The beatitudes given to us by the Savior do not in the least violate the commandments of the law. On the contrary, these commandments are mutually supplemented.

The ten commandments of the law are limited to forbidding doing what is sinful. The Beatitudes teach us how we can achieve Christian perfection or holiness.

The Ten Commandments were given in Old Testament times to keep wild and rude people from evil. The beatitudes are given to Christians to show them what spiritual dispositions they must have in order to draw closer and closer to God and gain holiness, and at the same time beatitude, that is, the highest degree of happiness.

Holiness, born of closeness to God, is the highest bliss, the highest happiness that a person can desire.

The Old Testament law is the law of strict truth, and the New Testament law of Christ is the law of Divine love and grace, which alone gives people the strength to fully observe the law of God and approach perfection.

Jesus Christ, calling us to the eternal Kingdom of God, shows the way to it, through the fulfillment of His commandments, for the fulfillment of which He promises, as the King of heaven and earth, eternal bliss in the future eternal life.

Jesus Christ says:

2. Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted.

5. Blessed are mercy, for there will be mercy.

6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.

8. Blessed are the exiles for the sake of righteousness, for those are the kingdom of heaven.

9. Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and wait, and speak every evil word against you lying, for my sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is much in heaven.

In each of these sayings or instructions of the Lord, one should distinguish, on the one hand, a lesson, or commandment, and on the other, an amusement, or a promise of a reward.

For the fulfillment of the commandments of beatitude, it is necessary: ​​communion with God - prayer, internal and external; struggle with sinful inclinations - fasting, abstinence and so on.

On the First Beatitude

1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for those are the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are the poor in spirit, that is, the humble; because theirs is (that is, it will be given to them) the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed, that is, those who are supremely happy and pleasing to God; poor in spirit- humble, who are aware of their imperfection and unworthiness before God and never think that they are better or holier than others; like- because, because; those- their.

spiritual poverty

there is a spiritual conviction that our life and all our spiritual and bodily benefits (such as life, health, strength, mental abilities, knowledge, wealth and all worldly blessings), all this is a gift from the Creator God: without heavenly help, it is impossible to acquire , neither material well-being, nor spiritual wealth - all this is God's gift.

Spiritual poverty is called humility, and her virtue - humility.

Humility or humility is the basic Christian virtue, because it is the opposite of pride, and all the evil in the world has come from pride. The first of the angels became the devil, the first people sinned, and their descendants quarrel and quarrel among themselves because of pride. " The beginning of sin is pride"(Sir. 10, 15).

Without humility it is impossible to turn to God, no Christian virtue is possible.

Humility gives us the opportunity to know ourselves, to correctly assess our strengths and weaknesses; it has a beneficial effect on the fulfillment of our duties towards our neighbors, excites and strengthens in us faith in God, hope and love for Him, attracts the mercy of God to us, and also disposes people to us.

The Word of God says: Sacrifice to God the spirit is contrite, the heart is contrite and humble, God will not despise"(Ps. 50 , 19); "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble"(Prov. 3 , 34). "Learn from me," the Savior instructs, "for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls"(Matt. 16 , 29).

Physical poverty, or poverty, can greatly contribute to the acquisition of spiritual poverty, if this poverty, or poverty, is perceived kindly and meekly. But not always "poor in body" can be "poor in spirit".

And the rich can be "poor in spirit" if they understand that visible, material wealth is perishable and transient, and that it cannot replace spiritual wealth; if they remember the words of the Lord: "What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his soul? Or what does a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16 , 26).

But Christian humility must be strictly distinguished from self-serving self-humiliation that denigrates human dignity, such as toadying, fawning, etc.

It is necessary, at the same time, to strictly turn away from the so-called "noble pride" or "protection of insulted honor", reflecting the prejudices, pernicious superstitions that have remained among the European peoples, as a legacy of Roman paganism hostile to Christianity. The true Christian must resolutely renounce these prejudices, which have created the anti-Christian and shameful custom of fights or duels.

As a reward for the poor in spirit, that is, the humble, the Lord Jesus Christ promises the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, eternally blessed life. The poor in spirit begin to feel this participation in the Kingdom of God even here, through faith and hope in God, and finally and in fullness they receive it in the future life.

On the Second Beatitude

2. Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted.

Blessed are those who weep (over their sins); because they will be comforted.

crying

Those who weep and mourn for their sins; ti- They.

Weeping, which is spoken of in the second beatitude, is, first of all, true sorrow of the heart, and repentant tears for the sins we have committed, for our guilt before the merciful God (for example, the weeping of the Apostle Peter after the renunciation).

“For Godly sorrow produces unchanging repentance unto salvation, but worldly sorrow produces death,” says the Apostle Paul (2 Cor. 7 , 10).

Sorrow and tears caused by misfortunes that have befallen us, for example, the death of people dear to us (Christ Himself shed tears at the death of Lazarus), can also be spiritually beneficial, if only these sorrows and tears are imbued with faith and hope, patience and devotion to the will of God.

All the more so, sorrow and tears, caused by compassion for the misfortune of one's neighbor, can lead to bliss, if these tears are sincere and are accompanied by deeds of Christian mercy for love.

The sadness of this world is called sadness without hope in God, which comes not from the consciousness of one's sinfulness before God, but because of the dissatisfaction of ambitious, power-hungry and selfish aspirations. Such sadness, through despondency and despair, leads to spiritual death, sometimes accompanied by bodily death (suicide). An example of such sadness is Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Christ the Savior.

As a reward for those who weep, the Lord promises that they will be comforted, that they will receive forgiveness of sins, and through this inner peace, they will also receive eternal joy, that is, eternal bliss.

About the Third Beatitude

3.Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit (take possession of) the earth.

Meek, gentle; like- because, because.

Meekness is calmer, full of Christian love, a state of a person's spirit in which a person never becomes irritated and never allows himself to grumble, not only against God, but also against people.

Meek people do not get irritated themselves and do not irritate other people.

Christian meekness is expressed mainly in the patient bearing of offenses caused by others, and is the opposite of anger, malice, self-exaltation and revenge.

A meek person always regrets the cruelty of the heart of the person who offended him; wishes him correction; prays for him and submits his actions to the judgment of God, heeding the instruction of the Apostle; "If it is possible for you, be at peace with all people. Do not avenge yourselves, beloved, vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord" (Rom. 12 , 18-19).

The highest example of meekness for us is our Lord Himself, Jesus Christ, who prayed on the cross for His enemies. He taught us not to take revenge on our enemies, but to do good to them. “Learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt. 11 , 29).

Meekness conquers the most cruel hearts of people, as observation of human life convinces us of this, and the whole history of the persecution of Christians confirms this.

A Christian can only be angry with himself, with his own sins and with the tempter - the devil.

The Lord promises the meek that they will inherit the earth. This promise means that meek people in the present life, by the power of God, are preserved on earth, despite all the wiles of men and the most cruel persecutions, and in the future life they will be heirs of the heavenly fatherland, new land(2 Pet. 3 , 13) with its eternal blessings.

On the Fourth Beatitude

4. Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (those who desire righteousness); because they get fed up.

Strongly desiring to eat; thirsty- strong desire to drink; hungry and thirsty for the truth- so much desiring the truth, as the hungry desires to eat, and the thirsty to drink.

Hungering and thirsting for the truth, these are those people who, deeply conscious of their sinfulness, that is, guilt before God, ardently desire the truth. They try to please God with their lives in truth, that is, according to Christ's gospel law, which requires the most holy justice from a Christian in all their relations with their neighbors.

The expression "hungry and thirsty" shows that our desire for truth should be as strong as the desire of the hungry and thirsty to satisfy hunger and thirst. King David beautifully expresses such a desire: “As a deer longs for streams of water, so my soul longs for You, O God! My soul longs for the mighty, living God” (Psalm. 41 , 2-3).

To those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, the Lord promises that they will be satisfied. Here we understand spiritual saturation, which consists in the inner peace of the soul, in peace of conscience, in justification and pardon. This saturation in this life, on earth, happens only in part. But to those who hunger and thirst for the truth more than anyone else, the Lord reveals the secrets of His kingdom, and their hearts in this world also enjoy the knowledge of the truths of God revealed in the Gospel, that is, our Orthodox Christian teaching.

Full saturation, that is, complete satisfaction of the holy aspirations of the human spirit, (and hence the highest joy, bliss) they will receive in the future, eternal, blissful life with God; as the Psalmist, King David, says: I will be satisfied, when I will appear to Your glory"(Ps. 16 , 15).

On the Fifth Beatitude

5. Blessed are the mercy, for there will be mercy.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will have mercy.

For, because; ti- such people, they are.

Merciful or merciful, these are those people who are compassionate towards others, with all their hearts pity people who are in trouble or misfortune, and try to help them with good deeds.

Works of mercy are material (bodily) and spiritual.

Works of mercy material (bodily):

1. Feed the hungry.

2. Thirsty to drink.

3. Naked, or lacking clothes, to clothe.

4. Being in a dungeon - to visit.

5. Visit the sick person and help him get well or Christian prepare for death.

6. Take the wanderer into the house and give him rest.

7. Bury the dead poor.

Spiritual works of mercy:

1. By word and example, "turn the sinner out of the wrong way" (Jas. 5 , 20).

2. Not leading (not knowing) to teach the truth and goodness.

3. To give good and timely advice to a neighbor in difficulty and danger.

4. Comfort the sad.

5. Do not return evil for evil.

6. From the bottom of our hearts forgive insults.

7. Pray for all God.

To the merciful the Lord promises as a reward that they themselves will pardoned; i.e., at the future Judgment of Christ, the special mercy of the righteous Judge will be shown to them: they will be delivered from eternal condemnation for their sins, just as they showed mercy to others on earth (see the Gospel from Matt. 25 , 31-46).

About the sixth beatitude

6. Blessed are pure in heart, for they will see God.

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

Pure in heart, these are people who not only do not obviously sin, but also do not hide vicious and impure thoughts, desires and feelings in themselves, in their hearts. The heart of such people is free from attachments and addictions to perishable earthly things, and in general is free from sinful passions generated by selfishness, i.e. self-love and pride. People who are pure in heart always, unceasingly think of God.

In order to acquire purity of heart, one must keep the fasts commanded by the Church, and in every possible way guard oneself from overeating, drunkenness, indecent spectacles and amusements, from reading obscene, immodest books.

Purity of heart is much higher than simple sincerity. Sincerity of heart consists only in the sincerity and frankness of a person in relation to his neighbors, and purity of heart requires the complete suppression of vicious thoughts and desires and constant remembrance of God and His holy law.

For people with a pure heart, the Lord promises as a reward that they will see God. Here, on earth, they will see Him grace-mysteriously, with the spiritual eyes of the heart. They can see God in His appearances, images and likenesses. In the future eternal life, they will see God "as He is" (1 Jn. 3 , 2). And since the contemplation of God is the source of the highest bliss, the promise to see, to contemplate God is the promise of the highest degree of bliss.

About the seventh beatitude

7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for these sons of God shall be called.

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God.

peacekeepers

People living with everyone in peace and harmony and establishing peace between people; sons of God- sons of God; will be called- will be called.

Peacekeepers are those people who themselves try to live with everyone in peace and harmony, and try to reconcile other people who are at war with each other, or at least pray to God for their reconciliation.

The peacemakers remember the words of the Savior: “I leave you peace, My peace I give you” (Jn. 14 , 27).

"If possible on your part, be at peace with all people," says the apostle Paul (Rom. 12 , 18).

The Lord promises the peacemakers that they will be called sons of God, that is, they will be closest to God, heirs of God, joint heirs with Christ. By their exploits, the peacemakers are likened to the Only Begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, who came to earth to reconcile people who have sinned with God's justice and to establish peace among people, instead of the enmity that prevailed among them. Therefore, the peacemakers are promised the grace-filled name of the sons of God, that is, the children of God, and with this, inexplicable bliss.

The Apostle Paul says: “And if children, then heirs, heirs of God, but joint heirs with Christ, if only we suffer with Him, so that we may also be glorified with Him. in us" (Rom. 8 , 17-18).

On the Eighth Beatitude

8. Blessed are the exiles for the sake of righteousness, for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.

Exiled, unloved; for the sake of truth- for the truth, for a righteous life; like- because, because.

Persecuted for the truth, these are those truly believing people who so love to live according to the truth, that is, according to the law of God, that for the firm fulfillment of their Christian duties, for their righteous and pious life, they suffer from ungodly people, from enemies of truth and goodness, - persecution, persecution, deprivation and disaster, but they do not change the truth in any way.

Persecution is inevitable for Christians who live according to the truth of the Gospel, because evil people they hate the truth (because the truth exposes their evil deeds) and they always persecute and persecute in every possible way those people who defend the truth. The Only Begotten Son of God Jesus Christ Himself was crucified on the cross by haters of the truth of God and predicted to all His followers: If they persecuted me, they will persecute you too"(John. 15 , 20). "All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted says the Apostle Paul (2 Tim. 3 , 12).

In order to patiently endure persecution for the truth, a person needs to have: love for the truth, constancy and firmness in virtue, courage and patience, faith and hope in the help and protection of God.

Persecuted for the truth, for their confessional feat, the Lord promises the Kingdom of Heaven, that is, the complete triumph of the spirit, joy and bliss in the heavenly villages of the future eternal life (Luke. 22 , 28-30).

About the ninth beatitude

9. Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and wait, and speak every evil word against you lying, for My sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven.

Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven.

Blessed, happy and pleasing to God; when they reproach you- when they will revile you, that is, scold you; dependent- will drive; say every evil verb- they will say any evil word, they will slander, slander in every possible way; on you- on you; deceitfully- slandering, unfairly accusing of something; For my sake- for me; like- because, because; bribe- reward; many- great.

In the last, ninth commandment, our Lord Jesus Christ calls especially blessed those who, for the name of Christ and for the true Orthodox faith in Him, patiently endure reproach, persecution, slander, slander, mockery, calamity, and death itself.

Such a feat is called martyred. There can be nothing higher than the feat of martyrdom.

The courage of Christian martyrs must be strictly distinguished from fanaticism, which is zeal not according to reason, unreasonable. Christian courage must also be distinguished from the insensitivity caused by despair and from the feigned indifference with which some criminals, in their extreme bitterness and pride, hear the sentence and go to execution.

Christian courage is based on high Christian virtues: on faith in God, on hope and hope in God, on love for God and neighbor, on total obedience and unwavering fidelity to the Lord God.

Christ the Savior Himself, as well as the Apostles and countless Christians, who gladly went to torment for the name of Christ, serve as a high example of martyrdom.

“Therefore, we too, having around us such a cloud of witnesses, let us cast off from ourselves every burden and sin that stumbles us, and with patience let us walk the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, who, instead of the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. Think of Him who endured such reproach from sinners over Himself, lest you be weary and weak in your souls," says the Apostle (Heb. 12 , 1-3).

For the feat of martyrdom, the Lord promises a great reward in heaven, that is, the highest degree of blessedness in the future eternal life. But even here, on earth, the Lord glorifies many martyrs for their firm confession of faith with the incorruption of the body and miracles.

“If they curse you for the name of Christ, then you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory, the Spirit of God rests on you. He is blasphemed by them, and glorified by you.

“Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or a thief, or a villain, or as an encroacher on another's; but if as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but glorify God for such a fate” (1 Pet. 4 , 14-16).

Countless Christian martyrs rejoiced in the midst of horrific suffering, as the surviving reliable descriptions of their lives tell about it.

NOTE: In the Roman courts, special scribes were required to draw up protocols (official records) of legal proceedings and decisions. Such records of the interrogations that took place in the Roman courts during the trials of Christian martyrs, after a period of persecution, were carefully collected by the Holy Church. These protocols became part of the reliable description of the martyrdom of Christians.

Discourse on the meaning of evil

The thought of world evil lies as a heavy burden of doubt on the hearts of many believers. It seems incomprehensible why God allows evil. After all, God in His Omnipotence could easily eliminate evil... How can an infinitely merciful God endure that the evil deeds of one scoundrel doomed thousands, sometimes millions, maybe even half of humanity to need, grief and disaster?..

What is the "meaning of Evil"? After all, nothing is meaningless with God.

To answer these questions, it is necessary to recall what evil is.

By evil we must understand not suffering, want, and deprivation, but sins and moral guilt. God does not want evil. Almighty God cannot approve of evil. Moreover, God forbids evil. God punishes evil. Evil or sin is a contradiction to the will of God.

The beginning of evil, as you know, was laid by the highest angel, created by God, who boldly went out of obedience to the all-good will of God and became the Devil.

Devil is the cause of evil

He inspires or influences the origin of sin in a person.

It is not the human body, as many people think, that is the source of sin, no, but it becomes an instrument of sin or good, not in itself, but from the will of man.

The true faith of Christ points to the following two reasons for the existence of evil in the world:

1) First reason lies in human free will. Our free will is the imprint of the Divine likeness. This gift of God raises a person above all the creatures of the world...

In the free choice of good and deviation from evil, a person exalts God, glorifies God and improves himself.

The book of Jesus Sirachov (15, 14) says: " He (God) created man from the beginning and left him in the hand of his will; i.e. "God created man in the beginning and left him free choice."

Thus, God gives people with good will the opportunity to earn Heaven, and people with evil will - hell.

But both the one and the other are obtained only through the freedom of the human will...

St. Cyril of Jerusalem

He says: if by nature, and not by freedom, you did good: then for what did God prepare inexplicable crowns? A meek sheep, but she will never be crowned for her meekness: because her meekness does not come from freedom, but from nature.

St. Basil the Great

says: “Why is sinlessness not given to us in the very structure, so that it would be impossible to sin, even if we wanted to? Therefore, why do you not recognize the servants as serviceable when you keep them bound, but when you see that they are voluntarily performing before you therefore, God is pleased not by compulsion, but by voluntarily, - virtue comes from the will, and not from necessity, and what you produce depends on what is in us, and what is in us, freely. Therefore, who reproaches the Creator who did not make us sinless, he does nothing but prefer nature, unreasonable, immovable and having no aspirations, to nature endowed with volition and self-activity. In other words: a car ("robot") prefers a reasonable creature.

Thus, internal cause The origin of evil or sin lies in the free will of man.

2) The second reason or the meaning of the existence of evil is that Pain is also evil leads to good. But God does not allow evil for the sake of good. God does not need such an expensive payment.

God does not want evil under any circumstances. But since evil entered the world through the fault of creation, God in His world plan also forces evil to serve good.

Here is an example: The sons of Jacob sold their brother Joseph into slavery. They did an evil deed. But God turned evil into good.

Joseph was exalted in Egypt and had the opportunity to save his family from hunger, from which the Messiah was to come.

When, a few years later, Joseph saw his brothers, he told them: "You planned evil against me, but God turned him to good!!!"

In the days of the apostles

Jews persecuted Christians in Palestine. And Christians had to flee from Judea, sanctified by the life and blood of the Savior. But everywhere they went, they sowed the gospel word. The sins of the persecutors were directed by the Divine hand to the spread of Christianity...

...The Pagan Emperors of Rome Persecuted the Young Christian Church. Tens of thousands of martyrs then shed their blood for Christ. And the blood of the martyrs became the seed for millions of new Christians.

The fury of the persecutors, the sin of hatred and murder were directed by God here to build the Church. They thought and did evil, but God justified all their deeds for good...

The whole history of mankind, up to the events of our days, shows the truth of these words.

The greatest catastrophes of nations were at the same time the greatest triumphs of religion, the conversion of people to God...

We just have to be patient and wait. “For with God one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like one day” (2 Pet. 3 , 8).

But even this interweaving of evil in terms of managing the world was not some kind of belated superstructure, an amendment to what had been created. This interweaving of evil took place in an act of the eternal will of God, in which the creation of the world was decided.

For God is eternal today!

And His foresight comes from eternity. It operates always and continuously.

(Extracted from the brochure by L. Lyusin: "Who is right?"
with additions).

Conclusion

With the knowledge of the true faith and Christian life (piety) acquired by us, we must always be guided in our life.

But in order to correctly and savingly use the knowledge of faith and piety, it is necessary for every Christian to have virtue. reasoning, i.e., Christian prudence.

The Apostle Peter, addressing Christians, says: show virtue in your faith, wisdom in virtue"(2 Pet. 1 , 5).

What is done without reasoning may turn out to be not reasonable, and even good things can bring harm instead of benefit.

The teaching we know Orthodox Church about faith and piety, we must show it in practice and, moreover, not hypocritically, sincerely fulfilling everything that we know from this teaching. If you know this, blessed are you when you do"(John. 13 , 17).

If, however, we see that we are sinning, i.e., we are not fulfilling this teaching as it should be, then we must force ourselves to immediately bring sincere repentance and firmly resolve to avoid sin in the future, making amends for it with good deeds opposite to it.

When it seems to us that we are doing this or that commandment well, then we should never be haughty or proud of it, but with deep humility and gratitude to God, admit that we are doing only what obliged fulfill, as Christ the Savior said: "When you have done everything commanded to you, say: We are worthless servants, because we have done what we had to do" (Lk. 17 , 10).

MODERN SCIENTISTS AND BELIEF IN GOD

True science has long recognized that the area of ​​the explored is almost nothing in comparison with the area of ​​the unexplored. Moreover, the more science covers the area investigated, the more the area to be investigated increases accordingly. "Everything new openly contributes to the expansion in arithmetic proportion of the realm of the unknown" (A. K. Morrison). Science will never finish its work while the world stands still.

Representatives of true science recognize that their information about the world must be replenished from another source. This source is religion.

The greatest scientist of our century Max Planck, who received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1918, says: “Religion and science are not at all mutually exclusive, as was previously thought and what many of our contemporaries are afraid of; on the contrary, they are consistent and complement each other".

Prof. M. M. Novikov(former rector of Moscow University), awarded in 1954 from the University of Heidelberg with a golden doctoral diploma and since 1957 a full member of the New York Academy of Sciences, in his article: " The Naturalist's Path to Religion", writes: "One of the most striking in the history of the sciences was the fact that physics- this is the most solid foundation of the former materialistic natural science, embarked on an idealistic path. She came to the conclusion that physical phenomena are determined by spiritual divine power. This has been said in recent times by three of the most eminent scientists.

It is well known in wide public circles (at least by name) A. Einstein's theory of relativity. But not everyone knows that she led the scientist to formulate a "cosmic religion." This religion, like any other, recognizes the existence of a higher Spirit, creating World harmony.

The developed M. Planck quantum theory. Regarding the problem of interest to us, this author writes the following: “The only, primary given for the natural scientist is the content of his sensory perceptions and the dimensions derived from this. but forever unattainable goal. If, therefore, both - religion and natural science require faith in God for their justification, then for the first (religion) God stands at the beginning, for the second (science) - at the end of all thinking. For religion, He represents the foundation , for science - the crown of the development of worldview... Man needs the natural sciences for knowledge, and in religion - for action (behavior).For knowledge, the only solid starting point is the perception of our feelings.

The assumption of the existence of some regular world order is a prerequisite for formulating fruitful questions. But this way is not suitable for action, for with the manifestations of our will we cannot wait until our knowledge is perfect and we acquire omniscience. After all, life requires us to make immediate decisions."

Further, Planck points out that if we attribute to God, in addition to omnipotence and omniscience, the attributes of goodness and love, then approaching Him gives a person seeking consolation a feeling of happiness to a high degree. "Against such an idea, from the point of view of natural science, not the slightest objection can be raised."

The work caused a great sensation W. Heisenberg- Winner of the Nobel Prize in 1932. He formulated the principle of indeterminism (uncertainty), according to which it is possible only with certain restrictions to determine elementary particles as the last and indecomposable units of matter. And besides, it is impossible to know simultaneously and exactly the position of the particle and the speed of its movement. We claim that electrons exist, but we are unable to tell them apart. As for matter, this very concept in the former sense becomes superfluous. The world, according to Heisenberg, consists of something whose essence is unknown to us. This "something" manifests itself in the form of, as it were, particles, then in the form of waves, and if we are already looking for names, then this "something" must be denoted by the word energy, and even then in quotation marks. The so-called laws of natural science are the essence of laws that are not exact, but static in nature (that is, without taking into account the acting forces).

To these considerations it must be added that the notion of an indefinite "something" applies also to the phenomena of life. But here it takes on a completely different character. Mathematical equations, by which we characterize elementary physical processes, are not applicable here, because life, as Driesch argued, is an autonomous (independent, independent) area.

famous professor I. A. Ilyin says: “A real scientist understands perfectly well that the “scientific” picture of the universe is changing all the time, becoming more complicated, deepening, going into details and never giving either complete clarity or unity ... A real scientist knows that science will never be able to explain his latest premises or define his basic concepts, for example, to establish exactly what an "atom", "electron", "vitamin", "energy" or "psychological function" is; he knows that all his "definitions", " explanations" and "theories" are only imperfect attempts to approach the living mystery of the material and spiritual world. There is no point in arguing about the productivity of science: all modern technology and medicine testify to it. But, as far as its theoretical truths and their provability are concerned, science floats across the seas of the problematic (suggestive) and the mysterious.

One of the most famous American scientists, former chairman of the New York Academy of Sciences, A. Kressm Morrison, proves the existence of God in his brilliant article: " Seven Reasons Why I Believe in God".

"We are still only at the dawn of scientific knowledge," says K. Morrison. “The closer to dawn, the brighter our morning, the clearer the creation of an intelligent Creator becomes clear before us. Now, in the spirit of scientific humility, in the spirit of faith based on knowledge, we are even closer to unshakable certainty in the existence of God.

Personally, I count seven circumstances that determine my faith in God. Here they are:

: A perfectly clear mathematical law proves that the universe was created by the Greatest Mind.

Imagine that you are throwing ten coins into a bag. Coins, in order of their value, from one cent to ten. Then shake the bag. Now try to pull out the coins one by one in order of their value, putting each coin back and shaking the bag again. Mathematics says that we have a one in ten chance of pulling out a one cent coin the first time. To pull out a one-cent coin, and immediately after it a two-cent coin, our chances are one in a hundred. To pull out three coins in a row in this way - we have one chance in a thousand, etc. For the fact that we pull out all ten coins in a given order, we have one chance in ten billion.

The same mathematical arguments show that for the emergence and development of life on earth, such an incredible number of relationships and interconnections are necessary that without a reasonable direction, simply by chance, they could not have arisen in any way. The speed of rotation over the surface of the earth is measured in a thousand miles per hour. If the earth were spinning at a hundred miles an hour, our days and nights would be ten times longer. During a long day, the sun would burn out all living things; during a long night, all living things would freeze to death.

Then - the temperature of the sun is 12,000 degrees Fahrenheit. The earth is as far away from the sun as is necessary for this "eternal fire" to properly heat us, no more, no less! If the sun would give half as much heat, then we would freeze. If it gave twice as much, we would die from the heat.

The slope of the earth is 23°. This is where the seasons come from. If the slope of the earth were different, the evaporation from the ocean would move back and forth, south and north, piling up entire continents of ice. If the moon, instead of its current distance, were 50,000 miles away from us, our ebb and flow would take on such a grandiose scale that all the continents would be under water twice a day. As a result, the mountains themselves would soon be washed away. If the earth's crust were relatively thicker than it is now, there would not be enough oxygen on the surface, and all living things would be doomed to death. If the ocean were comparatively deeper, carbon dioxide would absorb all the oxygen, and all living things, again, would die. If the atmosphere enveloping the globe were a little thinner, then the meteors, millions of which burn up in it every day, falling to the earth, would fall on it as a whole and cause innumerable fires everywhere.

These and countless other examples show that for the accidental emergence of life on earth there is not even one chance in many millions.

The richness of the sources from which life draws its strength to carry out its task is itself proof of the presence of a self-sufficient and omnipotent Mind.

Not a single person has been able to comprehend what life is until now. It has neither weight nor dimensions, but it truly has power. The sprouting root can destroy the rock. Life conquered water, land and air, took possession of their elements, forcing them to dissolve and transform their combinations.

A sculptor who gives form to all living things, an artist who carves the shape of each leaf on a tree, determines the color of each flower. Life is a musician who taught birds to sing love songs, taught insects to make an innumerable number of sounds and call each other with them. Life is the subtlest chemist that gives taste to fruits, smells to flowers, a chemist that changes water and carbon dioxide into sugar and wood, and at the same time receives oxygen, which is necessary for all living things.

Here we have a drop of protoplasm, an almost invisible drop, transparent, like jelly, capable of moving and extracting energy from the sun. This cell, this transparent fraction of a speck of dust, is the germ of life and has the power to communicate life to the big and the small. The power of this drop, this speck of dust is greater than the power of our existence, stronger than animals and people, because it the basis all living. Nature did not create life. Rocks split by fire and freshwater seas would not be able to meet the requirements that life makes for its occurrence.

Who put life into this speck of protoplasm?

: The mind of animals undeniably testifies to the wise Creator, who inspired instinct in creatures that without it would be completely helpless creatures.

A young salmon spends its young age in the sea, then returns to its native river and goes along it exactly along the very side along which the caviar was flowing, from which it hatched. What drives him with such precision? If placed in a different environment, he will immediately feel that he has lost his course, he will fight his way to the main stream, then go against the current and fulfill his destiny with due precision.

You hide an even greater secret in yourself the behavior of an eel. These astonishing creatures travel from all ponds, rivers and lakes, even if they are in Europe, in adulthood, travel thousands of miles across the ocean and go to the depths of the sea off Bermuda. Here they perform the act of their reproduction and die. Little eels, who seem to have no idea about anything that could get lost in the depths of the ocean, follow the path of their fathers, to the very rivers, ponds and lakes from which they began their journey to Bermuda. In Europe, not a single eel that belongs to American waters has ever been caught; the same thing, not a single European eel has ever been caught in America. The European eel reaches maturity a year later, allowing it to make its journey. Where is this guiding impulse born?

The wasp, taking the grasshopper, strikes it in a precisely defined place. From this blow the grasshopper "dies". He loses consciousness and continues to live, representing a kind of canned meat. After that, the wasp lays its larvae in such a way that the hatched little ones can suck the grasshopper without killing it. Dead meat would be deadly food for them. Having done this work, the mother wasp flies away and dies. She never sees her cubs. There is not the slightest doubt that every wasp does this work for the first time in its life, without any training, and does it exactly as it should be, otherwise where would the wasps be? This mystical technique cannot be explained by the fact that the wasps learn from each other. It is embedded in their flesh and blood.

Fourth

: Man has more than animal instinct. He has reason.

There was not and is not such an animal that would be able to count to ten. Nor can it understand the essence of the number ten. If instinct can be compared to a single note of a flute, with a beautiful but limited sound, then it must be accepted that the human mind is capable of perceiving all the notes, not only of one flute, but of all the instruments of an orchestra. Needless to say about one more point: thanks to our mind, we are able to reason about what we are, and this ability is determined only by the fact that we have a spark of the Mind of the Universe in us.

: The miracle of genes - a phenomenon that we know, but which was not known to Darwin - indicates that all living things were cared for.

The size of the genes is so incredibly small that if all of them, that is, the genes by which all people of the entire globe live, were collected together, they could fit in a thimble. And the thimble wouldn't be full! Nevertheless, these ultramicroscopic genes and their accompanying chromosomes are found in all cells of all living things and are the absolute key to explaining all the features of man, animal and plant. Thimble! It can fit all the individual characteristics of all two billion human beings. And there can be no doubt about this. If this is so, then how is it that the gene even contains the key to the psychology of each individual being, accommodating all this in such a small volume?

This is where evolution begins! It starts at unit, which is custodian and bearer of genes. And the fact that several million atoms included in an ultramicroscopic gene can turn out to be the absolute key that guides life on earth is evidence that all living things are taken care of, that someone foresaw them in advance, and that the provision comes from from the Creative Mind. No other hypothesis here can help to unravel this riddle of being.

: Observing the economy of nature, we are forced to admit that only an extremely perfect Mind can foresee all the relationships that arise in such a complex economy.

Many years ago, some species of cactus brought here were planted as hedges in Australia. In the absence of hostile insects here, the cactus multiplied in such incredible numbers that people began to look for means to combat it. And the cactus continued to spread. It got to the point that the area he occupied turned out to be larger than the area of ​​England. He began to oust people from cities and villages, he began to destroy farms. Entomologists have scoured the world in search of measures to combat the cactus. Finally, they managed to find an insect that fed exclusively on a cactus. It reproduced easily and had no enemies in Australia. Soon this insect defeated the cactus. The cactus retreated. The number of this plant has decreased. The number of insects has also decreased. There are only enough of them left to keep the cactus under constant control.

And these kinds of controlling relationships are everywhere. Why, indeed, did the insects, which reproduce so incredibly rapidly, not suppress all living things? Because they breathe not with lungs, but with tracheae. If an insect grows, its windpipes do not grow in proportion. That is why there have never been and cannot be too large insects. This discrepancy holds back their growth. Without this physical control, man could not exist on earth. Imagine a bumblebee the size of a lion.

: The fact that a person is able to perceive the idea of ​​the existence of God, in itself is sufficient evidence.

The concept of God arises from that mysterious faculty of man which we call imagination. Only with the help of this force, and only with its help, a person (and no other living creature on earth) is able to find confirmation of abstract things. The breadth that this ability opens up is absolutely immense. In fact, thanks to the perfect imagination of man, the possibility of spiritual reality arises, and man can, with all the evidence of purpose and task, determine the great truth that Heaven is everywhere and in everything, the truth that God lives everywhere and in everything, that He lives in our hearts.

And so, both from the side of science and from the side of imagination, we find confirmation of the words of the psalmist:

"The heavens will proclaim the glory of God, but the firmament proclaims the work of His hand."

The famous surgeon, former prof. Cologne, Bonn and Berlin universities, Augustine Beer says: "Even if it happened to science and religion to fall into conflict, harmony in their relationship would soon be restored through interpenetration on the basis of more accurate data."

Let us end our discourse again with the words of the scholar A.C. Morrison: “Man recognizes the necessity of moral principles; in which the sense of duty lives; from this his faith in God flows.

The flourishing of religious feeling enriches the human soul and elevates it to such an extent that it allows it to perceive the Divine presence. Man's instinctive exclamation: "My God!" quite naturally, and even the simplest form of prayer brings a person closer to the Creator.

Respect, sacrifice, strength of character, moral foundations, imagination - are not born from denial and atheism, this amazing self-deception that replaces God with a man. Without faith, culture disappears, order collapses and evil prevails.

Let us unswervingly believe in the Spirit-Creator, in Divine love and in human brotherhood. Let us lift up our souls to God, doing His will as it is revealed to us; we will keep the confidence inherent in the belief that we are worthy of the cares with which the Lord surrounds the creatures He created. "To these words of A. Morrison we add the words of a psychiatrist and theologian prof. I. M. Andreeva: "True knowledge is incompatible with pride. Humility is an indispensable condition for the possibility of knowing the Truth. Only a humble scientist, like a humble religious thinker, who always remembers the words of the Savior - Without Me you can do nothing and I am the way and the truth and the life.- are able to follow the right path (method) to the knowledge of the Truth. For God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble."

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Word 5

Blessed mercy:
as if there will be pardon

Blessed are the merciful,
for they will have mercy.
(Mat. 5, 7).

Jacob, in a certain vision, seeing a ladder stretching from the earth to heavenly heights, and God affirming himself on it, was mysteriously taught, perhaps, something that now teaches us through the beatitudes, ascending to it incessantly leading to the most exalted thoughts. For even there, in the form of a ladder, as I think, the virtuous life is depicted to the patriarch, so that he himself would find out and convey to those who follow him that it is only possible to rise to God, as soon as always looking to the heavenly and having an unceasing desire for the highest. , and therefore did not like to dwell on what he had already succeeded in, but considered it a detriment to himself, if he did not touch what was even higher. So here, too, the height of the beatitudes of one before the other prepares for drawing near to God himself, truly blessed and approved in every blessing. Without a doubt, just as we approach the wise by wisdom, and the pure by purity, so we will assimilate the blessed by the path of beatitudes; because blessedness is that which, in the true sense, belongs to God; which is why Jacob said that God was affirmed on such a ladder (Genesis 22:13). Therefore, participation in the beatitudes is nothing other than communion with the Divine, to which the Lord leads us as we have just said.

Therefore, it seems to me that in the proposed discourse on the beatitude, by what follows in order in it, in a certain way He makes the one who hears and understands this word God. For says: blessed are mercy, for they will have mercy. It is known from many places of divine Scripture that holy men call God's might merciful. So David in hymns, so Jonah in his prophecy, so the great Moses in many places of his statutes call the Deity. Therefore, if it befits God to be called merciful, then does not the Word call you to become God, as adorned with the property of the Godhead? For if in the inspired Scripture God is called merciful, but the Deity is truly blessed; then the thought that follows from this is clear in order, that if someone, being a man, becomes merciful, then he is worthy of God's blessedness, having reached that which is called Divinity. The Lord is merciful and righteous, and our God is merciful(Psa. 114-, 4.). And isn't it more blessed for a man to be called and become what God is called for His deeds? Be jealous but the divine Apostle also advises on higher gifts in his own words (1 Cor. 12:31).

But we do not have the goal of convincing ourselves to wish for good things; because it lies in itself in human nature - to have a striving for good, but so as not to err in our judgment of good. For most of our life errs in that we cannot know exactly what is good by nature, and what deceptively appears to be so. And if vice in life seemed to us, in all its nakedness, unadorned by some kind of phantom of the good, then mankind would not indulge in it. Therefore, we need the ability to understand the proposed saying, and having studied the true beauty of the thought contained in it, to form ourselves according to it. And the thought of God is naturally embedded in all people; but due to ignorance of the truly existing God, there is an error in the subject of honoring; for some honor the true Deity, mentally represented in the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit; while others have gone astray in absurd assumptions, having thought up something worthy in creatures; and consequently the deviation from the truth in small things has opened the entrance to ungodliness. So in the reasoning of the thought before us, if we do not understand the true meaning, there will be no small damage to us who have erred in the truth.

Therefore, what is mercy, and what is its activity? Why is he who receives back what gives? For it is said: blessed are the merciful: for they shall have mercy. The closest meaning of this saying calls a person to mutual love and compassion; because, due to the inequality and dissimilarity of worldly affairs, not everyone lives in the same circumstances, with respect to the dignity and structure of the body, and prosperity in everything else. Life is for the most part divided into opposites, distinguished by slavery and domination, wealth and poverty, fame and disgrace, decrepitude of the body and good health, and all the like. Therefore, in order that what is lacking may become equal to those who are abundant, and what is scarce may be made up for by those who are abundant, the Lord legislates people to be merciful to others; for it is impossible otherwise to induce a neighbor to heal the misfortune, as soon as mercy softens the soul to accept such an impulse; for mercy is known from the opposite of cruelty. Just as the cruel and ferocious is inaccessible to those approaching, so the compassionate and merciful one comes, as it were, into one disposition with the needy, for the saddened one becomes what his mournful mind demands; and mercy, as another will explain, having given the concept of this definition, is an arbitrary sorrow produced by other people's calamities. If, however, we have not accurately expressed the meaning of this word; then, perhaps, it can be more clearly interpreted by another concept: mercy is a loving disposition towards those who suffer with sorrow for something that is burdensome for them. For just as cruelty and bestiality have hatred as their origin, so also mercy is in some way derived from love, and only has its origin. And if one examines precisely the distinguishing property of grace, he will find that it is an intensification of a loving disposition, combined with a feeling of sadness. To have fellowship in good is cared for by all equally, both enemies and friends; but to wish to share in the sorrowful is peculiar only to those possessed of love. And of all affections in this life, love is recognized as the most powerful, and mercy is the strengthening of love. Of course, in the proper sense, he is blessed who has a soul in such a disposition as one who has reached the very top of virtue.

And let no one imagine this virtue consisting in one material thing; for in such a case, success in such things will no doubt be the property of only those who have some opportunity for charity. But, it seems to me, it is fairer in such a case to look at production.

Who wished only good, but met with an obstacle to doing good, because he did not have the opportunity, he, in the disposition of his soul, is in no way less than he who proved his will by deeds.

And how much is useful for life, if someone accepts the meaning of this blessedness in this sense, it is superfluous to argue about that; because even to the children themselves the progress made in life according to this advice is obvious. If, let us assume so, such a relation of the soul with the humiliated occurs in everyone, then there will no longer be either a higher or a lower one, and life will not be divided according to the opposition of names; Poverty will not burden a person, slavery will not be humiliated, dishonor will not grieve, because everything will be common to everyone; and equality of rights, and freedom of speech, will be established in human life, when the abundant will voluntarily equalize with the insufficient. If this happens, then there will be no pretext for enmity; then envy is inactive; hatred is dead, then rancor, lies, deceit, war - all these products of lust - will become strangers - to have more in themselves. After the extermination of this non-compassionate disposition, of course, like some kind of bad root, the offspring of vice will also be uprooted, and after the eradication of evil deeds, a whole list of all good things will appear in their place: peace, truth and the whole series of what is presented as the best. Therefore, what is more blessed than this, to lead a life like this, not entrusting the security of your life to locks and bolts, but finding this security in each other? How cruel and bestial makes those who have experienced his ferocity hostile to himself; so, on the contrary, all become well-disposed toward the merciful, because in those who receive it, mercy naturally gives birth to love.

Therefore, mercy, as the word has shown, is the mother of goodwill, the guarantee of love, the union of every friendly disposition: and with this reliable support, can anything more solid for this life be conceived? Therefore, the word rightly pleases the merciful when so many blessings appear in his name. But although it is not unknown to everyone that this advice is useful for life; however, it seems to me that the meaning of this something more than understood at first glance mysteriously makes it possible to see as an indication of the future; for it is said: Blessed are the merciful ones: as if they would receive mercy, as if the recompense of the merciful for mercy was postponed to the end.

Therefore, leaving this comprehensible, and at first glance found by many, meaning, let's try, as much as we have the strength, to penetrate the inner veil with the mind, if possible. Blessed are mercy: for they will have mercy. In this very word, one can recognize a certain sublime teaching, namely, that He who created man in His image put the first principles of all good things into the nature of creation, so that He does not enter into us from outside; good, but in our will, whatever we please, as if from some treasury, to take the good from nature. For from the part we learn to judge the whole, that it is not possible for anyone to get what they want except if they bestow this blessing on themselves. Therefore, the Lord says somewhere to the hearers: the kingdom of God is within you(Luke 17:21); And: everyone who asks receives, and seek, you receive, and to him who pushes, it will be opened(Mat. 7, 8.); so that it is in our will to get what we want, and to find what we seek, and to stand among the blessings we desire, as soon as we want it, and it depends on our arbitrariness. And as a result of this, we are led to the opposite idea, namely, that the inclination to evil does not come from outside, according to some compelling necessity; but together with the consent to evil, evil itself is formed, then coming into being when we choose it; in and of itself, in its own independence, outside of arbitrariness, evil is nowhere found to exist. From this, a self-righteous and free power is clearly revealed, which the Lord of nature has arranged in human nature so that everything, both good and bad, depends on our will. And the Divine Judgment, following an incorruptible and truthful judgment, in accordance with our will, gives to everyone what a person has acquired for himself. Ovym ubo as the Apostle says, by the patience of a good deed, glory and honor to those who seek, eternal life; but to those who oppose the truth, but obey unrighteousness: anger, sorrow, and everything that is called a severe retribution (Rom. 2, 7, 8.). For as accurate mirrors show the images of faces as they are in reality, cheerful ones with cheerful ones, and gloomy ones with gloomy ones; and no one will blame the properties of the mirror if the image of a face drooping from despondency turns out to be gloomy; so the true judgment of God is likened to our dispositions; and whatever is in our will, so shall it make its reward. Come, will say blessings(Matt. 25, 31.); go damn(41). Is it possible that some external necessity determines for those standing at the right hand a sweet voice, and for those standing on the left - a stern voice? Was it not for what they did that the first received mercy? Didn't the others make the Deity cruel for themselves by treating their fellow tribesmen cruelly? The rich man, drowning in luxury, did not pardon the beggar who was in distress at the gate. By this he also deprived himself of mercy, and having a need for mercy, he was not heard; not because one drop would damage the great spring, but because a drop of mercy is incompatible with cruelty. For what communion between light and darkness(2 Corinthians 6:14)? A man, it is said, if he sows, he will also reap: as you sow into the flesh, corruption will reap from the flesh, but if you sow into the Spirit, from the Spirit you will reap eternal life.(Gal. 6, 7. 8.). Human will, I think, is sowing, and the reward for free will is reaping. Abundant in blessings is the class of those who have chosen such sowing; it is hard to gather thorns from those who sow thorny seeds in life; because a man must certainly reap what he has sown; Otherwise it can not be.

Blessed are mercy: for there will be mercy. What human word will depict the depth of thoughts contained in this word? The positivity and indefiniteness of the utterance give reason to seek something more than what has been said, because it is not added: who are those on whom mercy should extend its action, but it is simply said that blessed mercy . For perhaps this word makes us understand something similar to the fact that the meaning of mercy is in connection with blessed weeping. There was worthy of appeasement, who spend their lives in weeping. And here, it seems to me, the Word also understands teaching. In what disposition are we from other people's disasters, when some of those close to us meet some kind of severe sorrow, or having lost their father's house, or having escaped naked from a shipwreck, or having fallen into the hands of robbers on land or sea, or having become slaves from the free, from those who lived happily - captives, or having suffered some other similar evil, while hitherto they experienced life in some kind of well-being - therefore, what a painful disposition is in our souls at the same time; all the more so much more opportunely, perhaps, in ourselves to be aroused by such a thought about a humiliating revolution in life. For when we consider how bright is our abode from which we are expelled, how we fell under the power of robbers, how we were exposed, mired in the depths of this life, what and how many lords we brought upon ourselves instead of a free and self-lawful life, how we stopped the bliss of life by death and decay; then, if we occupy ourselves with these thoughts, is it possible that mercy was directed to the misfortunes of others, and the soul did not feel pity for itself, reasoning about what it had and what it lost? For what is worse than this captivity? Instead of enjoyment in paradise, we inherited a painful and difficult area in life; instead of this dispassion, they took upon themselves thousands of disasters from passions; instead of this lofty life and coexistence with the angels, they are condemned to live with the beasts of the earth, and the impassive angelic life was exchanged for bestial. Who can easily number the cruel tormentors of our life, these violent and ferocious rulers? A cruel ruler is irritation, others like it are envy, hatred, the passion of pride; some kind of mad and ferocious tormentor, who despises us as slaves, is an intemperate thought that enslaves itself for passionate and impure services. And does not the torment of covetousness exceed the measure of any cruelty? Having enslaved a poor soul, he always forces him to fulfill his insatiable desires, incessantly taking into himself and never being filled, like some kind of many-headed beast, with thousands of jaws transferring food to an unfilled womb, in which the acquisition never serves even as a small satiety, but what is always received becomes food. and set fire to the desire for more. Therefore, who, having understood this disastrous life, will remain ruthlessly and mercilessly disposed to such disasters? But the reason for the fact that we do not have mercy on ourselves lies in not feeling evil; for example, what do those who are raging from madness suffer from, for whom the excess of evil consists in the fact that the feeling of what they endure is taken away? Therefore, if anyone recognizes himself, what he was before, and what he is at the present time (Solomon also says somewhere: self-knowing wisdom(Prov. 13, 10.)), then such a person will never cease to be merciful, and God's mercy will naturally follow such a disposition of the soul. Why is it said: blessed are mercy: for they shall have mercy.

They are pardoned, not others. With this, the Lord clarifies the thought, as if someone would say: it is a blessed thing to have care for bodily health. Whoever has this care will live healthy. So the merciful one is very blessed; because the fruit of mercy becomes the property of the merciful one, both on the basis of what we have found now, and as a result of what we have previously investigated, I mean about one who shows compassion of the soul to other people's disasters. For it is an equally good deed to have both, and to have mercy on oneself according to what has been said, and to sympathize with the misfortune of one’s neighbor: because the will of a person in relation to the lower with the superiority of power shows the veracity of God’s judgment, why a person is in some way his own judge, and in judgment over his subordinates pronounces judgment on himself. Therefore, inasmuch as we believe, and really believe, that the whole human race will stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ, may everyone receive, even with the body he has done, either good or evil(2 Cor. 5, 10.); inasmuch as (it may be bold to speak of this, however, let us say, if it is only possible to comprehend by reason and comprehend the inexpressible and invisible bliss in recompense to the merciful) the goodwill that has occurred in the souls towards those who show mercy and after the present life in those who have received mercy, it is natural to remain forever in the life to come: then is it not likely that the benefactor, if even during the judgment he is recognized as benefited, will incline his soul to praise him with thanksgiving voices before the God of every creature? And what other bliss will need at such a spectacle proclaimed for valiant deeds? For the gospel word teaches that even the blessed will be at the judgment of the King over the righteous and the sinners. He addresses both of them with an indication, as if with a finger letting them know what is in front of them: Thou hast made these little brothers of mine one (Matt. 25:40). For the word: these shows the presence of those who have been blessed.

Tell me now, you inanimate substance of possessions preferring future bliss: what kind of brilliance does gold have? What kind of radiance is in expensive stones? What kind of decoration is this from clothes in comparison with this blessing offered to hope? When He Who reigns over the creation will openly reveal Himself to the human race, sitting majestically on the exalted throne, when countless tambours of Angels will be visible around Him, and when the ineffable kingdom of heaven will be opened to the eyes of all; and in contrast to this, terrible torments will be shown; and in the midst of this, the entire human race, from the first creation to the fullness of those brought into being, in fear and hope of the future, will appear with bewilderment, repeatedly shuddered by the fulfillment of what is expected for both; because even those who lived with a good conscience are not sure of the future, seeing that others, by an evil conscience, as if by some kind of executioner, are drawn into this terrible darkness: and meanwhile, this one, with praise and thanksgiving voices of those blessed, full of boldness, will be brought by deeds to the Judge; then will he really calculate his good part by material wealth? Will he really agree that, instead of these blessings, all the mountains, and the plains, and the valleys, and the seas, having changed, become gold?

And whoever carefully hid his wealth under seals, locks, behind iron doors, in safe secret places, and preferred to hide and keep the substance flowing from him and keep it in his place of any commandment; Moreover, if he is headlong drawn into the dark fire, all who in this life have experienced his cruelty and mercilessness will begin to reproach him and say to him: remember how you perceived your good on your belly(Luke 16:25); in strongholds with your wealth you concluded mercy, and left mercy on earth; did not bring humanity into this life, and you do not have what you did not have; you don’t find what you didn’t think; you do not collect what you have not squandered; you do not reap what you did not sow; your harvest is worthy of sowing; you sowed bitterness, gather its hilts; you respected cruelty, have with you what you loved; did not look at anyone compassionately, and no one will look at you with regret: you despised the mourner, they will despise you perishing; you ran away from chances to show mercy, and mercy will run from you; you abhorred the beggar, abhors you, who from you was in poverty. If this and the like are said, where will the gold be? where are the shiny vessels? where is the security given by seals to treasures? where are the dogs assigned for the night guard and the supply of weapons for intruders? Where are the omens written in the books? What do they mean against weeping and gnashing of teeth? Who will light up the darkness? Who to put out the flame? Who will turn away the undying worm?

Let us therefore understand, brethren, the word of the Lord, which teaches us so much about the future in a little, and let us become merciful, that through this we may become blessed in Christ Jesus our Lord. To Him be glory and power forever and ever! Amen.

Beloved in Christ, brethren and children, incline your ear (not only outward, but especially inward, about which our Lord Jesus Christ said: have ears to hear, let it hear; incline, I say, your ear to hearing the commandments of the Lord in order to achieve blessedness. Man was created by God in the beginning blessed and for blessedness, moreover, eternal; but sin, which entered the world, that is, into all men, as a single man, destroyed the bliss of men and subjected them to curses, various sorrows, misfortunes, illnesses, and, finally, temporary and eternal death. Only the infinite love of God the Creator for His fallen creation, revered in the image and likeness of God, could again find a means to restore it and open the way back to the lost bliss. This means to the restoration of fallen man is the incarnation, life among men, Divine teaching and miracles, suffering, death on the cross and resurrection from the dead of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ; and the return path to bliss is following His teachings, life, participation in His sacraments and obedience to the lawful shepherds and teachers of the Church. There is no other way to bliss, as He Himself says: I am the way and the truth, and the life: no one will come to the Father, only Me. I am the door: if anyone enters through me, he will be saved.

How each of us longs for bliss! How everyone fears and runs away from sorrows and illnesses! Only, unfortunately, we thirst and seek bliss on earth, where it does not exist, and not in heaven, where it remains forever; we are afraid and run away from sorrows and illnesses, but they are most of all for us, if not necessary, then useful, because they heal the immortal soul, which is afflicted by various passions. Indeed, what bliss is in exile, in exile, in prison? for we are all driven out of paradise for sins into this world, as into a dungeon. What is the blessedness of those condemned to death? You will say: there are many innocent people on earth, pleasures that God Himself does not forbid to use, for example. God Himself gave wine that gladdens the heart of man, or revealed to people the art of playing the psalter, the harp, the organ, the tympanum, and many other musical instruments; He taught himself to compose faces and glee; He Himself surrounded us with singing birds, as if calling us to joy and bliss; He himself spread before our eyes the majestic spectacle of nature, in which we see everywhere the joy and happiness of creatures, as if calling us to rejoicing. Thus, by the grace of God, there is some innocent consolation in this world, left to us, wounded by the sting of death, to ease our wandering path, our sorrows and sorrows; but these consolations must be used very moderately and by no means cling to them, but strive for the promised bliss, especially by the close path of labor, vigil, prayer, abstinence, purity and every virtue in which it is impossible to succeed without great speed. -beat and temptations. Our true, complete and eternal bliss, brothers, is in heaven, where the all-blessed God lives in unapproachable light, where the faces of the forefathers, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, hierarchs, martyrs, reverend and righteous and all saints are settled; where the Queen of heaven and earth reigns with her Son and God, Holy Mother of God. And the local bliss is earthly, carnal, illusory, fleeting, like a dream, often rude and unclean. Only true virtue anticipates heavenly bliss here on earth.

And so, where can we find the true path to bliss? With the guidance and fulfillment of what commandments can we achieve blessedness? Under the guidance of the nine commandments of the Lord about the blessedness, which He pronounced aloud on the mountain to His disciples and people, and which, for the everlasting instruction and reminder, are sung or read to us daily at the liturgy, at the small entrance, when the royal prayers are opened for the first time. doors. They read like this:

1) Blessed are the poor in spirit: for of them is the Kingdom of Heaven.

2) Blessed are those who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

3) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.

4) Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness: for they shall be satisfied.

5) Blessed are mercy: for they will have mercy.

6) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God.

7) Blessed are the peacemakers: they shall be called sons of God.

8) Blessed are the exiles for the sake of righteousness: for those are the Kingdom of Heaven.

9) Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and depend on you, and tell

every angry verb is lying to you, for my sake.

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is much in heaven.

This is the way to true bliss!

On the following Sunday, we will talk about why these beatitudes are sung or read at the small entrance, with the royal doors open, and we will show the meaning of the small entrance, the altar and the royal doors; for this serves to explain and not to any interpretation of the aforesaid commandments about the blessings! And now I ask you to put into your heart the truth that we were created by God for eternal life and eternal bliss, that through sin we lost this bliss and were expelled from paradise, subjected to the curse of God, doomed to labor, sorrow, illness and death, which now we are wandering in exile, looking for the fatherland from which we were expelled, the lost bliss, that this fatherland and bliss are returned to us again by the Heavenly Father through the intercession and merits of His beloved Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, under the condition of faith in Him and the fulfillment of His commandments. Amen.

Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. What is poverty of spirit? All of you have seen and see the poor bodily; therefore, in order to paint an image of spiritual poverty, let us depict bodily poverty in advance, in order to explain similar things with like. A beggar, as the very word shows, is one who has nothing of his own, who expects everything only from the mercy of others: he does not have his piece of bread to satisfy his hunger, and the usual drink for most to quench his thirst; he has no shelter where to lay his head if they do not give him money for an overnight stay; does not have clothes, if a compassionate person does not take pity and does not buy him, or, although he does have clothes, they are shabby, dirty, full of holes, worthless, which you do not even want to touch; from all he is neglected, from all we reproach; he is like rubbish, like some kind of litter, although some beggar in the eyes of God, perhaps, like gold melted in a furnace. An example is the gospel Lazarus. Now let us apply these traits of a poor man physically to a poor man spiritually. The poor in spirit is the person who sincerely recognizes himself as a spiritual poor man, having nothing of his own; who expects everything from the mercy of God, who is convinced that he can neither think nor wish anything good, unless God gives a good thought and a good desire, that he cannot do a single truly good deed without the grace of Jesus Christ; who considers himself more sinful, worse, lower than everyone else, who always reproaches himself and does not condemn anyone; who recognizes the garment of his soul as foul, gloomy, foul-smelling, worthless and does not cease to ask the Lord Jesus Christ to enlighten the garment of his soul, to clothe him in the incorruptible garment of truth; who unceasingly runs under the shelter of God's wings, having no safety anywhere in the world except the Lord; who considers all his possessions to be God's gift and for everything diligently thanks the Giver of all blessings and willingly gives a part of his possessions to those who demand. Here is one who is poor in spirit - and such and such a poor in spirit is blessed, according to the word of the Lord; because where there is humility, the consciousness of one's poverty, one's poverty, wretchedness, there is God, and where there is God, there is the cleansing of sins, there is peace, light, freedom, contentment and bliss. It was with such a poor spirit that the Lord came to proclaim the gospel of the kingdom of God, as it is written: evangelize the poor ambassador Mya z, poor in spirit, not rich; for their pride repels the grace of God from them, and they remain an empty and fetid temple. Don't people willingly extend a helping hand and mercy to those who are truly poor and in dire need of the most necessary things, doesn't God have mercy on spiritual poverty, paternally condescends to her call and fills her with His spiritual treasures? Hungry fulfill the good it is said.
Are not the valleys abundantly irrigated with moisture; Do not the valleys blossom and fragrant? Is it not on the mountains that there are snows and ices and lifelessness? High mountains - the image of the proud; valleys are an image of the humble: every wilderness will be fulfilled, every mountain and hill will be humbled . The Lord opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
And so, blessed are the poor in spirit, i.e., those who consider themselves to be nothing, as if they were the kingdom of heaven. Initially, the kingdom of God, heavenly, was within people, in their hearts, as the Lord said: the kingdom of God is within you but then, as a result of the disobedience of the will of God by our forefathers, who listened to the tempter - the devil, it was removed from the human heart, and sin began to reign in the hearts of people with its culprit, making them from heaven to earth and enslaving them to earthly fuss; from the simple - crafty, from the good - evil, from the humble - proud, from the pure - impure, from the strong to everything holy, true, good - powerless to everything good and impetuous to every evil, so that, according to the testimony, St. writings, became diligently lay a man's thought on the evil one from the earliest youth Only poverty of spirit or humility of mind to bring down again in the heart of a person the kingdom of God, which has retired due to his conceit and pride, and all the saints of God were distinguished in this life by deep spiritual poverty. The Apostle Paul himself, caught up to the third heaven, called himself the first of sinners St. Apostle James also places himself among the sinners, saying: we all sin a lot St. Apostle John writes: if we say that we have no sin, you deceive yourselves, and the truth is not in us placing himself among the sinners. But who were the apostles? The living abodes of the Holy Trinity, the verbal organs of the Holy Spirit, the friends of Christ, holy men par excellence. If they thought so humbly of themselves, what should we think of ourselves? Shouldn’t we say about ourselves, in the essence of truth, that we are the stench of sin, the stinking temples of passions, alien to all true virtue, cursed, poor, blind, naked, and constantly pray to the Lord that He Himself cleanse our souls and bodies from the Holy Spirit from the stench of the passions and filled them with the fragrance of the virtues and the holiness of the Divine Spirit? For without Him we can do nothing good Whoever wants to acquire true and deep humility, he must enter into himself as often and deeply as possible, bring to memory and impartially examine with inner eyes all his sinful thoughts, desires, intentions, deeds from the earliest youth to the present; then we will see that we are drowning in the abyss of sins. The literate can be advised to read more often, except for morning and evening prayers - in which the poverty of our spirit is beautifully depicted - still the great canon of Andrew of Crete - canons and akathists to the Savior and the Mother of God, the canon to the Guardian Angel and canons for every day of the week; Of course, it is not necessary to leave the Gospel and the Psalter, which are the best school of humility.

Can rich people be poor in spirit? Of course, they can, if they do not consider themselves great people just because they have perishable wealth and with the help of it they can do whatever they want. How can they be poor in spirit? When they sincerely realize that their wealth, and the wealth of the whole measure, means nothing in comparison with an immortal soul - that it is a gift of God not only to us, but also to our neighbors: for the surplus is given to us to help the poor; when they realize that with material treasures they are extremely poor and poor in spirit and will not be highly wise about themselves and trust in perishing wealth, but in the living God who gives us everything richly for pleasure; they will do good, be rich in good deeds, be generous and sociable, laying up treasures for themselves, a good foundation for the future, in order to achieve eternal life. Such was the rich Abraham; such was Job and many, both in the Old and New Testaments. However, since wealth presents many temptations to sin, the desire for Christian perfection, deep poverty of spirit and infallibility on the path of salvation, they usually sold their property and distributed it to the poor, while they themselves retired in silence, so that they could work for God day and night completely and without entertainment. . Therefore, the Lord said to one rich man: if you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions, and give to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow me.

So, blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven; it is not said: those will be the kingdom of heaven, but there is; because already here - on earth - in humble hearts God rests and reigns, and in the future life he will reign in them forever and glorify them with incorruptible glory.

And so, gather here, brethren, the wealth of humility, so that there in heaven you will receive the wealth of glory. Amen.

Blessed are those who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Now the Church offers us, her prodigal sons, the parable of the Savior about the prodigal son, and to remind us that we are all captives and miserable slaves of sin, she sang at the morning Divine service the lamentable song of the captive sons of Zion: on the rivers of Babylon, there with gray hair and plakakh, always remember Zion to us. Captured by the king of Babylon. Nebuchadnezzar, the Jews represent us, brethren, captivated by the spiritual Nebuchadnezzar, the devil; the rivers of Babylon signify the rapid striving and entrainment of sin or the river of passions flowing from the mouth of the spiritual dragon, that is, Satan, and dragging us into the abyss of hell; the bitter weeping of the sons of Israel depicts the lamentation of the spiritual slavery to the sin of the sons of the new Israel - true Christians. Since in a short time the days of fasting and repentance will come, the Church, wishing to gradually lead us into this feat, reminds us of our captivity and removal from our heavenly fatherland and of the need for all of us of bitter tears of repentance for our sins. Accept with gratitude this reminder of your St. Mothers and begin, with God's help, the work of inner repentance.

On the rivers of Babylon, there with gray hair and plakakh, always remember Zion to us. The Israelites wept for earthly Zion, where their temple to the true God was, and in it was the ark of the covenant with the tablets of the Scriptures, the stamen containing manna, and with the miraculously vegetated rod of Aaron. We must weep for our heavenly Zion - for the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, the true homeland of Christians, from which we have departed by our sins; - about negligence towards the fulfillment of the commandments of God, about our indifference to the heavenly manna - the Body and Blood of the Lord and to what was done for us on the cross. And whose soul does not weep when this mournful song is sung? Whose soul will not awaken from the sleep of sin? Whose soul does not feel that it is a prisoner of the devil, every day in the neighborhood of this fierce enemy and is daily subjected to spiritual bonds of sins, sinful habits and passions from him, is wounded by him, enduring various slanders, misfortunes, torments? And so, feeling, experiencing all this, our soul sends deep sighs of repentance for sins to the Lord and weeps deep, bitter tears. O rivers of Babylon! about captivating passion! Where are you taking us? On the rivers of Babylon, tamo sedoh and plakah. What shall we do, brother sinners? what to do, how not to cry, in the consciousness and at the sight of your misfortune, your sinfulness, abomination, your extreme powerlessness to get rid of sin and misfortune? A weak, unreasonable and reckless child, having sinned against his parents or having fallen into trouble and attack, weeps bitterly before them and this causes their compassion and help. So we, the weak, unreasonable, prodigal children of the Heavenly Father, falling into sins due to weakness, ignorance and evil inclination and being subjected to various slanders and misfortunes from the devil, must shed tears of repentance for the sins committed, tears of weakness, humbly asking for mercy, forgiveness and help. . Passions and temptations are like rivers, as the Savior said: when the rivers came and asked the temple, that is, they attacked a person, or as David says: save me, O God, as if water had entered into my soul, and since these rivers flow inside us, then we need to let out rivers of tears from our eyes, and then sins will not carry us away; for together with tears they will, so to speak, flow out of our soul and instead of them rivers of living water will enter it, that is, the grace of God, purifying, sanctifying, enlightening, strengthening, comforting the weeping soul. However, in one hour we cannot cry out all our sins, because they are abyss; we must cry a lot and for a long time, and not expect salvation from tears, but from the love of God, from the grace of Jesus Christ, Who Himself wept with our tears for us, and promised those who weep to give freedom from sin and comfort in time and eternity. Blessed are those who mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are those who weep, says the Savior. But what does the world say? What do some of you say in their hearts? Blessed are those who laugh, who rejoice! No: woe to you who laugh today; like you will weep and weep, says the Lord again, Who during earthly life was never seen laughing, but was seen weeping. How? Laugh, rejoice when we are under the wrath of God, when we go through the field of a desperate struggle for life or death, when troubles are everywhere, when the all-destructive and seductive sin with such arrogance and ferocity everywhere destroys human souls, redeemed by the blood of the Son of God; when this fiend threatens every now and then to cast us into hellfire ready to burst open? Is it time to laugh and be merry when temptations, vices, falls are everywhere; or when some of our brothers are dying from illness, from hunger, all kinds of shortcomings, various misfortunes, or suffer from oppression, resentment and hardness of heart of their brothers, while others are insanely voluptuous, covetous, drowning in luxury and various vices? Yes, poor sinners! under such unhappy circumstances, spiritual and bodily, fun and laughter are out of place, and the time for fun and laughter has not yet come for you: it will come after tears and sobs about sins in this life and after victory over sin. Blessed are weeping now: as if you laugh says the Savior. And truly blessed are weeping. If any of you has the gift of tears for sins, he knows from experience what a blessing it is to weep over the sins of one's own or those of others; beatitude is inseparable from the weeping of the gospel, so that he who weeps, as it were, naturally receives consolation as a reward. However, there is worldly weeping, the sadness of this world: impotent malice is weeping; humiliated pride cries; unsatisfied vanity cries; offended vanity cries ... and how many vain tears there are? How many unsatisfied passions, how many faint-hearted - so many empty tears, but these are sinful tears, useless tears, tears extremely harmful to those who weep, for they cause death to the soul and body. The sorrow of this world makes death. But what exactly should we cry about? First, weep over what you have defiled and you continually defile the image of God in yourself with your sins. Think, man: God has depicted Himself in you, as the sun is depicted in a drop of water, you are made, as it were, by some god on earth, as it is said, Az reh: Bozi are there, and sons of the Most High but you daily throw it into the dirt, scorch this image with worldly passions, addiction to the world, unbelief, pride, hatred, envy, intemperance and drunkenness and other passions, and through this you extremely anger your Creator and irritate His long-suffering. It is worthy and righteous to cry about this day and night. Cry!

Secondly, cry about the fact that you bear only the name of a Christian, but do not fulfill the vows, obligations of a Christian given at baptism and live like a pagan, cleave to the earth and do not think about heaven and life there, which has no end, that having been a Christian for such a long time, you still do not have the spirit of Christ, you do not conform to Him in the least, you do not imitate His life; - that Christ has not yet dwelled in you by faith and imagined in you that you have not yet become a new creature, have not put on Christ, according to the scripture: baptized into Christ, clothed in Christ .

Thirdly, weep because your heart is constantly trying to do everything that is contrary to the Lord; weep for his evil inclination, impenitence, uncorrection. So much we pray, we repent, we read, we sing, so much we partake of St. life-giving Mysteries, which can transform a heart of stone and make it soft as wax, but we change for the better through negligence. O wretchedness! oh malice! O corruption of the heart! oh pride! O earthly passions! O flattery of voluptuousness and love of money! And so, weep that, although you repent and pray, you do not bring to God fruits worthy of repentance, the fruits of faith and love, the fruit of meekness and gentleness, the fruit of abstinence, purity and chastity, the fruit of alms, and so on.
Weep with inner weeping when you feel a rush of impure thoughts to your heart; cry when pride, malice, envy, greed, stinginess will carry you away; cry and pray when you feel enmity towards your enemy, and not love, for it is said: love your enemies and do good to those who hate you; weep before God with the inner weeping of the heart, when the passion of drunkenness, love of money and covetousness will carry you away, when resistance and disobedience to parents or to superiors and elders will embarrass and enthrall you; weep at the feeling of poverty and the wretchedness of our nature, at the thought of the innumerable blessings of the Creator to us and of our ingratitude to Him. May your tears be a weapon against all sin, and the Lord, seeing your humility, the recognition of your weakness, your strong desire to keep yourself clean from all sin, will stretch out a helping hand, send you the Spirit of the Comforter, who will stop the violence of sin, extinguish the fire of passions and bring down into the heart dew of grace.
Weep for your sins, weep for the people's; weep that many nations still have not known the true “God and the Lord Jesus Christ and are in the darkness of paganism, worshiping creatures instead of the Creator; weep that the Christian faith is persecuted in the countries of the infidels, and many of your brethren suffer under their yoke; weep for the unrighteousness that prevails on earth, from which everyone suffers who want to live godly in Christ Jesus; weep for the violence and oppression of the rich and the mighty of the world this, about the poverty and helplessness of the poor; weep that Christian love has dried up among many, and in its place self-love, voluptuousness and carnal pleasure reigned in all forms; that many Christians fall from the height of redemption and respect neither the Church, nor the sacraments, nor her teachings. You will say: what is the use of my tears? - You will fulfill the commandment of the Apostle - cry with those who cry In general, you will fulfill the commandment to love your neighbor, and the whole law is in love. And the benefit is that you will receive consolation from God and the forgiveness of sins as a reward for tears.
Blessed are those who weep. What else is there to cry about? We must also weep over our unpreparedness for the terrible and righteous test at the world court. Many holy saints of God wept all their lives, day and night, at the thought of the terrible judgment and the eternal torment of the wicked that followed it; and we, as if some kind of righteous, are indifferent to this final, terrible decision of our fate, or others still dare to reject the truth of the future judgment and hell. Everything, brethren, his time;Va time to cry and a time to laugh Now is the time to cry. And so we will cry for sins. Amen.

Grace, mercy, is a property of Divine love and one of the noblest feelings of a person. To be merciful means to be like God, for He, according to the testimony of the 102nd psalm, is generous and merciful... long-suffering and many-merciful. Jesus Christ speaks of the same thing in His Sermon on the Mount, recorded in the 6th chapter of the Gospel of Luke:

Love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for He is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked. So be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:27-36).

To be merciful does not mean to justify lies and sin, or to be tolerant of stupidity and evil, or to pass by injustice and lawlessness; to be merciful means to have compassion for the erring and pity for those captivated by sin. To forgive those who do wrong, who not only harm others, but, first of all, destroy themselves, their own human nature.

All people sin before God and are guilty before each other, and therefore deserve all kinds of condemnation. But according to His infinite mercy, the Lord forgives and has mercy on the penitent sinners (remember the parable of the prodigal son). If we show mercy to one another, then we will also be shown mercy by God. The merciful can with full responsibility pronounce the words from the prayer "Our Father": ...forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors (Matt. 6:12).

St. Righteous Father John of Kronstadt writes: “For mercy to the brethren, you yourself will receive mercy from God; for temporary mercy - eternal mercy, for small mercy - infinitely great mercy; for you will not only be rewarded with pardon from eternal condemnation for sins at the judgment of God, but you will also receive eternal bliss ”(“ Complete collection of works ” by archpriest John Sergiev, vol. 1, p. 189).

Holy Scripture is replete with sayings about the need for mercy, mercy in the spiritual life of man. Judgment without mercy to the one who did not show mercy; Mercy is exalted above judgment (James 2:13), we read from the Apostle James. The Apostle of Love John the Theologian in his first epistle teaches us: Whoever has prosperity in the world (wealth), but, seeing his brother in need, closes his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My children! let us not love in word or tongue, but in deed and in truth (1 John 3:17-18). And ap. Paul instructs thus: Do not forget also doing good and sharing, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God (Heb. 13:16).

And in the Old Testament we find numerous references to the importance of mercy. Blessed is he who thinks of the poor (and beggar)! On the day of distress, the Lord will deliver him (Ps. 40: 2), exclaims the psalmist. We learn from the wise Sirach that charity cleanses sins (Sir. 3:30), and from the book of Tobit we learn that charity delivers from death (Tob. 12:9).

But, perhaps, the brightest place in Holy Scripture devoted to our topic is the conversation of Jesus Christ about the Last Judgment. In it, Christ clearly indicates what will be asked of us first of all at this Judgment. All our earthly achievements at this Judgment will not count, because the main question that will be asked to everyone is how we have served our neighbor. Christ lists six main types of help that can be given to a neighbor. Identifying Himself in His love, condescension and mercy with every poor and needy person, the Savior says: I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty, and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger, and you received Me; was naked, and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me (Matthew 25:35-36).

The cause of mercy to those who suffer and need our help is higher than even fasting. That is why the Church reads Christ's discourse about the Last Judgment on the eve of Great Lent, so that believers understand that the most important thing in the feat of fasting is mercy, mercy towards the destitute. I want mercy, not sacrifice, - God says through the prophet Hosea (Os.6: 6).

In the Cheti-Minei, in the life of St. Dositheus (February 19), we meet a good illustration of this truth.

"Rev. Dositheus, dying, was instructed by the kind word of his rector: child, go in peace to the Lord, and pray for us at His throne! The brethren of the monastery in which Dositheus labored were tempted by this parting word from the abbot, for they knew that Dositheus was not known for either fasting or prayer vigils, he often came late for all-night vigils, and sometimes did not come at all. The rector learned about this temptation, and once, at a general meeting of the brethren, he asked them the following questions: when bell ringing calls me to the temple of God, and I have a suffering brother in my care: what should I do then? Should I leave the ailing and rush to church, or should I stay in the cell and console my brother? They answered: in such a case, the Lord will accept the help of a suffering brother as true worship. “But when my strength is weakened by fasting and I cannot, as I should, serve the afflicted, should I refresh myself with food in order to look after the sick more vigilantly, or continue the fast, even if the sick suffer through this? - Excessive fasting in this case would not be so much pleasing to God as caring for the needs of a sick brother, answered the monks. - You reason correctly, the rector told them, why then do you condemn Dositheus, who, according to the duty assigned to him - to care for the sick, did not always come to church services, did not always fast, like others? Meanwhile, you yourselves were witnesses with what diligence, with what vigilance he ministered to the sick; with what love he fulfilled their demands, often whimsical! and who among you will say that he has ever heard from him grumbling against labor and weariness! Such was the service of Dositheus; and the Lord accepts him as His faithful and zealous admirer: for in the person of the suffering brethren, he served the Lord himself.

The more a person practices mercy and loves people, the more he approaches God, and the more a person feels the personal Divinity in his heart, the more he loves people. Rev. Abba Dorotheos explains it this way: “Imagine a circle, its middle is the center and outgoing radii from the center are rays. These radii, the farther they go from the center, the more they diverge and move away from each other; on the contrary, the closer they come to the center, the more they approach each other. Suppose now that the circle is the world. The very middle of the circle is God, and the straight lines (radii) running from the center to the circle or from the circle to the center are the paths of people's lives. And here it is the same: as far as the saints enter inside the circle to the middle of it, wishing to draw closer to God, so much as they enter, they become closer to God and to each other ... to the same extent they move away from each other, and how much they move away from each other so far away from God. Such is the nature of love” (“Christian Life According to the Philokalia”, p. 24).

The Church is called to serve, first of all, the needy and the disadvantaged. The place of the Church is among the hungry, the sick and the outcast, and not among the self-satisfied and prosperous. The Eastern Christian consciousness above all put the image of Christ humiliated and outcast - the Church saw His royal dignity through the sackcloth of the poverty He voluntarily assumed upon Himself. The Church has always recognized the moral duty of every Christian to care for those who are in need, and has always denounced those who remained indifferent in the face of the need and suffering of other people.

The Fathers of the Church do not stop calling and even imperious demand - to feed the hungry, to help the sick and homeless. A person, according to the teachings of Basil the Great, can realize the will of God about himself only if he does not separate his own fate from the fate of other people. Any indifference to the fate of other people, any individualism was for Basil the Great not only deeply vicious, but also self-destructive in nature.

With even greater force than Basil the Great, the theme of mercy sounds in his younger contemporary - the famous Bishop of Constantinople John Chrysostom. Let's take a look at his work:

“Charity is the heart of virtue... The queen of virtues, who quickly raises people to the very heights of heaven, the best of lawyers... Virginity, fasting, lying on the bare ground are important only for those who indulge in them, and do not save anyone else, alms spreads to all and embraces the members of Christ” (word 6 on Titus, 2). “Giving charity is a greater thing than miracles. Feeding a hungry Christ is a greater work than raising the dead in the name of Christ. In the first case you are the benefactor of Christ; in the second, He is yours ... When you work miracles, you are God's debtor, when you give alms, God is your debtor.

St. John Chrysostom was deeply convinced that social evil is rooted in a person's thirst for the accumulation of wealth and in the desire to use this wealth only for their own benefit. There is only one rightful Owner of all earthly goods and treasures, says John Chrysostom, the almighty God. People are just servants of this one and only, true Master, and this obliges them to dispose of God's property in accordance with His will. The blessings of the earth are intended, according to John Chrysostom, first of all for the needy, sick, orphans. He understands property exclusively functionally - property is justified only by its correct use.

In those who are in need and waiting for help, Christ Himself continues to suffer, the torment of people is His continuing agony. In the groans of those suffering from need, Chrysostom calls to hear the voice of the crucified Savior Himself. The moral zeal of St. John Chrysostom, his passionate call for the implementation of social justice are rooted in his understanding of the Church as the living Body of Christ Himself.

Ancient Rus' to a large extent lived according to this holy ideal, which is why it was called "holy." St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir, under whom Rus' was enlightened by the light of the Christian faith, was a model of mercy in ancient Rus'. Having given a tithe for the maintenance of the church, he at the same time issued a decree that cripples, beggars, wanderers should be kept at the churches, that there should be almshouses and hospitals. In his house on holidays, he arranged dinners for the clergy, boyars and the poor; on especially solemn days, as, for example, at the consecration of churches, the prince distributed a lot of money to the poor; the poor and the poor could freely come to the princely court and take food and drink for themselves. Moreover, for the weak and sick who could not reach his court, Prince Vladimir ordered to arrange special carts, put bread, meat and other supplies in them, and gave them to those who could not come to the prince's court on their own.

Another act of mercy of Prince Vladimir, which must be mentioned: in the days of paganism, as you know, there was heavy slavery. In paganism, people were usually captured during the war, the strong and rich enslaved the weak and poor, and then sold them into slavery. Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir not only did not allow this, but he himself redeemed the captives and set them free.

G. Fedotov points out the main thing in the Christian consciousness of pre-Petrine Russia: “... probably, thanks to the Slavic liturgy and the Slavic Gospel, the image of Christ and the commandments of His love were deeply engraved in the memory and in the heart of the Russian people. Sinning and falling, in their cruel and bloody history, the Russian people could not part with this Divine image. He warmed his life, softening human relations with pity and forgiveness, teaching him to see in the poor and suffering not only a brother, but also Christ himself, tormenting his heart with a thirst for a different, bright life, fully fulfilling the covenants of brotherly love ”(“ A Christian in the Revolution ”, Paris , 1957, p. 95).

The opponents of Christianity do not get tired of repeating that love for God is only striving for personal salvation, that is, a feeling of egoism in its essence, and love for a person, in their opinion, should be expressed in improving the living conditions for all mankind.

Answering this statement, we point out, first of all, that sincere love for God and readiness to live according to His commandments is a difficult feat, which egoistic natures are not capable of. Love for God, the feeling of being a citizen of the Kingdom of God excludes the thought of personal salvation only - a Christian strives not only for the renewal and salvation of his own soul, but of the whole creation. St. wrote about this. John Chrysostom: “Let's not be content with seeking our own salvation; that would be his ruin. In war and in the ranks, if a soldier thinks only of how to escape, he destroys himself and his comrades. A valiant soldier who fights for others, together with others, saves himself too…” (45 words in Matthew, ch. 54).

As for social work, that is, the improvement of the conditions in which the life of mankind proceeds, it should be pointed out that the very ideas of justice, humanity, as well as the condemnation of social inequality, are of evangelical origin.

Christian love for a person is extremely demanding, because it presupposes personal sacrifice as an everyday, all-life attitude. The Christian is constantly mobilized, for he is called to see Christ in every person he meets on his life path. This person for him is not a reason for doing the so-called “good deed” - he opens up for a Christian as the beginning of eternal communion with God Himself. In this meeting, everything to which ordinary forms of human communication are subordinated must fall away and disappear.

The desire and readiness to love a person only because Christ is reflected in him helps us to be imbued with an understanding of the innermost core of another person, that which has a genuine and eternal value in him. Only sacrificial, merciful love can help even the most vicious person to remember the image of God, which is dormant in every heart and, thereby, contribute to that spiritual rebirth, without which a person will remain in darkness even in conditions of complete earthly well-being.

Beatitudes

One day, seeing before Him a multitude of people, Jesus Christ, surrounded by His disciples, ascended a mountain and sat down to teach the people. First, the Lord indicated what His disciples, that is, all Christians, should be like: how they should fulfill the law of God in order to receive blessed (extremely joyful, happy), eternal life in the Kingdom of Heaven. To do this, He gave the nine beatitudes, the doctrine of those qualities and properties of a person that correspond to the Kingdom of God as the Kingdom of Love. This sermon of Jesus Christ is called the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, as a loving Father, shows us the way - the works through which people can enter the Kingdom of Heaven, the Kingdom of God. To all who will fulfill His instructions or commandments, Christ promises, as the King of heaven and earth, eternal bliss in the future, Eternal life. Therefore, He calls such people blessed, that is, the happiest.

First Commandment

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for of them is the Kingdom of Heaven. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of Heaven will be given to them.

The poor in spirit are people who feel and recognize their sins and shortcomings of the soul. They remember that without the help of God they themselves cannot do anything good, and therefore they do not boast of anything and are not proud either before God or before people. These are humble people. Humility is the basic Christian virtue, because it is the foundation of love. It is the opposite of pride, and from pride came all the evil in the world.

Second Commandment

Blessed are those who weep, for they will be comforted. Blessed are those who weep (over their sins), for they will be comforted.

Crying - people who mourn and cry about their sins and spiritual shortcomings. The Lord will forgive their sins. He gives them comfort here on earth, and eternal joy in heaven.

Third Commandment

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit (take possession of) the earth.

The meek are people who patiently endure all sorts of misfortunes, without being upset (without grumbling) at God, and humbly endure all sorts of troubles and insults from people, without getting angry at anyone. They will receive a heavenly dwelling in their possession, that is, a new (renewed) earth in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Fourth Commandment

Blessed are those who are hungry and thirsty for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (those who desire righteousness); because they get fed up.

Hungry and thirsty for the truth - people who earnestly desire the truth, like the hungry (hungry) - for bread and thirsty - for water, they ask God to cleanse them from sins and help them live righteously (they want to be justified before God). The desire of such people will be fulfilled, they will be satisfied, that is, they will be justified.

Fifth Commandment

Blessed are the mercies, for they will have mercy. Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.

Gracious - people who have a good heart - merciful, compassionate to everyone, always ready to help those in need in any way they can. Such people will themselves be pardoned by God, they will be shown the special mercy of God.

sixth commandment

Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

The pure in heart are people who not only guard themselves from bad deeds, but also try to make their soul pure, that is, they keep it from bad thoughts and desires. They are close to God even here (they always feel Him with their soul), but in the future life, in the Kingdom of Heaven, they will forever be with God, see Him.

seventh commandment

Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called (named) sons of God.

Peacekeepers are people who do not like any quarrels. They themselves try to live peacefully and friendly with everyone and to reconcile others with each other. They are likened to the Son of God, who came to earth to reconcile sinful man with the justice of God. Such people will be called sons, that is, children of God, and will be especially close to God.

eighth commandment

Blessed are the exiles for the sake of righteousness, for those are the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Those expelled for the truth are people who so love to live according to the truth, that is, according to God's law, according to justice, that they endure and endure all kinds of persecutions, deprivations and calamities for this truth, but do not betray it in any way. For this they will receive the Kingdom of Heaven.

ninth commandment

Blessed are you, when they reproach you, and they give you up, and they say all sorts of evil words against you lying, for My sake. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is many in heaven. Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unrighteously for me. Rejoice and be glad then, for great is your reward in heaven.

Here the Lord says: if you are reviled (mocked at you, scolded, dishonored you), applied and falsely speak evil of you (slander, unfairly accused), and you endure all this for your faith in Me, then do not be sad, but rejoice and be glad, because the greatest, greatest reward in heaven awaits you, that is, a particularly high degree of eternal bliss.

About the providence of God

Jesus Christ taught that God provides, that is, takes care of all creatures, but especially provides for people. The Lord takes care of us more and better than the kindest and most sensible father takes care of his children. He gives us His help in everything that is necessary in our life and that serves our true benefit.

“Do not worry (unnecessarily) about what you eat and drink or what you wear,” the Savior said. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into a barn, and your heavenly Father feeds them; Are you much better than them? Look at the lilies of the field as they grow. They neither work nor spin. But I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory did not dress like any of them. But if the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow will be thrown into the oven, God so clothes, then all the more you, little faith! But God, your Heavenly Father, knows that you need all this. Therefore, seek first of all the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all this will be added to you.”

On non-judgment of one's neighbor

Jesus Christ did not command to condemn other people. He said this: “Judge not, and you will not be judged; do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Because by what judgment you judge, so you will be judged (i.e. if you are indulgent to the actions of other people, then God's judgment will be merciful to you). And with what measure you measure, it will be measured to you. And why do you look at the speck in the eye of your brother (i.e., any other person), but do not feel the beam in your own eye? (This means: why do you like to notice even minor sins and shortcomings in others, but do not want to see big sins and vices in yourself?) Or, as you say to your brother: let me take the speck out of your eye; and here, in your eye a log? Hypocrite! First take the log out of your own eye (try first of all to correct yourself), and then you will see how to take the speck out of your brother’s eye” (then you will be able to correct the sin in another without offending or humiliating him).

On Forgiving Your Neighbor

“Forgive and you will be forgiven,” said Jesus Christ. “For if you forgive people their sins, then your Heavenly Father will also forgive you; but if you do not forgive people their trespasses, then your Father will not forgive you your trespasses.”

About love for neighbor

Jesus Christ commanded us to love not only our loved ones, but all people, even those who offended us and harmed us, that is, our enemies. He said: “You heard what was said (by your teachers, the scribes and Pharisees): Love your neighbor and hate your enemy. But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who despitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. Because He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

If you only love those who love you; or will you do good only to those who do it to you, and will lend only to those from whom you hope to receive back, for what should God reward you? Don't lawless people do the same? Don't the pagans do the same?

Therefore, be merciful, as your Father is merciful; be perfect, as your Heavenly Father is perfect.

General Rule for Treating Neighbors

How should we always treat our neighbors, in any case, Jesus Christ gave us this rule: “in everything, as you want people to do with you (and we, of course, want all people to love us” did to us good and forgave us), so do you also with them. (Don't do to others what you don't want yourself to do.)

On the power of prayer

If we earnestly pray to God and ask for His help, then God will do everything that will serve our true benefit. Jesus Christ said this about it: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you; for everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Is there a man among you who, when his son asks him for bread, would give him a stone? And when he asks for a fish, would you give him a snake? If then, being evil, you know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good things to those who ask Him.”

About charity

We must do every good deed not out of boasting before people, not for display to others, not for the sake of human reward, but for the sake of love for God and neighbor. Jesus Christ said: “Be careful not to do your charity before people so that they can see you; otherwise there will be no reward for you from your Heavenly Father. So, when you do alms, do not blow (i.e., do not divulge) in front of you, as hypocrites do in synagogues and on the streets, so that people glorify them. I tell you truly, they already receive their reward. With you, when you do alms, let your left hand not know what your right hand is doing (i.e., do not boast before yourself of the good that you have done, forget about it), so that your alms will be in secret; and your Father, who sees the secret (i.e., everything that is in your soul and for the sake of which you do all this), will reward you openly ”- if not now, then at His last judgment.

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