Holy Fathers about life. About spiritual joy. Sayings of the holy fathers about children
Farewell - who has received forgiveness; have mercy - pardoned, acquire philanthropy by philanthropy, while there is time for this (14, 147).
Did you get hit on the cheek? Why do you allow your other cheek to remain unacquired? If the first suffered this involuntarily, it is not a great merit, and if you wish, it remains for you to do something more, namely: voluntarily turn the other cheek in order to become worthy of a reward. Have you been stripped of your chiton? Give me other clothes, if you have them; let them remove even the third one: you will not be left without an acquisition if you leave this matter to God. Are we being slandered? Let's bless the wicked. Are we spat? Let us hasten to win honor from God. Are we driven? But no one will separate us from God; He is our only, inalienable treasure. Is someone cursing you? Pray for the cursed. Threaten to hurt you? And you threaten that you will endure. Is he executing threats? And your duty is to do good. In this way you will gain two important benefits: you yourself will be a perfect guardian of the law, and your meekness will turn the one who offends you to meekness, and from an enemy he will become a disciple. Saint Gregory the Theologian (15, 165).
If you, a man, do not forgive anyone who has sinned against you, then do not trouble yourself with fasting and prayer... God will not accept you. Rev. Ephraim the Syrian (28, 111).
Whoever, for the sake of God, to preserve the world, endures the cruel words of a rude and unreasonable person, he will be called the son of the world and can acquire peace in soul, body and spirit. (34, 83).
When you remember the insults and persecuting you, do not complain about them, but rather pray to God for them, as for the originators of the greatest blessings for you. Rev. Abba Isaiah (34, 184).
How can you ask God to be merciful to you when you yourself are not merciful to those who offended you? (35, 139).
The more someone has sinned against us, the more we should hasten to reconciliation, because it becomes the reason for the forgiveness of a greater number of sins to us. (36, 233).
The Lord wants us to be meek towards the guilty, unforgiving towards those who sin against us, by their forgiveness we gain forgiveness for ourselves and prepare for ourselves a measure of philanthropy (37, 33)
Being guilty before the Lord of countless sins, we, however, according to His inexpressible love for mankind, receive forgiveness from Him. If we ourselves are cruel and inhuman to our neighbors and brothers, who have the same nature with us, and do not forgive their sins against us ... then we will incur the wrath of the Lord, and for that in which we have already received forgiveness, we will again have to pay the agony (38, 281).
If we do not forgive our neighbors, then we will not cause them any harm, but we will prepare unbearable Gehenna for ourselves. (38, 282).
Let us not think that, by forgiving our neighbor, we show him a good deed or great mercy; no, we ourselves receive a blessing, we derive great benefit for ourselves (38, 282).
If we neglect this commandment (about forgiveness), then what kind of condemnation will we undergo, acting contrary to our words, daring to pronounce the words of the prayer: “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”, pronouncing them recklessly and frivolously, accumulating for ourselves more and more (fire) of Gehenna, and inciting the wrath of the Lord against you? (38, 283).
If necessary, we will both apologize and ask for forgiveness from the warring parties, we will not refuse this, even if we ourselves were offended. In this way we will prepare for ourselves a great reward and a firm hope. (38, 870).
Nothing makes us more like God than forgiving evil people who offend us. (41, 227).
God only requires from us condescension towards our neighbors, in order to Himself have an opportunity to forgive us great sins. (41, 167).
Nothing restrains those who offend so much as the meek patience of those who are offended. It not only keeps them from further impulses, but also makes them repent of the former ones ... (41, 205).
You forgive others because you yourself need forgiveness... (41, 225).
If (the offender) did something insulting and hostile, then let us leave it and erase it from memory so that there are no traces left. If at all there was nothing good for us from him, then the greater the reward for us, the more praise, if we forgive (42, 261).
It happens that the maddened beat us, but we are not only not angry with them, but we pity them. Do the same - have pity on the offender: after all, he is possessed by a fierce beast - rage, a violent demon - anger (42, 864).
It is not enough not to take revenge (this was in the Old Testament) - let us do everything for those who offended us, as for sincere friends, as for ourselves. We are imitators of the One who, after the crucifixion, used all measures for the (salvation) of those who were crucified. (43, 94).
Whoever forgave sins benefited both his soul and the soul of the one who received forgiveness, because ... he made meek not only himself, but also him. By persecuting those who have offended us, we do not hurt their souls as much as by forgiving them, for by this we bring them into confusion and shame. (43, 139).
Has anyone insulted you? Be silent, bless if you can; thus you proclaim the word of God, teach meekness, inspire humility (43, 285).
A person who has forgiven his neighbor cannot but receive perfect forgiveness (from God), because God is incomparably more philanthropic than us... (43, 325).
In imitation of God, let us also do good to our enemies; we will not reject those who hate us (45, 61).
Love for enemies is love for God, who gave commandments and laws, is imitation of Him. Know that when you do good deeds to your enemies, you do good not to them, but to yourself; you do not love them, but obey God. (45, 64).
When a person who has been offended prays for the offender, he receives great boldness (45, 105).
Why did you become a child of God? Because you are forgiven. On the same basis on which you have been awarded such a great honor, you yourself forgive your neighbor (45, 143).
Whoever blesses his enemy blesses himself, and whoever curses him curses himself. Who prays for the enemy prays for himself (45, 664).
Has anyone insulted you? Pray to God that He has mercy on him soon: he is your brother, your member. But, you say, he offends me too much. The more you will be rewarded for it. Therefore, it is especially necessary to leave anger on the offender, because the devil wounded him. Do not reproach him yet, and do not cast down yourself with him. Indeed, as long as you stand, you can save him too; but if you bring yourself down through reciprocal insult, then who will lift you up after that? Is it the injured one? But he will not be able to do this. Or you who fell with him? But how can you, unable to help yourself, reach out to another? That one was wounded by the devil; If we treat each other in this way, then soon we will all be healthy, but if we begin to arm ourselves against each other, then the devil is not needed for our death. (46, 624).
When someone offends you, think of the torment he is experiencing, and not only will you not have anger against him, but you will shed tears. Saint John Chrysostom (46, 624).
Whoever wants to win a brilliant victory must not only courageously endure insults and insults, but even give in to the offender more than he wants to take, and extend beyond his evil desire with an excess of his own generosity. And if this seems strange to you, then we will make a decision from Heaven, and there we will read this law. The Savior did not say: “who will strike you on your right cheek”, endure it courageously and calm down, but commanded: “turn to him the other” () with a readiness to accept the blow. Here is a glorious victory! The first is wise and the second is supernatural and heavenly (50, 285).
The King of all that is worldly and earthly came down from Heaven and brought us a sign of heavenly life, which he offered us as opposed to the Olympic wrestling. For there he who strikes and overcomes is crowned, but here he who receives them and endures them. There he who repays a blow with a blow triumphs, but here he who turns the other cheek is praised in an angelic spectacle, because victory is not in vengeance, but in wisdom. (51, 175).
Although the one who is obliged to ask you for forgiveness does not ask him, and does not worry about why you could consider it excusable for yourself not to forgive him for the offenses committed against you, nevertheless you, in spite of that, forgive him, if possible, calling him to yourself, and if this is impossible, in yourself, without showing by your actions that you want to take revenge. Rev. Isidore Pelusiot (52, 156).
We must forgive those who offended us, knowing that the reward for forgiveness of offenses exceeds the reward for any other virtue. And if we cannot do this because of our sinfulness, then during vigil and in suffering we must pray to God that He would have mercy on us and give us all strength. At the same time, at any time, in any place and in any business, we must have one intention, so that in case of various insults from people, we should rejoice, and not grieve; to rejoice not simply and not without reasoning, but because we have the opportunity to forgive those who have sinned against us and receive (thus) the forgiveness of our own sins. For in this lies true knowledge of God, which is more immeasurable than any knowledge, and with the help of which we can implore God and be heard. This is the fruitfulness of faith, this proves our faith in Christ, so we can take up our cross and follow Christ. This is the foundation of the first and great commandments, for by means of this we can love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. To do this, we must fast, stay vigilant and depress our body so that our heart and inner disposition open up, take it into ourselves and no longer spit it out. Then, because we forgive our neighbor's sins, the grace that was secretly given to us at holy Baptism will begin to act in us already clearly, tangibly for our consciousness and feelings. Saint Mark the Ascetic (66, 521).
“If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him "(). The holy Gospel we have heard teaches us the forgiveness of sins. The words "seven times a day" () are said instead of "no matter how much", and not so that if your brother sins eight times, you refuse him forgiveness. So, what does "seven times a day" mean? Always, no matter how many times he sins and repents. What is said in one psalm: “I glorify You seven times a day” (), in another psalm it is expressed by the words: “Praise be to Him unceasingly in my mouth” (). And the reason why the number "seven" is put instead of "always" is obvious, for the whole reversal of time consists of the continuation and return of seven days. God Jesus Christ Himself, about whom the apostle Peter said: “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in His footsteps. He did not commit any sin, and there was no flattery in His mouth ”(), so He Himself had no sin, and died for our sins, and shed His Blood for the remission of sins. Took for us what he didn't owe, to get us out of debt. He should not have died, just as we should not have lived; why? because they were sinners. As for Him death, so for us life was not a debt; but what He did not owe, He accepted, and in what He did not owe us, He granted. And so that you do not think that for the sake of the remission of sins it is a lot for you to imitate Christ, heed the words of the apostle: “forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you ... imitate God” (). These are the words of the apostle, not mine: "imitate God." Isn't it too arrogant to imitate God? Listen to the apostle: "imitate God, as beloved children" (). You are called a child; how do you want an inheritance if you refuse to imitate? I would say this even if you had no sins at all, the forgiveness of which you would need. Now, whoever you are, you are a man: if you are righteous, you are a man; whether a layman - you are a man; whether a monk - you are a man; whether a cleric - you are a man; whether a bishop - you are a man; Are you an apostle? Heed the words of the apostle: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." Here he himself, John, the evangelist, whom the Lord Jesus Christ loved more than all those who reclined on His chest, says: "If we say ...". Do not “say, he said that you have no sin,” but: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness ”().
So I demand that you forgive, because I find you in need of forgiveness. They ask you - goodbye; you are asked - and you will ask that you be forgiven. Here comes the time of prayer, and I catch you in the words that you say. You will say: "Our Father, Who art in Heaven." You will not be among the sons unless you say, "Our Father." So you will say: "Our Father, who art in Heaven." Continue: "Hallowed be thy name." Say further: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth." Then look what you add: "Give us our daily bread today." Where is your wealth? Here you are asking like a beggar. But tell me after that and from what it comes. Say the following: "Forgive us our debts." You have reached my words: “leave, you say, our debts to us.” By what right? with what condition? by what law? with what assurance? “as we also leave our debtor.” Not only do you not let go, you also lie to God. The condition is set; the law is decreed: leave as I leave. So He doesn't leave unless you leave. Leave as I leave. If you want something left for you, the one who asks, leave it to the one who asks. This forgiveness was promised to you by the Heavenly Lawyer Himself; He doesn't deceive you. Ask, following His heavenly voice; say: "leave it to us ... as we leave it," and do as you say. Whoever lies in prayers loses his work and is punished. If someone deceives the king, is convicted of deceit when he comes, and when you lie in prayer, then in prayer itself you are convicted.
It is impossible to pass this verse if we do not fulfill what we say. Can this verse be blotted out of our prayer? Do you really want to say: “forgive us our debts”, and to blot out the following words: “as we forgive our debtors”? You will not blot out lest you be blotted out. So, you say in prayer: “give”, you say: “leave”, in order to receive what you do not have, and may you be forgiven. Blessed Augustine (116, 241-242).
“If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins” (). What a simple and handy way of salvation! Your sins are forgiven on the condition that your neighbor's sins against you are forgiven. By yourself, you are in your own hands. Break yourself and move from non-peaceful feelings for your brother to sincerely peaceful ones - and that's it. Forgiveness day, what a great heavenly day of God! If we all used it properly, then the present day would turn Christian societies into heavenly societies, and the earth would merge with Heaven... (107, 52)
“If you do not forgive people their sins (against you), then your Father will not forgive you your sins,” said the Lord (). Who does not forgive others? The righteous or one who recognizes himself as righteous. There is nothing left for such a person but to judge and pronounce only sentences and demand the execution of the guilty. Whoever feels sinful, is it up to others? He will not turn his tongue to condemn another and demand satisfaction from him, when his own conscience incessantly convicts him and incessantly threatens with the righteous judgment of God. So, isn't it better to sin than to be righteous? No, be zealous in every possible way for righteousness. But, with all your righteousness, realize that you are an indispensable slave. And be aware with an undivided thought, that is, not in such a way that the thought of your unkeyability stands in front, and the feeling of righteousness hides behind, but with full consciousness and feeling, consider yourself unkeyable. When you get to this (and you have to get to this, because it is not suddenly acquired), then, no matter how your brother sins against you, you will not begin to exact, because your conscience will repeat: “and you are not worth it yet, this is not enough for you.” , - and forgive; and if you forgive, you yourself will be forgiven. So all my life: forgiveness for forgiveness, and at the Judgment you will be forgiven for this (107, 301–302).
Wanting to know how many times one should forgive a brother, Saint Peter asked, prejudging the answer: “up to seven times?” And having said this, he thought that he had appointed the greatest measure. How short is human patience! The Lord, applying His long-suffering to our infirmities, determined: “I do not say to you: up to seven, but? up to seventy times seven” (). This is the same as saying: always forgive, and do not think not to forgive. All-forgiveness will be the hallmark of the Christian spirit, for all-forgiveness is the source and constant support of life in us in the Lord, from the presence of God. The everlasting forgiveness of everything to everyone is the outward garment of Christian love, which, according to the apostle, “is long-suffering, merciful ... does not get irritated ... covers everything (). It is also the most faithful guarantee for forgiveness at the Last Judgment, for if we let go, our Heavenly Father will also let us go (). Thus, if you want to go to heaven, forgive everyone, sincerely, from the bottom of your heart, so that there is no shadow of hostility left. (107, 225–226).
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (). O divine, o amiable, o sweet voice of Thy! Let us all follow the Lord who calls us! But first we must feel that it is difficult and difficult for us, that is, to feel that we have many sins, and these sins are grave. From this feeling will be born the need to seek relief. Then faith will show us the only refuge - in the Lord the Savior, and our steps will automatically lead to Him. A soul that wants to get rid of sins knows what to say to the Lord: take my heavy, sinful burden, and I will take your good yoke (). And it happens like this: the Lord forgives sins, and the soul begins to walk in His commandments. And commandments are a yoke, and sins are a burden. But, comparing both, the soul finds that the yoke of commandments is light as a feather, and the burden of sins is heavy as a mountain. Let us not be afraid to willingly accept the Lord's good yoke and His light burden! Only in this way, and not otherwise, can we find peace for our souls. Saint Theophan the Recluse (107, 184-185).
In a war where people fight with people, the side that persecutes the enemy wins, but not so in Christian warfare, which happens against the devil. Here the devil wins the man who yields to people who offend him, forgives, does not repay evil for evil. An even greater ulcer to the enemy happens when a person not only does not repay evil for evil, but also loves his enemies. (104, 1549–1550).
There is nothing safer than to forgive, and there is nothing more dangerous than not to forgive and take revenge on your neighbor for sins. “Judgment without mercy to the one who did not show mercy” (). God, in His Grace, shows mercy to all of us, we feel it not only every day, but every hour. But when a person, having received the mercy of God, does not want to show mercy to a person like himself, then God takes His mercy from him, as an ungrateful and crafty slave. Then a person, instead of mercy, is subject to the righteous judgment of God, and for all his sins, whatever he did in life, he will be judged. You see, Christian, how terrible and dangerous it is not to forgive and take revenge on your neighbor. (104, 1550).
Christian love requires not to take revenge on our brother, who was defeated by natural weakness, encouraged by the devil's action and sinned against us, but, having mercy, to forgive him so that he does not suffer from revenge and we would not later regret that we caused misfortune to the brother. For it often happens that both the one who offended and the one who avenged regret what happened, but what was done can no longer be returned. Therefore, all this must be foreseen in advance and not allow anger to develop into hatred and malice, but immediately extinguish the evil that begins to smoke with the spirit of meekness and philanthropy. (104, 1550).
If everyone took revenge on each other, society could not survive, everyone would exterminate each other in mutual enmity. “But if you bite and eat one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another,” says the apostle () (104, 1551).
If someone offends you, do not hold anger on him, but forgive him immediately and pray to God for him, so that God will forgive him. And although your heart does not want this, you bow down and convince it and pray to the Lord that He will help you to overcome yourself, and to kill carnal wisdom. This is difficult, but it is required of a Christian, and even more so of a monk. You must forgive your neighbor if you yourself want to receive forgiveness from God. Forgive - and you will be forgiven, if you do not forgive, then you will not be forgiven. This is terrible, but true, for the holy Gospel teaches so (104, 1551–1552).
The parable means nothing else than the fact that God will not only not leave sins to the one who is angry with his neighbor and does not leave his sins, but also his former sins, already forgiven, will return and remember. For the merciful king forgave the debtor, but for his mercilessness to his brother again demanded a debt from him and handed him over to the tormentors for torture. Therefore, the Lord ends the parable like this: “So My Heavenly Father will do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins” (). Therefore, when we receive forgiveness of our great debts from God, then for the sake of this mercy of God to us, we ourselves must forgive small debts to our neighbors, so that the same thing does not happen to us as with this crafty gospel servant. (104, 1554).
If an earthly king commanded you not only to forgive your neighbor's offenses, but also to serve him - or die, what would you choose? to die - or to forgive and serve your neighbor? I hope that you would rather want to forgive and serve your neighbor than to die. The Heavenly King commands not only to forgive those who offend, but also to love enemies and do good to those who hate. Otherwise, eternal death will follow those who do not listen to the commands of the Heavenly King: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord! ”, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven ”() (104, 1554–1555).
Know for sure that if you repel offense with offense and slander with slander, that is, repay evil for evil, then you will give way to the devil, for he wants us to repay evil for evil. And then God will not stand up for us, for God says: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (), since then we ourselves do what befits God alone. And when we yield to people who have offended us, forgive, keep silent, and even pray for them and repay them with good for evil, then there will be no place for the devil. Then we will not yield to him, but we will stand against him and resist him, for the devil does not want us to do good to people. This is the Christian victory, which conquers not the flesh and blood of people like themselves, but the spirit of malice. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 1555-1556).
Abba Vitaly asked Abba Pimen: “If someone has enmity towards me and I ask him for forgiveness, but he does not forgive me, then what should I do?” “Take two brothers with you,” answered the elder, “and ask him for forgiveness. If you don't forgive again, take the other five; but if he does not forgive even in their presence, take a priest. And if he doesn’t forgive even then, pray calmly to God, let Him bring him to reason, and don’t worry about it. ” Memorable legends (79, 220).
There were two brothers in spirit - the deacon Evagrius and the priest Titus. And they had great and unfeigned love for each other, so that everyone marveled at their unanimity and immeasurable love. The devil who hates good, who always walks, “like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (), aroused enmity between them. And he put such hatred into them that they shied away from each other, did not want to see each other. Many times the brethren begged them to be reconciled among themselves, but they did not want to hear. When Titus walked with the censer, Evagrius ran away from the incense; when Evagrius did not run, Titus passed him without shaking. And so they stayed for a long time in the darkness of sin; they approached the holy mysteries: Titus - without asking for forgiveness, and Evagrius - angry, the enemy embittered them to such an extent. One day, Titus fell very ill and, already at death, began to grieve about his sin and sent to the deacon with a plea: "Forgive me, for God's sake, my brother, that I was angry with you in vain." Evagrius answered with cruel words and curses. The elders, seeing that Titus was dying, forcibly took Evagrius to reconcile him with his brother. Seeing him, the patient raised himself a little, fell on his face at his feet and said: “Forgive me and bless me, my father!” He, unmerciful and fierce, refused before all of them, saying: "I will never be reconciled to him - neither in this age, nor in the future." Evagrius escaped from the hands of the elders, but suddenly fell. We wanted to pick him up, but we saw that he was already dead. And it was impossible to straighten his arms or close his mouth, as in the case of a long-dead man. The patient immediately got up, as if he had never been ill. We were horrified at the sudden death of one and the speedy healing of the other. With much weeping we buried Evagrius. His mouth and eyes were still open, and his arms were outstretched. Then we asked Titus: "What does all this mean?" And he began to say: “I saw angels departing from me and weeping for my soul, and demons rejoicing at my anger. And then I began to pray to my brother to forgive me. When you brought him to me, I saw an unmerciful Angel holding a fiery spear, and when Evagrius did not forgive me, he struck him, and he fell dead. But the Angel gave me his hand and lifted me up. Hearing this, we were afraid of God, who said: Forgive, and you will be forgiven (). Kiev-Pechersk Patericon (86, 55–56).
I remember when I was 6 years old, - recalled Archimandrite Kronid, - I lived in the house of my father-psalmist. One day our horse entered a strip of oats that belonged to a neighbor, Father John Desnitsky. Father John was the rector of the village church, in which his father served as a psalmist, and, despite all his spiritual kindness, he was not averse to irascibility. Seeing our horse in his estate, he caught it and, as if in the form of a pledge, led it to his yard through the gate of his gate. A large sharp nail protruded from the top of the gate. With this nail, the horse cut its back from mane to tail. Seeing such a misfortune, the priest immediately released our horse, which returned home covered in blood. The mother and older children, indignantly, advised the father to immediately complain to the Reverend Father, who lived in our own village not far from our house. But the father wept over the loss of the horse, prayed, but complained about Fr. John didn't want to.
Three days have passed. Apparently oh. John expected a complaint from my father, but, not waiting for it, he called him to him, kneeling before him, and said: “Forgive me. For the Lord's sake, I am guilty before you. Accidentally killed your horse. I beg and beg you: take these 50 rubles and buy yourself a horse for your working time. For a long time, the father did not agree to take money from the father, but the father begged him to take at least 25 rubles. On them, my father soon bought himself a horse and worked on it all summer. And our horse has also recovered by this time. Priest Fr. After this incident, John was very kind and attentive to my father, until his death he continued to treat him with special love. Trinity flowers (91, 53–54).
RESPONSIBILITIES
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Rom. 12:19)
Has your neighbor offended you and grieved you and done you much evil? In this case, you yourself do not take revenge on him, so as not to offend your Lord; leave everything to God, and He will arrange things much better than you want. He commanded you only to pray for the offender, and what to do with him, he commanded to leave it to Him. You yourself will never avenge yourself in the way that He is ready to avenge you, if you only leave it to Him, if you do not pray for the punishment of the one who offended, but leave the judgment to His will. In fact, even if we forgive those who offended, even if we reconcile with them, even if we pray for them, but if they themselves do not change and do not become better, God will not forgive them, will not forgive, however, for their own benefit. He will praise you and approve of you for your wisdom, and (the offender) will punish him so that he does not become worse from your wisdom. (36, 229).
Let us never bear grudges and harbor enmity towards those who have caused us trouble or some other kind of offense. But let us imagine what kindness and boldness before the Lord they bring us, and most of all, that reconciliation with those who offended us erases our sins, and let us hasten, do not slow down, and, reflecting on the benefits resulting from this, let us show such disposition towards enemies, as if they were our true benefactors (38, 282).
The grievances that we unjustly endure from anyone, God imputes to us either in the remission of sins, or in the retribution of rewards. (41, 91).
How can you, you say, not be indignant? Has anyone offended you? Protect your chest with the sign of the Cross, remember everything that happened on the Cross, and everything will go out. Do not think of only insults, but remember together the good that you ever received from the one who offended ... Especially and first of all, bring to mind the fear of God - and soon you will become moderate and calm. (41, 864).
Consider how much you are guilty, and not only do not refuse forgiveness to those who offended you, but hasten to them yourself, so that you also have a reason to receive forgiveness. Saint John Chrysostom (41, 798).
A bee, when it stings someone, dies itself. A Christian also suffers the same thing when he somehow offends and embitters his neighbor. He cannot offend his neighbor without the greater and gravest offense of his own. And the more he offends his neighbor, the more he offends himself; and the more he hurts another, the more he hurts himself... Why? because it offends another on the body, but offends itself in the soul; another has a body, but in his own soul he stings and embitters. How much better and more worthy the soul is than the body, so much more is the resentment, wound and embitterment of it than the bodily. For with every sin that a person commits, his soul is wounded and embittered. He sins before his neighbor, but he also inflicts a wound on his soul. With his sin, like a sting, he hurts himself (104, 1253).
As a good deed shown to a neighbor, Christ God imputes to Himself: “since you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me” (), so the offense caused to a neighbor concerns Christ Himself: “Saul, Saul! why are you persecuting me?" - says Christ (), for the offense concerns the father himself when the son is offended, and the master blames himself for the offense when his slave is embittered. God is the Father and Lord of all, therefore, the offense inflicted on people, as His servants, concerns Him Himself as the Lord and Father. How terrible it is, everyone can see (104, 1256–1257).
Children, when someone dishonors or offends them in the presence of their father, do not themselves take revenge on the offender, but look at their father and entrust their offense to him. This is how Christians should: when someone offends them, do not avenge themselves, but look to the Heavenly Father and entrust vengeance to Him, as one who judges righteously, for He says: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (). Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (113, 1253).
The Lord concluded the parable of the two debtors with the following words: “So My Heavenly Father will do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins” (). It seems that such a small thing is required: forgive - and you will be forgiven; and when forgiven, then it is accepted into mercy; and when he was accepted into mercy, he became a sharer in all the treasures of mercy. So, here is salvation, and paradise, and eternal bliss. And such a great purchase for such a small amount! ... Yes, a little, but for our pride there is nothing harder than to forgive. Some unintentional trouble, secretly caused to us, so that no one sees, we still, perhaps, will forgive, but a little more sensitively, but in front of people, at least don’t ask - there is no forgiveness. There are circumstances that you want - you don’t want, but you can’t express displeasure - and you are silent; but the tongue is silent, but the heart speaks and makes evil plans. Trouble will rise one more line - and I will not hold back: neither shame, nor fear, nor loss - nothing will hold. Boiled egoism makes a person seem crazy, and whoever succumbs to it begins to talk nonsense. It is not just some people who are most subject to such misfortune, but the more civilized someone is, the more sensitive to insults, the less he forgives. On the outside, relationships are sometimes still smooth, but on the inside, there is a decided discord. Meanwhile, the Lord demands that we forgive with all our hearts. Saint Theophan the Recluse (107, 249-251).
The brother came to the elder and said, "Father, I am grieving." The elder asks: "Why?" “A certain brother offended me, and a demon torments me until I repay him.” The elder says: “Listen to me, and God will deliver you from this passion. To reconcile with your brother, go to your cell, be silent, praying earnestly to God for the brother who has offended you.” The brother did as the elder told him. And after seven days, God took away his anger for the sake of the compulsion that he made to himself out of obedience to the elder. Ancient Pateric (72, 310-311).
INSULT
The highest pleasure is to be hated and exiled for the sake of Christ, to endure every insult and disgrace for faith in God. Saint Macarius the Great (33, 342).
Has anyone insulted you? Do not insult him mutually, otherwise you will insult yourself. Has anyone made you sad? Do not grieve him for your part, because there is no profit from this, meanwhile you will become like him. (42, 338).
The soul does not easily endure insults, but if we think that by forgiving an insult we are doing good not so much to the offender as to ourselves, then we will easily vomit the poison of anger from ourselves. (42, 261).
Do not get carried away in the first minute, offended, and you will immediately correct everything; do not succumb to the movement and extinguish everything. Great Comfort to Endure Anything for Christ (43, 285).
Just as the enemies who have besieged the city and besiege it from the outside, when they stir up civil strife in it, then they win, so the offending one, if he does not arouse passions in us, will not be able to overcome us. (43, 434).
Grief comes not so much from the nature of insults, but from ourselves. (43, 433).
Has anyone offended you, offended you, ridiculed you? Remember that you yourself do much of the same in relation to others, even in relation to the Lord Himself; forgive and forgive (offender) (45, 891).
Whoever does not receive honor in this life, but suffers contempt, does not enjoy any respect, but is subjected to insults and humiliation, if he does not gain anything else, then at least he will be freed from the responsibility for receiving honor from slaves like himself. By the way, he also receives another benefit: he becomes meek and humble, and if he is more attentive to himself, he will never become arrogant, even if he wants to. (45, 851).
When someone offends you, look not at the offender, but at the demon moving him, and pour out all your anger on this latter, but on the one who is excited by him, have pity (46, 624).
If the offended becomes irritated, then by this he proves that he is aware of what is being said about him. If he endures calmly, then he is freed in the eyes of those present from any suspicion. Even if he wants to take revenge, then this will be achieved with complete success, since God will punish the offender for his words, and even before this punishment, your wisdom will be like a mortal blow for him. Saint John Chrysostom (46, 626).
The Lord, being God, became a man for us, endured spitting, spitting and the Cross, and through such sufferings as He endured, dispassionate in Divinity, teaches us and says to each of us: “If you want, man, to gain Eternal Life and be together with Me, humble yourself for me, as I humbled myself for you, and, putting aside your proud and devilish wisdom, accept blows to the face, spitting and beatings, and do not be ashamed to endure all this to death. But if you are ashamed to suffer for My sake and My commandments, as I suffered for you, then I will also consider it a shame to be with you at My Second Coming, when I come with many glory and say to My Angels: This one was ashamed of My humility and did not want to leave the glory of man, to become like me. But now that he has destroyed the perishable glory, and I have been glorified by the measureless glory of my Father, I am ashamed even to look at him; cast him out. Let the wicked take it, and let it not see the glory of the Lord.” This is what those who apparently fulfill the commandments of Christ will hear, but for the sake of shame in front of people they do not endure reproach, dishonor, bruising and wounds, when they should have endured them for the commandments of the Lord. Be horrified and tremble, people, hearing this, and endure with joy the sufferings that Christ endured for our salvation. God is stifled by some slave in order to give you an example of victory, and you do not want to accept stubbornness from a person like you? Are you ashamed, man, to imitate God? How can you reign and be glorified together with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven, if you do not tolerate the same? If the Lord wanted to follow your rule and was ashamed to become a man for your sake, then it is not known what would happen to the human race. Saint Simeon the New Theologian (60, 457).
And he who lives virtuous must certainly endure insults from the vicious. For the envy that attacks them often brings them to ridicule. Therefore, if it is absolutely necessary to endure slander, then it is better to endure unjustly with wisdom; but the wicked must rightly endure. Rev. Isidore Pelusiot (52, 296).
Extremely beware of offending any person by word or deed, for this is a grave sin. When a person is offended, then God is offended. who loves a person. An insult to a person cannot be an insult to God. Whoever sins against man will also sin against God. This is hard, as you yourself see, therefore, as soon as you offend your neighbor, immediately humble yourself before him, and with humility ask forgiveness from him, so as not to fall into the righteous judgment of God. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 1271).
In one of the Egyptian hostels there was a Greek youth who could not extinguish the flame of carnal lust by any abstinence, by any intensified ascetic labors. When the father of the monastery was told about this temptation, he used the following method to save the young man. The elder ordered one of the brothers, an important and stern husband, to start a quarrel with the young man, showered him with curses, and after insulting him, came to complain about him. This was done: witnesses were called, who testified in favor of the husband. The young man, seeing that he was slandered, began to cry. Shed tears every day; being very distressed, he remained alone; Deprived of all help, lay at the feet of Jesus. In this position, he spent a whole year. After a year, the old man asked the young man about the thoughts that had troubled him before, if they still bothered him? The young man replied: “Father! I have no life. Do I have lustful thoughts?" Thus, by the art of the spiritual father, the young man overcame his passions and was saved. Paternik (82, 475-476).
The brethren praised one monk, Abba Anthony. When this monk arrived, Antony wanted to test whether he could bear the insult. And seeing that he could not stand it, he said: “You look like a village, which is beautiful in front, and plundered by robbers in the back.” Memorable legends (79, 6).
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" GLord, "Your name is Love: do not reject me who is mistaken. Your name is Strength: strengthen me, who is exhausted and falling. Your name is Light: enlighten my soul, darkened by worldly passions. Your name is Peace: die my restless soul. Your name is Mercy: do not stop have mercy on me." (St. pr. John of Krondstadt )
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" ATThe vision of the Divine is born from attentive prayer, especially intelligent prayer"
(St. Ignaty Brianchaninov )
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" ATchoosing evil, we ourselves become slaves of evil and violate the freedom of other people"
(epis. Vasily Rodzianko )
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"
Blet's stay awake! Let us establish good sobriety in the temple of our spirit! If you have sobriety, you will improve your spirit. He who has sobriety has already become the temple of God." (St. Anthony the Great
)
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" TOthat is exalted by natural talents, that is, wit, understanding, art in reading and pronunciation, quickness of mind and other abilities that we have received without difficulty, he will never receive supernatural blessings, for he who is unfaithful in small things is also unfaithful and vain in many ways. " (
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"
EIf we are attentive to our sins, we will not look at the sins of our neighbor" (Abba Matoy)
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" GLord, have mercy on the evil ones, for You have given all joys to the good!"
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"NSome asked Abba Macarius, saying, How should we pray? The elder answers them: there is no need to talk too much, but often raise your hands and say: Lord, as You wish, and as You know, have mercy! If temptation comes, say:
"God help! And He knows what is good for us, and so He does with us." "
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"BRath asked the elder, saying: what should be the work of the soul, so that it would bear good fruit? The elder answers him: in my opinion, the work of the soul is silence with wakefulness, abstinence of the body, much bodily prayer and inattention to the falls of people.
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" Palways remember God, and your mind will become heaven." (Venerable Nil of Sinai )
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"Blet us pay attention to ourselves, then we will not condemn others; for there are many things in ourselves for which we condemn others." (Venerable Nil of Sinai )
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" ATgive thanks in sorrow, and the burden of your sins will be lighter."
(Venerable Nil of Sinai )
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" ATBelieve that God Himself is before you in all the things you do every day."
(Venerable Nil of Sinai )
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" ATWhoever loves is not afraid of anything, because true love casts out fear.
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" ATwhoever loves has no rivalry, no envy, no hatred; he does not rejoice in the fall of others, but sympathizes with them and takes part in them.
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"NThere is no measure of patience, if only it is diluted with love."
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"Bugliness is precisely the loss of the image of God. And how understandable our love for icons becomes, because the image always strives for the prototype. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov instructed one mother not to rush to teach children the sciences, but to prepare the soul first. (Venerable Ephraim the Syrian )
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"Bratia was asked Abba Agathon saying, What virtue in asceticism has the greatest labor? He answers: forgive me, I think that there is no greater work than to pray to God without entertainment; for whenever a man wants to pray, the enemy tries to distract him; for the demons know that nothing opposes them so much as prayer to God. And in every feat, no matter what a person undertakes, during the accomplishment of it he receives calm, and prayer until the last breath requires struggle."
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" Twhen each of us realizes that he has brotherly love and true love for his neighbor, when he sees that he weeps over his brother's sins and rejoices over his progress and gifts. (Saint John of the Ladder )
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" EIf... the Lord vouchsafes to put kindness, love, non-judgment of your neighbors, their merciful apology as the basis of your prayerful feat, then with special ease and speed you will defeat your opponents, you will achieve pure prayer. (Bishop Ignatius Brianchaninov )
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" Zthose who are occupied with earthly things experience sorrows from earthly things; but those who aspire to the spiritual about the spiritual and get sick."
(Venerable Ephraim the Syrian )
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"
Ireceived the image of God and did not keep it, He takes on my flesh in order to save the image and immortalize the flesh" (Saint Gregory the Theologian. Word 45, for holy Easter
).
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" HDo not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. Whatever a man sows, that he will also reap: he who sows to his own flesh from the flesh will reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Galatians. 6.7-8. )
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" Xristos paid much more than we owed, and as much more as the sea is boundless compared to a small drop" (St. John Chrysostom )
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" AtI marvel at those few people who do not tremble to theologize about God, being full of sins ... We, who do not know ourselves or what is before our eyes, with boldness and fearlessness, begin to philosophize about what is INCORRECT FOR US, especially being EMPTY OF THE GRACE of the Holy Spirit, who enlightens and teaches all things." Simeon the New Theologian )
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" Xristos paid much more than we owed, and as much more as the sea is boundless compared to a small drop" ( St. John Chrysostom )
"OWe feel bidu when our soul is sick. It should be treated with such "mud baths". You have to endure scolds, set yourself up in advance, in the morning or even in the evening, that today you will be scolded. Say to yourself: "The devil sees that I am here praying, saving myself, confessing well and being cleansed. He wants to drive me out of this temple. But I will not leave. God will help me, and I will endure." Set yourself up like this: the day in which I was not scolded was in vain. (Archimandrite Ambrose (Yurasov)
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"ATEvery person who loves to show himself is vain. The fasting of the vain remains unrewarded, and his prayer is fruitless; for he does both for the praise of men." (Venerable John of the Ladder)
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"Ta proud man is an idolater. He thinks that he honors God, but in fact he pleases not God, but people. (Rev. John of the Ladder)
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"Ndo not judge and do not destroy anyone, because from this the heart is exhausted and the mind is blinded ... " (Saints Barsanuphius and John )
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"Nwatch unceasingly, learning the law of God, for through this the heart is warmed by heavenly fire..." (Saint Basonophy and John )
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"Ndon't speak with anger. May your words, like your silence, be filled with prudence and wisdom. The words of our wisest fathers were reasonable and wise, as was their silence."(Venerable Anthony the Great th)
"Nyou don’t need to change the world, change only a small part of this world - yourself, and the whole world will change after you. as people want, but - even better. Therefore, we must end all our requests as the Lord ended His prayer in the Garden of Gethsemane: "However, not My will, but Yours be done" (OK. 22.42 ). (Archimandrite John Krestyankin )
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"M )
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" P ( Elder Joseph the Hesychast)
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"BUT(Saint Basil the Great )
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"H(Rev. Anthony )
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"G(Saint John Chrysostom )
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"N(Elder Paisius of Athos )
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"L(O. Pavel Florensky )
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. (St. John Chrysostom )
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"WITH(St. Alexy Mechev.)
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"Molitvas composed by heretics are very similar to the prayers of the pagans: they contain many words; in them is the earthly beauty of the word; they have a heating of the blood; they lack repentance; in them is the striving for the marriage of the Son of God straight from the brothel of the passions; they have self-delusion. They are strangers to the Holy Spirit: the deadly infection of the dark spirit, the evil spirit, the spirit of lies and destruction is blowing out of them.Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov )
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" Ppeople's claims to be received by the monks at any time is a new path that is multiplying here on the Holy Mountain. Wherever you go, the fathers will hospitably receive you. And our duty is to continue the sober tradition of Sts. Fathers such as St. Gregory Palamas. When he labored here, on Athos, he ran away and hid in gorges and caves, trying in any way to achieve solitude in order to skillfully cultivate mental prayer, strictly maintaining his silent charter. ( Elder Joseph the Hesychast)
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"BUTe cannot be made attractive, so the devil makes the road there attractive." (Saint Basil the Great )
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"Ha humble man lives on earth, as in the Kingdom of Heaven, always cheerful and calm, and happy with everything. (Rev. Anthony )
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"Gdecide - evil; but still the gravest evil is to deny it after committing a sin. This, in particular, is the weapon of the devil." (Saint John Chrysostom )
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"NWe must be careful not to appropriate the gifts that God has given us. We need to thank God and worry about not being unworthy of such gifts." (Elder Paisius of Athos )
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"Llove is a talent given into growth, through which everyone enriches and grows himself, absorbing the other. In what way? - Through bestowing himself. (O. Pavel Florensky )
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WHO PRAYS WITH FASTING HAS TWO WINGS, LIGHTER THAN THE WIND . (St. John Chrysostom )
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"WITHLet's do good to someone - there is God's mercy to us." (St. Alexy Mechev.)
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« Never speak of Christ until you are asked, but live to be asked.” (Blessed Augustine)
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« There has never been, is not, and never will be a carefree place on earth. A carefree place can only be in the heart when the Lord is in it.”
(ex. Nikon Optinsky)
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« Thought is like the rudder of a ship: the direction and, for the most part, the fate of the entire huge machine depends on a small rudder, on this insignificant board dragging behind the ship. (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)
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« When the Lord forgives dead sinners, then their sins do not fall on the shoulders of their descendants. This is the meaning of church prayers for the dead, so that the Lord forgives their sins and that the punishment does not fall on their children. (St. Nicholas of Serbia)
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« Always in life, the one who relies not on logic, not on common sense, is right, but the one who proceeds from one supreme law - the law of Love. All other laws are nothing before Love, which not only guides hearts, but moves the sun and other stars. Whoever has this law lives; who is guided only by philosophy, reason - he dies. (St. Alexander Elchaninov)
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« Christ, by his life, has shown us a perfect example of true virtuous living; in Him, as if in the purest mirror, we see our shortcomings, and, having seen, we correct, correct, improve. "Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life" leading us to the desired Fatherland. (mtpl. Moscow Platon)
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« There are a lot of zealous Christians who make themselves large lists of those for whom they pray every day. They must understand that if they have the audacity to ask the Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ in their prayers for the solution of someone’s questions or some kind of goodness, then they must understand that they will also endure great temptations for this, because nothing in this life will ever happen just like that. it happens. And if you ask for someone, then you will have to bear the burdens for him in full measure: those that this person himself did not want to bear, and he himself does not ask for mercy for himself in prayer. As the Lord Jesus Christ accepted the Cross for us, so you will bear the sins of those for whom you offer your prayers. This does not mean that you should not pray for your neighbors, but you should be fully aware of what you are doing. Mercy is a great feat! May there be great mercies from the Lord to those who bear this feat, but first one must still be able to survive it. (Rev. Ambrose of Optina)
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« The Book of Psalms is a mirror in which the sinful human soul with all the passions, sins, iniquities, ailments is not only reflected in its present form, but also finds healing in the Psalms. (St. Athanasius of Alexandria)
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« When you do not have peace, know that you do not have humility in yourself. (ex. Lef Optinsky)
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« To be angry and irritated is nothing but punishing oneself for other people's stupidity. (Elder Arseny Minin)
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« Imagine how hard it is for an angry person, because he has hell in his soul. (shig. Savva)
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« And fulfilling God's will, a person is related to God, and then, without asking God, he accepts, continuously takes water from the Spring.
(Elder Paisius Svyatogorets)
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« Hand that, even the Holy Scripture itself, will not give a person knowledge of the Truth, of God, as soon as a pure heart. Therefore, until a person ceases to be proud, voluptuous, envious, disobedient, slanderer, traitor, etc., the truth will not be revealed to him, because the heart cannot contain this Truth, because it is filled with sin. We can be indignant as much as we like with our disorganizations of life, but we will not understand the essence until we begin to cleanse our hearts from spiritual impurities. ». (Elder Silouan)
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« P the disobedient has placed all his hope in God, and therefore his soul is always in God, and the Lord gives him His grace, and this grace teaches all good and gives strength to abide in good. The disobedient one always acts according to his own will, rejecting the will of the Creator, which is aimed at preserving a person in goodness and prosperity, and therefore suffers from his pride.” (Elder Silouan)
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« P the highest and first virtue is obedience. This is the most important acquisition for a person. Christ came into the world for the sake of obedience. And the life of a person on earth is obedience to God. (St. Nektarios of Optina)
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« P disobedience is necessary not only for monks, but for every person. Even the Lord was obedient. The proud and self-made do not allow themselves to live in grace and therefore never have peace of mind, but the grace of the Holy Spirit easily enters the soul of the obedient and gives him joy and peace. (St. Silouan of Athos)
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« With The silt and life of all the passions of a person are concentrated in his corrupted will: obedience, binding and killing the will, binds and kills all passions together. (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)
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« P disobedience keeps a person from pride; for obedience, prayer and the grace of the Holy Spirit are given. That is why obedience is superior to fasting and prayer.” (St. Silouan of Athos)
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« O the teaching that, having descended into hell, Christ granted the possibility of salvation to everyone, opened the doors to paradise for everyone. Christ trampled down death by His death, abolished the power of the devil and destroyed hell. At the same time, the devil, and death, and hell continue to exist, but their power over people is not unconditional and unlimited: "Hell reigns, but does not last forever over the human race." (MTP Illarion Alfeev)
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« With do not judge the priest - fear this most of all. You cannot even understand in what Sacrament he is a participant. One of his tears of repentance, which fell on the Throne, is enough to wash away all his sins. (Elder Mikhail Pitkevich)
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« E If you throw paper, rubbish into the furnace, won't they burn? It's the same in a spiritual person: everything that the devil doesn't throw at him burns up - "Fire devours"! When the Divine flame ignites in a person, everything burns. Bad thoughts no longer stick. That is, the devil does not stop throwing bad thoughts at him, but a spiritual person “is on fire” and burns them. And then the devil gets tired and stops fighting. That's why App. Paul: "All is clean." For the pure, everything is pure, there is nothing impure. Clean, if thrown into a swamp, they will remain clean, like the sun's rays, which, no matter what they fall on, remain bright and clean. (Elder Paisius Svyatogorets)
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« AT someone stood up against you, endure, wait. After all, humility is a great power! Be silent and do not make excuses, even if you were right, because the Lord allowed this for our humility, for our inner healing. We are all sick: some to a greater extent, some to a lesser extent, which means that there is something to treat in our soul. (architect Ambrose Yurasov)
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« X Christianity, not a religion of external rules, is a religion of a renewed inner man. Man must have God's law written within him. It is necessary to pay attention to your insides: "Create a pure heart in me, O God, and renew a right spirit in my womb." (ptr. Andrey Tkachev)
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« AT All martyrs for Christ are an example of high reason and wisdom in that they have come to know the One true God, the need for the grace of Christ, its Divine power. For this, they renounced all earthly blessings and sensual pleasures, and decided on the most severe suffering in order to keep pure: thought, conscience, heart, soul and body for the sake of the Glory of God, which shone in them with all power. Their martyrdom shines on us on the path of Truth and Salvation.” (St. Philaret Drozdov)
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« E If your life were worth nothing, it would not have been bought at such a high price as the Sacrifice of the Cross of the Savior of our Lord Jesus Christ. (igm. Nikon Vorobyov)
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« R my hell, where God is, there is no evil. (St. Seraphim of Sarov)
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« I I saw all the traps set by the enemy on the ground, and said with a sigh: “Who can get around them”?! Then I heard a voice saying “humble”…” (St. Anthony the Great)
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« To When people are dissatisfied with each other and quarrel, their hearts drift away. In order to cover this distance and hear each other, they have to shout. The more angry they are, the louder they scream."
« L loving people speak quietly because their hearts are very close and the distance between them is very small.
If love is strong, then no words are needed, people just look at each other and understand everything without words. ". (St. Isaac Sirin)
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« T the patient bearing of the Cross is true repentance.” (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)
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« G the Lord forbids condemning, not exposing, for exposing is beneficial, and condemnation is an insult and humiliation, especially in the case when someone himself, having grave sins, blasphemes others and condemns those who have much lesser sins, for which only God alone can judge, for “with what judgment you judge, you will be judged: and with what measure you mete, it will be measured to you.” (Matt. 7:2) (St. Nil the Myrrh-streaming)
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« With we cannot be humbled by traps, so the Lord allows us to fall into every shame, so that involuntarily a person comes to the consciousness of his insignificance and ugliness. (abbot Nikon Vorobyov)
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« And Truth is not a thought, not a word, not a relation of things, not a law. Truth is the Personality, it is the Being of everything. If you seek the Truth with love and for the sake of love, She will reveal to you the Light of Her face as much as you can bear It, “without being burned down”…” (St. Nicholas of Serbia)
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« F live in peace not only with friends, but also with enemies, but only with your enemies, and not with the enemies of God. (St. Theodosius of the Caves)
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« To When anger is kindled in your heart against someone, then believe with all your heart. that it is the work of the devil working in the heart; hate him and his offspring, and she will leave you (do not recognize her as something of your own, do not sympathize with her) ” (St. Right. John of Krondstadt)
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« B the worshiping God fears neither the aspirations of demons against him, nor their feeble attacks, nor the threats of evil people. Being all like a kind of flame and scorching fire, he, even when he passes through dark, unlit places, puts to flight the demons who, more than he, flee from him, so as not to be scorched by the ray of Divine fire emanating from him. (St. Simeon the New Theologian)
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« With The light, having entered a dark house, casts out darkness from it and illuminates it: so the “fear of the Lord”, which has entered the human heart, dispels darkness, fills it with all virtues and wisdom. (St. Anthony the Great)
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« To then he fears the Lord, he rises above all fear, he removed and left far behind him all the fears of this world, and no trembling will come close to him. (St. Ephraim Sirin)
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« E If someone hears a grievous word and, instead of responding with a similar insult, overcomes himself and keeps silent, or, being deceived, endures this and does not take revenge on the deceiver, then he will lay down his life for his neighbor. (St. Abba Pimen)
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« With the Holy Spirit teaches us to love our neighbor holyly. Love fed by the Holy Spirit is Fire. This Fire extinguishes the fire of natural, carnal love, damaged by the fall.” (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)
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« L everyone must be loved, because each person is the image of God, even if he, that is, the image of God, is polluted in man. He can be washed (by repentance) and be clean again.” (St. Nikon of Optina).
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« E If love is not in God and not from God, then it is only a sensual passion that people use like a drug in order to delight a life devoid of any meaning with this little nonsense. (St. Nicholas of Serbia)
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« G willingness to drink another's cup of sorrow is love ». (St. Nicholas of Serbia)
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« L love is the Queen of all feelings, noble and positive. Truly, love is the shortest way to the Kingdom of Heaven. Love has destroyed the separation between God and man." (St. Nicholas of Serbia)
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« To he does not love, he does not know God, because God is Love. (1 John 4:7-8)
St. Apostle Paul(1 Corinthians 13:4)
“Love is longsuffering, is merciful, love does not envy, love does not exalt itself, does not pride itself, does not act rudely, does not seek its own, is not irritated, does not think evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth: everything loves, believes everything, trusts, everything endures. Love never goes away."
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
And it will be revealed at the Last Judgment that the only meaning of life on earth was LOVE!
It is love - neither faith, nor dogmatics, nor mysticism, nor asceticism, nor fasting, nor long prayers that constitute the true image of a Christian. Everything loses its power if there is no main thing - love for a person.
Archimandrite Raphael Karelin
When the Lord allows you to experience love, you understand that this is true life, and the rest is a gray dream. Only love makes life deep, only love makes a person wise, only love gives strength to bear suffering with joy, only love is ready to suffer for others.
Saint Nicholas of Serbia
When love rushes towards love, everything loses its meaning. Time and space give way to love.
Saint Nicholas of Serbia
“The one who truly loves you is the one who secretly prays for you to God.”
Reverend Sergius of Radonezh
“Be careful, brethren. First, have the fear of God, purity of soul and unfeigned love.”
Monk Simeon of Athos
“Casting bells and gilding the domes of churches is good, but this is still far from Love.
Building temples and erecting monasteries is even better, and this is already not far from Love.
Comforting children, the elderly, the sick and prisoners is very close to true Love.
Helping at least one suffering person all your life - this is true Love.
You must have love, and love with wings: on the one hand, humility, and on the other, almsgiving and all indulgence towards your neighbor.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
To love means to stop seeing in oneself the center and purpose of existence. To love means to see another person and say: for me he is more precious than myself.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
“If a person carries great love in himself, this love inspires, and all life's trials are endured with greater ease, since a person carries great light in himself. That's what faith is: to be loved by God and to let God love you in Christ Jesus."
About life
Saint Luke (Voino-Yasenetsky)
“I have come to love suffering, which so wonderfully purifies the soul. For I must testify to you that when I walked along a very difficult path, when I carried the heavy burden of Christ, it was not at all heavy, and this path was a joyful path, because I felt quite realistically, quite tangibly, that the Lord Himself was walking beside me. Jesus Christ supports my burden and my cross.”
Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova
"Life is too short to be wasted fighting and quarreling, especially in the sacred circle of the family."
Rev. Ambrose of Optina
Each of us should take more care of himself, of his soul and of his own spiritual benefit, because, according to the word of the Apostle, each of us will give a word to God about himself. With us, however, confusion occurs because we are more and more inclined to admonish others and try not only to convince, but also to dissuade and prove by various arguments.
Monk Simeon of Athos
"The true door is always open, but people fight against the doors painted on the wall by themselves."
Reverend Seraphim of Sarov
“We must remove discouragement from ourselves and try to have a joyful spirit, and not a sad one.”
Rev. Ambrose of Optina
Living the simplest is the best. Don't break your head. Pray to God. The Lord will arrange everything. Don't torture yourself thinking about how and what to do. Let it be, as it happens - this is to live easier.
The Lord does not bring us into contact with people in vain. We all treat people we meet in life with indifference, without attention, but meanwhile the Lord brings a person to you so that you give him what he does not have. I would help him not only materially, but also spiritually: he taught him love, humility, meekness - in a word, he attracted him to Christ by his example.
If you refuse him, if you do not serve him in anything, then remember that he will still not be deprived of this. The Lord gives you an opportunity to do good, to draw closer to God. If you do not want, He will find another person who will give the one who requires what is due and what he needs.
Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer
When a person condemns, drives away the grace of God from himself, becomes defenseless and therefore cannot be corrected.
When you go to visit one of your relatives or friends, go not in order to have good food and drink with them, but in order to share a friendly conversation with them, to revive your soul from the bustle of life with a conversation of love and sincere friendship, to confer with the common faith.
On the relationship to the neighbor
Archimandrite John Krestyankin
May every person whom the Lord sends to you today on the path of life become the most important, dearest and closest to you. Warm his soul!
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
Accustom yourself at the first glance at a person to always sincerely wish him well.
Saint Nicholas of Serbia
If you can help a person - help, if you can't help - pray, if you don't know how to pray - think well of a person! And this will already be a help, because bright thoughts are also weapons!
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt
When in your eyes people fall into various sins against you, against the Lord, against your neighbors and against yourself, do not be angry with them, for even without you there is a lot of malice in the world, but pity them from the bottom of your heart and forgive them when they offend you. saying to himself: Lord! let them go, for sin confuses them, they do not know what they are doing.
Rev. Ambrose of Optina
“... It is necessary to adhere to the advice of St. Isaac the Syrian: “try not to see the malice of a person.” This is the purity of the soul."
Saint Silouan of Athos
"I never come to people without praying for them."
Holy Righteous Alexy Mechev
Try to do good to everyone, what and when you can, without thinking about whether he will appreciate it or not, whether he will be grateful to you or not.
About marriage and family
Saint John Chrysostom
“A wife is a harbor and the most important remedy for mental disorder. If you keep this harbor free from winds and waves, you will find great peace in it, and if you disturb and agitate it, you will prepare for yourself the most dangerous shipwreck.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
"If you let God be the master in the house, the house becomes a paradise."
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt
Which child is not warmed (with love) by parents and neighbors to the root of the soul, to the roots of all his feelings, he will remain dead in spirit for God and good deeds.
Priest Alexander Elchaninov
Every day husband and wife should be new and extraordinary to each other. The only way for this is the deepening of the spiritual life of everyone, constant work on oneself.
Elder Paisios the Holy Mountaineer
The greatest treasure for people living in the world is a parent's blessing.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
If you want your children to be pious and kind, be pious and kind yourself, and set yourself as an example to them.
Saint John Chrysostom
No matter how annoyed you are, never reproach your spouse for the damage you have suffered, because he himself is the best acquisition for you.
Saint Theophan the Recluse
How much someone loves their parents, so much will be loved and respected by their children when God sends them.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk
Children look more at the life of their parents and reflect it in their young souls than listen to their words.
Saint John Chrysostom
Do you want your wife to obey you, as the Church obeys Christ? Take care of it yourself, as Christ cares for the Church.
Saint Gregory the Theologian
If you have an unbridled tongue, you will always be hated by your husband. A daring tongue did harm often to the innocent. It is better to be silent when the very thing calls for a word, than to speak when even time does not give room for an immodest word.
About God and the Knowledge of God
Elder Ephraim the Holy Mountaineer
The purpose of prayer is to connect a person with God, to bring Christ into the heart of a person. Where the action of prayer is, there is Christ with the Father and the Holy Spirit - the consubstantial and indivisible Holy Trinity. Where Christ is the Light of the world, there is the eternal light of the world: there is peace and joy, there are angels and saints, there is the joy of the Kingdom.
Blessed are those who have put on the Light of the world—Christ—even in this present life, because they have already begun to wear the garment of incorruption…
St. John Chrysostom
Listen to God in commandments so that He hears you in prayers.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
“God is always drawing near to us, He is always close, but we feel Him only with a loving and humble heart. We have a spark of love, but there is very little humility.
Saint Nicholas of Serbia
For a spiritual person there are three windows in heaven: the believing mind looks into the first, the second is open to the trusting heart, the third - to the loving soul. He who looks out only one window will see only a third of the sky. Whoever looks at three at once, the whole sky is open to him. Saint Barbara cut through three windows in the tower into which her pagan father imprisoned her in order to confess her faith in the Holy Trinity. To see the Divine Trinity in Its Unity, we must know ourselves as a trinity in unity. For only a trinity can contemplate the Trinity.
Metropolitan Anthony of Surozh
“In the Old Testament, to see God was to die; in the New Testament, meeting God means life.”
Orthodox faith lamps,
pillars of monasticism unshakable,
lands of Russian consolation,
Venerable Elders of Optinstia,
having acquired the love of Christ and the soul
who thought their own for their children...
- If you do some kind of pardon to anyone, you will be pardoned for that.
- The Pharisee prayed and fasted more than ours, but without humility all his work was nothing, and therefore be jealous of the most publican humility, which is usually born from obedience, and dominates you.
- Moreover, it was noticed by the holy fathers that when a person prepares for the communion of the Holy Mysteries or expects to meet some kind of holiday, then the devil tries with all his might to annoy the person and thereby confuse his soul, so that that day would not be spent in joy in the Lord, but in demonic sorrow. . The reasons for his attack on us are different, but the most important is the condemnation of our neighbors, which sin, and besides fornication and other temptations, defiles not only the body, but our very soul.
- Peace of mind is acquired from the perfect devotion of oneself to the will of God, without which it would be nothing to be with us, even to be. And if your husband was really not good, then ask yourself in conscience before God: “Am I, a sinner, worthy of a good and kind husband?” And your conscience will certainly say that you are not worthy of absolutely good things, and then in humility of heart, with obedience to the will of God, you will love him from the bottom of your heart and find much good that you have not seen before.
- One passion reproaches another: where self-love, there love of money yields, and vice versa happens. And we know that all vices sometimes leave a person, and one stays with him - pride, which is pleased to replace the others.
- But do not dare to blame the one who offends us, even if it seems to be an incorrect insult, but consider him an instrument of God's Providence, sent to us to show our dispensation.
- And no one can either offend or annoy us, unless the Lord allows it to be for our benefit, or for punishment, or for testing and correction.
- If you appease your own heart to the one who is angry with you, then the Lord will proclaim to his heart to be reconciled to you.
- Every deed must begin with an invocation of the name of God for help.
- If you want to have love, then do the deeds of love, even if at first without love.
- We must live on the earth as the wheel turns: only with one point touches the earth, and with the rest it constantly strives upwards; and how we lie down on the ground - and we can’t get up.
- Living the simplest is the best. Don't break your head. Pray to God. The Lord will arrange everything, just live easier. Don't torture yourself thinking about how and what to do. Let it be - as it happens: this is to live easier.
- The requested cross is difficult to bear, but it is better to surrender to the will of God in simplicity.
- Whoever has a bad heart should not despair, because with God's help a person can correct his heart. You just need to carefully monitor yourself and not miss the opportunity to be useful to your neighbor, often open up to the elder and do all possible alms. This, of course, cannot be done suddenly, but the Lord is longsuffering. He only ends the life of a person when he sees him ready for the transition to eternity, or when he sees no hope for his correction.
- Before the judgment of God, it is not the characters that matter, but the direction of the will. Know that characters matter only in the judgment of man, and therefore they are either boasted or condemned; but at the judgment of God, characters, as natural properties, are neither approved nor condemned. The Lord looks at a good intention and a compulsion to do good, and appreciates the resistance to passions, even if a person is sometimes overcome by weakness due to something. And again, negligence judges about this One, knowing the secret heart and conscience of a person, and his natural strength for good, and the circumstances surrounding him.
- If you see the error of your neighbor, which you would like to correct, if it violates your peace of mind and irritates you, then you also sin and, therefore, you will not correct the error with error - it is corrected with meekness.
- And it is useful for us when we are pushed. That tree, which the wind shakes more, strengthens its roots more, and which is in silence, it immediately falls down.
- As circumstances have arranged, so it should live, because the circumstances surrounding us are arranged not just by chance, as many of our modern-day wise men think, but everything is done with us by the Providence of God, unceasingly caring for our spiritual salvation.
- We ourselves increase our sorrows when we begin to grumble.
- Have what you need and need, but don’t collect too much, and if you don’t have it and you grieve, then what’s the point? Better stick to the middle.
- Contradiction is the strongest thing in a person. At will, a person sometimes does the difficult thing, but tell him what to do easy, he will immediately be upset. And you have to listen.
- Just as one should not seek honor, so one should not refuse it by those living in society for the benefit of others. The honor given is also from God.
- To each, that act of a neighbor seems great, which convicts him of something.
- Let us humble ourselves, and the Lord will cover us, and we will be holy. In the meantime, we don’t humble ourselves and propitiate God - even if we break our foreheads on the floor with bows, passions will not diminish.
- Endure everything - you yourself will be peaceful, and you will bring peace to others! And if you start to reckon, you will lose the world, and with it, salvation.
- I'm telling you a secret, I'm telling you the best way to find humility. This is what it is: to endure any pain that pierces a proud heart.
- Without winter there would be no spring, without spring there would be no summer. So it is in the spiritual life: a little consolation, and then a little sorrow - and so little by little the path of salvation is formed.
- We will accept everything from the hand of God. Consolation - thank you. And will not console - thank you.
- Learn to be meek and silent, and you will be loved by all. And open feelings are the same as open gates: both a dog and a cat run there... and they shit.
- We are obliged to love everyone, but to be loved, we do not dare to demand.
- A sure sign of the mortification of the soul is the avoidance of church services. A person who grows cold towards God, first of all, begins to avoid going to church, at first he tries to come to the service later, and then completely stops attending the temple of God.
- The Lord puts each soul in such a position, surrounds it with such an environment that is most conducive to its success.
- Our whole life is a great mystery of God. All the circumstances of life, no matter how insignificant they may seem, are of great importance. The meaning of this life we will fully understand in the next century. How carefully one should treat it, and we turn over our lives like a book, sheet by sheet, not realizing what is written there. There is no accident in life, everything is created by the will of the Creator.
- It must be remembered that the Lord loves everyone and takes care of everyone, but if, humanly speaking, it is dangerous to give a beggar a million, so as not to destroy him, and 100 rubles can easily put him on his feet, then all the more the Omniscient Lord knows better who what to the benefit.
- The hardest part is prayer. Every virtue from passing turns into a habit, and in prayer, compulsion is needed until death itself. Our old man opposes it, and the enemy rises especially against the one who prays.
- I have to hear complaints that we are now going through difficult times, that now complete freedom has been given to all heretical and godless teachings, that the Church is being attacked by enemies from all sides and it becomes terrible for her that these muddy waves of unbelief and heresies will overcome her. I always answer: “Don't worry! Don't be afraid for the Church! She will not perish: the gates of hell will not overcome her until the Last Judgment. Do not be afraid for her, but you must be afraid for yourself, and it is true that our time is very difficult. From what? Yes, because now it is especially easy to fall away from Christ, and then - death.
- They say the temple is boring. Boring because they do not understand the service! Services need to learn! Boring because they don't care about him. Here he seems not his own, but a stranger. At least they brought flowers or greenery for decoration, they would take part in the chores of decorating the temple - it would not be boring.
- Live simply, according to your conscience, always remember what the Lord sees, and pay no attention to the rest!
- The main thing is to beware of judging loved ones. As soon as condemnation comes to mind, immediately turn with attention: “Lord, grant me to see my sins and not condemn my brother.”
- You cannot demand from a fly that it does the work of a bee - each person must be given according to his measure. It can't be the same for everyone.
- There has never been, is not and never will be a carefree place on earth. A carefree place can only be in the heart when the Lord is in it.
- Human truth should not be pursued. Seek only the truth of God.
- Always remember the law of spiritual life: if you are embarrassed by some shortcoming of another person and condemn him, later on you will suffer the same fate, and you will suffer from the same shortcoming.
- Every deed, no matter how insignificant it may seem to you, do it carefully, as before the face of God. Remember that the Lord sees everything.
Our venerable fathers, Optina elders, pray to God for us!
Farewell - who has received forgiveness; have mercy - pardoned, acquire philanthropy by philanthropy, while there is time for this (14, 147).
Did you get hit on the cheek? Why do you allow your other cheek to remain unacquired? If the first suffered this involuntarily, it is not a great merit, and if you wish, it remains for you to do something more, namely: voluntarily turn the other cheek in order to become worthy of a reward. Have you been stripped of your chiton? Give me other clothes, if you have them; let them remove even the third one: you will not be left without an acquisition if you leave this matter to God. Are we being slandered? Let's bless the wicked. Are we spat? Let us hasten to win honor from God. Are we driven? But no one will separate us from God; He is our only, inalienable treasure. Is someone cursing you? Pray for the cursed. Threaten to hurt you? And you threaten that you will endure. Is he executing threats? And your duty is to do good. In this way you will gain two important benefits: you yourself will be a perfect guardian of the law, and your meekness will turn the one who offends you to meekness, and from an enemy he will become a disciple. Saint Gregory the Theologian (15, 165).
If you, a man, do not forgive anyone who has sinned against you, then do not trouble yourself with fasting and prayer... God will not accept you. Rev. Ephraim the Syrian (28, 111).
Whoever, for the sake of God, to preserve the world, endures the cruel words of a rude and unreasonable person, he will be called the son of the world and can acquire peace in soul, body and spirit. (34, 83).
When you remember the insults and persecuting you, do not complain about them, but rather pray to God for them, as for the originators of the greatest blessings for you. Rev. Abba Isaiah (34, 184).
How can you ask God to be merciful to you when you yourself are not merciful to those who offended you? (35, 139).
The more someone has sinned against us, the more we should hasten to reconciliation, because it becomes the reason for the forgiveness of a greater number of sins to us. (36, 233).
The Lord wants us to be meek towards the guilty, unforgiving towards those who sin against us, by their forgiveness we gain forgiveness for ourselves and prepare for ourselves a measure of philanthropy (37, 33)
Being guilty before the Lord of countless sins, we, however, according to His inexpressible love for mankind, receive forgiveness from Him. If we ourselves are cruel and inhuman to our neighbors and brothers, who have the same nature with us, and do not forgive their sins against us ... then we will incur the wrath of the Lord, and for that in which we have already received forgiveness, we will again have to pay the agony (38, 281).
If we do not forgive our neighbors, then we will not cause them any harm, but we will prepare unbearable Gehenna for ourselves. (38, 282).
Let us not think that, by forgiving our neighbor, we show him a good deed or great mercy; no, we ourselves receive a blessing, we derive great benefit for ourselves (38, 282).
If we neglect this commandment (about forgiveness), then what kind of condemnation will we undergo, acting contrary to our words, daring to pronounce the words of the prayer: “and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors”, pronouncing them recklessly and frivolously, accumulating for ourselves more and more (fire) of Gehenna, and inciting the wrath of the Lord against you? (38, 283).
If necessary, we will both apologize and ask for forgiveness from the warring parties, we will not refuse this, even if we ourselves were offended. In this way we will prepare for ourselves a great reward and a firm hope. (38, 870).
Nothing makes us more like God than forgiving evil people who offend us. (41, 227).
God only requires from us condescension towards our neighbors, in order to Himself have an opportunity to forgive us great sins. (41, 167).
Nothing restrains those who offend so much as the meek patience of those who are offended. It not only keeps them from further impulses, but also makes them repent of the former ones ... (41, 205).
You forgive others because you yourself need forgiveness... (41, 225).
If (the offender) did something insulting and hostile, then let us leave it and erase it from memory so that there are no traces left. If at all there was nothing good for us from him, then the greater the reward for us, the more praise, if we forgive (42, 261).
It happens that the maddened beat us, but we are not only not angry with them, but we pity them. Do the same - have pity on the offender: after all, he is possessed by a fierce beast - rage, a violent demon - anger (42, 864).
It is not enough not to take revenge (this was in the Old Testament) - let us do everything for those who offended us, as for sincere friends, as for ourselves. We are imitators of the One who, after the crucifixion, used all measures for the (salvation) of those who were crucified. (43, 94).
Whoever forgave sins benefited both his soul and the soul of the one who received forgiveness, because ... he made meek not only himself, but also him. By persecuting those who have offended us, we do not hurt their souls as much as by forgiving them, for by this we bring them into confusion and shame. (43, 139).
Has anyone insulted you? Be silent, bless if you can; thus you proclaim the word of God, teach meekness, inspire humility (43, 285).
A person who has forgiven his neighbor cannot but receive perfect forgiveness (from God), because God is incomparably more philanthropic than us... (43, 325).
In imitation of God, let us also do good to our enemies; we will not reject those who hate us (45, 61).
Love for enemies is love for God, who gave commandments and laws, is imitation of Him. Know that when you do good deeds to your enemies, you do good not to them, but to yourself; you do not love them, but obey God. (45, 64).
When a person who has been offended prays for the offender, he receives great boldness (45, 105).
Why did you become a child of God? Because you are forgiven. On the same basis on which you have been awarded such a great honor, you yourself forgive your neighbor (45, 143).
Whoever blesses his enemy blesses himself, and whoever curses him curses himself. Who prays for the enemy prays for himself (45, 664).
Has anyone insulted you? Pray to God that He has mercy on him soon: he is your brother, your member. But, you say, he offends me too much. The more you will be rewarded for it. Therefore, it is especially necessary to leave anger on the offender, because the devil wounded him. Do not reproach him yet, and do not cast down yourself with him. Indeed, as long as you stand, you can save him too; but if you bring yourself down through reciprocal insult, then who will lift you up after that? Is it the injured one? But he will not be able to do this. Or you who fell with him? But how can you, unable to help yourself, reach out to another? That one was wounded by the devil; If we treat each other in this way, then soon we will all be healthy, but if we begin to arm ourselves against each other, then the devil is not needed for our death. (46, 624).
When someone offends you, think of the torment he is experiencing, and not only will you not have anger against him, but you will shed tears. Saint John Chrysostom (46, 624).
Whoever wants to win a brilliant victory must not only courageously endure insults and insults, but even give in to the offender more than he wants to take, and extend beyond his evil desire with an excess of his own generosity. And if this seems strange to you, then we will make a decision from Heaven, and there we will read this law. The Savior did not say: “who will strike you on your right cheek”, endure it courageously and calm down, but commanded: “turn to him the other” () with a readiness to accept the blow. Here is a glorious victory! The first is wise and the second is supernatural and heavenly (50, 285).
The King of all that is worldly and earthly came down from Heaven and brought us a sign of heavenly life, which he offered us as opposed to the Olympic wrestling. For there he who strikes and overcomes is crowned, but here he who receives them and endures them. There he who repays a blow with a blow triumphs, but here he who turns the other cheek is praised in an angelic spectacle, because victory is not in vengeance, but in wisdom. (51, 175).
Although the one who is obliged to ask you for forgiveness does not ask him, and does not worry about why you could consider it excusable for yourself not to forgive him for the offenses committed against you, nevertheless you, in spite of that, forgive him, if possible, calling him to yourself, and if this is impossible, in yourself, without showing by your actions that you want to take revenge. Rev. Isidore Pelusiot (52, 156).
We must forgive those who offended us, knowing that the reward for forgiveness of offenses exceeds the reward for any other virtue. And if we cannot do this because of our sinfulness, then during vigil and in suffering we must pray to God that He would have mercy on us and give us all strength. At the same time, at any time, in any place and in any business, we must have one intention, so that in case of various insults from people, we should rejoice, and not grieve; to rejoice not simply and not without reasoning, but because we have the opportunity to forgive those who have sinned against us and receive (thus) the forgiveness of our own sins. For in this lies true knowledge of God, which is more immeasurable than any knowledge, and with the help of which we can implore God and be heard. This is the fruitfulness of faith, this proves our faith in Christ, so we can take up our cross and follow Christ. This is the foundation of the first and great commandments, for by means of this we can love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. To do this, we must fast, stay vigilant and depress our body so that our heart and inner disposition open up, take it into ourselves and no longer spit it out. Then, because we forgive our neighbor's sins, the grace that was secretly given to us at holy Baptism will begin to act in us already clearly, tangibly for our consciousness and feelings. Saint Mark the Ascetic (66, 521).
“If your brother sins against you, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him "(). The holy Gospel we have heard teaches us the forgiveness of sins. The words "seven times a day" () are said instead of "no matter how much", and not so that if your brother sins eight times, you refuse him forgiveness. So, what does "seven times a day" mean? Always, no matter how many times he sins and repents. What is said in one psalm: “I glorify You seven times a day” (), in another psalm it is expressed by the words: “Praise be to Him unceasingly in my mouth” (). And the reason why the number "seven" is put instead of "always" is obvious, for the whole reversal of time consists of the continuation and return of seven days. God Jesus Christ Himself, about whom the apostle Peter said: “Christ suffered for us, leaving us an example that we should follow in His footsteps. He did not commit any sin, and there was no flattery in His mouth ”(), so He Himself had no sin, and died for our sins, and shed His Blood for the remission of sins. Took for us what he didn't owe, to get us out of debt. He should not have died, just as we should not have lived; why? because they were sinners. As for Him death, so for us life was not a debt; but what He did not owe, He accepted, and in what He did not owe us, He granted. And so that you do not think that for the sake of the remission of sins it is a lot for you to imitate Christ, heed the words of the apostle: “forgive one another, as God in Christ forgave you ... imitate God” (). These are the words of the apostle, not mine: "imitate God." Isn't it too arrogant to imitate God? Listen to the apostle: "imitate God, as beloved children" (). You are called a child; how do you want an inheritance if you refuse to imitate? I would say this even if you had no sins at all, the forgiveness of which you would need. Now, whoever you are, you are a man: if you are righteous, you are a man; whether a layman - you are a man; whether a monk - you are a man; whether a cleric - you are a man; whether a bishop - you are a man; Are you an apostle? Heed the words of the apostle: "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves." Here he himself, John, the evangelist, whom the Lord Jesus Christ loved more than all those who reclined on His chest, says: "If we say ...". Do not “say, he said that you have no sin,” but: “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, then He, being faithful and just, will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness ”().
So I demand that you forgive, because I find you in need of forgiveness. They ask you - goodbye; you are asked - and you will ask that you be forgiven. Here comes the time of prayer, and I catch you in the words that you say. You will say: "Our Father, Who art in Heaven." You will not be among the sons unless you say, "Our Father." So you will say: "Our Father, who art in Heaven." Continue: "Hallowed be thy name." Say further: "Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, as in heaven and on earth." Then look what you add: "Give us our daily bread today." Where is your wealth? Here you are asking like a beggar. But tell me after that and from what it comes. Say the following: "Forgive us our debts." You have reached my words: “leave, you say, our debts to us.” By what right? with what condition? by what law? with what assurance? “as we also leave our debtor.” Not only do you not let go, you also lie to God. The condition is set; the law is decreed: leave as I leave. So He doesn't leave unless you leave. Leave as I leave. If you want something left for you, the one who asks, leave it to the one who asks. This forgiveness was promised to you by the Heavenly Lawyer Himself; He doesn't deceive you. Ask, following His heavenly voice; say: "leave it to us ... as we leave it," and do as you say. Whoever lies in prayers loses his work and is punished. If someone deceives the king, is convicted of deceit when he comes, and when you lie in prayer, then in prayer itself you are convicted.
It is impossible to pass this verse if we do not fulfill what we say. Can this verse be blotted out of our prayer? Do you really want to say: “forgive us our debts”, and to blot out the following words: “as we forgive our debtors”? You will not blot out lest you be blotted out. So, you say in prayer: “give”, you say: “leave”, in order to receive what you do not have, and may you be forgiven. Blessed Augustine (116, 241-242).
“If you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive people their sins, then your Father will not forgive you your sins” (). What a simple and handy way of salvation! Your sins are forgiven on the condition that your neighbor's sins against you are forgiven. By yourself, you are in your own hands. Break yourself and move from non-peaceful feelings for your brother to sincerely peaceful ones - and that's it. Forgiveness day, what a great heavenly day of God! If we all used it properly, then the present day would turn Christian societies into heavenly societies, and the earth would merge with Heaven... (107, 52)
“If you do not forgive people their sins (against you), then your Father will not forgive you your sins,” said the Lord (). Who does not forgive others? The righteous or one who recognizes himself as righteous. There is nothing left for such a person but to judge and pronounce only sentences and demand the execution of the guilty. Whoever feels sinful, is it up to others? He will not turn his tongue to condemn another and demand satisfaction from him, when his own conscience incessantly convicts him and incessantly threatens with the righteous judgment of God. So, isn't it better to sin than to be righteous? No, be zealous in every possible way for righteousness. But, with all your righteousness, realize that you are an indispensable slave. And be aware with an undivided thought, that is, not in such a way that the thought of your unkeyability stands in front, and the feeling of righteousness hides behind, but with full consciousness and feeling, consider yourself unkeyable. When you get to this (and you have to get to this, because it is not suddenly acquired), then, no matter how your brother sins against you, you will not begin to exact, because your conscience will repeat: “and you are not worth it yet, this is not enough for you.” , - and forgive; and if you forgive, you yourself will be forgiven. So all my life: forgiveness for forgiveness, and at the Judgment you will be forgiven for this (107, 301–302).
Wanting to know how many times one should forgive a brother, Saint Peter asked, prejudging the answer: “up to seven times?” And having said this, he thought that he had appointed the greatest measure. How short is human patience! The Lord, applying His long-suffering to our infirmities, determined: “I do not say to you: up to seven, but? up to seventy times seven” (). This is the same as saying: always forgive, and do not think not to forgive. All-forgiveness will be the hallmark of the Christian spirit, for all-forgiveness is the source and constant support of life in us in the Lord, from the presence of God. The everlasting forgiveness of everything to everyone is the outward garment of Christian love, which, according to the apostle, “is long-suffering, merciful ... does not get irritated ... covers everything (). It is also the most faithful guarantee for forgiveness at the Last Judgment, for if we let go, our Heavenly Father will also let us go (). Thus, if you want to go to heaven, forgive everyone, sincerely, from the bottom of your heart, so that there is no shadow of hostility left. (107, 225–226).
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest (). O divine, o amiable, o sweet voice of Thy! Let us all follow the Lord who calls us! But first we must feel that it is difficult and difficult for us, that is, to feel that we have many sins, and these sins are grave. From this feeling will be born the need to seek relief. Then faith will show us the only refuge - in the Lord the Savior, and our steps will automatically lead to Him. A soul that wants to get rid of sins knows what to say to the Lord: take my heavy, sinful burden, and I will take your good yoke (). And it happens like this: the Lord forgives sins, and the soul begins to walk in His commandments. And commandments are a yoke, and sins are a burden. But, comparing both, the soul finds that the yoke of commandments is light as a feather, and the burden of sins is heavy as a mountain. Let us not be afraid to willingly accept the Lord's good yoke and His light burden! Only in this way, and not otherwise, can we find peace for our souls. Saint Theophan the Recluse (107, 184-185).
In a war where people fight with people, the side that persecutes the enemy wins, but not so in Christian warfare, which happens against the devil. Here the devil wins the man who yields to people who offend him, forgives, does not repay evil for evil. An even greater ulcer to the enemy happens when a person not only does not repay evil for evil, but also loves his enemies. (104, 1549–1550).
There is nothing safer than to forgive, and there is nothing more dangerous than not to forgive and take revenge on your neighbor for sins. “Judgment without mercy to the one who did not show mercy” (). God, in His Grace, shows mercy to all of us, we feel it not only every day, but every hour. But when a person, having received the mercy of God, does not want to show mercy to a person like himself, then God takes His mercy from him, as an ungrateful and crafty slave. Then a person, instead of mercy, is subject to the righteous judgment of God, and for all his sins, whatever he did in life, he will be judged. You see, Christian, how terrible and dangerous it is not to forgive and take revenge on your neighbor. (104, 1550).
Christian love requires not to take revenge on our brother, who was defeated by natural weakness, encouraged by the devil's action and sinned against us, but, having mercy, to forgive him so that he does not suffer from revenge and we would not later regret that we caused misfortune to the brother. For it often happens that both the one who offended and the one who avenged regret what happened, but what was done can no longer be returned. Therefore, all this must be foreseen in advance and not allow anger to develop into hatred and malice, but immediately extinguish the evil that begins to smoke with the spirit of meekness and philanthropy. (104, 1550).
If everyone took revenge on each other, society could not survive, everyone would exterminate each other in mutual enmity. “But if you bite and eat one another, take heed that you are not consumed by one another,” says the apostle () (104, 1551).
If someone offends you, do not hold anger on him, but forgive him immediately and pray to God for him, so that God will forgive him. And although your heart does not want this, you bow down and convince it and pray to the Lord that He will help you to overcome yourself, and to kill carnal wisdom. This is difficult, but it is required of a Christian, and even more so of a monk. You must forgive your neighbor if you yourself want to receive forgiveness from God. Forgive - and you will be forgiven, if you do not forgive, then you will not be forgiven. This is terrible, but true, for the holy Gospel teaches so (104, 1551–1552).
The parable means nothing else than the fact that God will not only not leave sins to the one who is angry with his neighbor and does not leave his sins, but also his former sins, already forgiven, will return and remember. For the merciful king forgave the debtor, but for his mercilessness to his brother again demanded a debt from him and handed him over to the tormentors for torture. Therefore, the Lord ends the parable like this: “So My Heavenly Father will do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins” (). Therefore, when we receive forgiveness of our great debts from God, then for the sake of this mercy of God to us, we ourselves must forgive small debts to our neighbors, so that the same thing does not happen to us as with this crafty gospel servant. (104, 1554).
If an earthly king commanded you not only to forgive your neighbor's offenses, but also to serve him - or die, what would you choose? to die - or to forgive and serve your neighbor? I hope that you would rather want to forgive and serve your neighbor than to die. The Heavenly King commands not only to forgive those who offend, but also to love enemies and do good to those who hate. Otherwise, eternal death will follow those who do not listen to the commands of the Heavenly King: “Not everyone who says to Me: “Lord! Lord! ”, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in Heaven ”() (104, 1554–1555).
Know for sure that if you repel offense with offense and slander with slander, that is, repay evil for evil, then you will give way to the devil, for he wants us to repay evil for evil. And then God will not stand up for us, for God says: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (), since then we ourselves do what befits God alone. And when we yield to people who have offended us, forgive, keep silent, and even pray for them and repay them with good for evil, then there will be no place for the devil. Then we will not yield to him, but we will stand against him and resist him, for the devil does not want us to do good to people. This is the Christian victory, which conquers not the flesh and blood of people like themselves, but the spirit of malice. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 1555-1556).
Abba Vitaly asked Abba Pimen: “If someone has enmity towards me and I ask him for forgiveness, but he does not forgive me, then what should I do?” “Take two brothers with you,” answered the elder, “and ask him for forgiveness. If you don't forgive again, take the other five; but if he does not forgive even in their presence, take a priest. And if he doesn’t forgive even then, pray calmly to God, let Him bring him to reason, and don’t worry about it. ” Memorable legends (79, 220).
There were two brothers in spirit - the deacon Evagrius and the priest Titus. And they had great and unfeigned love for each other, so that everyone marveled at their unanimity and immeasurable love. The devil who hates good, who always walks, “like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour” (), aroused enmity between them. And he put such hatred into them that they shied away from each other, did not want to see each other. Many times the brethren begged them to be reconciled among themselves, but they did not want to hear. When Titus walked with the censer, Evagrius ran away from the incense; when Evagrius did not run, Titus passed him without shaking. And so they stayed for a long time in the darkness of sin; they approached the holy mysteries: Titus - without asking for forgiveness, and Evagrius - angry, the enemy embittered them to such an extent. One day, Titus fell very ill and, already at death, began to grieve about his sin and sent to the deacon with a plea: "Forgive me, for God's sake, my brother, that I was angry with you in vain." Evagrius answered with cruel words and curses. The elders, seeing that Titus was dying, forcibly took Evagrius to reconcile him with his brother. Seeing him, the patient raised himself a little, fell on his face at his feet and said: “Forgive me and bless me, my father!” He, unmerciful and fierce, refused before all of them, saying: "I will never be reconciled to him - neither in this age, nor in the future." Evagrius escaped from the hands of the elders, but suddenly fell. We wanted to pick him up, but we saw that he was already dead. And it was impossible to straighten his arms or close his mouth, as in the case of a long-dead man. The patient immediately got up, as if he had never been ill. We were horrified at the sudden death of one and the speedy healing of the other. With much weeping we buried Evagrius. His mouth and eyes were still open, and his arms were outstretched. Then we asked Titus: "What does all this mean?" And he began to say: “I saw angels departing from me and weeping for my soul, and demons rejoicing at my anger. And then I began to pray to my brother to forgive me. When you brought him to me, I saw an unmerciful Angel holding a fiery spear, and when Evagrius did not forgive me, he struck him, and he fell dead. But the Angel gave me his hand and lifted me up. Hearing this, we were afraid of God, who said: Forgive, and you will be forgiven (). Kiev-Pechersk Patericon (86, 55–56).
I remember when I was 6 years old, - recalled Archimandrite Kronid, - I lived in the house of my father-psalmist. One day our horse entered a strip of oats that belonged to a neighbor, Father John Desnitsky. Father John was the rector of the village church, in which his father served as a psalmist, and, despite all his spiritual kindness, he was not averse to irascibility. Seeing our horse in his estate, he caught it and, as if in the form of a pledge, led it to his yard through the gate of his gate. A large sharp nail protruded from the top of the gate. With this nail, the horse cut its back from mane to tail. Seeing such a misfortune, the priest immediately released our horse, which returned home covered in blood. The mother and older children, indignantly, advised the father to immediately complain to the Reverend Father, who lived in our own village not far from our house. But the father wept over the loss of the horse, prayed, but complained about Fr. John didn't want to.
Three days have passed. Apparently oh. John expected a complaint from my father, but, not waiting for it, he called him to him, kneeling before him, and said: “Forgive me. For the Lord's sake, I am guilty before you. Accidentally killed your horse. I beg and beg you: take these 50 rubles and buy yourself a horse for your working time. For a long time, the father did not agree to take money from the father, but the father begged him to take at least 25 rubles. On them, my father soon bought himself a horse and worked on it all summer. And our horse has also recovered by this time. Priest Fr. After this incident, John was very kind and attentive to my father, until his death he continued to treat him with special love. Trinity flowers (91, 53–54).
RESPONSIBILITIES
“Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (Rom. 12:19)
Has your neighbor offended you and grieved you and done you much evil? In this case, you yourself do not take revenge on him, so as not to offend your Lord; leave everything to God, and He will arrange things much better than you want. He commanded you only to pray for the offender, and what to do with him, he commanded to leave it to Him. You yourself will never avenge yourself in the way that He is ready to avenge you, if you only leave it to Him, if you do not pray for the punishment of the one who offended, but leave the judgment to His will. In fact, even if we forgive those who offended, even if we reconcile with them, even if we pray for them, but if they themselves do not change and do not become better, God will not forgive them, will not forgive, however, for their own benefit. He will praise you and approve of you for your wisdom, and (the offender) will punish him so that he does not become worse from your wisdom. (36, 229).
Let us never bear grudges and harbor enmity towards those who have caused us trouble or some other kind of offense. But let us imagine what kindness and boldness before the Lord they bring us, and most of all, that reconciliation with those who offended us erases our sins, and let us hasten, do not slow down, and, reflecting on the benefits resulting from this, let us show such disposition towards enemies, as if they were our true benefactors (38, 282).
The grievances that we unjustly endure from anyone, God imputes to us either in the remission of sins, or in the retribution of rewards. (41, 91).
How can you, you say, not be indignant? Has anyone offended you? Protect your chest with the sign of the Cross, remember everything that happened on the Cross, and everything will go out. Do not think of only insults, but remember together the good that you ever received from the one who offended ... Especially and first of all, bring to mind the fear of God - and soon you will become moderate and calm. (41, 864).
Consider how much you are guilty, and not only do not refuse forgiveness to those who offended you, but hasten to them yourself, so that you also have a reason to receive forgiveness. Saint John Chrysostom (41, 798).
A bee, when it stings someone, dies itself. A Christian also suffers the same thing when he somehow offends and embitters his neighbor. He cannot offend his neighbor without the greater and gravest offense of his own. And the more he offends his neighbor, the more he offends himself; and the more he hurts another, the more he hurts himself... Why? because it offends another on the body, but offends itself in the soul; another has a body, but in his own soul he stings and embitters. How much better and more worthy the soul is than the body, so much more is the resentment, wound and embitterment of it than the bodily. For with every sin that a person commits, his soul is wounded and embittered. He sins before his neighbor, but he also inflicts a wound on his soul. With his sin, like a sting, he hurts himself (104, 1253).
As a good deed shown to a neighbor, Christ God imputes to Himself: “since you did it to one of the least of these My brothers, you did it to Me” (), so the offense caused to a neighbor concerns Christ Himself: “Saul, Saul! why are you persecuting me?" - says Christ (), for the offense concerns the father himself when the son is offended, and the master blames himself for the offense when his slave is embittered. God is the Father and Lord of all, therefore, the offense inflicted on people, as His servants, concerns Him Himself as the Lord and Father. How terrible it is, everyone can see (104, 1256–1257).
Children, when someone dishonors or offends them in the presence of their father, do not themselves take revenge on the offender, but look at their father and entrust their offense to him. This is how Christians should: when someone offends them, do not avenge themselves, but look to the Heavenly Father and entrust vengeance to Him, as one who judges righteously, for He says: “Vengeance is mine, I will repay” (). Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (113, 1253).
The Lord concluded the parable of the two debtors with the following words: “So My Heavenly Father will do to you if each of you does not forgive his brother from his heart for his sins” (). It seems that such a small thing is required: forgive - and you will be forgiven; and when forgiven, then it is accepted into mercy; and when he was accepted into mercy, he became a sharer in all the treasures of mercy. So, here is salvation, and paradise, and eternal bliss. And such a great purchase for such a small amount! ... Yes, a little, but for our pride there is nothing harder than to forgive. Some unintentional trouble, secretly caused to us, so that no one sees, we still, perhaps, will forgive, but a little more sensitively, but in front of people, at least don’t ask - there is no forgiveness. There are circumstances that you want - you don’t want, but you can’t express displeasure - and you are silent; but the tongue is silent, but the heart speaks and makes evil plans. Trouble will rise one more line - and I will not hold back: neither shame, nor fear, nor loss - nothing will hold. Boiled egoism makes a person seem crazy, and whoever succumbs to it begins to talk nonsense. It is not just some people who are most subject to such misfortune, but the more civilized someone is, the more sensitive to insults, the less he forgives. On the outside, relationships are sometimes still smooth, but on the inside, there is a decided discord. Meanwhile, the Lord demands that we forgive with all our hearts. Saint Theophan the Recluse (107, 249-251).
The brother came to the elder and said, "Father, I am grieving." The elder asks: "Why?" “A certain brother offended me, and a demon torments me until I repay him.” The elder says: “Listen to me, and God will deliver you from this passion. To reconcile with your brother, go to your cell, be silent, praying earnestly to God for the brother who has offended you.” The brother did as the elder told him. And after seven days, God took away his anger for the sake of the compulsion that he made to himself out of obedience to the elder. Ancient Pateric (72, 310-311).
INSULT
The highest pleasure is to be hated and exiled for the sake of Christ, to endure every insult and disgrace for faith in God. Saint Macarius the Great (33, 342).
Has anyone insulted you? Do not insult him mutually, otherwise you will insult yourself. Has anyone made you sad? Do not grieve him for your part, because there is no profit from this, meanwhile you will become like him. (42, 338).
The soul does not easily endure insults, but if we think that by forgiving an insult we are doing good not so much to the offender as to ourselves, then we will easily vomit the poison of anger from ourselves. (42, 261).
Do not get carried away in the first minute, offended, and you will immediately correct everything; do not succumb to the movement and extinguish everything. Great Comfort to Endure Anything for Christ (43, 285).
Just as the enemies who have besieged the city and besiege it from the outside, when they stir up civil strife in it, then they win, so the offending one, if he does not arouse passions in us, will not be able to overcome us. (43, 434).
Grief comes not so much from the nature of insults, but from ourselves. (43, 433).
Has anyone offended you, offended you, ridiculed you? Remember that you yourself do much of the same in relation to others, even in relation to the Lord Himself; forgive and forgive (offender) (45, 891).
Whoever does not receive honor in this life, but suffers contempt, does not enjoy any respect, but is subjected to insults and humiliation, if he does not gain anything else, then at least he will be freed from the responsibility for receiving honor from slaves like himself. By the way, he also receives another benefit: he becomes meek and humble, and if he is more attentive to himself, he will never become arrogant, even if he wants to. (45, 851).
When someone offends you, look not at the offender, but at the demon moving him, and pour out all your anger on this latter, but on the one who is excited by him, have pity (46, 624).
If the offended becomes irritated, then by this he proves that he is aware of what is being said about him. If he endures calmly, then he is freed in the eyes of those present from any suspicion. Even if he wants to take revenge, then this will be achieved with complete success, since God will punish the offender for his words, and even before this punishment, your wisdom will be like a mortal blow for him. Saint John Chrysostom (46, 626).
The Lord, being God, became a man for us, endured spitting, spitting and the Cross, and through such sufferings as He endured, dispassionate in Divinity, teaches us and says to each of us: “If you want, man, to gain Eternal Life and be together with Me, humble yourself for me, as I humbled myself for you, and, putting aside your proud and devilish wisdom, accept blows to the face, spitting and beatings, and do not be ashamed to endure all this to death. But if you are ashamed to suffer for My sake and My commandments, as I suffered for you, then I will also consider it a shame to be with you at My Second Coming, when I come with many glory and say to My Angels: This one was ashamed of My humility and did not want to leave the glory of man, to become like me. But now that he has destroyed the perishable glory, and I have been glorified by the measureless glory of my Father, I am ashamed even to look at him; cast him out. Let the wicked take it, and let it not see the glory of the Lord.” This is what those who apparently fulfill the commandments of Christ will hear, but for the sake of shame in front of people they do not endure reproach, dishonor, bruising and wounds, when they should have endured them for the commandments of the Lord. Be horrified and tremble, people, hearing this, and endure with joy the sufferings that Christ endured for our salvation. God is stifled by some slave in order to give you an example of victory, and you do not want to accept stubbornness from a person like you? Are you ashamed, man, to imitate God? How can you reign and be glorified together with Him in the Kingdom of Heaven, if you do not tolerate the same? If the Lord wanted to follow your rule and was ashamed to become a man for your sake, then it is not known what would happen to the human race. Saint Simeon the New Theologian (60, 457).
And he who lives virtuous must certainly endure insults from the vicious. For the envy that attacks them often brings them to ridicule. Therefore, if it is absolutely necessary to endure slander, then it is better to endure unjustly with wisdom; but the wicked must rightly endure. Rev. Isidore Pelusiot (52, 296).
Extremely beware of offending any person by word or deed, for this is a grave sin. When a person is offended, then God is offended. who loves a person. An insult to a person cannot be an insult to God. Whoever sins against man will also sin against God. This is hard, as you yourself see, therefore, as soon as you offend your neighbor, immediately humble yourself before him, and with humility ask forgiveness from him, so as not to fall into the righteous judgment of God. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk (104, 1271).
In one of the Egyptian hostels there was a Greek youth who could not extinguish the flame of carnal lust by any abstinence, by any intensified ascetic labors. When the father of the monastery was told about this temptation, he used the following method to save the young man. The elder ordered one of the brothers, an important and stern husband, to start a quarrel with the young man, showered him with curses, and after insulting him, came to complain about him. This was done: witnesses were called, who testified in favor of the husband. The young man, seeing that he was slandered, began to cry. Shed tears every day; being very distressed, he remained alone; Deprived of all help, lay at the feet of Jesus. In this position, he spent a whole year. After a year, the old man asked the young man about the thoughts that had troubled him before, if they still bothered him? The young man replied: “Father! I have no life. Do I have lustful thoughts?" Thus, by the art of the spiritual father, the young man overcame his passions and was saved. Paternik (82, 475-476).
The brethren praised one monk, Abba Anthony. When this monk arrived, Antony wanted to test whether he could bear the insult. And seeing that he could not stand it, he said: “You look like a village, which is beautiful in front, and plundered by robbers in the back.” Memorable legends (79, 6).