FOR Orthodoxy

I would like to ... discuss a very important topic - the topic of the family and its significance for life modern society and for the life of every person ...

"It is not good for a man to be alone" (Gen. 2:18). These wonderful biblical words reflect the deepest properties of human nature. We are created to be in communion with each other, we all belong to a complex and mysterious unity, to the human race. And we enter into this unity not as parts of a children's designer, each of which can be replaced by another. Rather, we are like leaves that grow on the branches and through the branches are connected to the trunk and roots of the great tree. We are members of families, communities, peoples, and our well-being, both physical and spiritual, largely depends on our ability to preserve spiritual and moral traditions and values.

The family plays a very important role, including in maintaining the system of values. The family is a reality that is described as follows: a man and a woman live together, remain faithful, take care of children and raise them together. This reality appeared long before any legal schemes and constructions arose that described the phenomenon of the family sociologically, legally and gave it legal significance. And although family traditions are undoubtedly part of culture, and the family, of course, is also rooted in human culture, nevertheless it precedes culture itself, because, according to the testimony of the Bible, it was created by God at the very dawn of human history.

Therefore, we can say that the family is an institution established by God. The family is rooted in the very nature of the human person. Therefore, it is impossible to destroy a family without reformatting this nature, without reformatting this consciousness. And when we state today the fact that the institution of the family is being destroyed, we must clearly understand that we are talking primarily about the destruction of the human personality itself. Without this destruction, families cannot be destroyed. Therefore, any policy aimed at the destruction of the family is an inhumane policy; it challenges the very existence of the human person.

The great miracle of the birth of a person takes place in the family, in the family children learn love and responsibility, it lays such basic concepts like duty, honor is sacrifice. The absence of a complete family or a family in a child turns out, as you know, very difficult difficulties both for the child himself and for society as a whole.

I would like to quote you the words of the outstanding teacher Vasily Alexandrovich Sukhomlinsky, who said: "The main idea and goal family life- this is the upbringing of children, the main school of education is the relationship of husband and wife, father and mother. " Therefore, the family in all cultures has so far been perceived as consisting of husband, wife and children. ... We, adults and children, especially children, need families, that both individuals and society as a whole need families. In recent years, the family itself, the idea of ​​the family, has been exposed to serious dangers. And these dangers are becoming very formidable. We are confronted not just with the sin and irresponsible behavior of individuals (this, alas, it has always been), but with something much more terrible - with attempts to revise the very concept of the family, change culture and legislation in such a way that the concept of the family was distorted and eventually destroyed. This is due to a certain shift in thinking, in politics , in values, in the perception of what is considered right and wrong, with the imposition of false ideals and idols on society.Any viable culture is based on the concept of duty, moral obligations of a person in relation to others, obligations due to the very fact of the existence of a person as part of society.

Today they try to present a person as an isolated individual, selfishly seeking satisfaction of all his desires and for this purpose entering into some contractual relations with other people, which he, the person, can destroy, break off at any moment, as soon as these relations cease to suit this person. Marriage is perceived as a contract, not very different from other contracts. Such a view of a person seems to emphasize his freedom and affirms, so to speak, the right to happiness, although in fact it leads to misfortune.

Human happiness is built by self-restraint. It is very important to focus on this topic. There can be no happiness without self-restraint, just as health requires self-restraint. We know that a person who cares about his health limits himself in food, limits himself in comfortable rest, prefers to load himself physically, limits some manifestations of his instinctive beginning in order to be healthy.

A person as a person lives a full and happy life when he is ready to give up something for the sake of others, for the sake of those he loves, for the sake of his loved ones, for the sake of society as a whole. The Austrian psychologist and philosopher Viktor Frankl remarked: “To be human means always to be directed towards something or someone, to give oneself to the cause to which a person has dedicated himself, to the person he loves.” It is in the family that a person learns to live for others, and it is the family that is the first to be hit by a life philosophy that calls to live for oneself. This life for oneself eventually turns into loneliness, loss, misfortune. But it is precisely this doctrine that is persistently preached by certain forces pursuing their own commercial, political or ideological goals.

We see that in the case when a person is perceived as a consumer or an element of market mechanics, it is impossible to achieve true good and realize the purpose of a person, which is to serve God and neighbor. Therefore, we are called to actively affirm true values, without which the life of both the individual and society will be in jeopardy. These values ​​are love, self-sacrifice, devotion. And above all, they manifest themselves in the family, especially in large families; in the family they are formed, strengthened, enter the worldview of a small person, become his inalienable nature.

We must overcome the mistrust and fear that exist in relation to having many children, return to parents with many children the respect they deserve, because among all the good, beautiful human deeds, the birth and upbringing of children is one of the greatest.

Family support is the duty of the state, and religious communities, and cultural figures, and entrepreneurs, and politicians. Nowadays, when attempts are being made in many countries to destroy traditional ideas about the family, we need international cooperation in protecting the institution of the family, childhood, and the right of parents to raise children. We must not ignore the areas of culture and law, including international law, otherwise these areas will be completely controlled by adherents of anti-family and anti-child ideologies that we have increasingly encountered in recent years. The support and protection of the family is a duty before God and before people, which lies with all of us. May the blessing of God be with you, may the Lord give us the wisdom and strength to contribute to the preservation and strengthening of the family - the very factor without which neither a person nor human society can exist.

The key topic of the Patriarchal report at the Diocesan Assembly of the city of Moscow was the family life of the clergy. The meeting takes place on December 21 in the Hall of Church Councils of the Cathedral of Christ the Savior

Making sense of the problem

“This year, a terrible tragedy happened in our diocese when a priest, apparently a sick man, whose condition, apparently, was not diagnosed in a timely manner, committed the murder of his wife. On behalf of our entire diocese, I offer deep condolences to the families and friends of the deceased mother and pray that the Lord will count her with the righteous and grant her the Kingdom of Heaven,” said His Holiness Patriarch Kirill.

His Holiness Vladyka stressed that "this tragedy once again turns us to the theme of the family life of the clergy." At the same time, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church marked: “One of the properties of modern means of communication is that, exposing shortcomings in the life of society, which, perhaps, have always existed, they give them a scale that is not quite commensurate with reality. This is also true of the so-called crisis of priestly families. Thanks be to God, despite the difficulties that arise from time to time in the families of clergy (and often these are the same difficulties that occur within any other family), the families of clergy in most cases are preserved.

But the problem, nevertheless, needs to be comprehended, His Holiness is sure. “In the last two or three years, this topic has become a subject of discussion with the participation of bishops, clergymen and their wives, about which I am well informed. It is far from possible to agree with all the assessments made during this discussion, but it is already quite clear that it is unacceptable to simplify the problem by reducing it to administrative and material issues or ignoring the impact of these issues on the family life of the clergy,” His Holiness believes.

According to the Patriarch, “we are dealing with a whole range of problems that have accumulated over decades, including a general family crisis, economic difficulties, and, at times, the unpreparedness of the families of future clergymen for the life circumstances associated with the adoption of the priesthood by the head of the family, and much more."

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus' stressed that theological schools should regularly hold discussions on the topics of family life, the upbringing of children, the norms of communication with persons of the opposite sex, for which priests who are experienced in family life should be invited. “It is also necessary to think about the fact that information about the Christian understanding of marriage is included in the curricula of the relevant disciplines as part of the spiritual education of future clergy - in the existing courses of pastoral theology, for example, these issues have not yet been adequately covered,” His Holiness noted. “Those who intend to make it their life's work to serve the Lord's altar must have a conscious gospel view of marriage and family life.”

His Holiness Vladyka drew attention to the fact that during discussions about crisis phenomena in the families of the clergy, they talk a lot about material and everyday difficulties. “This is fair, but one should not exaggerate the significance of these difficulties,” the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church is sure. – To some extent, the clergy share the lot of the whole people, they are in the same situation as ordinary people - laity of all professions face similar difficulties today, and especially those who, like the clergy, cannot consider themselves completely free in choosing a job or in search of a livelihood, for example, military personnel, law enforcement officers, doctors and many others.

Don't leave alone

Nevertheless, the position of the clergy is special, His Holiness Patriarch Kirill stated, this is known from the Holy Scriptures, and therefore “it is unacceptable that, in the difficult circumstances of the life of his family, a clergyman finds himself alone before the choice between sacrificing the main business of his life - serving the altar - and searching for the necessary means of subsistence.

His Holiness specifically noted that “such a temptation is truly terrible, because every clergyman understands in the depths of his heart that when he leaves the service of the altar of the Lord, the foundation of his life collapses.” A priest who has entrusted himself and "the lives of his loved ones to God and the Church" cannot but hope "in the Church, and she must not refuse him support." His Grace Vicars and Dean Fathers are entrusted with special care for this.

His Holiness Patriarch Kirill approved of the activities of the Board of Trustees under the Diocesan Council of the City of Moscow, which “has been expanding in recent years, and ideally a situation should arise in which none of those in dire need would be left out of its attention.”

The Bishops' Council of 2017 emphasized in the corresponding resolution that when determining the place of service of a clergyman and his material support, it is important, if possible, to take into account the composition and size of his family. “In addition to what the Council said, I would add that the circumstances of the life of the families of priests and deacons should be taken into account by the rectors and deans also when compiling the liturgical schedule in parishes and when distributing vacation time. For example, families of clergymen with children of school age should have priority when choosing the time of vacation during the summer or other school holidays,” admonished the vicars, deans and rectors.

“Experience shows that kind, wise participation in the fate of a family in crisis can in many cases change the situation,” believes the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church. – However, it is important that such meetings do not turn out to be formal. In particular, the methods of administrative management should be avoided in their organization. Excessive attention to family life issues on the part of the authorities is sometimes perceived with apprehension and distrust as interference and an attempt at unjustified control. Delicateness in this sensitive area will not be superfluous.

About asceticism, love and family happiness

“A prosperous family life, growth in mutual love is a Christian feat, an ascetic and – in our case – a pastoral task,” emphasized His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'. Do all our brothers remember this? Isn't forgetting these fundamentals the root of the problem? Yes, the crisis in the families of clergy is a reflection - thank God, on a smaller scale - of a similar crisis in the life of the people. But if not knowing Churches people often wander through their difficulties without an evangelical guideline, then who, if not a priest, should understand that a crisis in families is primarily an ascetic failure and sin - a sin of indifference, inattention, impoverishment of love, which, alas, is sometimes followed by infidelity , and sometimes hatred up to the readiness to raise a hand against the closest person?! Needless to say, the collapse of the family life of a priest inevitably casts a dark shadow on his pastoral ministry. How will he serve the Church of Christ with a pure heart when his home church has fallen apart?”

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church mentioned that it is common for ordinary consciousness to judge Christian asceticism as some kind of set of restrictions, even if accepted voluntarily, as a necessary means of curbing evil. “But after all, the well-known words of the Psalmist: “Turn away from evil,” are followed by others: “And do good, seek peace and strive for it” (Ps. 33:14), His Holiness Patriarch recalled. – And if we think and talk a lot and willingly about how to evade evil, then we tend to forget about the second part of this imperative of Holy Scripture, believing that the good in our life happens by itself. But it is precisely the desire for good, for the peace of Christ that requires the ascetic efforts of both parties of the marital union, and especially the head of the family, invested with holy dignity,” His Holiness emphasized.

Family happiness is not only about youth, the Patriarch noted: “Common prayer, maintaining mutual love and growing in it, gaining a common view of the world, the ability to maintain an attentive, grateful and appreciative attitude towards each other, generous patience, the ability to listen and hear - all this should be the content of the daily spiritual feat of the clergyman and his wife, and not only during the formation of a young family, but also - this is no less important - much later, in the years of maturity and even in old age.

The priest's family is in the forefront of his flock

The Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church drew attention to the fact that the priest has a responsibility for the flock, but also for his own family: “The sacrifice of a pastor is, first of all, the readiness to sacrifice oneself, one’s own strength, one’s attention, one’s rest and time. But this does not mean that you should completely sacrifice your neighbors! Are fathers always attentive to their spouses? Doesn't it happen that a priest busy with pastoral labors does not look at his wife's mood, at her needs, does not notice her fatigue, leaves her alone with the boredom and monotony of household chores? Attentive and sensitive attitude towards parishioners is the norm of pastoral behavior. And after all, household priests and, first of all, those who have connected their lives with him and his service, need such an attentive and sensitive attitude. She, along with her children, is in the forefront of his flock.”

Considering all this, many of the difficulties in life mentioned above will not be fatal, believes His Holiness Patriarch Kirill. Even the question of the family's readiness for the husband's priesthood loses its soreness and sharpness. “Yes, not always the wife of a priest or deacon from the first days can fully bear the obligations associated with her position and certain restrictions, real or imaginary hardships. But where there is a genuine commonality of life and mutual love and affection does not fade away, sooner or later a worldview unity is formed, a common view of things, like-mindedness and readiness to bear each other's burdens and fulfill the law of Christ (cf.: Gal. 6, 2),” said the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Thanks to mothers

Why do you have to be married to become a clergyman? His Holiness the Patriarch recalled the origins of this tradition. “The tradition of electing married people to the diaconal and presbyter dignity is not just an ancient custom of our Church. This is evidence of her wisdom inspired by the Holy Spirit; it is a wide-open window of opportunity for the active dissemination of the truth of Christ in the world. That is why the Apostle Paul in his epistle to Timothy (see: 1 Tim. 3.4); reminds us that the ability to manage your home well is one of the criteria for good pastoral service,” His Holiness emphasized.

Recently, a series of programs dedicated to illegitimate children has been broadcast on state television channels. Unfortunately, the meaning and content of these broadcasts are aimed, in my opinion, not at protecting traditional universal and Christian values, not at strengthening family ties and improving the moral state of society, but at rooting in mass consciousness anti-church and anti-state ideas.
The apotheosis of such programs, in my opinion, was the program "Family Secret", which took place on August 14, 2012 in the Show "Let them talk" on the first TV channel. The host of the program is Orthodox Andrey Malakhov.
The main character of this program, Raisa Streltsova, being married and having other children from her husband, gave birth to another main character of the program - a married man Pavel Price, who also has a wife and children. This was confirmed on the program by both main characters. A woman voluntarily and consciously gave birth to a child from her lover. There is a fact of adultery and the consequence of adultery is an illegitimate child.
I will give only one fragment of this transmission, which most capaciously and accurately reflects the meaning and nature of this transmission. Honored Artist of the Russian Federation Vladimir Konkin, who was invited to the program, so emotionally admired the sin committed by the heroes that one wonders: “You are great! ... My Russian heart rejoices, because you are an example (!) of chastity (?), dignity (?), My tongue does not dare to say that this is adultery (?). This is not adultery! (?)". So, Vladimir Konkin, who professes (in his words) Orthodoxy, calls into question the teachings of Jesus Christ himself and the Seventh Commandment on adultery and debauchery. The original meaning of adultery (adulterium) is any forbidden sexual intercourse (treason) married woman. If you carefully read the Bible, it becomes clear that the Bible pays special attention to the adultery of a married woman, since the consequence of the adultery of a married woman becomes an even more serious sin - an illegitimate child, which violates the husband's exclusive right to be the biological father in a marriage.
In my opinion, the monologue uttered by Konkin on this program, from the point of view of Orthodoxy, is cynical and blasphemous, since an undisguised call for debauchery, public propaganda of immorality, disrespect for the foundations of Christian dogma, an attempt to ennoble the gravest sin poured from the lips of the honored artist. Konkin, in my opinion, allowed the desecration of the teachings of Jesus Christ and the Seventh Commandment, and thereby deeply offended the feelings of believers.
Praising the act of a woman who gave birth to a child from adultery, the program organizers thereby inflicted, in my opinion, moral suffering on Russian families: men for belittling their right to be a biological father, women for the possibility of suspicion of adultery, since the program of the first channel is broadcast throughout the country.
For another woman in Pushkin's novel, morality and marital duty are higher than betrayal: “I love you (why dissemble?), But I am given to another; I will be faithful to him forever. It remains only to regret that these words, full of love for faith, for marital duty, for the Sacrament of the Wedding, were not spoken by Konkin.
In my opinion, in this program there is a direct intent to vulgarize family values, to denigrate the Christian doctrine.
Due to the fact that the program was watched by tens of millions of people, I hope that the Patriarchate, in order to protect the teachings of Christ, the Seventh Commandment and strengthen the authority of the Russian Orthodox Church, will take the initiative to initiate proceedings on the fact of insulting the feelings of believers and inflicting moral suffering on them through propaganda, and the imposition of anti-church beliefs on Orthodox believers in the program “Let them talk” on August 14, 2012 under the title “Family Secret”.
In another program, “Let them talk,” the following situation was presented. After more than ten years of married life, the husband accidentally, after a blood test for group affiliation, learns that he is not the biological father of the child born in his marriage to his wife. The husband's claim to challenge paternity was satisfied, the marriage was annulled without recovery of alimony from ex-husband. So this woman went to court for recognition as a father and recovery of alimony from her former lover, from whom she gave birth many years ago, who by this time already had his own family. Article 49 of the RF IC allows this. With her adultery, this woman caused a huge moral trauma to both men. What was it like for her husband to know that he was raising a child conceived by his better half from another man, that the right to be a biological father was stolen from him by his legal wife? And what moral damage did this adulteress inflict many years later on her former lover, his current family, wife, children, relatives and friends?
I won’t be surprised if in the near future on the program “Let them talk!” we will be shown the fact that the court has satisfied the claim of a prostitute to a rich patient to establish paternity and collect alimony. Article 49 of the Family Code allows this: “the court takes into account any evidence that reliably confirms the origin of the child from a particular person.” They will order a paid DNA test - that's the evidence. And the Orthodox host of the program Andrey Malakhov will "for the first time" colorfully talk about the "betrayal" of his father. And after the transfer, agencies will also appear to provide services for the extraction of such evidence in court. The business is profitable for the agency.
The Russian Orthodox Church actively advocates the inadmissibility of propaganda of sexual perversions. Right! Sexual promiscuity in any form or form is a violation of the Seventh Commandment. But, neither homosexuals nor lesbians will ever produce an illegitimate child.
The Seventh Commandment is aimed, first of all, at the exclusion of the most severe consequences of adultery - an illegitimate child, since by committing adultery the wife actually steals from her husband the right to be a father in a marriage. All his life such a child will bear the stain of shame and dishonor that adulterers have placed on him. But, neither homosexuals nor lesbians will ever produce an illegitimate child.
Now, in my opinion, there is a mass planting and propaganda of adultery, but for some reason there is no active condemnation of adultery and, above all, the most serious consequences of such a sin - an illegitimate child on the part of the Russian Orthodox Church.
Dear Patriarch, how is the current situation in Russia with the value of the family linked to the teachings of Jesus Christ, which proclaims the truth that the relationship between a man and a woman - family ties - are lifelong? Why does the Russian Orthodox Church not ring all the bells about the current situation?
The destruction of the family entails economic troubles, because as a result of this, the number of abandoned and abandoned children increases: there are millions of homeless children in Russia. The breakdown of the family also has a negative effect on the upbringing of children, because children can receive the best, full-fledged upbringing only in a full-fledged family. Doctors say that divorce has an extremely negative impact on the health of citizens: divorced people get sick more often than family ones and live less.
You can’t close your eyes and pretend that nothing is happening when it comes to the threat to the existence of the state itself: the reproduction of the indigenous population (Russians, Tatars, Bashkirs, Ukrainians, etc.) in the 21st century is falling catastrophically. Without war, without the influence of the West, the number of the Russian population alone in Russia is decreasing daily by 1,000-1,500 people, on average, by half a million annually, which is confirmed by the censuses.
I urge you to take decisive measures to stop the propaganda of debauchery, adultery and extremism on television and radio channels, to restore family values ​​and the institution of paternity in Russia.
Sincerely, Valentin
From an appeal dated 25.08.2012

“Therefore, categorically speaking out against any violence in the family, considering it a great sin, as well as a crime, we are forced to raise our voice to protect family space from any intrusion from the outside, under any pretext,” the patriarch said.

He added that "love is first and foremost a sacrifice when one spouse gives himself to the other spouse." “And such love cannot be invaded from the outside under any circumstances, because love itself is capable of incinerating any conflict and any problem in family relationships,” Kirill concluded. The ROC believes that the draft law on domestic violence "contradicts the generally recognized legal principles of reasonableness, justice and equality", and its application in practice "will lead to gross and massive violation of the rights of citizens and families." The preventive measures listed in the document, according to the church, are “repressive in nature”, and “any normal human action” can be recognized as domestic violence, the Patriarchal Commission said in a statement. “Our people are convinced that the Russian family is just a gloomy dungeon and torture chamber for women and children. In order to create this impression, data are being disseminated that are presented as statistics, but in reality have no real basis," the statement said. The ROC noted that they are not surprised by the fact that the bill is actively supported by LGBT people and feminists. The draft law on the prevention of domestic violence was published on November 29 by the Federation Council. According to the document, “domestic” violence means physical acts that do not contain signs of an administrative offense or a criminal offense. “At the same time, “preventive conversations” and “protective orders” are offered as punishments for those who committed violence. The Ministry of Internal Affairs may prohibit the violator from communicating with his victim in person, by phone and via the Internet, as well as trying to find out where he is. If the violator does not comply with these requirements, then he may be held accountable, but the bill does not say which one. The bill is expected to be submitted to the State Duma by the end of 2019. The Just Russia faction has already stated that it will not support him. According to its leader, Sergei Mironov, the bill could "pave the way for the introduction of juvenile justice, the main goal of which is to remove children from families and then give them somewhere - it is possible that they are in same-sex families abroad." The human rights organization Zona Prava also criticized the bill, but it, on the contrary, considered it too soft. The authors of the original version of the bill also believe that the latest version of the document was "the result of the Federation Council's flirting with all sorts of radical conservative groups." In the new version, beatings and infliction of harm to health are completely removed from the scope of the law, therefore, to pass the law in such a truncated and legally illiterate form is complete absurdity, human rights activists believe. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, from January to September 2019, more than 15 thousand crimes against women in the field of family and domestic relations were committed in Russia. According to the resource

Moscow Kremlin. At the end of the service, the Primate of the Russian Orthodox Church addressed the audience with the First Hierarch's word.

Your Eminences and Eminences! Venerable fathers, mother nuns! Brothers and sisters!

I cordially greet you all and congratulate you on the second day of the Nativity of Christ, when we dedicate our prayers to the family of our Savior. This day is called the Cathedral Holy Mother of God. Around the Mother of God were the closest relatives, Her relatives in the flesh, who were, of course, relatives of the Infant Jesus. This is the Betrothed Joseph, this is the cousin of the Savior Jacob, who later became the first bishop of Jerusalem - this was a family. And when we say that Christmas is a family holiday, it is not just a tribute to some secular tradition to celebrate this day with the family, but also a reverence filled with great meaning. family relations. The Lord Himself, His Most Pure Mother lived in a family. And the family is the cradle in which children are brought up, in which human relations are honed.

There is no more difficult relationship than between a husband and wife, because these relationships undergo many trials. After all, no one else constantly lives side by side with each other. When we come to work, we communicate with someone for a while, and then we go to the family. But we are always in the family, and in the family we are what are actually. The family removes all conventions, destroys all prejudices, and it is not easy to perceive a person as he is, because there is not only good, but also bad in this.

What keeps a family in the face of this unvarnished reality? There is only one force that can connect people living with each other - it is the power of love.

That is why we pray today for families - for husbands and wives, for children, for grandparents, for all who are united by family ties. May God bless the lives of our families! May the Lord strengthen each member of the family and may he be wise to cherish this great community and never question its value - even when relationships between family members go through trials! And God forbid that these trials never end in the destruction of saints and God-blessed family ties. living in the family, everyone makes a small feat and if he does it worthily, the family is strong, strong, and she is able to pass through all trials both external and internal. In such families and strong personalities are formed capable of exploits.

Today I became aware of a feat performed by one of our patrol officers. It happened on the snow-covered highway Orenburg-Orsk. Of course, you have heard and seen television programs: a terrible blizzard, frost, cold. Many got stuck in snowdrifts, many of their lives literally hung in the balance, and next to these unfortunates was police officer Daniil Maksudov, who, saving someone, gave him his mittens, a jacket ... Now he is in the hospital with severe frostbite of the limbs, and it is not known how it will all end - perhaps in the most tragic way for him. But after all, when he took off his warm mittens and gave them to someone else, when he took off his uniform jacket, he understood what he was doing! He went to this act deliberately.

Let these examples help us realize the importance of human achievement. Without such feats, human community cannot take place. Without deeds, a family cannot take place. You need to learn to step on the throat of your song. You have to learn to control your emotions. Gotta learn to keep love even when the husband and wife grow old and cease to be attractive, when the physical forces and energy that attract people to each other are lost. We must learn to bear the feat of life in the family, and then the children will be capable of feat, our people will be capable of feat, without which human society cannot take place and without which the state cannot be strong.

Let us pray for our brother Daniel, that the Lord heal him, give him strength, and that his example will inspire many to accomplish both a professional feat and, perhaps even more difficult, the feat of bearing responsibility for one's family and for one's neighbors.

Once again, I sincerely congratulate you all on the feast of the Nativity of Christ!

Press Service of the Patriarch of Moscow and All Rus'

Bold the text is highlighted by me, because I especially wanted to draw attention, first of all, to the incomprehensible power of the struggle that we wage every hour with the enemy, being tested and tested every minute. I, a sinner, should neither add nor subtract anything from the words of His Holiness the Patriarch.

I'll just draw attention. We are here on this dating site, one way or another we are either with the family or in search of it - the site, you know, thematic - obliges!

How subtly His Holiness points out that we are all in a family! Even those who have taken on the high feat of asceticism and service to God come from a family! Even monks come from family to family!

Can you imagine, brethren and sisters, how high this raises the ideal of the family! To what incredible heights! Further, His Holiness the Patriarch says: "... While living in a family, everyone performs a small feat ..." and further: "... In such families, strong personalities are formed, capable of a feat." Moreover, we are talking not only about children growing up in such a family. We know many cases when, by the will of God, great ascetics, fasters were brought up outside the family, outside the parents! But it's also a family! Such relationships give the feeling of closeness to God even closer!

His Holiness the Patriarch, as I understand it, does not limit this circle of "persons capable of feat" to children! No! And once again (in my regrettable and sinful opinion) no! Parents! This is where it begins - the most beautiful example of a feat!

According to His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus', "... The Lord Himself, His Blessed Mother lived in a family." So on January 31 we will remember the wonderful ascetics and at the same time the parents of Cyril and Mary of Radonezh, who gave us our father, St. Sergius, hegumen of Radonezh!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let's remember that we are ascetics in our parenthood, some are the future, and some are already. Let's keep before our eyes that invisible ideal that the Lord Himself gave us, having been born into a family! Let's remember the words of His Holiness the Patriarch, who says that "without deeds a family cannot take place" and "one must learn to keep love", which (Love) still needs to learn!

Prayer to all of us help, strength and patience for "bearing responsibility for your family and for your neighbors" from the All-Merciful and All-Generous Lord Jesus Christ! God bless Holy Rus' and all Orthodox Christians! God save us many sinners and grant many and good years to Our Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'!

Help the Lord to our brother, the servant of God Daniel, and grant him your peace and peace of good