Essay “Love for parents is the basis of all virtues” (Cicero)

Compiled by Archpriest Alexander Zelenenko for students of the course “Fundamentals of the Orthodox Faith and Spiritual Life” for adult groups of the Sunday School of the Spaso-Pargolovsky Church.

Table of contents

• Virtue as the basis of a virtuous life
• Definition of “virtue”
• Virtue in three meanings Explanation

Definition of “virtue”

Virtue is a philosophical and religious term that means a positive moral character trait of a certain person, determined by his will and actions; constant active direction of the will to fulfill the moral law (commandments). It is an antonym of the word "sin". /Philosophical Dictionary/

Virtue is Virtues comprise both a person’s good deeds and the good disposition of his soul, from which the deeds themselves arise. Briefly, we can say that virtue is goodness that has become a habit.

Virtues are

Virtue is nothing /teacher Simeon the New Theologian/

Virtue is /St. Tikhon Zadonsky/

The most important virtues

What do you think are the most important virtues? This is difficult to judge. Probably, every time and era gives rise to its heroes and puts certain virtues at the top of the list. The only things that can be considered unchanged are faith, hope and love, without which human life completely loses its meaning. In a broad understanding of the problem, a person himself is capable of developing the necessary virtues in himself in order to rise to a new level of development. This difficult work must continue throughout life and not stop for a minute. After all, in order to develop the habit of doing good, you must have a certain system of moral coordinates, characteristic of a very pious person.

Virtue in three meanings

1. the desire of the spirit for good, the Christian virtuous mood of the spirit;
2. different good dispositions of will and heart;
3. every single good deed. /Saint Theophan/

Do the evil manifestations of human nature have such similarities?

Yes, I have:

1. the desire and inclination of the human spirit towards evil
2. evil dispositions of the will and heart of man
3. every single evil action, deed and skill

Explanation

1. The desire for good is the same as the desire to abide in God, or the thirst for communion with God. A Christian virtuous mood of spirit will be: thirst and strength to remain in communion with God by constant, complete and always fulfilling His will with the help of grace and with faith in the Lord, according to the power and promise of Baptism.
2. A good disposition is a feeling or love for good (god-pleasing) deeds, which lies at their foundation.
3. Every fulfillment of a commandment in the proper manner, that is, with the true purpose, for the glory of God, through faith in the Lord and with legal circumstances, is a good deed. Every good deed is only good if it is done for God and for the glory of God.

Christian virtues

In Christianity, the question of existence in the name of good is considered quite often. What are virtues in the Christian religion? This is a rather difficult question, but very interesting, requiring a meaningful and thorough answer.

Christian virtues are set out in the Gospel, but they are just the tip of the iceberg of theological debate on this topic. Theologians divide virtues into two categories:

• natural - they are determined by character traits and innate qualities;
• religious - they are prescribed for those who become Christians and must be strictly followed.

The latter must be cultivated by a person within himself and are a characteristic of his relationship with God. They can be called a kind of covenant between the soul and higher powers, the fulfillment of which ensures a positive assessment of the individual in the eyes of society and God.

The Gospel describes seven virtues that are the direct opposites of mortal sins. Taken together, they represent a diverse model of behavior, chosen by a person consciously or on a whim, based on his inclinations. Later, Christian virtues began to be reduced to three aspects:

• faith;
• hope;
• love.

They began to characterize a God-fearing and virtuous person. Moreover, the Bible states that a person is not born with these virtues, he acquires them only in union with God. Moreover, love for everyone around us fundamentally distinguishes a Christian from other people.

Virtue in two meanings

1. In the external aspect - virtue as a good deed (give alms, forgive an offender, endure temptation)
2. In the internal aspect - virtue as a spiritual and moral state of the individual (“he is meek”, “she is merciful”...)

“We should call actions according to the commandment good deeds, and good dispositions of the soul rooted in experience as virtues” / Rev. Gregory Sinait/

True virtue is

• submit your will to the will of God and
• to conquer with good is evil,
• overcome pride with humility,
• meekness and patience - anger,
• love - hate.

This is a Christian victory, more glorious than the victory over the nations.

God demands this from us: “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Rom. 12:21) /St. Tikhon Zadonsky/

Natural Virtues

Even in ancient times, virtues were developed that every member of society should strive for. They were called natural, but not every individual was born with a full set of such characteristics. Therefore, a long path to self-improvement awaited the ordinary person. Socrates was the first to define the list of virtues; he included the following qualities:

• justice;
• durability;
• prudence;
• restraint.

Socrates' classification was later used by other Greek philosophers and passed into the works of theologians of the early Middle Ages. During the Enlightenment, when a lot of scientific works were written, including on philosophy and theology, Socrates’ list of virtues was considered a characteristic of the entire ancient society as a whole, its culture and moral standards.

Virtue – Divine-human action

“Every gospel virtue is woven from the action of God’s grace and human free will; each of the virtues is a Divine-human action, a Divine-human fact” /Reverend Justin (Popovich)/

The source of any virtue is God /Mark the Ascetic/.

Virtues are not our property and merit: they are given by God. No matter how much you work, no matter how hard you try, do not consider your good deed to be yours, because if you did not receive help from above, all your labors would be in vain. /Saint John Chrysostom/

True virtue is its own reward

“Where there is true virtue, there is love; where there is love, there is a good and calm conscience; where there is a calm conscience, there is peace and tranquility; where there is peace and tranquility, there is consolation and joy.” /St. Tikhon Zadonsky/

Virtue is the path to the Kingdom of Heaven.

The goal of virtue is to get closer

“If the soul does good deeds, the Holy Spirit dwells in it.” /Reverend Abba Isaiah/

“Virtue brings true freedom.” /Saint John Chrysostom/

“The soul of each of us is like a lamp, doing good is oil, love is the wick on which the grace of the Divine Spirit rests like light. When there is a lack of oil, that is, good deeds, then love dries up and the light of Divine grace... goes out, because virtue and love, disappearing, take away grace-filled gifts with them. When God turns away His face, complete darkness sets in.” /St. Gregory Palama/

“Three virtues serve as a sign of achieving salvation:

a) reasoning that distinguishes good from evil in all cases; b) timely provision of both good and evil (with the exclusion of evil); c) freedom from external influence (that can hinder salvation)” /Abba Isaiah/

“Whoever has the hardworking Martha - all-round good deeds, and Mary, sitting at the feet of Jesus - an attentive and warm appeal to the Lord with all her heart, the Lord Himself will come to him and raise Lazarus - his spirit, and release him from all bonds of soul and body. Then a truly new life will begin for him - incorporeal in the body and unearthly on earth. And this will be a true resurrection in the spirit before the future resurrection with the body!” /St. Feofan the Recluse /

We are all philosophers, but we don’t know it

For a long time in human history, from Mesopotamia to the mid-twentieth century, there was what could be called the responsibility of elites. A small group of people determined politics, cultural, religious direction, a certain order within the social system. The entire burden of responsibility rested on them.

In the third volume of The History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Churchill talks about how British politicians came out to the people. This only happened somewhere in the middle of the 19th century. Now they formed their speeches to the people not in their closed clubs, not in parliament. They had to rebuild their own rhetoric when reaching the public level.

In the 20th century, when everyone has access to social media and can express their views, we are faced with a great challenge. Without the skills to read, write and speak, we very easily fall under the influence and assimilate the things of others. We do not see the boundary between our own vision and what is put into our consciousness.

That is why today there is a great demand for philosophy in general, and for the three fundamental virtues in particular. If not all of us are philosophers, then we should become them. Now we do things every day that used to be called philosophical. We evaluate information: statements by politicians, prosecutors, bloggers, diplomats. We have the right to vote, choose power, influence certain processes (or illusory influence). Much depends on how well we can evaluate, for example, political programs.

The increasing role of each individual, the dissolution of the concept of elites through the creation of such a phenomenon as social networks, places an extra burden on all members of an open society. Everyone must make their own decisions, be the authority for assessing, understanding and processing information. The variety of paths to fraud, manipulation, and propaganda will only increase. This is inevitable if we do not become independent-thinking people who can analyze and critically approach the facts offered.

It is interesting that even with such a position we bear responsibility. When we say: “No, no, we are not philosophers. Why should we overload ourselves so much?” then we voluntarily give others the right to decide everything for us. And when making this choice, we bind ourselves to the consequences of such a decision. If we refuse to understand what is happening, then we should not complain about the consequences that arise.

What prevents us from developing the listed skills, looking at our own opinions and our capabilities critically? First of all, the opinion that certain things are given to us by nature. For example, some people believe that because he was taught to read at school, he can read books. This is already a mistake. The same goes for writing. Now 75-80% of students cannot write a normal essay. If a person knows how to write letters or press keys, this does not mean that he will be able to write text into it without any problems.

Types of virtues

There are many Christian virtues, and many classifications of them.

Sometimes virtues are divided into higher and primary .

• Initial: faith, repentance, patience, meekness, hope, obedience, abstinence, mercy, prayer, chastity, etc.
• Higher : unceasing prayer, humility, love, dispassion, the gift of spiritual reasoning, etc.

St. Gregory of Sinaite divides virtues into: active, natural and divine

• Actions are
• Natural ones come
• Divine - from grace

The three most important virtues: abstinence five following them: purity, meekness, joy, courage and self-abasement - and then the whole series of other virtues.

St. Ephraim the Syrian divides virtues into physical, mental and spiritual

The bodily virtues are

a) abstinence (fasting), b) prayer vigil (prayer rule and worship), c) physical labor for self-sufficiency and obedience; and other ascetic feats for the benefit of others, requiring physical (bodily) effort on oneself.

Spiritual: kindness, simplicity, respect, justice, generosity, mercy, generosity, nobility, courage.

Spiritual: prudence, chastity, from which are born faith, hope, love, humility, meekness, patience, love of truth, freedom, compassion, fear of God, gratitude, tenderness, reverence.

Corporal virtues should serve spiritual ones, spiritual ones should serve spiritual ones, and spiritual ones should serve the knowledge of God. / Rev. Neil of Sinai/

Natural and supernatural virtues are often distinguished

Natural ( inherent human gratitude, generosity, condescension.

Supernatural – Gospel “What dispositions a Christian should have in his heart are indicated by the sayings of Christ the Savior about the beatitudes, namely: humility, contrition, meekness, love of truth and love of truth, mercy, sincerity, peace and patience” / St. Feofan the Recluse /

“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. There is no law against such people,” i.e. they come from above, from God, by the gift of grace, and not from following the law alone (Gal. 5:22-23).

All Christian (evangelical) virtues are contained in the fulfillment of the two most important commandments - love for God with all your heart, mind and strength of soul, and for your neighbor as yourself. (Hierarchical trimerism of love).

After the Fall, Christian virtues are not characteristic of man. They have become supernatural.

Christian virtues are infinitely superior to the moral principles known to mankind.

In the Gospel, Christ teaches meekness, prohibiting vengeance to the point of complete gentleness and love for enemies. Gospel meekness is a call to endure insults and persecution with a prayer for enemies, similar to that which God Himself revealed on the Cross: “Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

In the Gospel, Christ commands non-covetousness not just

In the Gospel, Christ commands chastity not only in the form of renunciation of corruptive actions, but also from thoughts themselves.

The depth of Christian humility should

Christ speaks of love for God , expressed in the putting aside of all vain affairs for the sake of knowing God, unceasing prayer and even a martyr’s confession of faith.

To acquire Christian virtues, a person must strive, make efforts to combat his passions and fallen nature. The Kingdom of God is in need, and the needy delights it (Matt. 11:12)

But the result of the feat depends on the grace of the Holy Spirit, indwelling a person, transforming and renewing human nature, giving him the strength to fulfill the commandment and do good.

About the types of virtues. Part 1

There are several types of virtues, which, although they have internal unity, as originating from one God, at the same time show visible diversity.
The fact that the Lord offers different paths in the form of different virtues for those who want to achieve holiness shows His attention to human freedom, or, in other words, His love for us. To acquire virtues, it is necessary to dedicate all good deeds done to Christ, to do them in His name. So, for example, if they offend us and want to take revenge on us, then we will restrain ourselves, saying to ourselves: “I will forgive for the sake of Christ, who forgave me my sins.” If we ourselves have little money, and a beggar comes up to us, and we don’t want to give, in addition, demons send thoughts that he is not worthy of our alms, then we will overcome ourselves and give with the thought: “I will give for the sake of Christ, who gave me everything, what I have." If we have already eaten enough, and our belly asks for more and more, we will stop, get up from the table, saying to ourselves: “I will abstain for the sake of Christ, who taught me abstinence through His fasting.”

With a similar disposition, you need to do all other good deeds, big and small. In addition to such internal dedication, the performance of good deeds must necessarily be accompanied by prayer, for example: “Lord, give me the strength to forgive (or to give, or to abstain.” “Prayer is the mother of all virtues.”[1] We cannot acquire virtues without the help of God. The Lord Himself said: “Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Those who do not understand this and try to fulfill the commandments, relying only on their own strength, quickly become overwhelmed and become disappointed.

In order to successfully comprehend virtues, it is also very useful to consult with those who have already walked along this path. It is not possible for everyone to find such an experienced spiritual mentor in their life - this is a special gift from God; but anyone can receive such advice from the books written by the holy fathers. That is why Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) said that “reading the fatherly writings is the parent and king of all virtues”[2].

Evil spirits seeking to lead a person astray will, of course, try to interfere with someone who has decided to strive for virtue. But even if they did not interfere, our very nature, accustomed to sin, all our vicious habits will, especially at first, prevent us from taking root in true goodness.

Therefore, the holy fathers warn: “Before starting a good deed, prepare for the temptations that will befall you, and do not doubt the truth” (Reverend Isaac the Syrian)[3]. “Whoever does a work pleasing to God will certainly be faced with temptation. For every good deed is either preceded or followed by temptation; and what is done for the sake of God cannot be firm unless it is tested by temptation” (Reverend Abba Dorotheos)[4].

So, “when, while doing good, you suffer some evil, even for a long time, do not be tempted: God will certainly reward you. The longer the reward is delayed, the greater it will be” (St. John Chrysostom)[5]. “Do not think that you have acquired virtue if you have not previously fought for it to the point of bleeding” (Reverend Neilus of Sinai)[6].

This, of course, does not mean that out of fear of possible temptations it is better not to do anything good. We must do good without any fear: let the devil hinder us, but God Himself, Who is stronger than the devil, helps us. On our side is not only God, but also all His angels and saints, especially our personal guardian angel and heavenly patron saint, in whose honor we were baptized. They all help on our path to good.

So let any Christian remember the words that the prophet Elisha said to his servant, who was afraid of the enemy hordes: “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16).

Warnings about temptations are given so that a person knows in advance and is not surprised, embarrassed or depressed when encountering them. The Holy Fathers warn about them in the same way as someone who knows the way warns a beginner: “Be careful, there’s a ditch on the side, don’t fall into it.” He who is warned easily overcomes all temptations. Whoever, when performing a good deed, dedicates it to God and prays, relying not on himself, but on God, the devil is powerless to lead him astray.

And one more extremely important warning: to succeed in virtues you need to be patient.

The Lord says: “Through your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19) and “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). From this it is clear that “patience is that fertile soil on which every virtue grows” (St. Theophan the Recluse)[7].

Sinful passions are divided into different types, and virtues of different types serve as an antidote to one or another sinful passion. We need to observe ourselves, comprehending which virtues are closer to us, and, conversely, which sins we suffer the most from. Having understood this, we will be able to determine the priorities of the internal struggle: with which virtue should we begin our ascent to immortality. Since all the virtues are interconnected, then, starting with one and performing it as it should, we will certainly attract all the others into our soul.

There are developed classifications of virtues; many holy fathers described them. Below are descriptions of only seven main ones, especially relevant for those who are at the beginning of the path.

Abstinence

What is this virtue?

It is often identified with fasting, but this is not entirely true. Of course, fasting is included in abstinence, but abstinence itself is broader than the everyday understanding of fasting, it is not limited only to the food sphere and extends not only to periods of fasting defined by the Church, but should become a general healing principle for a person’s entire life.

Here is how the Monk Ephraim the Syrian explained it: “There is abstinence of the tongue: not to talk a lot and not to speak empty, to master the tongue and not to slander, not to talk idlely, not to slander one another, not to judge a brother, not to reveal secrets, not to engage in what is not is our.

There is also abstinence for the eyes: to control vision, not to direct your gaze or look... at anything indecent.

There is also abstinence in hearing: to have control over your hearing and not to be amazed by empty rumors.

There is self-restraint in irritability: control anger and not suddenly flare up.

There is abstinence from glory: to control your spirit, not desiring glorification, not to seek glory, not to be arrogant, not to seek honor and not to be arrogant, not to dream of praise.

There is abstinence in thoughts: not to be inclined towards seductive thoughts and not to be deceived by them.

There is abstinence in food: control yourself and not seek out rich food or expensive dishes, do not eat at the wrong time...

There is abstinence in drinking: to control oneself and not go to feasts, not to enjoy the pleasant taste of wines, not to drink wine unnecessarily, not to seek out different drinks, not to chase the pleasure of drinking skillfully prepared mixtures”[8].

For modern man, this virtue is especially important, since it is precisely this that many people lack and from its absence many suffer and torment their loved ones. All education is essentially the instillation of minimal abstinence skills - when a child is taught to give up his “want” in favor of what he “needs.” But, unfortunately, in our time this is possible less and less. From here arise people who are dissolute in every sense. Hence, for example, adultery and marriage breakdowns. Hence the well-known problems with alcoholism. Hence the unprecedented spread of foul language - due to the fact that people have now forgotten how to restrain themselves even in the smallest things.

An intemperate person experiences a clouding of mind, memory and all abilities are dulled, he becomes hot-tempered, irritable, cannot control himself, and becomes a slave to his passion. Intemperance makes a person weak. Every dissolute person is internally weak and weak-willed.

An intemperate person's thoughts are in disarray, feelings are unbridled, and the will allows itself everything; such a person is almost dead in soul: all his forces act in the wrong direction.

But the virtue of abstinence frees a person from servility to base passions and makes him strong and strong-willed. It has long been known that fasting is an excellent means of training the will. Fasting is a wonderful opportunity to train resilience and toughness, which are so necessary when facing harsh life circumstances. Fasting allows you to learn to overcome yourself, to endure difficulties, and those who have the experience of overcoming themselves become much more resilient, strong, and are not afraid of difficulties.

As St. John Chrysostom said, “God commands abstinence in food so that we curb the impulses of the flesh and make it an obedient instrument for fulfilling the commandments”[9]. We undertake the work of bodily abstinence in order to achieve purity of heart through this fasting. Its purpose is not to torment the body, but to position it to more conveniently serve spiritual needs.

Therefore, “water and vegetables and a fasting table will not bring us any benefit if we do not have an internal disposition corresponding to these external measures” (St. Gregory of Nyssa)[10]. “He who believes that fasting only means abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting is removal from evil, curbing the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury” (St. John Chrysostom)[11].

Without God's help, our labors in abstinence will not be successful. Therefore, prayer should always be combined with fasting. “Prayer is powerless if it is not based on fasting, and fasting is fruitless if prayer is not created on it” (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov)[12]. “Fasting sends prayer to heaven, becoming like wings for it” (St. Basil the Great)[13].

It is also important that fasting be connected with forgiveness of neighbors and acts of mercy. About this, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov said: “True fasting does not consist in exhaustion of the flesh alone, but also in giving that part of the bread that you yourself would like to eat to the hungry.”

Orthodox fasting has nothing to do with therapeutic fasting and diet, because fasting primarily heals not the body, but the soul, and strengthens it. By agreeing to abstain, we thereby testify that material life in itself, separated from God, is not a goal or good for us.

The virtue of abstinence is all the more important for us because it was precisely in this virtue that our ancestors, the first people who received from God in Paradise the only commandment of fasting: not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, did not keep this commandment and through this harmed not only themselves, but also everyone who comes from them.

So, if the commandment of fasting was necessary for us in paradise, before our fall, then all the more necessary is it after the fall. Fasting humbles the body and curbs disordered lusts, but enlightens the soul, inspires it, makes it light and soaring in height.

The Savior Himself fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, “leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21), so that we, according to our strength, would fast on Holy Pentecost. It is written in the Gospel of Matthew that Christ, having cast out a demon from a certain young man, said to the apostles: “This generation is cast out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). This is the great fruit of abstinence, how perfect it makes a person, and what power the Lord gives through it.

When abstaining, it is important to observe moderation and consistency. Too excessive feats of abstinence can unnecessarily strain a person both physically and mentally.

Perfect abstinence is done out of love. This is clearly seen from the story told in Lavsaik. Once upon a time they sent Saint Macarius of Alexandria a bunch of fresh grapes. The saint loved grapes, but decided to send this bunch to one sick brother. With great joy, having received the grapes, this brother sent them to another brother, although he himself wanted to eat them. But this brother, having received the grapes, did the same to him. Thus, the grapes passed through many monks, and not one ate them. Finally, the last brother, having received the bunch, sent it again to Macarius as an expensive gift. Saint Macarius, having learned how everything happened, was surprised and thanked God for such abstinence of the brethren.

Each of the monks managed to abstain because they first thought about others, and not about themselves, and had true love for them.

Mercy

Grace, or mercy, is, first of all, a person’s ability to effectively respond to someone else’s misfortune. The virtue of charity forces a person to go beyond himself and actively pay attention to the needs of other people.

Speaking about this virtue, the Lord Jesus Christ especially emphasized that the one who works in it is likened to God Himself: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Scripture also says: “He who sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor. 9:6) and “Blessed is he who thinks about the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord will deliver him” (Ps. 40:2).

This virtue is the only effective cure for selfishness, which destroys a person, causing him to torment loved ones and ultimately himself, because of which the more selfish a person is, the more unhappy and irritable he is.

This virtue is the most active and allows a person to go beyond his limitations. It connects a person not only with another person to whom he provides a benefit, but also with God, for whose sake this benefit is provided. Saint John Chrysostom said: “When we give to him who lies on the earth, we give to him who sits in heaven.” Why could he say such strange words at first glance? Because God Himself testified to this in the Gospel: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; and will separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him: Lord! when did we see you hungry and feed you? or to the thirsty and gave them something to drink? when did we see you as a stranger and accept you? or naked and clothed? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King will answer them: “Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me” (Matthew 25: 31-40).

Thus, the alms we provided during our lifetime will become our intercessor on the day of the Last Judgment. However, this applies not only to the future, but also to the present. People often ask: “Why doesn’t God fulfill our prayers?” But, looking deep into their hearts, many could answer this question themselves.

In our needs there are no stronger intercessors before God than the deeds of mercy we have done before. If we are merciful to people, then the Lord will be merciful to us in the same measure. This is what the words mean: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, shaken together, pressed and running over, will be poured into your bosom; For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). Christ also said: “As you want people to do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31) and also: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7).

If we ourselves pass indifferently past the outstretched hand of our neighbor and refuse requests for help addressed to us, then is it surprising if our requests for help suffer the same fate? Even Saint John Chrysostom warned that “without alms, prayer is fruitless.” It is not surprising that God does not listen to the prayers of egoists; Moreover, this is quite fair.

And on the contrary, sincere, selfless doing of good to one’s neighbor attracts God’s mercy to a person. The Lord hears the prayers of the merciful and fulfills their good requests, and grace, like a tender mother, protects them from all evil on all paths of life. St. Augustine wrote: “Do you really think that the one who feeds Christ by feeding the poor will not himself be fed by Christ?”

Anyone can experience the effectiveness of this principle in their life. And then, in addition to what has already been mentioned, he will be convinced that charity performed in a Christian way miraculously ennobles his soul, pacifies his conscience, brings inner peace and joy, which often unfortunate people try to find in various artificial amusements, but cannot, because it is not there. No.

Almsgiving is the most reliable means of finding true joy. It is, perhaps, the simplest and most accessible godly deed that can give life to our faith. Charity is effective love. A person who does deeds of love for God will undoubtedly soon feel true love within himself, because true love is not an overheated feeling, as is sometimes thought, but a gift from God. Deeds of mercy will fill life not only with love, but also with meaning. Saint John of Kronstadt said: “We only truly live for ourselves when we live for others. It seems strange, but try it and you will be convinced by experience.” Charity also strengthens faith in a person: those who sacrificially serve their neighbors will have their faith increase.

What are the works of mercy? Some people think that this is just a cash donation to the poor. In fact, mercy includes any deed done for the sake of the Lord to help one’s neighbor.

Works of corporal mercy - feeding the hungry, protecting the weak, caring for the sick, comforting the suffering, helping not only with money or food, but also sacrificing personal time and energy where there is a need for this, and, broadly speaking, providing all possible help to anyone truly to the needy. Not everyone can provide sufficient help with money, but everyone can pay attention and provide moral support to the sufferer.

The works of spiritual mercy are as follows: to convert, through exhortation, a sinner from error, for example, an unbeliever, or a non-believer, a schismatic, or a drunkard, a fornicator, a spendthrift; teach the ignorant truth and goodness, for example, teach the one who does not know how to pray to God to pray, teach the one who does not know the commandments of God the commandments and their fulfillment. The highest alms for one's neighbor is to quench the spiritual thirst for knowledge of eternal truth, to satisfy the spiritually hungry.

In addition to “free” alms, there can also be involuntary ones. For example, if someone was robbed, and he endured it without a murmur, then such a loss will be counted as alms to him. Or if someone took out a loan and did not return it, but the person forgave and did not become angry with the debtor and find ways to collect debts from him, this will also be counted as alms. Thus, we can use even the sad events of our lives to our advantage if we treat them correctly. If we become angry and grumble, then most likely we will not get back what we lost, and we will not receive any benefit for the soul, so we will end up with not one, but two losses.

The Monk Silouan of Athos said that he learned this lesson from his father, a simple peasant: “When trouble happened in the house, he remained calm. One day we were walking past our field, and I told him: “Look, they are stealing our sheaves.” And he says to me: “Eh, son, the Lord has created enough bread, we have enough, but whoever steals, therefore, he has needs.”

So, there are many types of mercy, but the most important of all is forgiveness of enemies. Nothing is so powerful in the presence of the Lord as forgiveness of offenses, for it is an imitation of one of the closest acts of God’s mercy to us. Compassion for others is the main cure for resentment.

Deeds of mercy should be performed in secret as much as possible. Christ warns: “See that you do not do your alms in front of people so that they will see you: otherwise you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). People's praise robs us of our reward from God. But this is not the only reason why good must be done in secret. Obvious mercy develops pride and vanity, conceit and complacency, therefore the one who hides his good deeds even from close people acts wisely, according to the words of Christ: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3).

You need to understand that great mercy appears when you give alms not from excess, but from what you need. The selfish attitude of thoughts prevents you from becoming merciful, so first of all you need to make your thoughts merciful, then it will be easy to become merciful in reality.

A truly merciful Christian pours out mercy on everyone around him, without distinguishing who is “worthy” and who is “unworthy” of attention. At the same time, prudence should be exercised when providing assistance. For example, non-believing acquaintances of one Orthodox Christian asked for money, and he gave without asking. And then he was very sad when he found out what this money was used for: the spouses took it to have an abortion. If a person asks for money to commit a sin, then in this case it would be merciful on our part to refuse and at least try to protect him from sin.

Of course, donations that a person makes from stolen or taken from others are not alms, as sinners sometimes do, hoping to drown out remorse with such gifts. In vain! Taking from one and giving to another is not mercy, but inhumanity. Such giving is an abomination before God. A person must return everything illegally taken away from those from whom he took it and repent. Alms are only what is given from honest acquisition.

It is good to try, if possible, to give alms secretly from everyone, even from the one we are helping. In this way we will show respect for the feelings of those we help, freeing them from embarrassment, and we will free ourselves from any expectation of self-interest or glory from people. So, for example, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, when he learned that one person had fallen into extreme need, approached his house at night and threw a bag of gold, immediately leaving after that.

After providing assistance, a person may often feel inner exaltation and boasting. This is how the passion of vanity manifests itself, which is a sinful distortion of the feeling of joy and kindness towards other people. Therefore, if such thoughts come, they must be immediately cut off with a prayer to God: “Lord, deliver me from the sin of vanity!” not by themselves. It is the Lord who does all good deeds, and a true Christian feels happiness and gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the work of God, without attributing these deeds to himself.

Non-covetousness

This virtue removes from the heart the passion for money and gain, which gives rise to greed, love of luxury and cruelty.

The Holy Scripture commands: “When wealth increases, do not set your heart on it” (Ps. 62:11).

The Holy Fathers warned a lot about the dangers of violating this commandment: “If you pursue luxury and to have more than others, then there will be a lot of work, the path will become unreliable, grief is insatiable and life will be full of worries”[14]; “The more one gets rich, the more unmerciful and inhuman he becomes, and the more he withholds his hand from giving alms” (Reverend Ephraim the Syrian)[15]. “Whoever owns wealth finds it difficult to break out of its shackles... his soul is enveloped by many passions, which, like a thick and dark cloud, obscuring the eyes of the mind, do not allow him to look at heaven, but force him to bend down and look at the ground” (St. John Chrysostom) [16].

Many would agree that such traits can indeed be seen in rich people. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ said: “It is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 19:23), condemning with these words not wealth itself, but those who are addicted to it.

Some believe that these words apply only to the very fabulous rich - billionaires and millionaires. But if you look closely, it is not difficult to see that there are people next to us, in comparison with whom we are real rich, and in addition, people of average income can develop an addiction to certain things, a desire to spend money on luxury goods and hope for one’s own savings. For example, how many low-income pensioners saved “for a rainy day” or “for a funeral,” and when the USSR collapsed, their deposits disappeared and their savings became worthless. This was such a blow that some even suffered mental damage. But they could have spent this money ahead of time on works of mercy - then a reward in heaven would await them, and already in this life they would have a clear conscience and maintain peace of mind in times of trial.

So the words of St. John Chrysostom are relevant for each of us: “Did the man-loving Lord give you a lot so that you could use what was given to you only for your own benefit? No, but so that your excess will make up for the lack of others”[17]; “God made you rich so that you could help those in need, so that you could atone for your sins by saving others.”[18]

The Lord Jesus Christ, having given the commandment about alms, said: “Prepare for yourselves treasures that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and where moth does not destroy, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:33). –34).

As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) explains, with these words, “The Lord commands, with the help of alms, to transform earthly possessions into heavenly ones, so that a person’s very treasure, being in heaven, will attract him to heaven.”[19]

Whoever in this life gives away his money for good deeds of helping others, with every good deed he prepares in heaven the best reward that will await him after death.

Speaking about the virtue of non-acquisitiveness, you need to understand that the inclination to hoarding itself is natural for a person and can be good and useful if it is directed in the proper direction, but it becomes sinful if it is directed towards undue, low objects. It is good to be rich in virtues and accumulate heavenly rewards from God, but it is foolish to strive to accumulate banknotes and luxury goods.

Our property can be stolen by thieves, destroyed by a natural disaster, or even by the normal course of events: for example, the most expensive fur coat can be eaten by a moth. But even if this does not happen, any earthly savings are limited and tend to end and dry up. And even if suddenly they do not dry up during our lifetime, we will still lose them at the time of death.

But the virtues we have collected and the heavenly rewards accumulated thanks to good deeds are the only savings that neither a thief can steal nor a moth can eat, and which, being provided by the eternal God, will never run out, and with death not only will not disappear, but how once they become completely accessible to us.

If you think about this, it is not difficult to guess that the wisest people follow the commandment of Christ and through alms transform a temporary and changeable treasure into an eternal and unchanging treasure. Therefore, St. Basil the Great says that “if you begin to take care of wealth, it will not be yours; and if you begin to lavish [to those in need], you will not lose”[20].

The truly rich person is not the one who has acquired a lot, but the one who has given away a lot and thereby trampled on the passion for worldly wealth. It is shameful for a Christian to be a slave to money and other material things; he must be a wise master of them, using them for the eternal benefit of his soul.

As you know, the Lord Jesus Christ said: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your Father in heaven feeds them. Aren't you much better than them?.. So, don't worry and say: what shall we eat? or what to drink? or what to wear? because the pagans seek all this, and because your Heavenly Father knows that you need all this. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6: 25–26, 31–33).

Thus, He teaches us to completely surrender to the will of God. As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) said, “in order to acquire love for spiritual and heavenly objects, one must renounce love for earthly objects”[21]. Non-covetousness removes all obstacles on the path to complete trust in God. And as long as we connect our secure existence with our own savings, work, property, we sin by lack of faith and force God to send us everyday sorrows that would show the fragility of all worldly things that we hope for, in order to finally bring us to our senses and help us turn our gaze to God.

The Lord said to the rich young man who sought His instruction: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your property and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me” (Matthew 19:21).

Anyone who fulfills such advice and acts according to the word of the Lord, by this action destroys all his false hope in the world and concentrates it in God. Such a person, who has reached the highest stage of non-acquisitiveness, so that he no longer considers anything from earthly things to be his, according to the words of the Monk Isidore Pelusiot, already “here reaches the highest bliss, which contains the Kingdom of Heaven.”[22]

A person who is perfect in non-acquisitiveness has no attachment even to the smallest everyday things, since even an attachment to a small thing can harm the soul, separating the mind from attachment to God.

A person who becomes attached with his heart, for example, to his home, immediately acquires the fear of losing his home, and someone who knows this can, using such fear and threatening to take away the house, manipulate the person and force him to do what he would willingly do. didn't. But it is precisely non-covetousness, like a sharp sword, that cuts off all the ropes that connect us with perishable things, and makes powerless the one who is used to controlling us by pulling these ropes. In other words, the virtue of non-covetousness gives a person unprecedented freedom.

An example of such freedom is seen in the life of St. Basil the Great. When he was summoned by a royal official and ordered to admit heresy, that is, a false teaching about God, the saint refused. Then the official began to threaten him with deprivation of property, prison and even execution, but he heard: “There is nothing to take from me except poor clothes and a few books; imprisonment is not scary for me, because wherever they imprison me, everywhere is the Lord’s land; and death is even a blessing for me, because it will unite me with the Lord.” The amazed official admitted that he had never heard such speeches from anyone. “Apparently, you just never talked to the bishop,” Saint Basil humbly replied. Thus the persecutor found himself powerless in the face of a truly free man. All attempts at manipulation failed. Saint Basil was not attached to anything earthly and therefore was not afraid of losing anything, so it turned out that there was nothing to blackmail him with and nothing to threaten him with. The boss backed down.

Non-acquisitiveness frees us not only from the fear of losing earthly things to which we are attached, but also from many worries about acquiring them and from the many dangers associated with this. In addition, it frees up a significant part of a person’s time and, most importantly, attention in order to turn it to God and others and devote it to doing good.

The less a person needs to live, the more free he is. Therefore, a wise person, even with large incomes, learns to be content with little and live simply. The aforementioned Saint Basil the Great advised: “One should not worry about excess and make efforts for the sake of satiety and pomp; one must be clean from all forms of covetousness and ostentation”[23]. This is a very important principle - to be content with only what is necessary, and to strictly limit anything beyond that.

After all, if a person, having quite suitable shoes, clothes and things, for example, a cell phone, strives to buy himself a new one only because the old one supposedly “has already gone out of fashion,” such a person is infected with covetousness and is far from the virtue of non-covetousness.

Anyone who wants to be healed from the destructive passion of love of money and covetousness, let him keep in mind the answer that the Lord gave to the rich young man.

But what should those do who do not feel such determination in themselves that would be commensurate with this commandment for the perfect? Saint John Chrysostom gives the following advice: “If it is difficult for you to achieve everything at once, then do not try to get everything at once, but gradually and little by little climb this ladder leading to heaven... And nothing stops this passion so easily as gradual weakening of selfish desires”[24].

Indeed, for many people it is beyond their power to immediately decide to give away all their property to the poor. But everyone can devote at least a small part of it to feed the hungry or support someone in need. You need to start doing this at least a little, but regularly and, moreover, expand your good deeds over time. The more we are willing to give, if necessary, from our property, the less we depend on it.

(The ending follows.)

Relationship of virtues

“All virtues are interconnected, like links in a spiritual chain, and depend on one another.” /Venerable Macarius of Egypt/

“All virtues are good, but they must have a head and legs, like a body. The feet of virtue are humility, and the head is love. Under love are: compassion, mercy, generosity, kindness, generosity, charity and philanthropy, which together with it make a person a god by grace” / St. Ambrose of Milan/

Advice to those who want to acquire virtues: you should not take on the acquisition of all virtues or several at once, but you must first choose one to work on acquiring, and then another.

To acquire virtue you need:

• right faith
• goodwill
• consciousness
• prudence
• Love
• abstinence and self-control
• moderation in everything
• spiritual zeal
• repentance
• godlike humility
• obedience to the will of God (and His Commandments)

What are virtues?

There are several answers to this question, but in a broad sense we can say that virtue is a human quality that can be characterized by a constant desire to do good. It is expressed in good deeds, thoughts and intentions. Many philosophers say that only that person can be virtuous who has the habit of doing good and turns it into a way of life. Moreover, you can do good deeds through various human qualities, which are called virtues.

Many people wonder how to understand the word “virtue”. In conditions of permissiveness, accepted as the norm in modern society, one should not separate the understanding of the word from religious traditions. These concepts are inseparable, they are closely related in all world religions and define the relationship between man and God.

About the ages of virtuous Christian life

Infancy

This is the period from the beginning of Christian life to the formation of the order of this life and the rules of Christian action in general.

At St. John Climacus ascribes primarily physical feats to the novices: fasting, sackcloth, ashes, silence, labor, vigil, tears, etc.

Adolescence

This is a time of struggle and feat to eradicate passions and plant good dispositions.

At St. John of the Climacus primarily attributes spiritual deeds to this age: lack of vanity, lack of anger, trustworthiness, gentle admonition, immaculate prayer, love of money.

Male age

This is the time when the internal struggle subsides, and a person begins to taste the peace and sweetness of spiritual blessings.

St. John Climacus assimilates to them primarily life in the spirit and remaining motionless in God: an unenslaved heart, perfect love, the mind moving out of the world and into Christ, heavenly light in the soul and thoughts during prayer, non-depredation, the abundance of God’s enlightenment, the desire for death, hatred life, containment of heavenly secrets, power over demons, storage of God’s inscrutable destinies, etc.

There are no limits to growth in a virtuous life, for we are commanded to be “perfect, even as the Heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48).

The main passions and their opposite virtues

Eight main passions: gluttony, fornication, love of money, anger, sadness, despondency, vanity, pride.

Eight cardinal virtues: abstinence

Abstinence is opposed to gluttony

Abstinence is the withholding

Conditions for acquisition: The object The 1st requires a merciless struggle, and the 2nd must be subdued to the spirit and kept within reasonable limits.

Examples, after Jesus Christ : Righteous John of Kronstadt, St. Gerasim of Jordan.

Fruits : The body must submit to the soul, and the soul to the spirit.

Temperance is ancestral, fundamental in relation to other virtues.

CHASTITY opposes prodigal passion

Chastity is the perfect subordination of the body to the soul, purity of soul and body.

Conditions for acquisition: The beginning Avoiding voluptuous conversations, bad words, preserving the senses, especially sight, hearing and touch. Bodily labor. Fasting, prayer. Avoid everything that could put even the slightest stain on the purity of the soul.

Chastity is abstinence and overcoming (all) lusts through struggle.

Examples, after Jesus Christ : Theotokos, Equal to the Apostles Thekla, Martyr Pelageya the Virgin, Blessed Princess Juliana of Vyazemskaya.

Fruits : Bodily and spiritual purity.

The love of money is opposed by LEGALITY

Non-acquisitiveness is self -satisfaction

Conditions for acquisition: Love of

Examples, after Jesus Christ : St. Neil of Sorsky, Blessed Xenia of Petersburg.

Fruits : Mercy for the poor, contempt for luxury, willingness to give the last.

MEEKNESS opposes anger

The virtue of meekness lies

Conditions for acquisition: Obedience Asking God for help. Self-reproach.

Examples, after Jesus Christ : St. Paul the Simple, St. Spyridon of Trimifunt

Fruits : Patience, lack of anger, the ability, when insulted by a neighbor, to pray for him without embarrassment and sincerely.

REPENTANCE is opposed to sadness

Repentance is a fundamental change in life: from arbitrarily sinful, self-loving and self-sufficient life to living according to God’s commandments, in love and striving for God.

Conditions for acquisition: Accomplishment

Examples, after Jesus Christ : Abba Sisoes the Great, Apostle Peter

Fruits : A vision of one’s sinfulness, the emergence of a desire to serve others, one’s disposition becomes unfeigned and unhypocritical. Transition to a qualitatively different way of thinking.

Sobriety is opposed to despondency

On the one hand, sobriety is

On the other hand, sobriety is a correct (sound) assessment of one’s strengths and one’s spiritual state, based on knowledge of one’s weakness and trust in Divine grace.

Conditions for acquisition: Keeping A daily test of the mind and heart.

Examples after Jesus Christ : St. Ignatiy Brianchaninov; Rev. Pachomius the Great.

Fruits : By correcting the heart, we correct the inner vision of our soul. Freedom from temptations, freedom from self-deception, vision of one's sins and trust in God, restraint in joy and preservation of prudence in sorrows are acquired.

Vanity is opposed by HUMILITY

Humility is considering oneself a sinner who has done nothing good before God, humiliation of the spirit, a sober vision of one’s sins.

Terms of acquisition:

1. A fair assessment of oneself and the understanding that all human merits are gifts of God.
2. Silence.
3. Humility.
4. Modest attire.
5. Self-deprecation.
6. Contrition for sins.
7. Last.
8. Bodily labor.
9. Fulfillment of the commandments.

Examples, after Jesus Christ : St. Sergius of Radonezh, Andrew, Fool for Christ's sake

Fruits : The closer the ascetics come to God, the more sinful they see themselves.

There are two humility: considering yourself lower than everyone else and attributing your deeds to God (this is the perfect humility of the saints).

Virtues and religious beliefs

Virtues can be said to fall into two categories:

• coming from social norms and imposed by society;
• arising from religious beliefs.

Moreover, both categories are subject to significant deformation, depending on the society in which they are applicable. For example, Hindus, in their religious practices, worship idols, which is severely punished in Christianity and Islam. Even such a quality as mercy, which is one of the key virtues, can be interpreted in a very specific way. In modern society, mercy would be to take a wounded person to the hospital, but in African tribes, in the same case, it is necessary to help the person move to another world.

Therefore, over the course of thousands of years, humanity has never come to a single definition of virtues, although absolutely all peoples and strata of society agree that they purify the soul and lead to self-improvement.