How does the Lord guide unbelievers? “I will bless the Lord who made me understand; even at night my inward part teaches me
Father Vyacheslav!!! It is me again. I wrote you a letter about pain for my husband!!! Father, everything cleared up this morning. It turns out that she behaved like a Pharisee ... There is nothing in me, except for imaginary righteousness, which is disgusting before God. And my husband, like a publican, behaved today in the cathedral and the Lord accepted him. He told the priest everything, how he prepared, it turns out that yesterday he went to a birthday party with elderly relatives, they are under 70 years old and they have a sick son, he does not leave the room at all, they found out that he had flown in and called her husband to his joy, set the table. My husband went to them out of love, but, it turns out, he ate only cabbage ... relatives were even surprised that he ate very little, he didn’t even eat .... Then he called me and said that the bvtyushka listened to him at confession and blessed me with communion ... and my husband says amazing words to me: “I won’t even smoke today, I don’t want to, I want to spend the day in abstinence, silence ... I even waited for the cross and kissed ... it became easy for me.” The husband happily answered. I say that I thought that he would not get up in the morning and be too lazy to go to the Service in the cathedral. And he said that if he did not want to go to God, he would not go to confession and would not repent. It turns out that God sees his heart ... and it turns out that he drank there in the evening before communion for three days, but this was because he did not want to embarrass the commander, he offered to sit with him and talk about life together and that's it ... the commander got sick in his eyes, he had problems .. they appointed him an expensive treatment .. so his husband supported him ... and I LOOK LIKE A BELIEVER OUTSIDE ... LIKE A COFFIN .. PAINTED ON THE TOP AND INSIDE DIRTY AND TSHESLAVNY!!! I READ OUT EVERYTHING... I PLEASE, PRAY, BUT I DO NOT HAVE SUCH LOVE!!! I tell him: "God loves you. You see, he accepted you." And he says: "I'm not worthy of this, yesterday my birthday ruined everything." But what struck me most of all was that he invited his relatives to be baptized, have a council, and then your son will be healed!" He preaches God not a bit embarrassed ... boldly! And another friend gave him on this day of Communion the icon of the Mother of God and Jerusalem with holy sand, oil and some water from there ... he treated it so reverently. And then he tells me that he bought me a gift set of incense from the Sanaksar monastery and I was amazed at such a coincidence .. I studied there nearby at the university and I still regret very much that I lived there for 5 years and never went there. AND HERE IS SUCH A MIRACLE. HE DID NOT KNOW ABOUT THIS. THIS IS SO THE LORD COMFORTED ME THROUGH HIM, SHOWING HIS FAVORITE AND MERCY TO HUSBAND. LOOK HOW I LOVE HIM, OBEY YOUR HUSBAND AND LEARN MEEKNESS. THANK GOD FOR EVERYTHING... YOUR SITE IS VERY INTERESTING FOR ME AND IS FOR US AS A LIGHT OF THE LORD, A RAY OF CHRIST. I REMEMBER YOU ALWAYS AND LOVE YOU. Forgive me, father Vyacheslav, stupid ...
The articles of Father Valery are devoted to the main questions that every Christian asks. How to deal with pernicious passions and nurture the seeds of goodness sown by God in the soul of every person? How do you build good, loving relationships with your neighbors? What is the true Orthodox faith? Based on many years of pastoral practice, Father Valery shares his views on the main aspects of the life of an Orthodox Christian.
What do you think, is it so unfairly persecuting the author of the lines:
I began to proclaim love
And true pure teachings:
All my neighbors are in me
Rocks were thrown furiously.
(M.Yu. Lermontov)
Are we always right when we self-confidently read morals to our neighbors? By the way, about Mikhail Lermontov himself, this rightfully great poet, alas, I have to say that he did not take care of his neighbors with his own word. As a result, the sad duel with Martynov was, in a certain sense, provoked by him.
Elder Paisius Svyatogorets said: “Endlessly justifying himself and believing that others do not understand him, that everyone around him is unfair, and he is an innocent sufferer and an unfortunate victim, a person becomes insane, ceases to control himself.” And indeed it is. If you look at what is happening in the soul of this person, then with full confidence we can say - although the author is not a seer - that irritated feelings and thoughts are jumping there in disorder: “this one acted completely shamelessly with me”, “but this one did not appreciate me” , “but this generally stupid person, harmed me, let him suffer for it.” It is indignant, like sea foam, such a soul about other people's affairs, judges almost everyone in a row, exhausts itself, with difficulty getting out of mental dramas, as after an exhausting battle with a monster. If you look at the external relations of such a person with his neighbors, then there are constant conflicts, misunderstandings, inability to get along and work together, and as a result - life failures, up to unemployment, addiction to alcohol and poverty.
In the communication of people with each other, there are typical mistakes that essentially destroy communication. This happens, in particular, when we are confident in our own superiority and act as teachers.
Such people love nothing so much as giving advice to everyone, and, having quickly made a diagnosis, they immediately rush to offer their recipe. They live by observing others and hardly notice something that causes them indignation, as with the air of know-it-alls, they splash out what is on their mind at the moment. The desire to correct and prompt others is their vital itch, which never gives them rest.
Not feeling responsible for the words, they rush to give advice and, stubbornly getting into other people's destinies, they command like brilliant strategists and guides. As a rule, such people are self-confident, easily reject advice addressed to them personally, and in case of failure of their forecasts or interventions, they immediately blame the other, but never themselves.
So, those who are too accustomed to advise are most mistaken. Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov) said about such people: “Vanity and conceit love to teach and instruct. They don't care about the dignity of their advice! They do not think that they can inflict an incurable ulcer on their neighbor with absurd advice. That is why very often, when we distribute recommendations from right to left, when we make reproaches, they seem to go into the void, do not achieve their goal, and sometimes turn the person we turned to against us.
Not everyone has the gift to feel the soul of another. But without this sensitivity it is impossible to help the human soul. It is not enough to see other people's mistakes - everyone is capable of this. It is important to give advice in such a way as if your neighbor gives it to himself.
Note that the soul of almost any person is very sensitive to extraneous interference and does not accept the tone of denunciation, even just edification, since this immediately sharply contrasts people, putting one, that is, the accuser, above, and the other, that is, the accused, below. In a situation of conflict, resentment or obvious injustice of a neighbor, it is best to touch on the problem in a sincere conversation on a tangent, without exposing it with a reproach on the forehead, but in a friendly way considering possible options for action, as if to admonish oneself. And this is possible only when there is a common ground for conversation; if there is an abyss that obviously lies between you, trying to overcome it, if you have not yet acquired the wings of spirituality, means surely falling into this abyss and breaking.
The ancient patericon tells how one day Abba Ammon visited the place of some monks. At that time, one of the brothers was subjected to a strong temptation: he was visited by a woman. This became known to other monks, who were greatly embarrassed and, having gathered for a meeting, decided to expel the tempted brother. They invited Abba Ammon to go along with them to inspect the monk's hut together. The sinning brother found out about this in advance and hid the woman under a large wooden vessel, turning it upside down. Entering the hut, Abba Ammon immediately understood everything, sat down on a wooden vessel and ordered to search the hut. The monks did not find anyone, and Abba Ammon said to them: "God forgive you your sin." Then he prayed and ordered everyone to leave, he himself went last. Leaving the cell, he graciously took the accused monk by the hand and lovingly said: “Brother! Take care of yourself." Thus, with one kind, warm word, the elder corrected the one whom they hopelessly wanted to correct with a straightforward reproof and without love.
He gives us an amazing instruction: “We must treat our neighbors kindly, without even making an appearance of insult. When we turn away from a person or insult him, then it is as if a stone is laid on our heart. One should try to encourage the spirit of a confused or discouraged person with words of love. Seeing a brother committing a sin, cover him, as Saint Isaac the Syrian advises: “Stretch your robe over the sinner and cover him.”
This is how the saints themselves acted in such situations. one night, passing through the monastery threshing floor, I found a man stealing wheat. The thief, frightened, fell at the saint's feet, begging him not to tell anyone about this, so as not to lose the respect of his neighbors. But the elder was so mild-mannered that not only did he not reproach the thief with a single word, but he even helped him to lift the sack of stolen grain. At the same time, having instructed with humble words not to do anything like this in the future, recalling the commandments of God and the forthcoming impartial Judgment, at which everything will have to be accounted for by the Lord, the elder let the thief go.
For a Christian, this is extremely important - in communicating with neighbors, not to stick out and look out for their sins, but, on the contrary, to notice the best, bright, good in them. As for correcting other people's mistakes, then if you undertake it, do it with kindness and love. The Monk Mark the Ascetic on this occasion correctly said: “It is better to pray with reverence for your neighbor than to convict him of any sin.”
The holy righteous John of Kronstadt offers us the following advice: “Love every person, despite his fall into sin. Sins are sins, but there is only one basis in man - the image of God. Sometimes people's weaknesses are obvious when, for example, they are spiteful, proud, envious, stingy, greedy. But remember that you are not without evil, and perhaps you have more of it than others. At least in regard to sins, all people are equal: “All,” it is said, “have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23); we are all guilty before God and we all need His mercy. Therefore, we must endure one another and forgive each other, so that our Heavenly Father will also forgive us our sins (see Matt. 6:14). Look how much God loves us, how much He has done for us and continues to do, how He punishes slightly, but generously and mercifully has mercy! If you want to correct someone from shortcomings, do not think to correct him by your own means. We ourselves spoil more than help, for example, with our pride and irritability. But cast your grief on the Lord (see: Ps. 54:23) and pray to Him with all your heart that He Himself enlighten the mind and heart of man. If He sees that your prayer is imbued with love, He will certainly fulfill your request, and you will soon see a change in the one you are praying for. “This is the change of the right hand of the Most High” (Ps. 76:11).
What more can be said about trying to reason with others? First of all, evaluate a specific act, and not the person who committed it. Especially beware of calling a mistake made by your neighbor the rule of his life. Judge for yourself: it is one thing if someone tells you: “You will never do anything properly!”, “Yes, you are not capable of anything!”, “It is immediately obvious that you are stupid”, etc., another it’s when someone tells you: “Usually you do better”, “Today you didn’t do the right thing”, “In my opinion, you are capable of the best”, etc. That is, it is necessary to leave the reasonable hope for salvation, and not drive him into a corner.
Indeed, it is a significant mistake when, trying to reason with someone, we begin to stick out his negative traits, sometimes emphasizing his shortcomings before others. The corresponding reaction is the rejection of our words. Annoying others and publicly humiliating, apparently wanting to help in finding humility, we monstrously provoke a manifestation of pride in a person. But St. Ephraim the Syrian has advice of a different nature: “Show honor to your brother before his acquaintances, and you will be honored before the Lord.” You can offer advice only with benevolence, not opposing yourself to another, but becoming on the same ground with him: “I myself am much worse than you, in this situation, what do you think, maybe I would try to do this?”
Let's think about who it is easier for us to endure a reproach from: from a benevolent person who speaks affectionately and with love, or from an impatient person who speaks hot-tempered and contemptuously?
So how should we ourselves address others so that they will accept our word?
There is a wonderful life rule: start with yourself, and you will develop relationships with your neighbors. Stop correcting others according to your judgment, and you will find mutual understanding with them. Conquer in yourself what is not liked in others, and your neighbors will take an example from you.
He even offers this advice: “When you meet with your neighbor, force yourself to honor him beyond his measure ... Praise him even for what he does not have ... By this and the like, you will attract him to good, make him ashamed with the greeting that you greeted him, and you will sow the seeds of virtue in him ... Beware of anyone and in anything to blame or rebuke, because we have an impartial Judge in heaven. If you want to turn someone to the truth, then grieve for him and with tears and love say a word or two to him, and do not inflame with anger at him, and let him not see in you a sign of enmity. Our words or instructions will never be accepted by a person if we do not in advance dispose him to accept the word with a good attitude. Even the pride of another person must be treated with indulgence. Do not poke a person's nose into his shortcomings, but carefully correct them, relying on the good that is still in him.
And yet does this mean that it is better only to remain silent? It happens that we drive our dissatisfaction inside without expressing the necessary remarks, gloomily accumulate resentment, and then, having broken loose, we splash it in the face. “It is much better to rebuke than to be angry secretly” (Sir. 20: 1), - it is said in the Old Testament. In the Gospel we read: “If your brother sins against you, rebuke him” (Lk. 17: 3), which means that you still need to reprimand your neighbor about his offense, “and if he repents, forgive him” (Lk. 17 : 3). But here, firstly, it is supposed to completely eradicate anger and irritability in oneself: “if he sins against you seven times a day, and turns back seven times a day, and says: “I repent,” forgive him” (Lk. 17 : 4), so that reprimanding a brother should not aim at restoring justice in itself, but turning to the salvation of the soul of a brother, when you yourself are ready to forgive him, if only he would turn. Secondly, our words should not become a temptation to our neighbor. A reproach uttered out of place or at the wrong time will only plunge the other person into temptation. “It is impossible not to come to temptations; but woe to him through whom they come” (Luke 17:1).
Alas, the realities of life do not always meet our hopes and plans. Wanting to convey some truth to a person, for example, a word about faith, sometimes we fail. Sometimes our word cannot be accepted, as it is pronounced very clumsily, without application to the real life of a person. But to our great regret, we also often encounter undisguised cynicism in society. And the bearer of such a moral quality can be said with the words from the poem "Demon":
He called the beautiful a dream;
He despised inspiration;
He did not believe in love, freedom;
Looked at life mockingly -
And nothing in all nature
He didn't want to bless.
With a person who laughs in your face, a sincere conversation is hardly possible. How to convey the sacred to someone for whom, in principle, nothing is sacred? It is hardly possible to talk with a cynic about faith and about everything most sacred. “Do not give anything holy to dogs, and do not cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample it under their feet and turn and tear you to pieces” (Matt. 7:6). Sometimes it is better to remain silent about what life itself will eventually explain to the cynic.
So, it is important to learn to feel, to whom, what, under what conditions and how you can say. Life offers us the opportunity to have this experience. A patient and tactful attitude towards other people will tell you how to do the right thing, unless of course we are driven by love and kindness towards our neighbors.
In defense of the faith, and especially the Orthodox
In continuation of the post:
We present the most relevant, in our opinion, work of the pre-revolutionary spiritual writer, assistant to the archpriest of the military and naval clergy, Archpriest John Morev († 1935) “In Defense of the Faith, and especially the Orthodox” (St. Petersburg, 1910).
We hope, as stated in the preface to the modern edition (Publishing House of the Missionary Department of the Lviv Diocese of the UOC-MP, 2002), this essay will help our readers "understand questions of the true faith and not fall into religious errors that are detrimental to the Christian soul."
PART 1
FIGHT WITH UNBELIEF
If unbelief is a serious and dangerous disease that causes great suffering to the soul of a person both in this life and in the next life, then the question is: are there any remedies against this disease?
How and how to treat it?
Since unbelief has its root in the corrupted heart of a person, it is very difficult to fight it with arguments and mental considerations. Convincing an unbeliever with words is the same as proving to a blind man that the sky is blue and the grass is green: he will not want to understand and understand what they will say to him. No human word, and even a miracle performed before his eyes, is not able to reason with a stubborn and bitter unbelief. About people who are excessively devoted to the pleasures of the world, Abraham says to the rich man suffering in the flames of Gehenna: If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, then if someone rose from the dead, they won’t believe(Luke 16:31).
The same can be said about stubborn unbelief. " Show me one risen from the dead to see and believe”, - said the unbelieving Autolycus to Theophilus, Bishop of Antioch. " I might show you- answered Theophilus, - a dead man who has risen is still alive, but you won't believe that either"(Three books to Autolycus on the Christian faith. Book 3. Ch. 13). If it is possible to influence anyone with a word, then only a person who is mistaken about faith due to ignorance, due to simplicity, and not due to stubbornness and depravity of the heart. But is it really impossible to point out any ways by which even stubborn unbelievers could be led to repentance and conversion to God?
One of the means is to admonish unbelieving people in a special, miraculous way. The Lord God, who cares about the salvation of sinners, sometimes used extraordinary measures to stop and correct unbelievers. At the same time, He acted in accordance with their spiritual mood; healed for their illness. Most often, the All-Wise Provider admonished the unbelievers through especially grave calamities, in which he made His formidable, punishing hand feel. Let us point out a few examples of God's punishment for unbelief.
In the summer of 1887, in the village of Kuvshinova, near Vologda, the following amazing incident occurred. A young village boy had an argument with his mother and roughly pushed her in the back.
- You are not afraid of God! shouted the offended mother.
- There is no God!- with an evil insolence the young guy responded.
Some time later on the same day, the blasphemer, together with his mother, went to work in the field. The day was clear, only small clouds were moving across the sky. Suddenly, a bright lightning flashed, a loud clap of thunder was heard, and the God Denier fell to the ground. The people fled from the field and surrounded him with a ring.
After lying unconscious for several minutes, the young guy woke up complaining of back pain.
His mother and peasants bared his back and were horrified: on his back there was a large mark from lightning burns in the form of a cross.
The guy repented of his unbelief and fell at his mother's feet, asking for forgiveness for the offense (Church Gazette, 1907, No. 43, p. 1889).
***
A young man, brought up in his childhood by kind and pious parents in faith and piety, deteriorated under the influence of bad comrades.
“I became a desperate madman,” he said of himself. - The existence of God, the existence of the soul, the future afterlife - I considered all this a product of fantasy and laughed evilly at everything. Cross, this instrument of our salvation, I threw off myself and looked at him with some contempt.
When I stood in the church at the behest of the authorities, how I scoffed, how I laughed at the celebration of the Divine service!
When fasting days came, I deliberately tried to eat fast food in order to show complete contempt for church ordinances.
Holy icons, lives of saints were the main objects of my ridicule. In a word, at that time I was some kind of monster, not a man. The only good spark left in the young man's soul was some of his love for his parents. It is this remnant of goodness in a vicious person that the good and wise Lord used to admonish the unbeliever.
When the parents of a young man died of cholera in one year, he had a desire to visit their grave. Arriving in his native village, he went to the resting place of his father and mother. But what was his surprise and fear when, approaching the grave of his parents, he felt dizzy and unconsciously fell to the ground.
Fainting happened to the young man whenever he wanted to approach the grave that was dear to him. Finally, he felt a general relaxation of the body: he could not move, his tongue did not obey. Subsequently, the disease was complicated by the fact that purulent wounds appeared on the body, from which a foul smell was carried.
The doctor, who first treated the patient, then refused treatment, saying that the disease was incomprehensible to him. What was the position of the young man?
Neither day nor night he found peace. It was at this time that the merciful Lord used a special means for admonishing the unbeliever - through his dead mother. “As soon as I began to fall asleep,” the young man later said, “I suddenly felt another hand in my hand. I shuddered, opened my eyes, and - my God! - what did I see? My mother was standing in front of me. I could not imagine how and in what way she came to be in front of me.
“Why, she died,” I thought, “how can she exist?!”
Meanwhile, my heart beat at the sight of my dear mother. She was in white, and only in one place there was a black spot.
Her face was dark.
“I am your mother,” she began, “your iniquities and your dissolute life, full of unbelief, came to the Lord, and He wanted to destroy you, wipe you off the face of the earth. You not only destroyed yourself, but even stained us, and this black spot on my clothes is your grave sins. The Lord, I say, wanted to strike you, but my father and I prayed before the throne of the Most High for you, and He wanted to turn you to Himself - not with mercy, because you could not understand this, but with severity.
He knew that one grave was our road for you here, and therefore he did not allow you to go to it, striking with a supernatural illness, so that you would recognize the Higher Power over you, which you rejected, but you did not turn! Then the Lord sent me to you - this is the last resort for your correction. You did not recognize God, the future life, the immortality of the soul; here is the proof of the afterlife: I died, but I appeared and I am talking to you. Believe in the God you deny. Remember your mother, who, not sparing her life, tried to make a true Christian out of you.
With these words, her face darkened even more, muffled grave sobs resounded in the room and shook my soul. “Once again I conjure you,” continued the mother, “turn to God. You do not believe, and perhaps you think to explain my appearance by a disorder of your imagination; but know that all your explanations are false, and I am in front of you with my spiritual being. And as proof of this, here is the cross that you rejected - accept it, otherwise you will perish. Believe - and your illness will be healed miraculously. Death and eternal judgment to you if you reject me.
So the mother said and disappeared. I came to my senses and saw in my hand a small cross. The supernatural appearance of the mother, her requests and curses shook my soul to the most secret depths; Never, it seems, has such a revolution happened to me; conscience rose with all its strength; old beliefs collapsed, and in a minute, it seems, I was completely reborn!
With these words, the young man ended his story, having been enlightened in such a striking way for his unbelief. (Ledovsky, priest. Triumph of faith over lack of faith and atheism in examples of modern life. 1904, pp. 13-17).
Thus the Lord admonished unbelieving people, admonished through His formidable judgment and punishment. But the same people were drawn to Himself by the merciful God by other means, not so miraculous and amazing, but which had the most beneficial effect on the unbelievers.
There was one godless landowner, who was distinguished by great learning and sharp wit. He spent these abilities most often on laughing at the Orthodox faith. With whomever he meets smarter, he now starts talking about faith and refutes its teachings. Most of all, he did not like the doctrine of the eternal torment of sinners, and he attacked him with particular force. Many people, even the most intelligent and knowledgeable, he won and challenged. And what? The Lord enlightened the presumptuous and impudent non-believer through a simple village priest. The priest comes to the landowner on business. “What, father, have you come to talk about faith? - asks the landowner. “Maybe I’m very happy about it.” - “No, venerable sir,” the priest answers, “where are we, unlearned and dark people, to argue with you; I came for something completely different, to talk about my household business. Nevertheless, the landowner hurried to start his favorite conversation that there would be no eternal torment. After listening to him, the priest said: “Indeed, it would be good if there were no eternal torment. In that case, all of us could live as anyone wants, and anyone who only has the means could drink, eat and be merry, not thinking about the future and not being afraid of anything after his death. But what if it exists? Have you thought about it? If there is eternal torment, then will you not make the biggest mistake? We, believing in eternal torment and therefore trying to avoid sins, will lose nothing if our faith were also in vain; and with faith in God's judgment and future punishment, we can be happy and at peace if we only do good. But you reject the possibility of eternal torment and, fearing nothing in the future, now live in your full pleasure. But what if you really have to taste the severity of these torments? What will it look like to you then? Have you thought about it? At these words of the priest, the thought of the possibility of hellish torment flashed through the head of the landowner. He vividly imagined what punishment he deserved for his sins. Close to despair, he fell off his chair and exclaimed: “Woe is me, I am lost!” The priest came to his aid: he reminded him of the infinite mercy of God, which accepts every sinner, and thus brought some consolation to the contrite soul of the former unbeliever (Ibid., pp. 53-57).
Thus the Lord enlightened the educated and witty atheist through a simple and unlearned priest. For the same purpose, He sometimes used the most seemingly simple means.
One German scientist, an inveterate non-believer, accidentally went into the house of a peasant and saw a picture on the wall depicting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ; The painting had the following inscription: That's what I did for you! What have you done for me? The picture and these words shook the soul of the scientist so much that he could not help crying, hurriedly went home and repented of his delusions (Ibid., p. 59).
But, besides the extraordinary and special ways in which the Lord turned unbelieving people to Himself, there are means for their salvation, which depend on the people themselves.
The most important of these is to live according to the commandments of God. Unbelief, as mentioned above, comes from the deviation of a person's heart towards evil, from his unwillingness to fulfill the requirements of faith. Therefore, when there is this desire, our heart and will not only do not rebel against God and His commandments, but also willingly fulfill them. They also act on the mind of a person and dispose him to believe and obey the truth of God in everything.
Christ Himself points out to us this means of combating unbelief in the following words: My teaching is not mine, but the one who sent me; Whoever wants to do His will, he will know about this teaching, whether it is from God, or I speak from Myself(John 7:16-17). The saving and effectiveness of this means to convince the truth of Christianity has been verified by people in their own experience.
In the first half of the 18th century, the famous lawyer and judge Johann Jakob Moser lived in Germany. In his youth, he became acquainted with Voltaire's mockery of the Bible. But before believing Voltaire's judgments, he ventured to carefully read the Bible himself and consider whether he was really right. Reading the Word of God, he drew attention to the testimony of Jesus Christ about His teaching. "How? Moser said to himself. - Did Jesus Christ make the trial so easy?
It would be low and shameless if a person with a soul that yearns for truth should pass by without checking it. Let's try." And so he begins to explore the will of the One who sent Jesus. He reads the Word of God, and everything he reads sounds new sounds in his ears, gives a new direction to his heart. He begins to live in God.
Every day he more and more recognizes the will of God, and every day he more and more fulfills the commandments of God. But the circle of God's commandments appears to him ever more extensive and immeasurable, and the larger the commandments seem to him, the smaller and more insignificant he seems to himself, the more majestic Christ appears.
After a little time, he could confess with firmness and joy in his soul: Yes, Holy God, whoever sees You sees the Father". He became a believing Christian (Ledovsky, Priest. The Triumph of Faith over Little Faith and Godlessness in Examples of Modern Life. 1904, pp. 88-89).
Besides, a good life is likely to win other people over to our faith.
It is known that example and deed have a much stronger effect on people than words and persuasion. If we live according to the commandments of God, great benefit will follow from here both for ourselves and for our neighbors: peace and tranquility of conscience will bring true happiness to our soul; love, benevolence, justice and honesty will evoke good feelings towards us from other people.
Of course, such behavior of ours will not go unnoticed by others and will dispose them to the faith that we profess and which governs our actions. You are the light of the world, many subscribers do not have enough funds to fully pay (700 rubles for six months). Therefore, we urge you to provide all possible financial support to the editorial office and its readers.
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Hello, dear visitors of the Orthodox island "Family and Faith"!
Often the Lord sends us admonition from above, directing us to the saving path of life. Thus, the Lord takes us away from all sorts of misfortunes that can harm our soul and cause illness to our body.
There is one wonderful parable from the Explanatory Prologue, compiled by Archpriest Viktor Guryev, which teaches us seriousness and attentiveness to God's admonitions:
“For the conversion of Christians to repentance, the Lord God is sometimes pleased to show some special actions of His Providence. Thus, some are rewarded for their enlightenment with extraordinary visions and revelations; others see in their lives various unusual cases and circumstances in which the punishing and merciful hand of God is clearly revealed. These inscrutable ways of Divine Providence can be treated in two ways; How exactly, the following example will show:
“One, who lived in Constantinople, known to the tsar, a young artist, was extremely negligent about his salvation. The Lord, wanting to enlighten him, once showed him the following in a dream: a young man saw that he had come to the king with some thing he had made.
The king at first received him favorably and conversed with him; but then, suddenly seizing him with one hand by the hair, and with the other, drawing his sword, he swung it three times over his head. The young man took it at first for a joke; but when the king announced that he wanted to take his life, and touched his very neck with a sword, the young man was horrified and awoke from it.
Coming to himself after a while, he began to think about what his dream would mean, and finally became convinced that with this vision the Lord prompted him to repent and correct his life. The young man was convinced of the latter, but did not correct himself.
Then the Lord enlightened him again. Soon he fell into a serious illness and saw himself once, during it, at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Jesus Christ, surrounded by angels, stood before him, and behind him was a terrible and gloomy abyss.
— Do you know who I am? the Lord asked the young man.
“I know, Lord,” he answered, “that You are the incarnate Son of God and God for us, just as the Scriptures teach us.
“And if you know Me from the Scriptures, then why did you forget the lesson that the king who appeared to you in a dream gave you?”
“I am horrified, Lord,” answered the young man.
“And if you are horrified, then why don’t you take care of correcting yourself?”
And with these words the Lord ordered him to be thrown into the abyss. The young man was frightened and began to call on the help of the Most Holy Theotokos, and this prayer saved him. The Lord said, "For the sake of My Mother's prayer, leave him." With this the vision ended.
Having recovered from his illness, the young man went to a pious monk and told him what he had seen. This one, having listened, said the following: “Thank God that you have been vouchsafed such admonition. Throw away your former life, otherwise you will suffer, as the one about whom I will now tell you suffered.
A certain husband, named George, like you, saw himself at the Judgment Seat of Christ, and after it he was also bound and led into the same abyss into which you were also drawn. In the vision, he was given twenty days to correct, but he forgot about what he saw and continued to sin. After twenty days, however, he actually had to appear already at the actual judgment of God, for his soul was separated from the body; now you can judge his fate yourself.
Hearing this, the young man distributed his property to the poor, began to lead a charitable life, and in piety moved at the right time to the eternal abodes.
From this it is clear, brethren, that one can treat the admonitions of God, or rather, the goodness of God leading us to repentance, in two ways: one can be treated without attention, and in this case, show obvious unforgivable ingratitude towards God and, of course, incur even more condemnation. One can treat God with attention and with deep gratitude, and begin an active correction of one's life, and through this receive forgiveness and eternal bliss from God.
Discussion: 2 comments
Tatyana, hello!
Many Orthodox books (Lives of the Saints, Prologue, Description of the Appearance of Icons of the Mother of God and others) often talk about dreams. About how in a dream the saints of Christ appeared with edifications, or even the Most Holy Theotokos Herself, indicating the place where Her icon was found.
Believing in dreams or ignoring them is not an easy topic.
But, if you look at this question in a simple way, we can say that we are not saints and not some kind of special spiritual people so that we have prophetic dreams from God.
This parable does not teach faith in a dream, but instructs on attentiveness to one's spiritual life. The Lord quite often reveals His will to us in broad daylight. Instructs on the right saving path. And this admonition must be caught in order not to make serious life mistakes.
God bless you!Reply
As far as I know, the church teaches not to attach importance to dreams, and then the young artist sees a dream that he should have paid attention to. In addition, the Lord himself says: “Why did you forget the lesson that the king who appeared in your dream gave you?” What a strange - that's a parable! The question immediately arises: Is it necessary to believe in dreams or not? So the church teaches us wrong?
Reply
In the life of every person there are moments when he is faced with a dilemma. The feeling of throwing is familiar to many. And in such cases, prayer can help find the true solution and not stumble. After all, as you know, demonic forces often deliberately set up all sorts of intrigues, leading a person astray from the true path.
Reading Rules
Usually, a prayer for the admonition of a person is read before the corresponding icon of the Virgin "Addition of the Mind". Its appearance is associated with the period of reforming the Orthodox Church under Patriarch Nikon. According to legend, one monk-icon painter, doubting the truth of the adopted reforms, asked for strength from above to enlighten his mind and soul.
Icon of the Mother of God "Addition of the mind"
The Mother of God appeared to him and dispelled all doubts. The monk, on the other hand, painted a new icon, which does not look like the traditional images of the Byzantine and Russian schools. The Mother of God in the image hovers over Jerusalem with the Son-God. They are shrouded in one felon, and the angels, with their humble worship, point to the Mother of God, thereby urging them to turn to her with their requests.
Important! Before asking for help in front of the “Addition of the Mind” icon, you should confess and take communion. It is believed that sins do not let the Holy Spirit into the heart and prayer does not find a response.
If help is needed constantly, then you need to pray every day. In cases where a state of confusion overcomes suddenly, it is better to go to the temple and perform a collective prayer with someone close to you. So, the voice of the supplicant is amplified at times.
It is better to read a prayer for enlightenment in the morning, so that it has its beneficial effect on a person before starting any business. When performing a night vigil, you need to thank the heavenly patrons who did not leave you in trouble. A mother can even write down words of prayer on paper and give to her child to help him cope with difficulties at school. But at the same time, the child should be introduced to independent prayer for himself.
The reading of the holy text should take place with faith and humility. Only a baptized Christian will receive help. If someone prays for their loved one, it should be done with love in the heart.
How Prayer Reading Helps
Prayer for enlightenment helps in such cases:
- a person has a congenital malformation, dementia;
- indecision in making some important decision;
- distraction, inability to concentrate on business;
- with learning difficulties. Students often turn to the Mother of God on the eve of exams;
- when there is no clear understanding of how to act in the future, what to strive for.
Prayer in front of the “Increasing the Mind” image is really able to guide a person on the true path even in such difficult situations as addiction to gambling, drugs, and more. The main thing is to sincerely believe in help from above.
How to read
It is better to pray before the face of the Mother of God "Addition of the mind." In no case should you use clippings from a magazine or newspaper as an icon. The image must be bought in the church shop.
Prayer for enlightenment helps in difficult life circumstances
A candle should be lit in front of the icon, which acts as a voluntary sacrifice from the believer and introduces him to the Divine light. There are also prayers to the saints and to the Lord, helping to gain enlightenment. You need to say the following words:
Grant, Lord, now to my unworthiness also the grace of understanding, in order to recognize what is pleasant for You, but useful to me, and not only to recognize, but also to do, so as not to be carried away and not cling to the empty, in order to sympathize with those who suffer and condescend to sinners. Grant, Lord, now to my unworthiness also the grace of understanding, in order to recognize what is pleasant for You, but useful to me, and not only to recognize, but also to do, so as not to be carried away and not cling to the empty, in order to sympathize with those who suffer and condescend to sinners. Amen.
O marvelous servant of God, Father Silouan! By the grace given to you by God, pray tearfully for the whole universe - the dead, the living and the future - do not be silent for us to the Lord, who diligently fall to you and tenderly ask for your intercession (names). Move, O all-blessed, to prayer the Zealous Intercessor of the Christian race, the Most Blessed Theotokos and Ever-Virgin Mary, miraculously calling you to be a faithful worker in Her earthly garden, where the chosen one of God is merciful and long-suffering for our sins, they beg God to be, in a hedgehog not to remember our iniquities and iniquities but by the unspeakable goodness of our Lord Jesus Christ, have compassion and save us by His great mercy. She, the servant of God, with the Most Blessed Lady of the World - the Most Holy Abbess of Athos and the holy ascetics of Her earthly lot, ask the saints for the most holy Word of the holy Mount Athos and her God-loving hermit from all the troubles and slanders of the enemy in the world will be preserved. Yes, we deliver the Angels from evil with the saints and strengthen them with the Holy Spirit in faith and brotherly love, until the end of the age about the Ones, Saints, Cathedrals and Apostles of the Church, they pray and show everyone the way of salvation, yes the Church on Earth and Heaven unceasingly glorifies the Creator and Father of Lights, enlightening and illuminating peace in the eternal truth and goodness of God. Ask the people of the whole earth for a prosperous and peaceful life, the spirit of humility and brotherly love, good-nature and salvation, the spirit of the fear of God. May not malice and lawlessness harden human hearts, which can destroy the love of God in men and overthrow them into godly enmity and fratricide, but in the power of Divine love and truth, as if in heaven and on earth, hallowed be the name of God, may His holy will be done in men and may peace and the Kingdom of God reign on earth. So also for your earthly Fatherland - ask for the land of Russia, servant of God, longed-for peace and heavenly blessing, in a hedgehog covered with the almighty omophorion of the Mother of God, get rid of hunger, destruction, coward, fire, sword, invasion of foreigners and internecine warfare and from all visible enemies and invisible, and thus the most holy house of the Most Blessed Mother of God until the end of the century, he will remain, the Life-Giving Cross by power, and in the love of God, the inexhaustible be affirmed. But for all of us, plunging into the darkness of sins and repentance of warmth, below the fear of God and not having the Lord who loves us immensely, incessantly offending us, ask, about all-blessedness, from our All-Generous God, that with His Almighty divine grace He will visit and revive our souls, and all malice and let the pride of life, despondency and carelessness in our hearts be abolished. We also pray for the hedgehog and for us, strengthened by the grace of the All-Holy Spirit and warmed by the love of God, in philanthropy and brotherly love, humbly crucified for each other and for all, to be established in the truth of God and in the grace-filled love of God to be well strengthened, and son-loving to Him draw near. Yes, so, doing His all holy will, in all piety and purity of temporal life, we will shamelessly pass the path and with all the saints of the Kingdom of Heaven and His Lamb marriage we will be honored. To him, from all earthly and heavenly things, may there be glory, honor and worship, with His Beginningless Father, His Most Holy and Good and Life-giving Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
Oh, Most Holy and Blessed Virgin, Lady Mother of God! Look with Your merciful eye on us, standing before Your holy icon and praying to You with tenderness, raise us up from the depths of sin, enlighten our mind, darkened by passions, and heal the ulcers of our souls and bodies. Not imams of other help, not imams of other hope, unless you, the Lady, weigh all our infirmities and sins, we resort to you and cry out: do not leave us with your heavenly help, but appear before us and with your inexpressible mercy and bounty save and have mercy on us who are dying. Grant us the correction of our sinful life and deliver us from sorrows, troubles and illnesses, from vain death, hell and eternal torment. You are more than the Queen and Mistress, an ambulance Helper and Intercessor to all who flow to You, and a strong refuge for penitent sinners. Grant us, Blessing and All-Immaculate Virgin, the Christian end of our belly, peaceful and shameless, and vouchsafe us with Your intercession to settle in the abodes of Heaven, where the unceasing voice of those celebrating with joy glorifies the Most Holy Trinity, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and forever and forever and ever. Amen.
If you need help during the day before some important business, you can read a short prayer to yourself that will help you make the right decision.
Preblagaya my queen, my most holy hope, friend to orphans and strange intercessors, needy help and embittered cover, see my misfortune, see my sorrow; from everywhere I am possessed by temptation, but there is no intercessor. Help me like a weak one, feed me like a strange one, instruct me like a deluded one, heal and save me like a hopeless one. Not imams of other help, not imams of other hope, unless You, the Lady, help us, we hope in You and boast in You, Thy servants, let us not be ashamed. We run under Your mercy, Virgin Mother of God, do not despise our prayers in sorrows, but deliver us from troubles, One is pure and blessed. Amen.Important! Any believing Orthodox person should remember that there are no insurmountable difficulties in life. We are sent only those tests that we are able to withstand. You just need to believe in the providence of the Lord and pray for help. Then adversity will bypass, and in any situation there will be the right solution.
Prayer to the icon of the Mother of God "Addition of the mind"
