About the great virtue - patience. Teachings of Metropolitan John Snychev

What are the 7 virtues?

Christian 7 virtues - a list of good deeds or images of a person’s inner disposition that have a beneficial effect on his soul and bring it closer to God. Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk calls virtue “every word, deed and thought that is in accordance with the law of God” (“Fatherland”).

The list of “Seven Virtues” is not the only and final one. He cites only the most important qualities of a true Christian. There are many other classifications of virtues and their lists.

Virtue

Sins against one's neighbor

Lack of diligence in one's position or one's work in the dormitory. Disrespect for superiors or elders. Failure to fulfill a promise to a person. Non-payment of debts. Taking by force or secret appropriation of someone else's property. Stinginess in alms. Personal insult to one's neighbor. Gossip. Slander. Cursing others. Unnecessary suspicions. Failure to protect an innocent person or a just cause with loss for them. Murder. Disrespect for parents. Failure to look after children with Christian care. Anger is hostility in family or home life.

Sins and 7 virtues

Each Christian virtue is the opposite of certain sins and at the same time an “antidote” to them, a means of healing the soul from these sins. Thus, if a person knows his main sinful passions, then for spiritual cleansing and salvation he needs to focus on the corresponding virtues. It is also important to remember that all virtues are related to each other. Diligent execution of one of them will certainly attract many others into the soul. The Monk Paisius the Svyatogorets taught:

“If you decide to struggle against some passion and cultivate the opposite virtue not for five minutes, but for a long time, then you will achieve the fact that along with a specific defeated passion you will get rid of other passions. In addition, virtues that are opposite to these passions will develop in you” (“Passion and Virtues”).

For example, the passion of gluttony is opposed to the virtue of abstinence, fasting. If a Christian diligently abstains from excesses in food, his passion gradually weakens. The flesh not only ceases to enslave the will, but, on the contrary, becomes subordinate to it. It is easier for a person who is not satiated to resist many other passions, as well as to cultivate other virtues in his soul. For example, such a person will be more inclined to pray than someone whose stomach is full. Archpriest Andrei Tkachev notes:

“If they are together - fasting and prayer, then they, intertwined, will constantly support each other. When praying, a person does not feel the severity of abstinence so keenly. The burning of the praying spirit makes one forget about bodily needs.”

Sins against the Lord God

Belief in dreams, fortune telling, meetings and other signs. Doubts about faith. Laziness towards prayer and absent-mindedness during it. Not going to Church, long absence from confession and Holy Communion. Hypocrisy in Divine Worship. Blasphemy or just murmuring against God in the soul and in words. The intention to raise your hands. In vain. An unfulfilled promise to God. Blasphemy of the sacred. Anger with mention of evil spirits (trait). Eating or drinking on Sundays and holidays before the end of the Liturgy. Violation of fasts or inaccurate observance of them is a work issue on holidays.

1st virtue: Longsuffering

This virtue is expressed in persistently enduring hardships and sorrows, which are sent by God for our spiritual growth. A patient person always maintains peace of mind and does not get irritated with his neighbors.

With patience, a Christian overcomes the passions of anger, condemnation, resentment, enmity, and irascibility. Holy Scripture calls us:

“With patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19).

Let us also cite the instruction of St. John Chrysostom:

“When we endure evil, the devil becomes a captive and suffers evil, while he wants to do it to us... To be worthy to endure anything for the sake of Christ is the greatest grace, a perfect crown and a reward no less than the future reward!” (Complete collection of works).

China

Jade in Chinese tradition represents a number of virtues:

moral purity, justice, sincerity, courage, harmony, devotion and benevolence.

The Phoenix (Feng Huang is one of the four sacred creatures), has five colors, and symbolizes the five virtues: dignity in war, nobility in peace, courage, reliability and generosity.

The “four ropes” of morality (virtues) were: integrity, modesty, sense of duty and the ability to correctly observe ceremonies.

For the Chinese, lamb bamboo is a symbol of filial virtue.

2nd virtue: Prayer

True Christianity is impossible without prayer - the ardent aspiration of the mind and heart to the Lord and the saints. A sincere appeal to God and the righteous will never go unanswered. The Lord said:

"Ask, and it shall be given you; seek and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

According to St. Theodore of Edessa, in communion with God a person finds protection from evil, purification of the mind and consolation from sadness (“Philokalia”). Therefore, prayer is the best cure for such passions as despondency, despair, idleness, insensibility, laziness. The Holy Venerable John Climacus taught:

“Merely remaining in prayer is already an acquisition. What good is greater than this - to cleave to the Lord and remain unceasingly in union with Him” (“The Ladder”).

"New" era

Over time, the definition of what virtues are has received other new forms. Spinoza, one of the main representatives of the philosophy of the “new” era, argued that virtue is the benefit that a person can bring to the world around him. But according to Kant’s teachings, virtue is moral and firm stability in observing one’s duty, which, however, never becomes a habit, but constantly requires a conscious choice.

The well-known diplomat, writer and politician Benjamin Franklin, in his autobiographical book, defined the principle of “thirteen virtues” that any successful person must have:

• modesty;
• calm;
• moderation;
• justice;
• hard work;
• thrift;
• silence;
• order;
• sincerity;
• determination;
• chastity;
• purity;
• abstinence.

In principle, this list can be continued many times; for example, the pedantic Germans define it with a much larger number of points.

3rd virtue: Chastity

Chastity most often means purity and immaculateness of the flesh, virginity. However, this concept can also have a broader meaning - the spiritual beauty of a person, his moral integrity, perseverance in resisting temptations.

As we remember, sins and 7 virtues are opposites. What spiritual illnesses can be overcome by chastity? First of all, these are prodigal sins, as well as unclean thoughts and foul language. We should keep our souls and bodies pure, since they are designed for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit:

“Do you not know that you are the temple of God, and the Spirit of God dwells in you? If anyone destroys the temple of God, God will punish him, for the temple of God is holy; and this temple you are” (1 Cor. 3:16–17).

The Gospel tells us that fornicators, adulterers, adulterers and homosexuals commit abomination before God and will not find the Kingdom of Heaven (1 Cor. 6:9-10). Even mental depravity alienates a person from God and makes him a slave to base passions that lead to sinful actions. In this regard, Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) teaches that first of all it is necessary

“alienation of the mind from prodigal thoughts and dreams, and the heart from prodigal sensations and desires. This will be followed by the alienation of the body from carnal lust” (“Ascetic Experiences”).

Virtue in Prussia

This list of ideal human qualities by the philosopher Socrates dates back to the era of Enlightenment and Lutheranism. The concept of German virtues appeared during the reign of Frederick William the First, who strengthened the internal position of Prussia in the 18th century. Even today it remains unknown for what reason this particular set was determined, but large-scale adherence to it brought significant benefits, and left quite a big mark in the history of Prussia. This is what true human virtues look like, according to Frederick William the First:

• love of order;
• thrift;
• integrity;
• sincerity;
• piety;
• obedience;
• zeal;
• restraint;
• honesty;
• modesty;
• hardness;
• loyalty;
• sense of justice;
• straightforwardness;
• subordination;
• discipline;
• dedication;
• reliability;
• bravery;
• courage;
• call of Duty;
• punctuality.

4th virtue: Mercy and almsgiving

This virtue implies compassion for one’s neighbor, selfless provision of material or other assistance to him. Mercy destroys selfishness in a person, ennobles and pacifies his soul. The Lord calls us:

“Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

Let us remember His other words:

“Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

Saint John Chrysostom teaches:

“Alms are the queen of virtues, very quickly elevating people to the vaults of Heaven, the best protector” (Complete Collection of Creations, volume 2).

This virtue is an effective spiritual weapon in overcoming the love of money, greed, greed, and callousness towards one’s neighbor. However, Saint John adds:

“If you give away even thousands of talents (coins), with pride, arrogance and vanity, you will destroy everything, just as the Pharisee, who gave a tenth of his property, but was arrogant and arrogant about it, left the temple, having destroyed everything "(Complete Works, Volume 3).

Mortal sins, that is, those that make a person guilty of eternal death or destruction

1. Pride, despising everyone, demanding servility from others, ready to ascend to heaven and become like the Most High: in a word - pride to the point of self-adoration.

2. An insatiable soul, or Judas’s greed for money, combined for the most part with unrighteous acquisitions, not allowing a person even a minute to think about spiritual things.

3. Fornication, or the dissolute life of the prodigal son, who squandered all his father’s estate on such a life.

4. Envy, leading to every possible crime against one’s neighbor.

5. Gluttony or carnal knowledge, not knowing any fasting, combined with a passionate attachment to various amusements, following the example of the Evangelical rich man, who had fun all day long.

6. Uncompromising anger and resolving to terrible destruction, following the example of Herod, who in his anger beat the Bethlehem babies.

7. Laziness, or complete carelessness about the soul, carelessness about repentance until the last days of life, such as in the days of Noah.

5th virtue: Temperance

Temperance is the ability to control one’s own desires. Man has both natural needs (for example, food) and passions perverted by sin. The latter must be fought mercilessly, while satisfying the former requires reasonable measures. Without it, even a natural need can develop into a terrible sinful passion that enslaves a person’s will. Thus, excesses in food lead to the passion of gluttony, drunkenness, etc. Priest Georgy Maximov notes:

“An intemperate person experiences a clouding of his mind, his memory and all abilities become dull, he becomes hot-tempered, irritable, cannot control himself, and becomes a slave to his passion.”

The virtue of abstinence strengthens a person's will and frees him from sinful addictions. One of the means of cultivating abstinence is fasting, which curbs the flesh and thoughts, making them an instrument for fulfilling God's commandments. Let us quote the teaching of St. John Chrysostom:

“He who believes that fasting only means abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting is avoiding evil, curbing the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander and lies” (Creations).

Antiquity

Already in Ancient Greece, four of the seven virtues were distinguished: wisdom, courage, justice and moderation, called the basic ones. All of them were characterized by Plato /"State" 4:427 ff./ as such as are necessary for the ideal citizen. The search for a single source of all virtues led Socrates to the opinion that reason is the source of all virtues. Wisdom was recognized as the highest virtue, containing all others. Much later, the Stoics returned to the intellectualism of Socrates, who saw the sage as the ideal of man. It should be noted that the number of virtues recognized in the ancient world was not limited to these four: for example, Abrxas was considered the owner of 365 virtues - according to the number of days in the year. The first “classification” division of virtues is found in Aristotle, who distinguished the virtues of the will from the virtues of the mind. The first, which he called ethical, were considered as a mean between two extremes; the second - dianoetic - as the correct attitude of the mind to objects and to the lower virtues.

6th virtue: Humility

Humility lies in a sober assessment of one's spiritual state. This is an admission of oneself as a sinner, who, in order to be saved, must step over one’s own pride and trust in the will of the Lord. The more a person humbles himself, the more his own sinfulness is revealed to him. At the same time, humility strengthens the repentant sinner in his trust in God. Rev. Nikita Stifat teaches:

“Humility is something greatest in virtues; for in whom it takes root through sincere repentance and takes prayer with abstinence as a companion, it immediately makes them free from passions, peace gives them strength, cleanses the heart with tears and fills it with silence in the invasion of the Spirit” (Creations).

The Gospel teaches us:

“God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (James 4:6).

Humility overcomes pride (the stronghold of all sins), arrogance, self-will, murmuring, envy, deceit, self-justification and hypocrisy. In humility, a person’s faith and love for God and neighbors are strengthened. With this virtue, a repentant sinner opens his heart to Divine grace, sanctifies and transforms his life.

Christianity

In scholasticism, virtues are identified with angelic Forces, which introduce angelic light into the human soul. They are located on the second celestial sphere (next to the Dominions and Powers) and correspond to the seven main planets. Christianity, unlike the Greeks, saw the essence of human character not in the intellect, but in the will, and contrasted three theological virtues with the four main ones: faith, hope and love, designated as the daughters of St. Sophia (wisdom). “And now these three remain: faith, hope, love; but love is the greatest of these.” /Cor 13:13/ All together they made up seven. The Fathers of the Church sanctioned them for Christians: they were the benefits that are given to man from the Eucharist.

Thomas Aquinas counts 10 virtues, adding to the four basic and three theological virtues three more intellectual virtues - wisdom, science and knowledge.

The philosophical and ethical thought of the Middle Ages was largely based on the opposition of Virtue and Vice, Good and Evil, the virtue and sinfulness of human nature. Subsequently, the concept of virtue as an ethical principle was supplanted by the concepts of freedom of spirit and the highest good. Perhaps the last attempt to restore the teaching of virtues is found in the system of Vl. Solovyov (“Justification of Good,” Chapter V).

7th virtue: Love

There is no higher virtue in Orthodoxy than love. It is the main property of God Himself:

"God is love. He who abides in love abides in God, and God in him” (1 John 4:16).

Love conquers all evil and enmity. This virtue, according to the expression of Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov), is a gift of the Lord, poured into the souls of His true servants by the action of the Holy Spirit (“Ascetic Experiences”). Love for God and neighbor - the entire Divine Law can be reduced to these two commandments (Matthew 22:37-39). Without love, all other Christian virtues lose meaning:

“If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries, and have all knowledge and all faith, so that I could move mountains, but do not have love, then I am nothing. And if I give away all my goods and give my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing” (1 Cor. 13:2-3).

At the same time, we must not forget that genuine Christian love is active (i.e., actively expressed by deeds, actions) and sacrificial (selflessly serves one’s neighbor, shows self-sacrifice). It should extend even to enemies (Matthew 5:44), because in every person there is a particle of God’s image. Priest Georgy Maximov notes:

“The Lord Jesus Christ came to earth and accepted death to open the path of salvation for every person, which means that He shed His Blood for him as well as for us. This alone is enough to love someone who offends us, being sick with sin and blinded by the devil.”

Christian virtue of patience

Just as the courage of a warrior is recognized not in times of peace, but in battle during war, so the virtue of patience is recognized in us during troubles and sorrows that happen.

There are many obstacles to the acquisition of this virtue: from the flesh, from the sin-loving world, and from the devil. From the flesh they fight against patience: carnality with extreme “love of life” and the desire for an exclusively calm, well-fed life, with all contentment and pleasures. The sinful world attracts a person with the lures of pleasure and entertainment. A person accustomed to all kinds of worldly sinful entertainment and pleasures is impatient in labor and hardship, and cowardly in the sorrows that befall him. And finally, the devil, through all sorts of temptations and sorrows, tries to plunge a Christian into impatience, murmuring and despondency, etc., in order to thus deprive him of the reward for patience.

A carnal man, naturally, is horrified by illness, suffering, poverty, dishonor, reproach, reproach, and others, and is disgusted by the internal and external sorrows that befall Christians in this world. Therefore, many, out of sinful selfishness, turn away from true Christianity, which requires renouncing carnal lusts, “crucifying the flesh with its passions and lusts” (Gal. 5:24).

“The cross (of suffering) and various sorrows is the Christian banner under which Christians fight against their King Christ, crucified on the cross”163. “The cross is a ladder of ascent through the degrees of Christian perfection”164. All those who pleased God ascended along it.

The feat of bearing the cross of life is for all Christians: “If anyone wants to follow Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me,” says the Lord (Matthew 16:24). This cross is the essence of sorrow in the fight against passions and vices, it is the patience of contempt, hatred, oppression, reproach, expulsion and every calamity that comes from the world to the servants of Christ. Under this banner of the cross, all the saints labored, who now triumph (rejoice) in their heavenly fatherland with the Hero of God Jesus Christ. We, living Christians, must also rise under this banner and join the army of Christ, while there is still time for achievement, in order to be worthy to triumph in the heavenly Kingdom with all the saints.

Without a doubt, this feat of enduring tribulations frightens many people at first. Just as warriors are at first afraid to enter into battle with the enemy, but those who have begun to fight, and especially those who have already been in battles, no longer have such fear, but the mere zeal and hope of victory inflames the hearts, so those who enter into the Christian feat are frightened by sorrows, troubles and temptations, but for those who have begun and strive, with the help of God, sorrows will not be terrible and will be easily endured.

Our Savior Lord Jesus Christ knew that His faithful servants, true Christians, would be sorrowful in the world, as He Himself predicted it to them (John 16:33) - therefore, out of His love for mankind, He promised to always be inseparably with them: “Behold I am with you always, even to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20). Having this hope, Christians and the entire Church joyfully exclaim to Him: “O Divine One! oh dear! O Thy sweetest voice! You have truly promised to be with us until the end of the age, O Christ.”165 Having this promise, we rejoice and are confirmed in the firm hope of God’s constant help.

This is the presence of God with His servants, Christians faithful to Him, - not the same as with other people and creatures, since God, as omnipresent, is everywhere and in every place - but gracious and comforting and protecting them as His children. And how comforting is this presence of the Lord with Christians in their sorrows! By this grace-filled presence of God, the faithful are encouraged and strengthened in prayer and boldly say to God with the prophet: “Even if I walk in the midst of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for You are with me” (Ps. 22:4); they dare166 in bonds, in prisons, exiles, in captivity, suffering, battles, mortal dangers, for the Lord is near them, preserving and saving them, “God is with us!” (Isa. 8:10) - they talk to the prophet; “If God is for us, who can be against us?” - they exclaim with the apostle. Should we hesitate to join the army of Christ and stand under the Christian banner of the cross? – Christ our King, Christ our Leader, Christ our Hero, Christ our helper, protector, fortress, strength, affirmation, victory, triumph! You just need to hold fast to Him, follow Him, trust in Him. He, like the Almighty, will strengthen the faint-hearted, strengthen the weary, give a helping hand to those who are falling, and instruct those who doubt.

So, let every Christian enter into heroic deeds with His help - for victory does not happen without heroic deeds, and there is no crown and triumph without victory. We will strive with Him, conquer with Him, and triumph with Him forever in His kingdom167.

The all-good Lord provides for us in everything, and without His holy will nothing happens, and everything that happens, whatever happens to us Christians, happens not by blind chance, but by the wise Providence of God (Matthew 10:29– 31). Consequently, every trouble, disaster and suffering occurs according to God’s Providence, as the Scripture says: “good and evil, life and death, poverty and wealth, are from the Lord” (Sir. 11:14)168.

In this thought that everything comes from the Lord, a Christian must firmly believe and strengthen himself in order to surrender himself to His holy will in everything. From God, as the good Source of all good, nothing bad can happen, but only everything good is for our spiritual benefit169. This devotion to the will of God is the guarantee of spiritual peace and patience: “True peace is in surrendering oneself to the will of God,” says one of our domestic ascetics170.

Tribulation befalls all people, and most of all Christians. “Especially in these times,” says St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, “those who want to live piously” have nothing to expect except violence, bitterness (oppression and disasters), persecution (and other sorrows): for “with the increase of lawlessness” the love of many has already dried up. Therefore, every Christian who wants to live godly must prepare himself for patience (Matthew 24:13)171.

Ascetics advise us to prepare ourselves for the misfortunes and sorrows that threaten us by meditation and strengthen ourselves with prayer, so that they, suddenly attacking us unprepared, do not lead to great confusion and suppress our spirit172.

Prayer with devotion to the will of God strengthens the soul to courageously face sorrow if it is inevitable. Prayer asks for God's help in bearing the sent sorrow. Through fervent and fervent prayer, we ask God for intercession and deliverance from many grave temptations, sorrows and dangers that threaten us from visible and invisible enemies.

In order to strengthen ourselves in patience, we must always keep in mind those good purposes for which sorrows are sent to us from God; they are sent to us by our loving Heavenly Father out of love for us, for our own good. The Apostle Paul says about this: “The Lord punishes whomever he loves; he beats every son whom he receives” (Prov. 3:11–12). If you suffer punishment, then God (by sending it) treats you as sons. For is there any son whom his father does not punish? If you remain without punishment, which is common to everyone, then you are illegitimate children, not sons.” Moreover, if we, being punished by our parents, fear them and show them obedience, then shouldn’t we much more submit in everything to the Heavenly Father, who disciplines us so that we can achieve salvation and righteousness (Heb. 12:6-11).

“Punishments,” says St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, “what happens through troubles and misfortunes is a sign of God’s mercy” towards us173.

God punishes us here in order to have mercy in eternity: “having been judged, we are punished by the Lord,” says the Apostle, “so as not to be condemned with the world” (1 Cor. 11:32).

The benefits of sorrows for religious and moral life are very great.

Sorrows cleanse our sins (and who among us is without sin?), awaken us from spiritual slumber and negligence, to which we are so comfortable and from which the soul relaxes and passions intensify.

Sorrows heal old vices and passions, warn against various sinful temptations and new falls (1 Peter 4:1-2). The physician of souls and bodies (our Lord our God) uses the instrument of sorrows to uproot the roots and erase the traces of sin, and with the fire of suffering burns out the infection of inclinations to sinful pleasures. “Suffering from the flesh,” says the apostle. Peter, “he ceases to sin, so that the rest of the time in the flesh he may no longer live according to human lusts, but according to the will of God” (1 Peter 4:1-2)174.

In some life circumstances, minor sorrows protect us, according to the good Providence of God, from greater sorrows, unbearable troubles and dangers.

Sorrows remove175 the heart from attachment to sensual pleasures, forcing one to more often resort to God in prayer, in Whom alone one can find true consolation and peace of the soul.

Sorrows soften a heart hardened by sensuality and make it more responsive. Sorrow humbles a Christian and makes him more capable of receiving God's grace. In prosperity, says St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, a person ascends, but in sorrow he humbles himself, therefore God sends a cross (sorrow) to a person so that he humbles himself and thus does not lose eternal bliss176.

Through sorrow, a Christian is encouraged to practice various virtues, especially, according to the Apostle (Rom. 5:3 et seq.), sorrow teaches patience, patience teaches experience - the art of fighting one’s own passions and external temptations in order to gain victory over them and in acquisition of virtues; and experience in this affirms hope for salvation (2 Cor. 4:16; James 1:3–4; 1 Peter 1:6–7).

“Tribulation is used by the Providence of God for believers and those being saved, as a means of testing and preparation for the highest degree of virtue, perfection and blessedness. This test is not necessary for God, the Knower of the Heart, but is necessary for the person himself, whose “heart is deep” (Ps. 63:7) and who himself does not know what can be revealed and developed from him. Just as the impact (blow) of iron on a hard stone strikes sparks of which there were no signs before, so with the blows of sorrows, sparks of virtues shine from a solid soul, which otherwise would not have been aroused.”177

“Various sorrows and temptations,” according to St. Ephraim the Syrian - show whether a Christian really has love for God, faith, hope, patience. And only those who prove to be skillful in everything, faithful and worthy of the hope of faith, having been deemed worthy of deliverance by grace, will, in all justice, become heirs of the Kingdom of Heaven.”178

Sorrows and disasters are sent to many great sinners “for defeat (as a punishment worthy of them), but to the righteous for glorification” for their great patience, exploits and love for God179.

The holy fathers and ascetics comprehensively depict from experience the many different benefits of sorrows (about which see the separate chapter below). St. Maximus the Confessor says: “Almost every sin occurs for pleasure and therefore is destroyed by suffering and sorrow - either voluntary, resulting from repentance, or, according to God’s vision, from circumstances allowed by Providence itself. The more evil you are, the less you abhor suffering, so that, by humbling yourself with it, you can get rid of pride. Temptations come to people - some with sweets (pleasures), others with sorrows, and others with bodily suffering. For the Physician of souls, according to His destinies, applies healing, looking at the cause of passions located in the soul. Temptations are brought upon some to destroy sins already committed, on others to stop those being committed now; and others to turn away those who follow, excluding temptations sent to test a person, as was the case with Job.”

In the midst of sorrows, the soul is purified like gold in a furnace (Wis. Sol. 3:6)180. According to Rev. Abba Dorotheus, “sorrows attract the mercy of God to the soul, just as the winds bring rain. And just as prolonged rain, acting on a tender plant, causes rot in it and spoils its fruit, and the winds gradually dry out and strengthen it, so it happens with the soul: prolonged happiness, peace lead the soul into carelessness, carelessness, which relaxes and dissipates it; temptations, on the contrary, strengthen and unite with God, as the prophet says: “Lord, in tribulation I remember Thee” (Is. 33:2). Therefore, we should neither be embarrassed nor lose heart in temptations, but we must endure without complaint and thank God in sorrows and always pray to God with humility that He would show mercy to our weakness and cover us from all evil for His glory.”181

True patience is such a virtue that the merciful Lord looks upon with special favor and sends His grace to the heart of the patient. “Who will I look at? - says the Lord, - only against the meek and silent and trembling at My words” (Is. 56:2).

So, seeing what benefits come from patiently enduring sorrows and what hope is set before us and what promises God has given us for patience, we, His faithful followers of the Lord, must not be afraid of labor, courageously and patiently endure every uprising of the evil one against us and every sorrow in the hope of what is prepared for us in heaven; consider all sorrows and temptations not difficult and cruel, but easy - with the readiness to endure them and even die for the sake of the Lord. “Let us resist every uprising of the enemy” (the devil), says St. Ephraim the Syrian, - with love, having “always before his eyes death for the Lord; and as the Lord said, daily lifting up the cross upon ourselves, that is, death (the cross of self-sacrifice with the readiness to endure everything, even death, for the sake of the Lord), we will endure all sorrow, both secret and open. For if we expect to endure death for the Lord and always have it before our eyes with desire, then all the more with ease, willingly and joyfully will we endure sorrows, no matter how severe they may be. For if we impatiently recognize (“we consider”) sorrows as heavy and burdensome, it is because we do not have before our eyes death for the Lord and our thoughts are not always directed toward Him with love.” Whoever strongly, ardently desires to be an heir of Christ, in accordance with this, let him also desire to suffer, as Christ suffered. “Those who love Christ are recognized by this, that they endure every sorrow that befalls them courageously and willingly, out of trust in Christ.”182

The Fatherland contains a story from ancient paternal life - how one monk learned to endure everything for the sake of Christ. This is the story:

“A certain brother lived in an Egyptian cenobitic monastery, carrying out obedience, and was loved by five brothers, but unloved by one brother. Due to the dislike of one brother, he left that monastery and moved to another. Here eight brothers loved him, and two hated him. He left this monastery and entered a third one, in which seven brothers were disposed towards him, and five were not. The brother could not stand it and ran away from there. He came to a certain monastery and before entering it, he sat down and reasoned with himself like this: “If I obey my thoughts, then there will not be enough places in the universe for my transitions: therefore, from now on I promise to endure.” Then he took out a piece of paper and wrote a question to himself on it: “You left several monasteries, not enduring grumbling and reproaches; here they will cause you more trouble than in those monasteries. Remember all the reasons that prompted you to go out: you will find all these reasons here; will you endure?” In response, he wrote: “In the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I will endure.” He rolled the note into a scroll, put it in his belt and, after praying, entered the monastery.

After a short time, he heard the brethren grumble against himself: he was upset; then he took out the note and read his vow written on it: “In the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I will endure.” At the same time, he said to himself: “You made a promise to God, ask Him for help.” In this way, the brother received consolation and strengthened himself in patience.

The invisible enemy, outraged by his brother’s patience, inspired the other brothers (monks of the monastery) with the inquisitive thought that this was what his brother was reading to console him. They began to say: “The alien monk is a magician: he reads something and gets rid of embarrassment.” Finally they went to the abbot and told him: “We cannot live with this brother: he is a sorcerer, he wears charm (witchcraft) in his belt; if you want to have him in the monastery, then let us leave the monastery.”

The abbot was a spiritual man (“husband”). Knowing his brother’s humility, he realized that what was said to him was said out of envy inspired by the devil, and therefore answered the monks: “Go and pray, and I will go and pray, and after three days I will give you an answer.”

One day, when the brother was sleeping, the abbot took his belt and read the note, then put it in his place. After three days, the monks came to the abbot and asked him: “Tell us, what do you want to do with the sorcerer?” The abbot answered: “Call him.” When he arrived, the abbot said to him: “Why are you seducing the brethren?” The brother answered: “I have sinned, forgive me and pray for me.” The abbot, turning to the brethren, asked: “What are you bringing a complaint against him? What did he do?" The monks answered: “He is a sorcerer, he has witchcraft in his belt.” The abbot said to his brother: “Show your witchcraft.” The brother answered: “I have sinned, forgive me.” The abbot said to this: “Take his witchcraft from him.” The brother did not allow him to unfasten his belt, but they did it and took out the note. The father gave the note to the deacon and ordered it to be read aloud to everyone, saying: “Let the devil be ashamed who teaches a man witchcraft.”

When they read what was written in the note: “In the name of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, I endure,” then the brethren were ashamed. They bowed to the abbot to the ground, saying: “We have sinned, forgive us.” The father said to them: “Why are you bowing to me? Worship God and bow down at the feet of this brother.” And he said to his brother: “Pray for them, so that their sin may be forgiven.” And the brother prayed for the brothers to God.”183

Our love for Christ God must also be manifested in the fact that, joyfully and uncomplainingly enduring for the sake of His love for us, we give thanks to Him for everything, according to the commandment: “Give thanks in everything” (1 Thessalonians 5:18). It is obvious that one should give thanks in needs, and in sorrows, and in illnesses, and in joy184. Through thanksgiving, a Christian is rewarded with God’s help, which protects him. Thanks for everything to God “intercedes with God about human weakness”185.

The gospel truth should also confirm us in patience that there is no other way to the heavenly fatherland except the narrow path of self-sacrifice and patience of sorrows (Matthew 7:13-14; Acts 14:22). Just as Jesus Christ Himself had to suffer and thus enter into His glory (Luke 24:26), so His followers must follow Jesus Christ in no other way than by enduring tribulations in order to achieve the kingdom of glory (Matthew 16: 24). Through true patience we become conformed to Christ the Son of God, as members of the Head, who endured so much sorrow and suffering for our sake. And whoever is conformed to Him in patience will be a partaker of His glory in the resurrection: if we suffer with Jesus Christ, says the Apostle, then we will also be glorified with Him, we will become joint heirs with Him (Rom. 8:17; 1 Peter 4:3; 2: 21)186. All the saints followed the same path, as can be seen from the Holy Scriptures. Scripture and Church History. “By looking at the image (example) of Christ’s suffering,” says St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, - the holy martyrs and other saints, and those (true Christians) who are now suffering every calamity - (very) patience is strengthened (in us).”187

For temporary suffering, God promised to reward eternal joy and such glory, in comparison with which all real sorrows are worth nothing (Rom. 8:18; 2 Cor. 4:17). For eye has not seen, ear has not heard, nor has it entered into the heart of man what God has prepared for those who love Him (1 Cor. 2:9). According to the Apostle Paul, all this “was written for our instruction, so that through patience and the comfort of the Scriptures we may have hope (Rom. 15:4). “In this sweetest hope,” says St. Tikhon, - the saints of God strengthened and consoled themselves in the feat of piety; Therefore, we must also strengthen ourselves and not become weak in the suffering inflicted by Satan and his servants.”188 In earthly life, farmers are consoled by the hope of fruits, travelers by the hope of peace (rest), warriors by the hope of victory and glory, merchants by the hope of acquiring wealth, the sick accept painful healing in the hope of health. If the hope of temporary blessings, which are like smoke, appearing for a short time and soon disappearing, so encourages these people to endure labors and sorrows, then all the more the hope of eternal and ineffable blessings, according to the true promise of Christ, should always encourage and encourage faithful Christians to endure disasters and sorrows sent by God189. After all, God promises us not temporary wealth, but eternal wealth, not earthly glory, but heavenly glory, and he does not promise falsely. He promises to turn our sorrow into joy: “those who sow with tears will reap with joy” (Ps. 125:5). Eternal joy is reached through sorrow and patience. About the great multitude of saints, shining with heavenly glory and standing before the Throne of God, the mystic St. ap. John the Theologian was told (in a vision): “These are they who came out of great tribulation; they washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb (that is, by suffering for Christ") (Rev. 7:14)190.

According to Rev. Macarius the Great, heavenly glory is hidden in sorrows, like fruit in grain191. That is why the Savior and the apostles consider blessed those who endure sorrows for faith in Jesus Christ and for virtue, and even encourage them to rejoice in the fact that for small sufferings they will receive a great reward in heaven - a whole kingdom with all possible blessings192. St. John Chrysostom says: the Apostle “Paul, being persecuted, suffering countless misfortunes, rejoiced, saying this: “I rejoice in my sufferings for you” (Col. 1:24). Not only in the Kingdom of Heaven is there a reward for virtue, but also in suffering itself, because to suffer something for the truth (of Christ) is the greatest reward.” That is why the apostles really rejoiced when they were subjected to dishonor and beatings for confessing Jesus Christ (Acts 5:41; Rom. 5:3) - “and not only because of the Kingdom of Heaven, but also because this in itself was the highest honor and crown, reward and foundation of unfading joy"193. “We glory in our sorrows, we rejoice in our sufferings,” writes St. ap. Paul (Rom. 5:3; Col. 1:24). The apostles experienced and felt the blessed and blessed fruits of sorrows and suffering. “To the extent,” says the Apostle, “as Christ’s sufferings increase in us, our consolation also increases through Christ” (2 Cor. 1:5)194.

These are the thoughts and feelings that St. fathers and ascetics from themselves and from the Holy. Scriptures for strengthening patience.

To acquire patience, like any virtue, requires a courageous and great soul and a will that is not some kind of weak and sluggish, but decisive and strong, with a correct anticipation of many obstacles, labors and sorrows and with the readiness to lift and endure them all. Such dispositions should be based on a strong love for a virtuous life and a fiery zeal for it. This zeal for virtue, without weakening, must be kindled with a heartfelt attraction to it, reflecting on how pleasing to God a virtuous life is and how beneficial and saving patience is for us.

Like all virtues, patience should be acquired little by little and in a certain order, ascending in it, as it were, by steps. For it happens that at the beginning a Christian is inflamed with a special spiritual zeal for virtue, and then this impulse weakens and completely fades away, leaving us helpless. In acquiring the inner virtue of patience, says Nicodemus the Holy Mountainer, one cannot suddenly lust after wrongs, insults and all sorts of other troubles, rush into them and rejoice in them, although a Christian can and should patiently endure them when they occur; because such a strong desire to endure sorrow and such joy are the highest degrees of patience, before entering which we must go through lower ones: humble self-abasement, considering oneself deserving of all insults, suppression of the urge to take revenge, hatred of every thought of revenge, and the like196.

The basis of patience for all Christians, according to the teachings of the holy fathers, should be humility, that is, constant confession of sins, self-reproach with the consciousness that because of our sins we are worthy of even greater sorrows, greater punishment. “What an evil person you are,” says St. Demetrius of Rostov, - do not deny suffering so much that through this suffering you are freed from anger. As is the ulcer, so is the treatment; what is the scab, so is the treatment; how great is the sin, so must be the suffering. Therefore, remembering your shortcomings, never deviate from the goal of patience.”197

The surest path to acquiring patience is self-reproach, self-condemnation in the face of the sorrows and temptations that befall us198. He who reproaches himself that he is worthy of the sorrow that has come upon him for his sins is never embarrassed and remains peaceful in sorrow199. Self-reproach is the path to acquiring not only the virtues of patience, but also meekness and humility - virtues related to patience. Without self-reproach, it is difficult for a person to maintain virtue. Humility attracts God's help to us to calm our spirit, to endure sorrows complacently, to ease their burdens. St. Abba Dorotheos says this about it: “If someone endures temptation with patience and humility, then it will pass without harm to him. If he is cowardly, embarrassed, and blames everyone, then he only burdens himself, bringing temptations upon himself and receiving absolutely no benefit, but only harms himself, while temptations bring great benefit to those who endure them without embarrassment.”200

When sorrow befalls us, we must console ourselves with the fact that God, out of the wealth of goodness and meekness and His long-suffering, leads us to repentance, therefore we must endure when He punishes us for our sins, and thank Him for our fatherly punishment, which seeks our salvation through punishment, and that he did not destroy us for our sins and iniquities201.

Even if our sufferings and sorrows are great, then we must remember that our sins, with which we offended the God who loves us, are much greater and more worthy of punishment; for God, in His great mercy, always punishes us less than we deserve202.

It is better to be punished here (for sins) than to suffer in eternity. “The truth of God demands this,” writes St. Tikhon of Zadonsk - so that the sinner would be punished for his sins. If a sinner must be punished, then it is better to be punished here (on earth) and to endure with thanksgiving, and with the prophet to confess and glorify the truth of God: “Thou art righteous, O Lord, and thy judgments are just” (Ps. 119:137) than not to endure (here) and in that century to be tormented endlessly, for impatience leads to this. Here God punishes and consoles, but there there is no consolation. Here the punishment is light, paternal, and there it is heavy (for deeds); here it is short-lived, and there it is eternal. For to endure any suffering here for a hundred years is nothing compared to eternal suffering. Oh, how great is God’s mercy towards those whom he punishes here in order to have mercy there! How blessed are those who endure this paternal punishment, and how damned are those who escape this punishment! Run away or don’t run away, man, but you have to endure it here or there. Therefore, it is better for us to pray to God to punish us here and have mercy there, and to give us the strength to endure His punishment here with benefit and gratitude, and not there with eternal sighing and useless suffering.”203

Vividly imagining this, the ascetics were ready to endure all kinds of labor, all kinds of sorrows and trials. The Ancient Patericon tells the story of one monk who was despondent in his ascetic struggle. He asked the experienced old man: “What should I do? I become despondent and weakened in spirit from being alone in my cell.” The elder answered: “This is because I have not seen (you do not know) either the expected resurrection and repose, or the future punishment (in unquenchable fire). If you saw them closer (i.e., you had in your feelings future peace and future torment), then even if your cell was full of worms, so that you stood in them up to your neck, then you would endure even this without weakening in spirit "204.

“Descend your mind to hell,” says St. Tikhon of Zadonsk, - and consider, somehow the condemned are tormented, and will be tormented forever, who, if it were possible, would like to burn here (on earth) even until the end of the world in fire, just to be freed from eternal torment, but not it is given to them. Raise your intelligent eyes to the heavenly villages and examine all the inhabitants of heaven there: you will not find a single one who did not come there through patience.”205

In order to strengthen yourself in patience in the sorrow that comes, you need to turn your attention to those people who have even greater sorrow, even greater suffering and endure all this. How many people are there who suffer from serious and long-term illnesses, who are burned inside by the fire of grief and sadness, do not have consolation from loved ones, are deprived of the necessary healing, do not have anyone to serve them, feed them, give them something to drink - but they endure. Others are in exile from their home and fatherland, in captivity and prisons, in hard work, without any consolation, for some of them even death is more pleasant than life, but they endure. Some in their old age, driven out by their children, wander, not having anywhere to lay their heads, begging for favors from strangers; others, having a wife and children, barely eke out their lives in poverty and exhausting labor; others suffer losses close to their hearts, are deprived of property, endure reproaches, slander and slander from their neighbors and must endure everything. Thus, having considered how our neighbors endure much greater and more severe sorrows, we will accept strengthening in patience206.

If a very serious sorrow has befallen you, great suffering, then you should think to yourself: “Until now, I have endured, therefore, I can continue to endure. I suffered yesterday, I will endure today.”

After all, whether you endure it or not, the sorrow that God’s Providence has determined as saving for you cannot be avoided. Impatience only intensifies suffering - therefore it is better to endure, not to grumble and not to destroy the reward of impatience207. Patience alleviates all suffering, as everyone can see through experience. And no matter how hard it may be to suffer, death puts an end to everything.

Be patient, Christian, exhorts St. Ephraim the Syrian, with death everything temporary - both prosperity and misfortune, both joys and sorrows - will end, and every person will receive what is his from the truth of God. It is right before God, says the apostle, to repay those who offend with sorrow, and to recompense those who are insulted with joy, together with all the saints, on the day of the appearance of the Lord Jesus Christ from heaven (2 Thess. 1:6-7). “The time of patience is short, but the ages of pleasure are endless”208.

In your sorrows, remember, advises St. Tikhon, about the terrible suffering of the holy martyrs: some were beaten with sticks, others had their tongues, arms, legs, chests cut off, others had their teeth and eyes pulled out, others had almost all their body members crushed, many were nailed to crosses, thrown to be devoured by beasts, others were burned in fire, buried in the ground, drowned in water, skin and body torn off from others, melted tin poured into the mouth of others, and many other cruel tortures and executions, but St. The martyrs generously endured and with patience defeated their tormentors209. What diverse types of torture, torment, and death were deliberately invented by the enemies of Christianity in order to shake the patience of Christian martyrs! And how wonderfully the power of God was accomplished in their weakness, either by calm and even sometimes painless enduring of torment, then by sudden healing of wounds, then by punitive actions against the tormentors, or by spiritual victory, turning the tormentors themselves into Christians.

And besides martyrdom, how much and for a long time many ascetics of piety endured, who, according to the image of the Apostle, which is true for past and subsequent times, “wandered through deserts and mountains, through caves and gorges of the earth, suffering disadvantages, sorrows, bitterness (disasters)” (Heb. 11:37–36)! And from these apparently meager seeds of self-sacrifice, voluntary deprivation, endured temptations, with watering tears and the warmth of prayer, how abundant the fruits of virtues, spiritual gifts, grace-filled power and glory appeared in them, even here on earth, and then and from the sky shining beneficially on the earth for us!

But who can count the sorrows of the saints on the path of sanctification, and even of perfection and holiness? And the Most Holy Virgin Mary, the highest of heaven and the purest light of the sun, did She live on earth with the joy of the Mother of the Lord alone? And Her purest soul, overshadowed by the highest blessing, filled with grace, did not the “weapon of sorrow” (Luke 2:35) pass through the cross, as unparalleledly great as Her dignity as the Mother of God and Her subsequent glory? Was She not tested by sorrows more than anyone else on earth except Her Only Begotten Son?

The holy martyrs and all the saints endured everything by the power of Christ, but the same help of Christ is now ready for all who endure: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and forever” (Heb. 13:8).

The Lord Jesus Christ is our Way, Truth and Life (John 14:6). He said: “Whoever serves Me, let him follow Me” (John 12:25), that is, My humility, patience and meekness. He, being sinless, for our sake innocently endured the greatest suffering on the cross and death and commanded us all to follow Him (Matthew 16:24; Luke 9:23). The prophets and Old Testament righteous people looked at this image from afar (centuries), who “willed rather to suffer than to have temporary, sinful pleasure” (Heb. 11:25). He was followed by the holy apostles, martyrs and other saints who went “through fire and water” of all temptations and “entered eternal rest” (Ps. 65:12)210.

“Therefore we also,” the apostle commands, “having such a cloud of witnesses around us, let us lay aside every burden (the love of the flesh, self-indulgence) and the sin that besets us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who, for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and sat down at the right hand of the Throne of God. Consider Him who endured such reproach at the hands of sinners, lest you grow weary and faint in your souls” (Heb. 12:1-3).

Internal confrontation

Naturally, absolutely any person can determine which action will bring benefit and which will cause harm, but, one way or another, vice and virtue for many of us represent an internal conflict. The complexity of moral choice has been inherent in humans all along. “ I know what is righteous, but I choose what is pleasant ” - this life principle is still relevant today. Because, you see, awareness of the concept of virtue, its main meaning, does not at all indicate appropriate behavior.

For quite a long time this state of affairs was accepted as a certain paradox. And in fact, it is quite difficult to understand logically how one can live unrighteously , knowing that such a life is vicious. It is for this reason that in ancient times knowledge that was not put into practice was not considered as such. According to Socrates and Aristotle, when a person realizes what is right but does the opposite, this means that his actions are not based on true knowledge, but on his own opinion. In this case, a person needs to achieve real knowledge, which is practically confirmed.

Taking into account the Christian interpretation, bad human actions and thoughts indicate the sinfulness of his body, and accordingly, it is necessary to discard the sinful flesh , which prevents one from achieving true spiritual harmony, to completely renounce earthly rationality and practicality. Be that as it may, regardless of whether virtue is understood as righteousness or rationality, it is acquired by a person during the ability to resolve the conflict within himself and the awareness of the duality of his nature.

How are the seven virtues traditionally defined?

Since ancient times, artists and sculptors their vision of virtues and vices in a variety of images. As a rule, these were images of beautiful young girls in long robes, who had various attributes with them.

For example, Christian virtues could look like this:

• Love - originally looked like a pelican or a sacrificial lamb, in canonical art it looks like a girl with a flaming heart in her hand or with many children caressing her. Another very common image is that of women who pressed one hand to their heart and sowed seeds with the other.
• Nadezhda is a woman in green robes, bowed in prayer, in some cases with an anchor or wings. In another interpretation, the girl stretches out her hands to the sun in a prayer gesture, and next to her is a burning Phoenix.
• Another virtue is Faith - a woman in white robes who holds a cross or a crystal cup in her hands, signifying the death of Jesus. She could also sometimes be depicted with a lamp or shield in her hands.
• Prudence, courage, justice and moderation were also depicted in the guise of women.

What can make a person virtuous?

From his very birth to his very death, a person is in the company of his own kind. By comprehending the laws that are accepted in society, observing the behavior of other people, he develops a certain behavioral model in himself. Receiving censure or approval from other people for his actions, a person builds for himself a certain scale of values, the observance of which he considers the most acceptable for him.

Recognition of the value and significance of other people can be considered the main stage on the path to the knowledge of virtue. It is impossible to focus only on your beliefs and interests while living in society. Only recognition of the value of the people who live nearby, constant self-improvement, and a real assessment of one’s own moral qualities can make any person worthy of emulation.