Is it possible to be a saint at all times, is family and monasticism equal in honor and is family life the ideal life for a person, what is the most direct path to creating a family, how to pray and fast for students - these and other questions about spiritual life were answered by the rector of PSTGU, Archpriest Vladimir Vorobyov during a meeting with students. Meetings with managers and teachers are held as part of the integration course for students admitted to PSTGU.
Spiritual life is life in the Holy Spirit
– Questions about spiritual life are inexhaustible. Nowadays, spiritual life is called different things. Some call “spiritual life” visiting theaters, concerts or, for example, dancing. The Church does not deny secular culture and allows it for the laity. But spiritual life is different. The Holy Scriptures speak very definitely about spiritual life: spiritual life is life in the Holy Spirit: “But you do not live according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit, if only the Spirit of God dwells in you. But if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is not His” (Rom. 8:9). That is, a Christian who does not have the Spirit of Christ cannot consider himself spiritual, says the Apostle Paul. You know that in the first century all Christians were called saints precisely because they received the gift of the Holy Spirit and tried to live with the grace of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. Their holiness was manifested even in a visible way: they often had gifts of grace. The life of the first Christians was organized charismatically, that is, they lived according to inspiration from above and did nothing until they felt the will of God. This is clearly written in the Acts of the Apostles, where it is said that when the Apostle Paul and his companions went to such and such a country, the Holy Spirit did not go with them, they realized that this was not pleasing to God. And when they went the other way and the Holy Spirit went with them, then they continued on their way: “Having passed through Phrygia and the Galatian country, they were not allowed by the Holy Spirit to preach the word in Asia. Having reached Mysia, they decided to go to Bithynia; but the Spirit did not allow them” (Acts 16:6). The first Christians felt the presence of the Holy Spirit in their hearts. The presence of the Holy Spirit meant that they were doing what pleased God. And if the Holy Spirit departed from them, it means that they did something displeasing to Him. The presence of the Spirit for them was the main criterion of truth. The Monk Seraphim of Sarov, who lived relatively recently, taught in exactly the same way about spiritual life. In his wonderful conversation with Motovilov, he says that the meaning of Christian life is to acquire the Holy Spirit of God in your heart. Motovilov did not understand his words and asked directly: “What does this mean?” “It’s very simple,” answered Saint Seraphim, “now you will feel it yourself.” Saint Seraphim prayed, and Motovilov truly experienced something extraordinary. He later described this in great detail: they were in the forest in winter, it was snowing lightly. Suddenly he saw St. Seraphim in some special Light - he was all shining. He felt an extraordinary warmth and fragrance, a special peace in his heart. Motovilov told St. Seraphim that he felt amazingly well. The Monk Seraphim explained to him: “You are now in the Holy Spirit. What you feel is the grace of the Holy Spirit.” “Poor Seraphim,” as he called himself, prayed that the Lord would show the pious landowner what it meant to be in the Holy Spirit, and the Lord answered his prayers. Continuing the conversation, the Monk Seraphim said: “My father was a merchant, we had a house and a shop in Kursk. It used to be that my father and I went to trade, and we traded the goods that sell better today: if flour, then flour, and if fabrics sell better, we trade in fabrics. What gives us more profit is what we trade. This is how you live - strive for that feat that gives you more grace. If prayer gives you more grace, pray; if good deeds, do good deeds; if fasting gives you more grace, fast; if bowing, then bow.” In such a clear way, the Monk Seraphim explained to Motovilov how to live a spiritual life correctly and how to acquire the Holy Spirit. The ancient saints taught in exactly the same way, not always in the same detail and unequally intelligibly, but the meaning was always the same. For example, the saint of the 11th century, the Monk Simeon the New Theologian, said that anyone who thinks that in our time (that is, in the 11th century) it is impossible to become a saint is mistaken. And in our time, holy people live the same way as in ancient times, and teach the same way as the ancient saints taught.
Conversations with the priest. How to become saints
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Hieromonk Pimen (Shevchenko), a resident of the Holy Trinity Alexander Nevsky Lavra, answers questions from TV viewers.
Broadcast from St. Petersburg. -Who are the saints?
– “Holy” (in Greek “agios”) means “chosen one”. The Savior said to His disciples: “You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15, 16). Saints are those people whom the Lord chooses, first of all, for the edification of every Christian in the matter of salvation. For each of us, the very first and main image of salvation is the Lord Jesus Christ. But not every person who reads the Holy Scriptures, delving into the life, deeds and sermons of Jesus Christ, can personally define this as an example for following God. Therefore, the Lord gathered His first disciples, who preached this sermon and were living examples of faith in Christ. Behind the apostles there were apostolic men who passed on the tradition, testified to the faith, and were martyrs. Now we have many saints, reverends, new martyrs, who today show us the image of the path to salvation by the example of their lives. Saints are those whom the Lord chooses to be this image.
– The services changed, and over time different saints began to appear. Can a person choose for himself a certain path to holiness? How do you become saints?
– The path to holiness is determined by many factors - for example, historical, internal choice and others. There was an era (the first centuries of Christianity) when there was no other example for holiness other than martyrdom. When the persecution stopped, many saints appeared. Already living in new Christian cities, they saw a temptation for themselves and went to deserted places in order to save themselves there. Then the saints appeared - they, having been instructed by the venerable fathers, returned to these cities, for example, Basil the Great. They preached among people, instructing them on the path of salvation.
In the Russian tradition, until the 20th century, the predominant example of holiness were the saints, which also clearly characterizes the inner spiritual core of the Russian person. Our saints differ from the first saints of the 4th-6th centuries in that they did not go far from the world, they were visible, but had the opportunity to pray in solitude. Such an example could be Sergius of Radonezh, who left not far from the place of his settlement so that people could come and learn from him.
The 20th century showed us a huge number of new martyrs. They cannot even be compared with the martyrs of the first centuries, when there was a choice: whether you believe in Christ or not. If in fact you are a Christian, then you were an enemy of the new state and you were destroyed. It is important to see again the core of our Church, fidelity to Christ, because in those days many schismatics and even apostates appeared: well-known clergymen renounced the Church and faith, asking not to be considered clergymen any longer. Confession, like that of the saints and new martyrs, became a manifestation of holiness in Rus'.
To become a saint, you need to see Christ in front of you, feel the calling grace and say: “Yes, Lord, I will follow You!” You need to become who He chooses, devoting yourself entirely to serving the Church and people. The Lord clearly defined His disciples: “If you have love for one another, you will be My disciples, and so everyone will recognize you.” Therefore, everyone who has love for their neighbor and God becomes a saint to the extent of the grace that the Lord gives, because not every person can accept the degree of grace that the Lord can give. In the troparion to the Transfiguration of the Lord it is written: “He showed glory to His disciples, as to a man.” That is, as much as they could accept this glory at that time. So it is at the present time.
The path of salvation that the Lord offers through His saints is multifaceted. You can be saved in the family, like St. Cyril and Maria of Radonezh, like St. Peter and Fevronia of Murom. You can save yourself by being a monk. Everyone can name examples of saints who are closer to them. You can save yourself alone. John the Russian was unmarried, was captured, was left alone, was not a saint, but was faithful to God and became righteous. Also, the righteous Simeon of Verkhoturye is one of the brightest examples of holiness. A book of holiness is open for every person, where he can write his name. To do this, you need to open your heart to God and allow Him to guide you throughout your life - to show your faith. For every Christian, faith is trust in the Lord. By trusting Him and going all the way with this faith, people become saints.
– Does it mean that a saint is sinless?
- No, only God is sinless. Saints are like us in everything. Each saint had certain flaws that were not listed in their lives. But if we look at the biography and memoirs, we will see some of our own characteristics, character traits that one way or another did not prevent this person from being with God. There were people who showed unkindness towards priests, for example some saints. They were overly strict, but despite this, their love for people was so great that they were immediately forgiven for everything. There were also those who had bad habits. In his diary, Saint Nicholas of Japan was very sad about his tobacco habit, which he could not get rid of. But he asked God for help, and the Lord did not count it as a sin, because the saint lamented over his passion. And the Apostle Paul asked to be delivered from “a certain thorn” that had stung him throughout his life. But the Lord said: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2 Cor. 12:9).
Sinlessness does not determine the holiness of a person; it is determined by the state when a person is aware of his sins. The first thing we read in Holy Scripture when we open it is the sermon of John the Baptist or the sermon of the Savior Himself, which begins with the word “Repent!” If a person sees, realizes his sins and tries to eradicate them (and if that doesn’t work, then he embarks on the feat of prayer so that the Lord will help eradicate his passions and vices), then he is on the right path to salvation. Holiness is determined by a feeling of repentance and awareness of one’s sinfulness before God.
– The death of all saints is different: among martyrs it is terrible, among saints it is calm. But do we know anything about the posthumous fate of the saints? What awaits them right outside the door and before they receive the status of saints, can they help people?
– I won’t answer the first part of the question, because I don’t know, and no one knows. There are assumptions, revelations to one saint or another, but it is not for us to judge the posthumous fate of a person. The greatest secret of God, which is saving for every person, is not knowing the fate of a neighbor who has died. If you find out that a person is in heaven, then you can give up, stop praying for him, rejoice and, leaving prayer, go into a state of idleness and die. And if your neighbor is in hell, then you can fall into despondency, from which there is a danger of not getting out and also perishing. The Lord wisely arranged everything, so we do not know the fate of a certain person, except for the fate of those people whom we call saints. The Lord reveals His miracles through the veneration of these saints - from their graves, things, holy places where they labored and where their feat took place, thereby showing that this person was chosen by God.
The Lord said: “He who keeps My word is My brother and friend.” That is why we call the saints friends of God. If we see the feat of a person, attested in martyrologies, acts of witnessing executions in Ancient Rome, or in investigative cases, as was the case in the 20th century, then we can testify to the loyalty of this person to God and glorify him as a martyr, whose example is worthy of imitation.
– When does the Church have complete confidence that this or that person is a saint?
– The main factor for the glorification of the venerable, righteous, saints is their popular veneration. The Canonization Commission determines a person's holiness using several criteria. The first is a lifestyle as an example to follow. This must be an impeccable life so that a person cannot find an excuse for his sins, so that he can take as a basis the life of a saint, suitable for him to emulate, and follow him to God. The second is popular veneration. And only then - miracles. Even in ancient times, many saints always treated miracles with caution, instructing their students to be attentive and be able to reason about who the miracle was from, because the devil also tries to tempt a person with various miracles. These issues must be considered with the utmost rigor.
When the Church is convinced and sees true veneration, holiness in life, it reveals this or that person as a saint. We have many examples when a person was glorified many years after his death. For example, the wondrous saint Alexander of Svirsky was glorified 14 years after his death at the Makaryevsky Cathedral. Blessed Xenia of St. Petersburg, who died at the turn of the 18th - 19th centuries, was glorified only in 1988 - almost 200 years after her death. It happens that the Church waits so as not to make a mistake in this matter. There were examples when she was wrong - and decanonization was applied. The Church as a divine-human organism is undoubtedly holy, and if the head is holy, then the body is holy. But this is also a human component, and it is human nature to make mistakes, and it is necessary and necessary to admit such mistakes.
– Who has the internal right to honor this or that person before canonization? In St. Petersburg we have a number of false shrines that, thanks to certain advertising, attract the majority of people who give their money, time and soul to it.
- Unfortunately, this happens. When someone tells us about a certain saint who is not glorified by the Church, we must approach this issue with the deepest consideration. It would not be amiss to ask the priest who confesses you what to do in this or that situation. There must be caution.
There is a veneration of truly saints of God, who have not yet been glorified by the Church, but with their love, example and faith have led many to Christ. And after the death of their teacher and mentor, people will come to his grave and honor him. If this happens sensibly, then people understand that there is no such person on earth who would live and not sin. Therefore, until the Church glorifies this ascetic as a saint, we perform memorial services and litias, pray for forgiveness of voluntary and involuntary sins. We know this from the example of Xenia of St. Petersburg, at whose grave memorial services were held for 200 years. People praying for Ksenia received what they asked for, because Ksenia also prayed for them.
Compiling prayers and akathists of dubious content and quality, as often happens now, is not always justified. We can recall the example of popular veneration of Seraphim of Sarov. The future martyr, one of the patrons of our land of St. Petersburg, Seraphim Chichagov, in his memoirs, writes about a trip to Diveevo, where he arrived to venerate the grave of the saint, who had not yet been glorified. He saw the rewritten akathist to St. Seraphim among the people and was horrified. This prompted him to write an akathist to St. Seraphim of Sarov, which we still read today. This is a worthy work, theologically and hymnographically.
It is necessary to have a healthy dose of reasoning when faced with such things. Blind faith cannot always lead to good. One monk of the Lavra, a monastic priest, did not tell the entire truth about himself, and his biography, after checking the archives, was not confirmed; moreover, his records of renunciation of the priesthood and the Church were discovered. He hid all this and did not publicly repent. Sometimes the thought comes to mind that people come to the grave of the so-called “elder” with greater reverence than to Christ. The so-called “saint” takes the place of God, and this is very scary. Bishop Anthony of Sourozh warned priests that a priest should never take the place of Christ in the life of a Christian. But often false holy things pretend to draw a person away from Christ by deceit. Unfortunately, this happens.
– Are prayers, akathists, services written before the official glorification or after?
- Differently. I had the opportunity to participate in the glorification of the locally revered saint of the Poltava diocese. For three years, the Lord determined for me to serve there, to receive the priesthood, take monastic vows, and work in the glorification of Saint Hilarion of Poltava - a wonderful man. Contact with a new saint, chosen by God, imparts unceasing joy. I remember how I first venerated his relics, when they were just raised, how they were dressed, how they prayed before them. Documents for canonization have already been submitted, an inspection took place in the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, they gave the go-ahead for canonization with the blessing of the ruling bishop, Metropolitan Philip, as well as the chairman of the Liturgical Commission of the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), Bishop Philaret Zverev. I began work on compiling a service. The goal, like that of any hymn writer, was simple - to show in this work (in stichera, troparia, canon) the path of holiness of this person. So that every person standing in a church, reading this canon at home or at the tomb of a saint, can learn something for themselves. In this case, the service was written for the day of glorification.
It happens that saints are glorified, but for a number of reasons there are no liturgical texts for these saints for a long time, but this in no way prevents us from praying to him. Now, thank God, there are general menaia regarding the new martyrs, many of them have been revealed on our land, there is no region, and perhaps even a city, where one or another new martyr is not venerated. There is also an opportunity to serve him thanks to the general menia, into which you only need to insert the name of the saint. They speak in general terms about this type of holiness. If this is a holy martyr, then, therefore, it is a martyr priest. If this is a venerable martyr, then, consequently, it is about a venerable monastic monk or novice of one or another monastery. This liturgical text reveals a general type of holiness. I hope that over time, a troparion, a prayer, will be written for every new martyr we know, so that every person can turn to him.
– Who does it depend on?
– Probably from those to whom the Lord gave the knowledge and gift to write such texts. Thank God that such people exist - and there are many of them. There are, of course, spelling errors. The Church Slavonic language is difficult for us, and when we write in it, we do not always express our thoughts clearly, so there are editors who help us correct inaccuracies. This is the work of the whole Church. Over time, people will appear who will do this, naturally with the blessing of the hierarchy. You should not think that if you have a saint for whom there is no service, then you need to sit down and write it yourself. You need to take a blessing to write, submit it for verification, and you cannot always expect a positive result. Sometimes it happens that significant correction of liturgical texts is necessary in order to bring them into a form worthy of worship.
– The memory of one saint is celebrated once a year. Is it advisable to make such a big effort for one day? Can the service be repeated more often?
– The day of remembrance of many saints is celebrated once a year, for some more. This could be the day of death. It happens that for some saints the day of death remains unknown, then the Church determines the day of their memory according to the day of memory of their heavenly patron. The discovery of the relics of saints or some other date associated with a person can also be the day of his memory. This is determined by the Synodal Commission for Canonization and the Calendar Commission of the Russian Orthodox Church.
It is advisable to write a service for one day a year. The liturgical text is a hymnography, it includes troparia, kontakia, stichera, canon and hagiography. Now, unfortunately, we have lost such a form of hymnographic creativity as hagiography. More often we have a biographical certificate rather than a life. Life is a hymnographic literary genre of narration about a saint. One of the excellent examples can be the life of St. Alexander of Svirsky. For the new martyrs these are mostly biographies. We try to tell where and from whom a person was born, about his education, the specifics of his ministry, and his death. More often than not it is presented in a dry manner.
Among the greatest examples of Russian hymnographic creativity is the life of St. Kirill of Beloezersky. The Life was compiled in order to read it during worship. At the moment of glorification, the life is read before announcing to the Church that the person has become a saint. We began to perceive information differently than the people who lived before us. We live in an era of fast information, we are used to quickly receiving news, drawing a conclusion, forgetting it and getting the next one. Therefore, now the life has turned into a biographical note. But we must preserve the liturgical aspect of venerating the saint—the liturgical texts. They are very important, thanks to them we can, in prayer and singing together, give praise to God for the revealed saint, righteous, miracle worker, martyr. We must understand that the glory that we give to the saints is not the glory of the saints, but of God. The Lord said to His disciples: “Whoever receives you receives Me, and whoever receives Me receives Him who sent Me.” When we honor the saints, we honor the One who glorified them.
– Question from a TV viewer from St. Petersburg: “How should good deeds in the name of Jesus Christ be manifested in action? What is the correct way to give alms to someone begging on the street?”
– About every deed that we do without a sense of selfishness, benefit for ourselves, realizing that this deed is happening for the sake of love for a person, we can say that the deed is being done for the sake of the Lord. This is a living example of the Savior’s words: “You will be known that you are My disciples by having love for one another.” If love prevails in your heart in this or that deed that you do for a person, then this deed was done for the sake of the Lord. Any person who asks you for alms for the sake of the Lord Jesus Christ should not be left empty-handed. If you have the opportunity, help. It is not necessary to give alms measured in thousands, but you need to give it from the purity of your heart. If your heart allows you to give five rubles, give five; if your heart allows you to give ten kopecks, give ten, but let it be from your heart and so that your conscience does not convict you. Then almsgiving will be really important.
If we choose to give alms to someone who asks for Christ’s sake, or just like that, then we still must help people who are our brothers in Christ. And we are already capable of distributing something among those people who are far from the faith. But if you are sure that your good deed will be an example to this person and he will think about God, then you should not leave him without help. If you are embarrassed that you are giving money to people who can use it to harm themselves by buying alcohol, drugs, or otherwise spending money not for good, then perhaps you should give not money, but bread, food, etc. clothes.
– The problem is that when we pass by beggars, we are afraid to talk to them. We most often decide whether to give or not to give, but we cannot be decisive and ask what the money is for.
- Undoubtedly. Not every person who is truly in need, due to his education and upbringing, can ask, explaining to everyone why he needs these funds. Sometimes you really have to come up and ask. A friend of my mother met a woman in a garbage dump who was homeless and gave her shelter. This woman was even afraid to leave the house because she was afraid that she would not be allowed back. Thus, the opportunity arose to help a person, and the Lord put it on his heart to participate in his fate, to perform the greatest deeds of mercy. Sometimes, in order to help a person, what is needed is not a coin, but a living participation in his life. Even if you hug a person, it will become much easier for him.
– If a person gives alms, but sees the dissatisfaction of the one to whom he gave, how should he react to such a reaction?
“In this case, we tend to react quite sharply: “I’m giving it to you, take it and be silent.” The devil does not always tempt us this way; sometimes the Lord strengthens us in the work of mercy. Sometimes you need to humble yourself and say to yourself: “Did I really act in good conscience by giving such a sum to this person?” If “yes,” then next time give the same amount, regardless of how the person reacts. Sometimes a person begging for alms may be mentally ill and express dissatisfaction with some words or emotions. But these are emotions that arise at the moment, sometimes not without the participation of the devil. Time will pass, and this person may have peace, tranquility and gratitude in his soul. Our job is to help and do good, regardless of faces.
– How to treat saints correctly so as not to forget about Holy Communion?
– We must always remember that the glory of the saints, their help and miracles is the work of God. God works miracles, sends healing, grace-filled help through the saints who are our prayer books and intercessors. The beginning of every miracle and grace is God. A person who strives for holiness, wants to receive what he asks from God, turning to the holy saints of God, must remember that without unity with Christ, which is possible exclusively in the sacrament of the Eucharist, it is impossible to receive salvation or what is asked for. Only by receiving communion, having repentance within us, reflecting on our lives, striving to correct our lives following the example of those saints from whom we ask for help and intercession, and in union with Christ do we receive what we want on earth. No saint will give more grace than God. Only our Lord Jesus Christ is the most important for each of us in this world. The Lord says: “He who drinks My Blood and eats My Flesh abides in Me, and I abide in him.”
The saints revealed the presence of God within themselves, and if we strive for this holiness (and there is no Orthodox Christian on earth who would not strive for holiness), then we cannot help but partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. The Venerable Simeon the New Theologian writes in one of his hymns: “And my hand is Christ, and my foot is Christ.” This happens at the moment of deification, when a person has God Himself in him, that is, when a person has received communion. We are sanctified, and Divine power and the intercession of the saints truly operate in our lives when we become members of Christ through the acceptance of the God-man Himself.
Presenter: Deacon Mikhail Kudryavtsev Transcript: Anna Solodnikova
The source of grace-filled life is only God
– Is it possible to talk about culture, art, science as a source for acquiring the Holy Spirit? - No you can not. Culture, art, science are not a source for acquiring the Holy Spirit. The source of the grace of the Holy Spirit is God Himself. Another thing is that studies in science, art, life in a particular cultural context can be combined with a life of grace, if, of course, this culture, science and art do not conflict with Christian faith and teaching. If we pray to God and live according to God’s commandments, then the Lord will give us His grace.
Holy people
By the grace of God, I had the opportunity to know several truly holy people - true elders. One of them was Father John Krestyankin, about whom you all know well. I communicated with him for many years and knew him closely. When you go to an elder, do you think about what questions you need to ask? Everyone has a lot of questions, and a priest has especially many questions, because you ask not only for yourself, but also for your spiritual children. Although the elders are saints, they are all different - each has their own makeup, their own special gift. One elder sits, listens to you and is silent, and the other, on the contrary, answers all your questions without even listening to them. Father John Krestyankin communicated in exactly this way with many people who questioned him. When you enter the cell of a holy man, such as Father John, warmth, joy, peace really appear in your soul, all doubts go away, there are no more questions, everything is clear, and you don’t want to leave here anywhere, you want to stay with him forever. I think this is experienced by everyone who communicates with holy people, who manages to be close to them.
Transfiguration of Moses
But suddenly something happened. The Life is silent about exactly how Moses’ miraculous turn to repentance took place, but it happened, as in the famous song based on Nekrasov’s verses: “Suddenly the Lord awakened the conscience of the fierce robber.” And as in the same song, Moses suddenly abandoned his gang and went to one of the monasteries in the Egyptian desert.
When the monks saw a robber at the gates of the monastery (and Moses was a famous villain with a speaking reputation), they were dismayed. What can you expect from such a person and why did he come? Moses asked to be accepted into the monastery and assured that he would not harm anyone. However, the abbot of the monastery was an experienced and wise man; he strictly forbade the gates to be opened. Moses had no choice but to sit at the gate, under the scorching sun, and wait for the mercy of the inhabitants of the monastery.
For two days Moses sat without water or food at the gates of the monastery. For two days the abbot (abbot) tested Moses’ determination and desire to devote himself to God. On the third day, the abbot realized that his intentions were serious and ordered the gates to be opened.
In the monastery, the former robber prayed to God day and night for the forgiveness of his sins, shedding streams of tears. He completely surrendered himself to the obedience of the abbot and the brethren, zealously fulfilling everything that was entrusted to him. After some time, Moses, having been blessed by the abbot, went deep into the desert to undertake special ascetic labors and, in solitude and silence, cleanse through repentance the crimes he had committed before. Then a rather curious incident happened to him. His cell was attacked by robbers who were plundering in the Egyptian desert. And it had to happen (of course, not without the Providence of God) that these four villains were from the very gang where Moses Murin himself had previously been chieftain. They did not recognize him in monastic robes, changed by fasting, vigils and labors. As already mentioned, Moses possessed exorbitant physical power. He easily overpowered the bandits, tied them up two by two and, putting them on his mighty shoulders like sheaves, carried them to the monastery. Having dumped his former accomplices near the church, he asked the brethren: “What do you order to do with them?” The monks decided to release the robbers without handing them over to the authorities and entrusting them exclusively to the court of God. The robbers, who finally recognized their former leader in the monk who had tied them up and were shocked by such a brotherly attitude towards them from the monks, glorified the Lord. Having repented, they decided to stay in the monastery. It is known that not only these four, but also many other members of the gang, where Moses was once the leader, having heard about the miraculous change in the life of their leader, about his sincere repentance, then came to the monastery to cleanse their souls with repentance and become soldiers of Christ in a monastic form.
It is possible to be a saint at all times
Spiritual life is the result of the action of God's grace. Grace cannot be earned or purchased by anything. But grace can be received freely from God. The Lord wants to give His grace to each of us. The Lord wants “everyone to be saved and to come to the understanding of the truth,” that is, in Russian, God wants everyone to come to an understanding of the truth and be saved. For God, we are all His children. Therefore, Jesus Christ Himself teaches us to pray, turning to God - “Our Father.” God wants us to call Him our Father because we are His children. Any earthly father wants to give his children the best. Moreover, God, Who is Love, as a Father, wants to give each of us the grace of the Holy Spirit. In order to accept and accommodate this gift, you need to have a pure heart. This is evidenced by the Beatitudes given by Jesus Christ: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8). If the heart is unclean, then it is impossible to recognize God. To communicate with God, you need to learn to pray, you need faith, humility and peace in your soul. You also need to work on your “inner man,” as the Holy Fathers said.
As soon as we are ready to accept the gift of grace, the Lord will give it to us. He will give it in a small amount at first, because the grace of the Holy Spirit is like fire. If you put burning coals in our palms, we will not be able to hold them, but will immediately throw them away, and there will be a burn on our palms. If we need fire, we must prepare a vessel for coals. In the same way, the heart must be prepared so that the grace of the Holy Spirit can dwell in it. Prayer, cleansing your heart from everything bad, from passions, a peaceful, humble, meek disposition - all this is precisely the state of the soul that is necessary for a grace-filled life. In order not to burn us, the Lord first gives us a small spark that will not burn us. As we become ready, this spark will ignite into a big flame. Holy people live with this spiritual fire in their hearts. We see this fire or light on icons in the form of a halo around the faces of saints. It happens that the blessed light around a holy person appears to people in a visible way. So it was with Moses, with Sergius of Radonezh, Seraphim of Sarov, whom the disciples saw during prayer surrounded by uncreated light. This seems extremely far away to us, but if we think that this is impossible to achieve, then we are mistaken. It seems to us that saints are only on icons, that they lived in ancient times, they are written about in the lives of saints, but today they are not there. This is wrong. God always has saints. And in our time there are holy people. And in the future they will always be as long as this world stands. There are different types of saints: they can be elders to whom people go, or they can be people unknown to anyone. As a child, I happened to know one holy mother. She was the widow of a executed priest. When the communists arrested and shot her husband, she was left with five children, and the youngest was still an infant. She lived a very hard life, but raised all five children. She was an absolutely holy person. When she entered the house, grace entered with her. It was completely obvious and tangible, but it was impossible to convey or explain. With her came peace, joy, and quietness. More than anything in the world, she loved to pray to God. She prayed a lot. Prayer was her greatest joy. This was her living communication with God. Such holy people undoubtedly exist today. It is always possible to be a saint.
It is important to meet a holy person in your life
I fervently wish each of you to meet at least one holy person in your life. This is very important for your spiritual life. If you are offered to go to a holy person, then do not refuse. It just needs to be a truly holy person. It often happens that modern people are deceived and consider those who are not saints to be saints. Some caution is always necessary, especially in spiritual life. – Is it possible to achieve holiness not in monastic life, but in family life? Is it possible to be a saint and not be a monk? - Of course available. There are examples from history when laymen and married people became saints, martyrs, righteous people, holy fools. In the world, in ordinary life, one can achieve holiness only by acquiring special, great humility and modesty. Therefore, lay saints are less known.
Holy killer
Can a saint in the past be a murderer? An amazing example of the spiritual transformation of a person, a seemingly hopeless sinner, a murderer, occurred in Egypt in the 4th century. One noble man had a completely worthless slave. This slave's name was Moses, he was born in Ethiopia and was, as they said then, a Murin. That is, simply put, a black man, or, to put it in modern, politically correct terms, a dark-skinned Afro-Egyptian. Of course, his unworthiness was not at all in the color of his skin - when did that bother a slave?! By all his physical characteristics, on the contrary, he should have been an excellent worker: tall, heroic strength, and enough health for four. But he managed to annoy his master so much with disobedience and bad behavior that he did not know how to get rid of him. One day Moses also committed murder. This exhausted the owner's patience. He did not even sell the worthless worker (apparently fearing complaints from buyers), but simply kicked him out of the house, letting him go on all fours. That's all Moses needed. He, of course, did not want to do honest work, but stuck to the bandit gang operating in those places. They fell in love with him for his violence and daring, as well as for his enormous physical strength. All these qualities are always valued in the criminal world. Soon the former slave became an “authority” among the robbers and was elected chieftain of this organized criminal group. The gang of Moses became famous for their robberies, robberies and bloodshed. The leader himself was particularly cruel. He spent his leisure time, as usual in this environment, in drunkenness and fornication.
Family and monasticism - two equally honorable paths to God
– Is it possible, without getting married, not to go to a monastery? I am afraid that if I get married, the place that the Lord now occupies in my life will be partly occupied by my husband, as the Apostle Paul wrote that “the unmarried woman cares about the Lord, how to please the Lord, so that she can be holy in both body and spirit; But the married woman cares about the things of this world, how to please her husband” (1 Cor. 7:34). But I don’t feel any calling to the monastic life. – The question is very difficult. The path of family life and the monastic path are two equally honorable paths. Both paths can be high and good, but they can also be unsuccessful. We must try to feel the will of God, pray to God and ask Him Himself to show us the path of our salvation.
Nowadays, unfortunately, family life is very difficult. The world seems to be at war against the family. You yourself know how many divorces occur, including in the churchyard! There are so many ruined destinies among Christian spouses. Nowadays there are very few happy families. People have forgotten how to live family life. Previously, the Church taught this, but now people mostly grow up outside the Church and do not know how to live in a family. Unfortunately, there is a similar problem in monasteries - few people know how to live in monasteries. Previously, there was continuity in monastic life, but the Soviet government destroyed almost all monasteries, and this continuity barely survived. Before perestroika, there were 20 monasteries in the Soviet Union. Moreover, on the territory of Russia itself there were only two monasteries: the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and the Pskov-Pechersky Monastery. The remaining monasteries were on the outskirts: in Western Ukraine and the Baltic states. Over the past 25 years, approximately 800 monasteries have opened in the Russian Church. Thus, there are monasteries, but there are not enough experienced confessors, elders and elders, abbots and abbesses to whom one can turn for spiritual advice. Monks and novices living in such monasteries sometimes do not have a proper understanding of what monastic life is. In Greece, the situation is more prosperous - there, since the time of the Byzantine Empire, a monastic tradition has been preserved, primarily on Athos, which has been the greatest spiritual center of the entire Orthodox world for 1000 years. We must try, with God’s help, to find our way in life and follow the path that the Lord will show us - to become a monk or start a family. But for women there is a third way - to serve God at the temple, helping the bishop or priest. This path is even more ancient than monasticism. In the history of the Church it was called the Institute of Virgins. Then there was also an institute of deaconesses, and some virgins became deaconesses. In our time, the institution of deaconesses no longer exists (although they are trying to revive it in Africa), but virgins serving the Church have always existed and will exist. Their service to God can be truly wonderful if there is love, humility, chastity and determination.
Neophyte in the Soviet Union
I was born into an ordinary Soviet family, where it was not customary to talk about God. Although my great-grandfather was a priest. But I only found out about this when I became one myself. I grew up like all boys at that time. At the institute, I studied physics with great enthusiasm - I wanted to achieve success in the scientific field. And by the time the Lord called me, I even managed to get married. My active churching began in 1989. And by the beginning of the 90s I was a neophyte with all the fervor and excesses that you can imagine. I remember how books from the YMCA-Press publishing house, which specializes in publishing Christian literature in Russian, were brought to the Library of Foreign Literature, and I sat in the reading room for about a week, rewriting and rereading everything I could, since there are no such books in the public domain. was. “Philokalia”, the works of John Chrysostom, Basil the Great... And I also greedily devoured the most varied samizdat that was circulating at that time - I re-read everything about God that I could then find. And I wanted to devote myself entirely to the Church - to be a missionary, to help my neighbors. At that time, the Radonezh society began creating Orthodox schools. And I had two years of work behind me at a research institute. And when “Radonezh” appeared in my life, I immediately quit and became the executive secretary of advanced training courses for Orthodox teachers. I then went to the Church of Peter and Paul on the Yauza to see Father Arkady Stanko. But our communication did not go beyond the limits of the liturgy, and I longed for a living connection with the people of the Church. I, like Alyosha Karamazov, did not understand: how is it possible, if the Lord orders you to give Him all of yourself, “give two rubles, and instead of “follow Me” and go only to mass”? But I didn’t know where to go or what to do. And the Lord decided everything for me.
Man's original life is family life
The Bible talks about this in an absolutely amazing way. When God created man in the beginning, he - Adam - was alone. God placed him in heaven, but it turned out that “it is not good for man to be alone” even in heaven. The Lord began to bring various animals to him so that Adam would not be so lonely. Adam gave them names. The Holy Fathers interpret this in such a way that, by naming the animals, Adam knew their essence with his mind. When a name is given, it must correspond to nature. And so Adam named everyone, that is, he clearly defined their nature, because he had a consciousness that was not yet damaged by sin. However, there was no creature “like him” with whom it would be good for him to live, with whom he could not be lonely. Then God brought a dream on him and created a wife from his rib - Eve. When Adam woke up and saw her, he said: “Behold, this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she will be called woman, for she was taken from man. Therefore a man will leave his father and mother and cleave to his wife; and they will become one flesh” (Gen. 2:23-24). “She will be called woman, because she was taken from her husband.” This phrase in Slavic and Russian translation is surprising in its lack of logic. Why should she be called “wife” if she was “taken from her husband”? But in the original text everything is clear, because for us the words “husband” and “wife” have different roots, but for Jews these are words with the same root. In Hebrew, “husband” is “ish”, and “wife” is the feminine form of this word - “ish-sha”. Therefore, this phrase sounds something like this: “It will be called “ish-sha”, because it is taken from its “isha”. Adam, giving his wife such a name, wanted to say that “this is my nature, therefore she will be mine, she was created from me, that is, she is the same as I myself.” So the family was created in paradise even before the Fall. And God expressed His satisfaction by blessing Adam and Eve: “And God blessed them, and God said to them: “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air, and over every living thing, creeping things on the earth" (Gen. 1:28). God determined that the original, ideal life of a person is precisely family life, as the unity of a man and a woman and their children.
You remember how the Lord calls himself the “Bridegroom of the Church,” and likens the Kingdom of God to a wedding feast. The Apostle Paul calls the Church the Bride of Christ. This means that the soul of each of us who is a member of the Church is also the bride of Christ. The soul of every Christian, not only girls, but also boys, is also created to be the bride of Christ, because we are all members of the one Church of Christ. And if so, it means that union with Christ is a special spiritual marriage, if by marriage we understand unity in love - the closest, closest unity. Monastic life appears later, when the human soul is damaged as a result of the Fall. A person’s nature is overcome by passions, his whole life becomes different, and family life is also filled with sin. Then there is a need to escape from the vanity and temptations of a sinful life. A monastic path appears, on which it is easier to be with God. This path is also likened to marriage; it is not for nothing that nuns are called “Christ’s Bride.” Monasticism is a very high and blessed path, no less significant than family. In a sense, monasticism is not the opposite of marriage, but represents a different way of being in love with Christ. Both in family life and in monastic life a feat of selfless love is required. Nowadays, the feat of family life has become much more difficult than before. But the monastic feat is also difficult, although some think that it is easier than the feat of family life. The choice of path depends on the inclinations and abilities of the person. This issue is best resolved with a confessor or a spirit-bearing elder.
What is impossible for man is possible for God
But passions, sinful habits, voluptuous thoughts, everything that was in his past violent life tormented the monk Moses for a very long time. He was especially tormented by prodigal passion. On the advice of the elder, the ascetic exhausted his body with hard work and fasting. He spent whole nights for six years standing in prayer, almost without closing his eyes. However, carnal passionate lust did not recede. Then he came up with another remedy. At night he went around the cells of the hermits, collecting empty waterpots. And then he filled them with water from the well all night. Some elders had homes four, or even six or even eight kilometers from the source. Some were so weak that they could no longer fetch water themselves.
The devil hated such feats, and he began to attack Moses physically. One day an enemy hit him on the back with such force that the monks found him at the well barely alive. He lay in relaxation for a whole year. Finally, after the prayer of his spiritual mentor, Elder Isidore, and the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, carnal lusts completely left him.
The demons of fornication and drunkenness tormented the ascetic for many years. For his struggle, for his great deeds and firmness, the Lord freed him from the temptations of these passions. He received from God great power over demons.
Now those who suffer from the passions of fornication and wine drinking pray to Saint Moses Murin.
Having spent many years in monastic endeavors, the monk was awarded the rank of hierodeacon, and after that he was ordained a hieromonk. He served as a presbyter for 15 years and gathered 75 disciples around him.
The most direct way to create a family is prayer
– Many priests say that if this is “your person,” then you “can’t pass by.” However, many people, due to their inability to see God's will, miss their man and are left alone. How not to miss this “moment of truth”? – I doubt that you have chosen the appropriate terminology: finding a spouse is the moment of truth. To find a life partner, bride or groom, you must first of all pray to God. And the Lord Jesus Christ will guide you on the good path, will lead you to that person who can become your life partner, and will lead him to you. If you pray to God, He Himself will arrange your destiny. God wants people to create families. The Lord wants you all to do well, to be happy, to have good families and good children. But you need to be ready for this. You need to pray to God about this. The most direct path to creating a family is prayer. If you pray, the Lord will give you all this and give even more of what you ask for. Unfortunately, very often young people are completely unprepared to start a family. The unworthy behavior of many modern young men and women causes disgust and reluctance to see them. I am sure that an unchaste, sinful life is the biggest obstacle to a happy family life.
God's plan for man
The Lord created man to increase love. We were created for eternal life and eternal bliss. This is the Creator’s goal—to save every person and prepare for him a place in the Kingdom of Heaven. That is, God wants all people, simply put, to become righteous.
The will of God is great goodness for man, exactly what is good. But God does not impose His “standards” on anyone, but only suggests. Those people whom we honor as the righteous simply made the right choice at the time. But who forbids us?
For many, these words may seem like a revelation: is it true that I too can become a saint? Yes. You just need to want it and confirm it with your whole life.
What attracts someone of the opposite sex to a person?
If a person is a sinner and sinful passions and lusts are active in him, then they encourage him to seek satisfaction in carnal communication with a person of the other sex. Behaving wildly is, of course, an effective way to attract the attention of such a person. For example, what kind of person can be attracted by immodestly dressed girls? Obviously - only a person obsessed with lustful passion! But you won’t be able to start a family with such a person. Nothing good can come from such an acquaintance. In a marriage with such a person, even if it takes place, which is already very doubtful, there will only be sins, torment, and suffering. If a girl wants her to have a happy family, to live in true love with her husband, then she needs to please an honest, pure man, capable of selfless Christian love. The most attractive thing in a person is the soul. The true beauty of a person is not in the body, but in the soul! It often happens that some tall, slender, seemingly beautiful girl inspires disgust because her soul is ugly. Today there are a lot of such girls. And vice versa, it often happens that a girl who looks, as they say, “ugly” attracts the attention of a wonderful young man, and they end up with a wonderful family. Because she has a bright, beautiful soul. How to see the beauty of the soul? The soul glows in a person’s eyes, it is visible in his face. If we want to have a family, then we need to decorate our soul. The soul is decorated with prayer to God, love for God and people, purity, chastity, humility, meekness, modesty and kindness. If you are like this, you will become attractive to other good and kind people. Such friendship can become a family. And prodigal relationships do not create a family.
The example of the family life of Father John of Kronstadt is not for everyone
– How do you feel about the feat of the family life of Father John of Kronstadt and is this possible today? – Living with your wife as with your sister is a very special case, which was indicated to Father John by God Himself. This feat had a special purpose. It was on this path that Father John was able to become the initiator of the Eucharistic revival in the Russian Church. Only by serving in the parish was he able to revive the Eucharistic life. He could not have done this in the monastery. He needed to be not a monk, but a married priest. If he had a large family, it would also be very difficult for him to do this. His feat can hardly be an example to follow. Without the special blessing of God one should not think about such a feat. Spouses must remember the commandment of the Apostle Paul not to deviate from each other: “Do not deviate from each other, except by consent, for a time, to practice fasting and prayer, and then be together again, so that Satan does not tempt you through your intemperance” (1 Cor. 7:5,29). These words of the apostle once again speak about the greatest gift of God - unity in love. – You need to know moderation in everything so as not to go to extremes. Can there be a measure of love? Is limitless love between a person and a person possible? – Yes, of course, boundless love is possible. There is no measure in love, because God is Love, and God is infinite. Love can be infinitely great, it can grow every day, throughout your life. It is only necessary to add that true love is not some kind of emotions and sensory experiences, but spiritual love, the gracious love of Christ.
I came to argue with the priest
I then lived on Taganka with my parents, younger brother and sister. My brother’s life also changed radically when he came to the Church. He turned his room into a real cell and prayed constantly. Even to me, a neophyte, this seemed like overkill. And my brother, who soon became the first novice of the Novospassky Monastery, which was given to the Church in 1991, answered all my attempts to intervene: “Sorry, but I have a confessor, Archimandrite Alexy (Frolov), and I discuss these issues only with him.” And then I decided to deal with this archimandrite. But having crossed the threshold of the monastery, I immediately realized that the Holy Spirit was resting on this man: I came to quarrel with him, but I talked and realized that I did not need another confessor.
Soon Father Alexy asked: “Help us with Sunday school. After all, you are involved in Orthodox gymnasiums, but we have no one to take charge of this.” So I became the head of the school at the Novospassky Monastery and was there for ten years. And a year later the governor said: “You need to be a clergyman.” I couldn't even think about this. Am I a priest? I was 27 years old, but I didn’t even know how to become one. Yes, in a neophyte impulse I read a huge amount of religious literature, then I found a wise confessor and ran a Sunday school. But all this is not the same... But the amazing thing is that when I heard this, I had no hesitation. I accepted the word of my spiritual father joyfully and unconditionally. By the way, he never forced my will, although I always listened to him and consulted on all issues.
You can say that my entire future path is a “game for increase”. I looked at the monks and thought: I am not unworthy to be like this. That is why, to my happiness, thoughts about becoming a sexton, a deacon, and then a priest came to me “from the outside” - from people whom I trusted. If you listen closely, the word “calling” means: “you were called and you went.” But this is a one-time action. It seems to me that there has never been such a moment of calling in my life. I feel the presence of God in my life continuously. But I myself am not that spiritual, therefore, when a spiritually strong person is next to me, I light up and live, but without him next to me everything becomes much more difficult... And I would be nothing if first it were not for the people from the Radonezh society, and then my spiritual father and many other amazing people through whom God led me to Himself.
It's hard to pray these days
– How to keep your attention on prayer – at home and during worship? – Nowadays it is really very difficult to pray. There are so many obstacles to prayer! Electronics, computers, the Internet and entertainment haunt people every minute everywhere. To learn to pray, you need to avoid entertainment. For example, if you were watching a movie, and then immediately get up to pray, frames from the movie you watched will flash before your eyes. Cinema exists to make an impression, that is, to excite the soul, to “fill” it with some kind of passionate or simply informative experience. Even if the movie is good, in which there is nothing immoral, the abundance of images and impressions still makes it difficult to concentrate. When a person lives in a village, in nature, around him is the sun, trees, a rooster crows, a cow mooed, a field with flowers, a forest on the horizon, there are no other impressions. In such a limited range of impressions, it is easier for a person to concentrate. And if you have a TV in front of you, then it flashes India, China, Syria, America, where someone was killed, where the war is, where missiles are exploding. A person, sitting in his room, wants to embrace the whole world with his mind. The phone in his pocket rings every now and then. How can you focus on prayer? Almost impossible. That’s why all modern people complain that they can’t pray.
If you want to concentrate, you need to abandon this kaleidoscope, stop entertaining your soul with all sorts of nonsense, try to limit the range of your impressions to something serious. In this regard, monasticism, of course, better helps one go to God. When a person leaves ordinary everyday impressions, limits his life to the temple, cell and obedience, then he can learn prayer. One day, a young novice turned to St. Seraphim, who later became Archimandrite Moses (Putilov), the founder of the Optina Hermitage in its new, spiritual meaning, and under him the eldership began in the Optina Hermitage. He asked him the following question: “Father, I am standing at the service and cannot concentrate, I cannot pray attentively. What do i do?" The Monk Seraphim answered him: “When you stand at a service, read the Jesus Prayer, then the prayers that are heard at the service will become clearer and more audible.” Indeed, it is very useful to take a rosary and recite the Jesus Prayer during the service. Then the service will be more intelligible, and attention will begin to focus itself. But if you just stand there, yawn, look around, and your thoughts flash, then it is very difficult to be attentive during prayer. Prayerful work requires exercise, self-education, and self-restraint.
God called and I ran
Of course, during my deaconship I never dreamed that I would be anything more. But one day Father Mitrofan, the choir director of the Novospassky Monastery, said, as if in passing: “You’re stuck in the deacons, it’s time for you to be a priest!” And I - again, as if from the outside - accepted the thought: “Maybe, yes?”
With Archimandrite Alexy Frolov
I was ordained literally a year later, on April 22, 1995, on Holy Saturday. There was no hesitation or doubt - I was constantly told: you must, go ahead, and this was entirely down to my own choice, my will. When they were ordaining me as a priest, Father Alexy again called my wife and said: “Mother, remember, I asked your permission for Maxim to become a deacon? Now I don't ask. “I’m just setting out a fact: we will ordain your husband as a priest.” And this decision was in tune with her, as well as with me. But just before the day of my ordination, fear attacked me. I dreamed that the patriarch died and everything was cancelled... I was ordained in the Epiphany Cathedral. On the day of my ordination I was very tired: after all, it was the end of Lent, and I had served all the services of Holy Week as a deacon. But on the other side of the fatigue there was an indescribable joy. A state of flight that I haven’t experienced in normal life for a long time.
Easter
But I, having become attached with all my soul to Novospassky, was upset that I would have to spend my first Easter in my life as a priest outside the walls of the monastery dear to my heart. In the first moments of the festive service, I didn’t even feel the holiday. I caught myself thinking: “Why does everyone have such stone faces? Why am I not happy? Why is no one happy? Only the sonorous voice of Bishop Arseny (Epifanov) “awakened” me: he managed to shout “Christ is Risen!” so loudly that his cry reached my heart. The holy order is the highest thing I have, the greatest joy, but in no case does it close other possible paths of development from me. On the contrary, it is the door to a much deeper and more interesting life.
At the bell tower
From the very beginning I understood that the main thing is not to say to myself: “I am a priest” or “I am Father Maxim.” I didn’t try to explain to myself where the Lord was leading me—where the Lord pointed, that’s where I ran. I am an altar server - that means a stand for a candle, a deacon - a shoulder for an orarion, a priest - a neck for an epitrachelion. Each time the Lord used me in a certain way, and thank God that He continues to use me in some way...
How should students fast?
– Is it possible for students not to keep a strict fast? – Why do you need to relax your fast? Is it difficult for students to fast? Even children can fast. When I was a child, my mother and I tried to fast strictly. In my family it was like this: usually during Lent we didn’t eat fish, and there was nothing dairy either. This was not dry eating, that is, when during fasting they eat only bread, water and raw vegetables, but do not eat cooked food. This kind of post is really difficult. We always had delicious plant food during Lent. My children also wanted to fast with us from a young age. Moreover, compassionate aunties offered them: “Eat fish or drink milk, it’s too early for you to fast.” And they asked: “No, we also want to fast.” We allowed them to fast like adults with us, and there were no bad consequences from this. I don’t understand why fasting causes difficulties for a healthy person? If it is difficult to fast due to illness, if fasting food causes harm, then the fast must be weakened so that there is no harm to health. It rarely happens that a person cannot live without meat at all, so you can almost always give up meat. If your health is normal, then strict adherence to fasting will bring great spiritual and moral benefits, especially to young people. After all, fasting is the science of controlling oneself, cultivating one’s will, mastering and managing oneself.
About the will of God
– How to come to terms with the will of God? – You need to love God and the will of God and know that it is always good. The will of God is always beautiful, always saving, always aimed at the best for us. If the will of God is known, this means that there is no better way. You need to believe and know that this is really so. If you accept it as the best, then you will very soon love it and not want anything else. This applies even to such seemingly terrible cases as severe congenital illness. On this occasion, I want to tell you the wonderful story of Bishop Stefan (Nikitin) about his meeting with Saint Matrona Anemnyasevo. I knew Bishop Stephen personally, this story is completely reliable.
Saint Matrona had not grown since childhood, so her parents put her in a basket, she lay there and was motionless. They had to go to work, it was inconvenient to do this with a basket, and they took it to church. They will put you on a bench in the church, and they themselves will go to the field to work. She grew up in the service from childhood and absorbed worship into her heart. And she lived like that until she was very old. Bishop Stefan (Nikitin) - he was not yet a bishop at that time - was arrested in the 1930s for his faith and spent several years in prison in a camp. The period of arrest was coming to an end, he was waiting for release, and suddenly they told him that they would extend the term of imprisonment and would not release him. He fell into great despondency, it began to seem to him that he could not stand his stay in the camp and would die. One of his fellow prisoners asked him why he was so upset? He said the reason. And they tell him: “Go and call Matrona.” He was very surprised and said: “How is it, where to go, what to shout?” - “But there, in the far corner of the camp, go and shout louder: “Motya, help!” He was surprised, but went and shouted: “Motya, help!” Very soon he was released. Then he started asking, who is Motya? “And this is such an old woman, she lives in such and such a place,” they tell him. When he was freed, he first of all went to this village, but he did not know the address. He comes to the village and asks: “Where does Motya live here?” “Over there,” they said, and they showed the house. He comes into the house and sees the door is open. He is wary of entering this door without asking. It's quiet there, there's no one there. Suddenly he hears a voice from the upper room: “Come in, Seryozha (this was his name before becoming a monk), come in, Vladyka.” He was very surprised where the voice came from and why he was called the ruler. In the house, he saw a basket that stood in the corner under the icons, and in it lay a little old woman and called him Vladyka. He asked her: “How do you know my name?”, and she answered: “So you called me.” The future bishop thanked her for praying for him and for releasing him.
Temptations for beginners and no guarantees
A person can say to himself: that’s it, from tomorrow I will become a saint. I will fulfill all the commandments, love everyone, fast, give alms, go to church.
Any person, especially a beginner, will be tempted by demons. While he does one good thing, the evil ones tempt him in another.
Here I am, so good, I can refuse meat, but I continue to engage in cannibalism: sawing my relatives, quarreling with colleagues.
Or, for example, you try and try, do something good for people, and in return you receive sorrow and punishment. It seems that it would be better not to do anything.
If your good deeds encounter some kind of invisible resistance, then you are moving on the right path. This is the devil trying to prevent. The main thing is not to stop.
Beginners should be especially afraid of falling into delusion: it seems to people that they are very kind and deserve to see saints, to feel special grace, but in fact all this is the machinations of the evil one.
One way or another, we will still fall into sin. But it is important to rise up, repent and hope that God will save us. This will not be clear until the end of our lives.
No matter how good we are, it is impossible to become saints in this life. Why? You never know exactly what will happen to a person in a week, a year, a decade, before death.
Only after death can one accurately sum up life. The transition to another world reveals the secret of human life and the afterlife. All righteous people revered in our church were officially confirmed as saints after death and canonization.
