captives and miserable servants of sin, she sang at the morning Divine Service the lamentable song of the captive sons of Zion: on the rivers of Babylon, there with gray hair and weeping, always remember us Zion. Captured by the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, the Jews depict us, brethren, captured by the spiritual Nebuchadnezzar, the devil; the rivers of Babylon mean the rapid striving and entrainment of sin or the rivers of passions flowing from the mouth of the spiritual dragon, that is, Satan, and dragging us into the abyss of hell; the bitter cry of the sons of Israel depicts the cry of spiritual slavery to the sin of the sons of new Israel - true Christians. Since the days of fasting and repentance will come in a short time, the Church, wanting to gradually lead us into this feat, reminds us of our captivity and distance from our heavenly fatherland and of the need for all of us of bitter tears of repentance for our sins. Please accept with gratitude this reminder of your St. Mothers and begin, with God's help, the work of internal repentance.
On the rivers of Babylon, there with gray hair and weeping, always remember us Zion. The Israelites wept for earthly Zion, where their temple was to the true God and in it was the ark of the covenant with the tablets of the Divine, a stam containing manna, and with the miraculously vegetated rod of Aaron. We must weep for our heavenly Zion - for the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the true fatherland of Christians, from which we have retired by our sins; - about neglect to fulfill the commandments of God, about our indifference to the heavenly manna - the Body and Blood of the Lord and to what is done for us on the cross. And whose soul does not cry when this lamentable song is sung? Whose soul will not awaken from the sleep of a sinful one? Whose soul does not feel that it is in captivity of the devil, every day in the neighborhood of this fierce enemy and is daily imposed by him with the spiritual bonds of sins, sinful habits and passions, is hurt by him, enduring various slander, misfortunes, torments? And so, feeling, experiencing all this, our soul sends to the Lord deep sighs of repentance for sins and cries deep, bitterly. O rivers of Babylon! about fascinating passion! Where are you taking us? On the rivers of Babylon, tamo gray-haired and weeping.- What are we to do, brethren, sinners? what to do if not cry, in consciousness and at the sight of your misfortune, your sinfulness, abomination, your extreme powerlessness to get rid of sin and misfortune? A weak, unreasonable and reckless child, guilty before parents or in trouble and attack, weeps bitterly before them and this arouses their compassion and help. Likewise, we are weak, foolish, prodigal children of the Heavenly Father, falling through weakness, ignorance and an evil inclination into sins and being subjected to various slanders and misfortunes from the devil, should shed tears of repentance for our sins, tears of weakness, humbly asking for help for mercy, forgiveness and forgiveness. ... Passions and temptations are like rivers, as the Savior said: when they came to the rivers and asked for the temple, that is, they were tempted to a man, or as David says: save me, God, as the waters to my soul entered, and since these rivers flow inside us, then we need to emit tears from our eyes, and then sins will not entice us; for together with tears they, so to speak, will flow out of our soul and instead of them rivers of living water will enter it, that is, the grace of God, cleansing, sanctifying, enlightening, strengthening, comforting the weeping soul. However, in one hour we cannot weep out all our sins, because there is an abyss of them; we must cry a lot and for a long time, and not expect our salvation from tears, but from the love of God, from the grace of Jesus Christ, who Himself wept with our tears for us, and promised those who weep to give freedom from sin and consolation in time and in eternity. The blesses of those who weep: for they will be comforted.
Blessed are weeping, says the Savior. But what does the world say? What do some of you and some of you say in their hearts? Blessed are those who laugh and rejoice! No: woe to you who laugh today; as if weep and weep, says the Lord again, Kotorago during his earthly life was never seen laughing, but was seen crying. How? Laugh, rejoice when we are under the wrath of God, when we are going through a desperate struggle for life or death, when troubles are everywhere, when an all-destructive and seductive sin with such impudence and ferocity destroys human souls everywhere, with the blood of the Son of God redeemed; When does this fiend of hell often threaten to bring us down into the fiery hell, ready to open up? Is it time to laugh and have fun when temptations, vices, falls are everywhere; Or when some of our brothers languish from disease, hunger, all kinds of shortcomings, various misfortunes, or suffer from oppression, resentment and hard-heartedness of their brothers, while others are madly voluptuous, covetous, drowning in luxury and various vices? So, poor sinners! under such gloomy circumstances, spiritual and physical, fun and laughter are out of place, and the time for fun and laughter has not yet come for you: it will come after tears and sobbing about sins in this life and after victory over sin. Blessed are weeping now: as if you will laugh says the Savior. And truly, bliss weeping. If any of you has the gift of tears over sins, he knows from experience what bliss it is to weep over the sins of one's own or those of others; bliss is inseparable from the weeping of the gospel, so that the weeping one, as it were, naturally receives comfort as a reward. However, there is a worldly cry, the sorrow of this world: weeping impotent anger; humiliated pride cries; dissatisfied vanity cries; insulted pride cries ... and you never know vain tears? How many unsatisfied passions, how many faint-hearted - there are so many empty tears, but these are sinful tears, useless tears, tears extremely harmful for those who weep, for they cause death of soul and body. The sorrow of this world will die... But what exactly should we cry about? First, weep that you have defiled and constantly defile the image of God in yourself with your sins. Think, man: God portrayed Himself in you, like the sun is portrayed in a drop of water, you are made as if by some god on earth, as it is said, Az rekh: Bozi is natural, and all the sons of Vyshnyago, and you daily throw it into the mud, sprinkle this image with the passions of life, attachment to the world, unbelief, pride, hatred, envy, intemperance and drunkenness and other passions, and through this you extremely anger your Creator and irritate His patience. It is worthy and righteous to cry about it day and night. Cry!
Secondly, cry about the identity that you bear only the name of a Christian, but you do not fulfill the vows, obligations of a Christian given at baptism and live like a pagan, clenched to the ground and do not think about heaven and about the life there that has no end, that having been a Christian for such a long time, you still do not have the spirit of Christ, do not conform to Him in the least, do not imitate His life; - that Christ has not yet possessed you by faith and has not imagined in you, that you have not yet become a new creature, that you have not put on Christ, according to the scripture: the trees are baptized into Christ, into Christ they are clothed .
Thirdly, weep that your heart is incessantly striving to do everything that is contrary to the Lord; cry for his evil inclination, impenitence, incorruption. So much we pray, repent, read, sing, so much we partake of St. life-giving Mysteries, which can transform a stone heart and make it soft like wax, and yet change for the better through negligence. O curse! about malice! about corruption of the heart! about pride! about earthly addictions! about the flattery of voluptuousness and avarice! - And so, cry that although you repent and pray, you do not bring God fruits worthy of repentance, fruits of faith and love, fruits of meekness and gentleness, fruits of abstinence, purity and chastity, fruits of alms, etc.
Weep with inner crying when you feel the rush of impure thoughts to your heart; cry when pride, anger, envy, greed, avarice will carry you away; cry and pray when you feel enmity towards your enemy, and not love, for it is said: love your enemies and do good to those who hate you; cry before God with the inner cry of the heart, when you will be carried away by the passion of drunkenness, love of money and covetousness, when resistance and disobedience to parents or to bosses and elders will confuse and carry you away; cry at the feeling of poverty and the curse of our nature, at the thought of the Creator's innumerable blessings to us and our ingratitude towards Him. Let your tears be an instrument against every sin, and the Lord, seeing your humility, the confession of your weakness, your strong desire to keep yourself clean from every sin, stretch out a helping hand, send you a Spirit of Comforter, which will stop the violence of sin, extinguish the fire of passions and bring you down to heart grows grace.
Weep for our sins, weep for human ones; cry that many nations have not yet come to know the true “God and the Lord Jesus Christ and are in the darkness of paganism, worshiping creatures instead of the Creator; weep that the Christian faith is being persecuted in the unbelieving lands, and many of your brethren are suffering under their yoke; cry for the unrighteousness prevailing on earth from which everyone suffers wanting to live godly in Christ Jesus; cry about the violence and oppression of the rich and the powerful of this world, about the poverty and helplessness of the poor; lament that Christian love has dried up in many and that in its place self-love, lust and carnality in all forms have reigned; that many Christians are thrown down from the height of redemption and do not respect the Church, or the sacraments, or her teachings. You say: what is the use of my tears? - By this you will fulfill the commandment of the Apostle - cry with crying in general, you will fulfill the commandment to love your neighbor, and in love is the whole law. And the benefit is that you will receive comfort from God and forgiveness of sins as a reward for your tears.
The bliss of crying. What else should we cry about? We must also cry about our unpreparedness for the terrible and righteous test at the world judgment. Many holy saints of God wept all their lives, day and night, at the thought of the last judgment and the eternal torment of the wicked that would follow it; and we, as it were, some righteous, are indifferent to this final formidable decision of our fate, or others dare to reject the truth of the future judgment and hell. To all, brothers, his time;intime to cry and time to laugh, Now is the time to cry. And so we will cry for sins. Amen.
The Lord sent a needy one to you. The Christian's Attitude to Prosperity Theophan the Recluse
Blessed by mercy
Blessed by mercy
Give to anyone who asks you,- the Lord commands (Luke 6, 30). This is one of the first commandments in Christianity, both the Lord and the holy apostles often remind about it, and, in order to encourage us to fulfill it more zealously, they have protected it with the most touching motives and the most startling threats. Everyone knows this and everyone, according to their conscience, considers themselves obligated to help those in need according to their strength. Meanwhile, if we revise our deeds more strictly, then perhaps not a single deed will be found that we would carry out with less attention as a compulsory assistance to those in need. We help somehow, just to get rid of the annoying supplicant, and sometimes we refuse altogether - and isn't it the latter for the most part? And why did not stinginess and self-interest come up with in order to justify their coldness towards those in need! Falseness of petitions, idleness of petitioners, their own shortcomings, difficult times, the need to stock up on ourselves for a rainy day, and so on. All these thoughts go between those who are inattentive to their duty in speeches and sayings, they also come to attentive ones, and they are often led astray from the right path of action.
At the time when it is necessary to help, the first thing that comes to mind is the following thought: does the person asking need - who knows! - and asks, but perhaps he has no need at all. Who says there are such people, but do we know for certain that the person who stands in front of us really belongs to this class? And if we do not know, then why should we suspect, and even more so refuse on suspicion alone? Or maybe this is a mother who left hungry children at home, or a father of a family whose wife is sick and children are undressed, or the eldest of the homeless orphans? Of course, you will not refuse such. But look in the same way at all those who ask you and do not offend them with suspicion. What if a really needy person who already has a heavy heart reads such suspicion in your eyes? After all, this will only increase his sorrow and burden, and, instead of consolation, he will leave you with even greater sorrow. Is it good? The fact that he is not dull in his eyes, his face is not distorted, his steps are firm and his clothes are not patched - so, then, he is not worth your mercy? So, do you really want him to go to the last extreme, which, perhaps, will begin immediately after your refusal?
But does the Savior's commandment only want to cover those who have nowhere to go, who have no shelter, no food, no clothes, no strength? No, there is no need for a special commandment to help this kind of people. He says: Give to anyone who asks you. You will give; just make it a rule for yourself not to suspect the beggar, not to paint behind him a picture of supposed contentment, but rather a picture of extreme need and really oppressive grief. Then the heart itself will not give you peace until you make it easier for him. Nowadays, many suspicions are spread to the poor, but one solution can be put to all these suspicions: make sure who exactly asks not for need, do not give this, and to refuse everyone just because there are false petitioners is a sin. Saint John the Merciful did not do that: he did not refuse even those of whom everyone knew that they were not poor, and when they told him about this, he replied: "It is true, at that time they were in dire need."
Sometimes we turn from the petitioner to ourselves and say: “But where can I get it? We barely get it for our needs, we can hardly make ends meet. " When there is nothing to give from, then no one obliges. Should serve from excess: if diligence is present, says the holy apostle Paul, for if anyone has it, it is auspicious, and not because it does not have it. It’s not for others that it’s joy, you’re grief.
But is it only true that we will have nothing left to satisfy our own needs? In addition, is it reasonably defined in our country what should be considered our need? After all, need is such a thing that can be very much reduced and expanded. Eliminate spending on what habit, whim, vanity, empty demands of the world, pleasure of light consider necessary - how much will remain in favor of those in need! needs, from food, clothing and other needs, prudence will always be able to separate a part of Christ. Only the miser and the wasteful are discouraged from helping by needs.
They also sometimes say: “Why idly stagger! They would work and thus get their own bread! " The requirement is the fairest. And the apostle commands to work, doing with your own hands, so as not only to satisfy your needs, but to have something to give to the needy(Ephesians 4:28). But, using this pretext to excuse yourself from helping, are you sure that the one asking can work? The old, the small and the weak need not work there! But even if he can work, does he have a job? Someone would be ready to work, but there is nothing to lay hands on. In the parable of the laborers, one part of them until the eleventh hour, that is, almost until midnight, did not have work because no one was hiring.
But let there be work, but is it such that it can provide funds for all needs? How often they work day and night, and everyone is languishing in need, especially when one works for many. It is good to say: work, but it is necessary to arrange in advance so that the asking person can saturate himself and others with his labor. Then refuse him, and without that refuse - all the same as forcing him to starve to death.
And what do people not say in excuse for their stubbornness and cruelty! One says: “These are hard times! Why think about others, at least feed yourself! "
Another: "You need to, you need to save money for a rainy day." Third: “Am I the only one? If there is more than me, they will serve you. " Fourth: "Well, well, I give what comes to hand." Judge kindly, is there anything like the truth here? Hard times, they say, but if they are hard for the people of sufficient, how much harder for the poor? This means that assistance should not be stopped, but should be increased in such cases.
It is necessary, they say, to save up for a rainy day, suppose that is necessary, but there must be a measure for this too. Otherwise, our imagined future needs will never allow us to help the poor with their actual needs. Moreover, does the future depend on our foresight or does it depend on God's providence? Certainly, from the latter. Well, then attract the mercy of God to yourself by your mercy to the needy, and then you will have a sure guarantee of prosperity in the future. Give me an example that a house was ruined by generosity to the poor! And I will show you thousands of those who went around the world from extravagance ...
The other, they say, will give - but will the other give? And if he says the same: the other will give, and then there are the third and fourth, - would this not mean the same as leaving the poor to his fate? No not like this. The Lord sent this poor man to you - you and help him, do not miss an opportunity that may not be repeated. "I do give," you say, "what comes across and when I have to." Okay, but does that mean filing in the full breadth of the debt and whenever possible? Does this mean paying all attention and zeal to this holy work? And isn't this negligence the reason that the allowance falls into the wrong hands and is not used properly? Give it to someone who will have to, and to those who will help, whom shame keeps at home and who silently endure, perhaps more than a crying need for themselves? No, true Christian compassion is not content with this; it itself hurries to places of poverty in order to touch its wounds with its own hands and immediately apply the necessary healing plaster.
This is how many evil thoughts have been invented by the enemy in order to distract good people from helping! We admit that to a greater or lesser extent, we all, at times, were carried away by them.
Let us now set in our hearts not to succumb to them any longer, for if they are all so weak before our simple reasoning, then how can they withstand the judgment of God's righteousness, which sees everything - both in deeds and in the feelings of the heart to the last secrets?
Blessed be mercy!
