Psalm of David 54 in Russian and Church Slavonic languages

Text of prayer Psalm 54

Traditionally, the prayer is read in Church Slavonic in the church during the service. But the original is difficult to understand. It will not immediately become clear to an inexperienced person how to read a certain word, where to put the emphasis and what the word means. Before mastering the Church Slavonic version, you should turn to the Russian translation. Such a prayer gives the believer more understanding of the main events, and the text will take on meaning, uniting the sincere Christian and the Lord.

In Church Slavonic with accents

In Russian

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Inspire, O God, my prayer, And do not despise my prayer: Hear me, and hear me: I was grieved by my sorrow, In my temptation, and was confused From the voice of the enemy and from the oppression of the sinner: For I have turned away iniquity, And in anger I have enmity.

My heart was in turmoil, And the fear of death attacked me: Fear and trembling came upon me, And darkness covered me.

And rekh: who will give me a krill like a dove; And I’ll fly and rest.

Behold, he went away running, and settled in the desert.

I trust God to save me from cowardice and from the storm.

Flood, O Lord, and divide their tongues: For I have seen lawlessness and strife in the city.

Day and night it will walk along its walls: Iniquity and labor are in the midst of it, and unrighteousness: And from its hundred there will be no shortage of usury and flattery.

As if the enemy had reviled me, I would have suffered slaughter: And if the enemy had spoken against me, I would have hidden from him.

You are an indifferent man, my Lord and my known one, who thoroughly enjoyed being with me: We walked in the house of God with like-mindedness.

Let death come upon her, And let them go down to hell and live: For wickedness is in their dwellings In the midst of them.

I cried out to God, and the Lord heard me.

Evening and morning and noon I will proclaim, and I will proclaim, and he will hear my voice.

He will deliver my soul in peace from those who approach me: For in many troubles I am with me.

God will hear and humble me, the one who lived before the world. There will be no change for them, as if they did not fear God.

Stretch out your hand for retribution: You will desecrate his covenant.

Divided from the anger of his face, And their hearts drew near: Their words faded away more than oil And they are arrows.

Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will nourish you: He will not give fame to the righteous forever.

But You, God, will bring them down into the student of decay: Men of blood and flattery will not live half their days.
But, Lord, I trust in You. In Russian.
An educational text for understanding unfamiliar words and expressions of the Church Slavonic language. About salvation from traitors

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Hear, O God, my prayer And do not hide from my prayer; Listen to me and hear me; I groan in my grief, in my sorrow, and am troubled by the voice of the enemy, by the oppression of the wicked, for they bring iniquity against me and in anger they enmity against me.

My heart trembles within me, And mortal terrors have attacked me; Fear and trembling came over me, And horror seized me.

And I said: “Who would give me wings like a dove? I would fly away and calm down.

I would go far away and remain in the desert.

I would hasten to hide from the whirlwind, from the storm.”

Disrupt, O Lord, and divide their tongues, For I see violence and strife in the city.

Day and night they walk around its walls; Atrocities and disaster are in the midst of it; In the midst of it is destruction; Deception and deceit do not leave its streets.

For it is not the enemy who reviles me, I would have endured this; It is not my hater who glories over me, I would hide from him.

But you, who were for me the same as me, my friend and my close one, with whom we shared sincere conversations and went together to the house of God.

May death come upon them; May they go down alive into hell, For wickedness is in their dwellings, In their midst.

I will cry to God, and the Lord will save me.

Evening and morning and at noon I will pray and cry, and He will hear my voice.

He will deliver my soul in peace from those who rise up against me, for I have many of them.

God will hear and He who lives from eternity will humble them, because there is no change in them; They don't fear God.

They stretched out their hands against those who are at peace with them, They broke their covenant.

Their lips are softer than butter, And in their hearts is enmity; Their words are softer than oil, But they are drawn swords.

Cast your cares on the Lord, and He will support you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; The bloodthirsty and treacherous will not live to see half their days. And I trust in You, Lord.

PRAYER RULE FOR COMMUNION (sample of preparation during the week):

Monday

(according to secular style - on Sunday evening after Little Compline): Canon of Repentance to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday

: Canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos.

Wednesday

: Canon to the Guardian Angel.

Thursday

: Canon to Saint John the Baptist.

Friday

: Canon, Akathist or prayers to your patron saint, whose name you bear.

Saturday

: To the Sweetest Jesus.

Sunday

: the first (evening) part of the procession to Holy Communion. The second (morning) part of the sequence is read after the 1st hour.

Attendance at the Divine Liturgy on Sunday is a MANDATORY and IMMEDIATE rule for an Orthodox believer, as is the communion of the Holy Mysteries of Christ. An exception to this RULE is possible only due to a serious or contagious illness, as well as in the event of a natural or social disaster, when it is impossible to get to church.

Note: in this prayer rule and the attached Orthodox calendar, the beginning of a new day is considered to be 18:00.

History of writing

For many researchers, it becomes obvious that Psalm 54 was written at a time when his son Absalom rebelled against the king. The ruler’s closest friend and ally, Ahithophel, supported the treacherous son. Some interpreters have the theory that Psalm 54 is prophetic, since the suffering of David is projected into the future, namely the suffering of Jesus Christ. Ahithophel is a prototype of Judas, who also committed treason and then hanged himself. Moreover, from a historical point of view, the events of the chant coincide with the real life events of David. At this turning point, when Jerusalem was gripped by unrest and panic, the king prepared for his escape.

Orthodox Life

Metropolitan Anthony (Pakanich) about the psalm, with the help of which a way out is found in the most hopeless situations.

Psalm 85 is one of the most tragic and pleading. In it you can hear the cry of the soul, the last hope for help, the recognition of one’s complete powerlessness.

This psalm was included in the prayers of the 9th hour, which is dedicated to the remembrance of the Savior’s death on the Cross. According to the words of the holy evangelists Mark and Matthew, it was “at the ninth hour” that Christ uttered a pleading cry on the Cross for the last time: “My God, My God! Why have you forsaken me,” followed by the words: “Father! I commit My spirit into Your hands. And having said this, he gave up the ghost” (Luke 23:46).

There is no point in talking about the tragedy of the moment. It is the darkest and most terrible in the history of mankind. Hopelessness. Nightmare. Darkness. But all this horror is for a while, until our soul breaks through the darkness to the Light.

“Incline Your ear, O Lord, and hear me, for I am poor and needy. Preserve my soul, for I revere You; Save, my God, Thy servant who trusts in You."

Lord, hear me! Bring down to me, the weak, my pain. There is no strength to endure anymore. My cup is overflowing. You are my only hope and protection. I appeal to You, my God. Hear me!

“Have mercy on me, Lord, for I cry to You every day”

My thirst for You knows no bounds, my love knows no obstacles, my soul constantly yearns for You, my heart never stops.

“Make glad the soul of Your servant, for to You, O Lord, I lift up my soul, for You, O Lord, are good and merciful and abundant in mercy to all who call on You. Hear, O Lord, my prayer and listen to the voice of my prayer. In the day of my tribulation I cry to You, because You will hear me."

I pray to You, Lord, have mercy on me! These words are the only thing left for me. I know, Lord, that you hear me, that you know about my sufferings. Prayer to You gives strength and consolation, allows you to throw off the heavy burden of accumulated experiences, cleanses the soul, and makes it possible to continue to bear your cross.

“There is no god like You, O Lord, and there is no work like Yours. All the nations created by You will come and worship before You, O Lord, and glorify Your name, for You are great and do wonders - You, O God, are You alone.”

May I have one thought - about You. Save me, Lord! I will hate the words of the world, that my heart may see You. I will serve you alone.

“Teach me, O Lord, in Thy way, and I will walk in Thy truth; establish my heart in the fear of Your name. I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart and glorify Your name forever, for great is Your mercy toward me: You have delivered my soul from the lowest hell.”

I will stand in the fear of God, so that he will destroy in me all the passions that want to separate me from You, Lord. I will keep my lamp burning, making sure that it does not go out and plunge me into darkness. I will fill the vessel with oil while I am still in the body, so that it will shine and lead me into Your Kingdom. A bright soul has a luminous lamp, an evil soul has no light, it falls into darkness.

I repent, Lord, and renounce sin.

"God! the proud have risen up against me, and a crowd of rebels seeks my soul: they do not represent You before them. But You, Lord, generous and merciful God, long-suffering and abundantly merciful and true, look upon me and have mercy on me; Grant Thy strength to Thy servant and save the son of Thy servant; show me a sign for good, so that those who hate me may see and be ashamed, because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.”

He who knew Your glory passed through unbelief, he who knew love renounced hatred, he who knew purity fled from impurity, he who knew good hated evil.

Everything that comes from You is for good. This gives me comfort in dark times, keeping my lamp lit.

Blessed is he who calls upon You. Blessed is the one to whom You open yourself and respond.

Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great mercy!

Recorded by Natalya Goroshkova

Why read Psalm 54?

Tradition prescribes reading Psalm 54 at the morning service in church in Church Slavonic. You are allowed to read a prayer at home in Russian, but always in front of the icon. Close your eyes and open your heart. Only then will the Lord be able to help you.

If misfortune has befallen you or you have been slandered by someone close to you, read Psalm 54. Remember that you need to read it only in cases where you are truly overcome by despondency or sorrow. Be sure that God is on your side and then the Almighty will come into your life to change everything for the better.

Commentary on one hundred and fifty psalms. Explanation of Psalm 54.

Blazh. Theodorite of Cyrus († 457)

INTERPRETATION OF THE HUNDRED AND FIFTY PSALMS.

Explanation of Psalm 54.

(1). In the end, in the songs of reason, to David [1]. This psalm was spoken by blessed David, persecuted by Saul, while in exile, and forced to live in the desert. At the same time, the Prophet foreshadows the malicious intent of the Jews against the Savior, and in himself he prescribes the Master’s suffering. For he himself was persecuted by the blessed Saul, suffered betrayal from people close to him, and saw with spiritual eyes that the Master would endure the same thing, would be betrayed and crucified by those to whom He had done good. Therefore, the inscription sends the reader to the end, and commands him to wisely listen to what is said in the psalm, because it contains a hidden prophetic meaning, and after the lapse of time it will come to fulfillment. Moreover, this psalm is included in the number of songs, containing in itself the destiny of the Master’s suffering; for it is always right to praise Him who deigned to suffer this for the sake of human salvation. But no one, looking at the derogatory nature of the words, considers them unworthy of the incarnation of Christ the Savior; but let him take into account that He who endured gall, and thorns, and nails, and thorns, and spitting, and strangulation, and every insult, and who finally suffered death, did not renounce the derogatory nature of words. For words must be consistent with deeds. Here are His own sayings: learn from Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart: and you will find rest for your souls (Matthew 11:30); and again: I have received the commandment, that I will river and that I will speak (John 12:49); and I do nothing for Myself (John 8:28); and: My God, my God, have you forsaken me in all things (Matthew 27:46)? This and similar things He spoke according to humanity, showing His human nature and condescending to the weakness of the Jews. Here the divine David, as he describes the injustice done to himself, also prescribes the one that will be shown to the Master - he describes, boasting of fellowship in His suffering and almost crying out with Paul: I bear the marks of the Lord Jesus on my body (Gal. 6, 17 ).

(2). Inspire, O God, my prayer and do not despise my prayer: (3). Listen to me and hear me. The prophet brings various prayers, asking that they all be accepted. For he says: do not despise me as I beseech you, but look favorably and give me help.

I was grieved by my sorrow, and confused (4) by the voice of the enemy, and by the oppression of the sinner, enduring reproaches and attacks from enemies who treat me unjustly, and reflecting on their various machinations, I am filled, says the Prophet, with great sorrow. For the Divine Scripture calls sorrow (ἀδολεσχία) unceasing meditation. Symmachus translated it this way: I lost heart, talking to myself, and was embarrassed by the enemy’s voice, by the anxiety caused by the wicked. For the Prophet calls one and the same person both enemy and wicked, as one who has been favored and who prepares death for the benefactor.

As if I had brought iniquity upon me, and in my anger I was at enmity. Symmachus expressed this more clearly: they fell into dishonesty against me and opposed me with anger; because with a wicked disposition towards me they are arranging for my death.

(5). My heart is troubled within me, and the fear of death attacks me: (6). Fear and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered me. Seeing this hostility of them and the intrigues they are organizing, I am horrified and afraid, and expect death. And it is not at all surprising if David, fleeing for his life and pursued by many enemies, feared death, like a man who, moreover, lived under the law and only saw the perfection of the Gospel from afar. For the Lord Christ Himself, Who repeatedly predicted and foreshadowed His suffering to the sacred Apostles, and strictly forbade the divine Peter, who disputed that this would happen (Matthew 16:22-23), just before the time of suffering exclaimed: now my soul is troubled (John. 12, 27); and the Divine nature allowed human nature to be in such languor that it exuded drops of bloody sweat, was strengthened by the Angel and conquered fear. For in this too it was necessary to show nature undergoing suffering.

(7). And reh: who will give me krill like a pigeon? and I’ll fly and leave. (8). Behold, we fled and settled in the desert. This is what blessed David did: for he was fleeing from Saul, and again seeing the hostility of the foreigners in Gatha, he disappeared into the desert, as the first book of Kings relates. And the Lord Christ repeatedly withdrew, now into the mountains, now into the desert, evading the hatred of the Jews. It is worthy of surprise that the great David wanted to have the wings of a dove, and not any other bird. From this it is clear that he desired spiritual grace, descending in the form of a dove.

(9). I hope for God to save me from cowardice and from the storm. Drowned by so many waves and exposed to the attacks of some kind of winds and whirlwinds, I expect, says the Prophet, God’s help, and I am consoled by the hope of God’s assistance.

(10). Flood, Lord, and divide their tongues. Because they agree to evil; then destroy, O Lord, their unanimity.

As I saw lawlessness and bickering in the city. (eleven). Day and night it will walk along its walls: lawlessness and labor are in its midst, and untruth. (12). And from his hundred years of interest and flattery there was no shortage. I think that these sayings do not apply to blessed David; because at that time the Jews did not yet own Jerusalem, and no other city was recognized as royal. It seems that the Prophet at the same time predicts the quarrel and opposition of Jerusalem to the law, and lists all types of its vices: lawlessness, untruth, usurpation and flattery, out of love for which the Jews did not accept the laws of the Savior. It should be noted that not only in the perfection of the new covenant, but also in the life under the law, covetousness is condemned and ranked among lawlessness, untruth and flattery.

(13). As if the enemy had reviled us, he would have suffered slaughter; and even if he hated me, he spoke up, hiding from him. But what happens from those who are hostile, I consider tolerable and tolerable; because this is done by enemies and adversaries. Moreover, you can sometimes escape from open warfare by flight.

(14). But you, indifferent man, are my lord and my known, (15). Whoever you have enjoyed so much with me, we have walked in the house of God with like mindedness. But it seems most regrettable to me if a person I know briefly, like-minded, sharing a meal with me and eating the same food, who was my accomplice in divine and human affairs, acts hostilely and like an enemy. And in these words, prophetic grace clearly depicted to us the traitor Judas, whom King Christ made ruler, according to what was said: I have made princes over all the earth (Psalm 44:17), and who was a partaker of His meal and mysterious words, but became an instrument of those who were malicious. Instead of the words: my lord, Symmachus said: briefly familiar to me. This in no way applies to blessed David, because he was persecuted by Saul and not one of those close to him betrayed him; Neither Doik nor Zithei were his short friends. This prophecy is in accordance with the Gospel story; It is said: he who eats bread with Me, lifts up his heel against Me (John 13:18). Thus, the Prophet, having predicted betrayal, also predicts the sudden death of the traitor.

(16). May death come upon her, and may she go down to hell alive. This is how the traitor ended his life: because, having put a noose around his neck, he suffered a quick death. The Jews also fell into such disasters after the cross, being involved in a war with the Romans; because they were displaced from life not by natural law, but by being struck by enemy weapons. Then the Prophet shows the justice of the punishment.

For wickedness is in their dwellings, in the midst of them. Dwelling refers to real life, in which we are temporarily, and not permanently settled.

(17). I cried out to God, and the Lord heard me. (18). Evening and morning and noon I will proclaim and proclaim, and he will hear my voice. (19). Deliver my soul in peace from those who approach me: as in many I fight with me. Seeing my unceasing prayer, offered by me day and night, David says, God will deliver me from my enemies and give me peace. The words: in many fights with me mean that the enemies are numerous. This is how Symmachus translated: for very many were against me.

(20). God will hear, and I will humble Him before the ages. Having heeded my petition, the Eternal God will render those who plot evil against me powerless.

There is no change for them, as if they did not fear God. Symmachus translated this as follows: for they will not change and will not fear God, that is, seeing their unrepentant disposition, God will plunge them into the disasters mentioned above.

(21). Stretch out your hand for retribution. Three interpreters translated it this way: he stretched out his hand on those who were with him in the world. For Saul was not persecuting an enemy, but a benefactor, a man familiar and close to him. Also, Judas betrayed not the enemy, but the Savior and Giver of blessings. Therefore, what was said: stretch out your hand to give reward means: having stretched out your hand to give reward, you did not bring anything good, but everything was filled with wickedness. The same means adjunct:

Desecrate his covenant. When the law of God commands to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:39), they persecuted the benefactor as an enemy.

(22). His face separated from his anger, and their hearts drew near. Enslaved to anger, they said one thing and planned another. For this is how Symmachus translated it: their lips are softer than butter of a cow, but the heart of each of them is hostile. With sim agrees and added:

Their words soften like oil, and they are arrows. Such were the words of Saul and the words of Judah. For Saul said to David; Is this you, child of David (1 Samuel 24:17)? And Judas said: Am I food, Rabbi? and kissed Him (Matt. 26, 25. 49). And words are likened to the softness of oil and cow's butter, and plans are like the sharpest arrows and spears, because Aquila translated the word: arrows: spears. So the divine David, having described what happened to him, and adding to this the evil intentions against the Lord, offers advice to all people, commanding them to have trust in God.

(23). Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and He will feed you, that is, have God as your ruler and rein-holder, make all your dependence on His providence, in this case you will remain motionless and unshakable. For the Prophet says:

He will never give fame to the righteous. For if he allows himself to fall into temptation, he will give him immediate help. This is completely similar to the apostolic saying: God is faithful, who will not leave you to be tempted more than you can, but will create with temptation an abundance that will enable you to bear it (1 Cor. 10:13).

(24). You, God, will bring them down into a state of decay. For those who dare to plot evil against the righteous will be given over by God to never-ending torment. The Prophet called inevitable punishment the student of decay. Just as it is impossible for someone who has fallen into a well full of mud and mud to avoid death, so someone who is punished by God has nowhere to look for salvation.

Men of blood and flattery will not spend half their days. For on those who decided to live by murder and deception, God sends quick death, not allowing them to live out their legal time. But Lord, I trust in You. For knowing Your power and Your truthful judgment, I expect help from You.

Note: [1] According to the Slavic translation it reads: Asaph.

Published according to the edition: Works of Blessed Theodoret, Bishop of Kiersk. Part two. - M.: In the printing house of V. Gauthier, 1856. - P. 304-312. (Works of the Holy Fathers in Russian translation, published by the Moscow Theological Academy, volume 27.)

Interpretation of Psalm 54

When the future prophet was in the process of creating a psalm, his soul was in a state of extreme tension. The state is conveyed through each line of text.

If we analyze Psalm 54 verse by verse, we get the following:

• Verse 2-6. Great confusion overcame David and he asked the Lord for help. Those whom he considered friends yesterday became enemies. David is afraid, but his heart continues to be faithful to Him.
• Verse 7-9. The feeling of danger is growing. The king is ready to take off into the desert, like a dove, just to escape from danger.
• Verse 10-12. David is outraged that his enemies are acting arbitrarily. His speeches express direct protest against them, since by their actions they violate the laws of Moses.
• Verse 13-16. In his prayers, the ruler pours out all his pain. These verses are dedicated to his closest friend who betrayed him. It’s hard to believe and the pain is becoming more and more unbearable.
• Verse 17-20. David does not lose faith in God, although it seems that the Almighty does not hear his prayers. The ruler is confident that perseverance will lead him to dialogue with the Lord and will help him survive the adversity that befell him. The prophet anticipates success in advance, hoping for the best outcome of events.
• Verse 21-24. Here the fugitive hopes for a fair heavenly court. He denounces his enemies as treacherous and vile traitors. They turned away from God and lost their piety. Sinners cannot hear God and enjoy His benefits, and therefore they will be punished. In encouraging himself, David finds the strength to encourage the readers of the psalm, assuring that only the righteous and pious will find salvation. Sinners will be punished.

Psalm 54 Psalm

Psalter Synodal translation → Elizabethan in Russian

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Synodal translation

Elizavetinskaya in Russian

To the head of the choir. On string instruments. David's teaching.

In the end, in the songs of reason, asaph, psalm.

Hear, O God, my prayer and do not hide from my prayer;

Inspire, O God, my prayer and do not despise my prayer:

listen to me and hear me; I groan in my grief and am embarrassed

Hear me and hear me: I was grieved by my sorrow and became confused

from the voice of the enemy, from the oppression of the wicked, for they bring iniquity against me and in anger they fight against me.

from the voice of the enemy and from the oppression of the sinner: for I have turned away from iniquity and in anger I am at enmity.

My heart trembles within me, and mortal terrors have attacked me;

My heart is in turmoil, and the fear of death attacks me:

fear and trembling came over me, and horror seized me.

fear and trembling came upon me, and darkness covered me.

And I said: “Who would give me wings like a dove? I would fly away and calm down;

And reh: who will give me a krill like a pigeon? and I will fly and rest.

I would go far away and remain in the desert;

Behold, he went away in flight and settled in the desert.

I would hasten to hide from the whirlwind, from the storm.”

I trust God to save me from cowardice and from the storm.

Disrupt, O Lord, and divide their tongues, for I see violence and strife in the city;

Flood, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen lawlessness and strife in the city.

day and night they walk around its walls; evil deeds and disaster are in the midst of it;

Day and night it will haunt its walls: lawlessness and labor are in the midst of it, and unrighteousness:

in the midst of it is destruction; deceit and deceit do not leave its streets:

and his wealth and flattery did not fail.

for it is not the enemy who reviles me; I could bear it; It is not my hater who magnifies himself over me - I would hide from him;

As if the enemy had reviled me, I would have suffered slaughter: and even if the enemy had spoken against me, I hid from him.

but you, who were the same to me as I, my friend and my close one,

You, an indifferent man, are my lord and my known one,

with whom we shared sincere conversations and went together to the house of God.

Whosoever thou didst enjoy with me was blessed: in the house of God we walked with one mind.

May death come upon them; May they go down alive into hell, for wickedness is in their dwellings, in the midst of them.

Let death come upon her, and let them go down to hell and live: for wickedness is in their habitations, in the midst of them.

I will cry to God, and the Lord will save me.

I cried out to God, and the Lord heard me.

Evening and morning and at noon I will plead and cry, and He will hear my voice,

Evening and morning and noon I will proclaim and proclaim, and he will hear my voice.

He will deliver my soul in peace from those who rise up against me, for I have many of them;

He will deliver my soul in peace from those who approach me: for in many troubles I am with me.

God will hear and He who lives from eternity will humble them, because there is no change in them; they don't fear God

God will hear, and I will humble this first age: for they will not change, as if they did not fear God.

They stretched out their hands against those who were at peace with them, breaking their covenant;

Stretch out your hand for retribution: you have profaned his covenant.

their lips are softer than butter, but in their heart is enmity; their words are gentler than oil, but they are drawn swords.

His countenance was divided from the wrath, and their hearts drew near: their words died away more than oil, which are arrows.

Cast your worries on the Lord, and He will support you. He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.

Cast your sorrow upon the Lord, and he will feed you: he will never give fame to the righteous.

You, O God, will bring them down into the pit of destruction; the bloodthirsty and treacherous will not live to see half their days. And I trust in You, Lord.

But You, O God, will bring them down into a state of decay: men of blood and flattery will not spend half their days. But, Lord, I trust in you.

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Cast your sorrow upon the Lord

The virtue of courage, sobriety or trust in God is based on the need for prayerful communication with God. Ascetics who have achieved virtue watch their hearts, distinguishing between good and sinful thoughts and trusting in God's Providence.

If a person relies only on himself, he inevitably begins to lose heart.

The virtue of sobriety and trust in God is the most difficult; there is a lot of debate on this topic in theology. Some fathers call it courage. The opposite passion is despondency. This is a disease of the will, a loss of meaning in life. The highest manifestation of passion is suicide. Sin of Judas. Betrayal before God.

What does the Patristic Tradition say about sobriety? “The Lord commanded us to have constant prayerful vigilance over ourselves, called sobriety,” writes Ignatius Brianchaninov.

We have already said that at the basis of all passions and virtues there is some kind of human need that is used incorrectly. The origins of despondency are the need for mental activity, the need for communication. It is natural for the mind to seek food for itself. In the words of St. Neil of Sinai, “just as bread serves as food for the body, so virtue is for the soul, so spiritual prayer is food for the mind.” When a person trusts in God and seeks consolation in communication with Him, this is virtue. And if you rely on yourself, you inevitably come to despondency. “Arrogance is our worst enemy, which suddenly and mercilessly leads us to collapse and leaves us in distress in the open air,” writes the Monk Paisius the Svyatogorets.

Can you rely on both yourself and God? What is the meaning of the saying “trust in God, but don’t make a mistake yourself”?

In secular literature we do not find the word “sobriety,” but we do find spiritual courage, trust in God. Truly courageous is the one who stands firm in temptations, prays with trust in God and cuts off thoughts. Here is how the Monk Peter of Damascus writes about this: “The property of courage... is to remain in every good deed and overcome mental and physical passions, because “our struggle is not against blood and flesh,” that is, against people, as in ancient times It happened to the Jews when he who conquered foreigners did the work of God, “but to the principalities and to the authorities” (Eph. 6:12), that is, to the invisible demons.” Victory in the invisible battle against sinful thoughts is the basis of sobriety. They say: “a person lives a drunken life.” This means that he did not acquire the basic spiritual skill of seeing sinful thoughts and cutting them off. We can say that this is generally the basis of spiritual life; It is forbidden to take monastic vows if a person does not distinguish between sinful and good thoughts.

How can you do this? Here comes a thought, we take it as our own: “I had it.” We’re not saying that this demon came to us and whispers in our ears. How to distinguish a good thought from an evil one? If you feel love, then the thought is from God. And if the thought is unkind, then you feel fear, embarrassment, condemnation... Any violation of the peace of the soul is already a signal that a sinful thought has come to us.

Saint Basil the Great defined courage and trust in God this way: “To willingly submit oneself in all one’s deeds and actions to the will and guidance of God, that is, to reject one’s own self-will and accept with gratitude both everything good that God sends to us, and everything unfortunate for us, permitted by God."

Porfiry Kavsokalivit, an elder of Athonite, had the following principle of life: if he planned to do something, he got up to pray and prayed incessantly every day until it was accomplished. Let's say I wanted to build a cell near Athens - and began to pray every day: “Lord, if it pleases You, do it.” And people opened up who gave him materials, provided him with funds, but he didn’t have any money. When everything was ready, he thanked God. But he did not rely on himself, although he wanted to have this cell as a place of solitude. He put his trust in God.

Ushakov’s dictionary explains “courage” this way: “calm courage, presence of mind in trouble, danger, mental fortitude and courage.” The word “hope” means “firmly, calmly hope, rely on someone or something.” “Courage, bravery, courage, fearlessness, intrepidity - these synonymous words mean valor, inflexibility, fortitude, steadfastness, steadfastness, audacity, heroism, heroism, courage, determination, masculinity, fearlessness, inflexibility.”

Our Victory in the Great Patriotic War was due to the fact that many people prayed, or someone asked God for them. We know the example of our elder Kirill (Pavlov), who prayed, read the Gospel, and his outward courage and fearlessness was based primarily on the Grace of God.

Do you know who is one of the most courageous Archangels? Michael. He was the weakest, the most powerless of all the Angels. But since he was indignant that Satan went against God, Archangel Michael was so burning, flaming with courage, that he gathered many Angels behind him, and the Lord gave him strength - he won. The demons were cast out.

The warrior Goliath was invincible and possessed fantastic physical strength. And who defeated him? David. How old was David? 15–16. This young man, almost a boy, was not afraid, went out and threw a stone between the giant’s eyes - and Goliath was gone. So God is not in strength, but in truth, in courage.

Paisius of Athos writes: “Feats are accomplished not by those who are tall, but by those who have courage, a wide heart and the determination to sacrifice themselves. And in war, those who have courage also have kindness and do not kill others, because there is no barbarism in courage. Such people shoot not at the enemy, but around him, and force him to surrender. A good person prefers to be killed than to kill. A person thus disposed accepts divine powers.”

Paisiy of Athos, you know, served in the army, they shot at him point-blank - and there was no way they could kill him. And at the same time, he himself never fired, was a radio operator and brought a lot of benefit to the military unit. A courageous person is resourceful in unexpected situations. “I remember one Russian monk,” says the Monk Paisiy Svyatogorets. “One day bandits came to rob him. When they were climbing over the wall, he jumped out on top of them and yelled: well, should I hit you with a Colt or a revolver?! Only their heels sparkled. And another monk, when robbers came to his cell, took a frying pan and pretended to call somewhere, as if on the phone: hello, robbers attacked me... Well, and the like. They thought he was calling the police and ran away. But there was another case. A huge bull, a real giant, grabbed one shepherd by the throat to strangle him. The poor shepherd's eyes bulged out of fear so much that the big guy even asked: Why are you staring at me so wildly? He says: I’m looking at which tree to throw you on. The villain got scared and let him go, because there is no need to get lost, you need to keep a cool head and work with your brains.”

St. John Climacus writes that an obedient person does not know despondency: “An obedient man does not know despondency through sensory deeds, correcting mental and spiritual deeds.”

Thus, the first means to acquiring courage and sobriety is obedience. God helps the obedient. Here is what St. Paisius writes about this: “Without having a good thought and without removing one’s “I” from each of his actions, that is, acting out of self-interest, a person does not receive benefit even from a saint. Even if he had a holy elder, or an old woman, or even his elder was Anthony the Great himself - what can I say - even all the saints, even if they were his elders, could not help him, even God Himself cannot help such a one to a person, despite the fact that he really wants it.” Disobedience cuts off the Grace of God and does not give the opportunity to be courageous.

For sobriety, silence and composure are necessary. St. John Climacus writes that verbosity leads to despondency: “Despondency is often one of the branches, one of the first offspring of verbosity, as we have already said before; That’s why we put this vice here, as in its proper place, in the evil chain of passions.”

What else do we need for sobriety and courage? The Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain says: “So every day in the morning, begin in the name of God the fight against your enemies... Through prayer and merciless forcing yourself to perform appropriate labors and spiritual deeds.” And again: “But know that self-coercion and self-resistance are an irrevocable law here, excluding any self-pleasure.”

Opening our eyes in the morning - first thought? The Holy Fathers said that if you can’t get up, roll out of bed and crawl to wash yourself. Still, force yourself, force yourself to work. You have to do this thing, you may not be able to, but do it. Or we come home from work in the evening - after the bustle, after such a fiery, passionate day - and are unable to pray. Our head doesn’t work, our senses have atrophied. The whole body is overcome by terrible fatigue and is falling asleep. But as soon as you make a few bows, maybe remember a little about your sins or read something from the holy fathers, stand up for prayer through “I can’t”, “I don’t want”, strength and vigor come, and then you can even not stop, read the necessary rule, and even more. Because the Lord gives Grace. He loves most of all the kind of prayer that we perform through “I don’t want” and through “I can’t.” My will overcomes my weakness. I force myself, and my will unites with the will of God. In this case, God’s great love for us appears, which is fulfilled in grace.

The Angel of the Lord himself pointed out work and prayer as a means against despondency to the Monk Anthony the Great: “Holy Abba Anthony, while once in the desert, fell into despondency and great darkness of thoughts, and said to God: Lord, I want to be saved, but my thoughts do not allow to me. What should I do in my sorrow, how will I be saved? And soon, Antony got up and went out... And then he sees someone similar to himself, who was sitting and working. Then he got up from work and prayed. And then he sat down again and twisted the ropes. And then he stood up to pray again. It was the Angel of the Lord sent to instruct and strengthen Anthony. And the Angel said to Anthony: do this too, and you will be saved. Hearing this, Anthony experienced great joy and sobriety. And by doing this, he was saved.” And he saved. That is, both the work itself, from which we get tired, and the work combined with prayer, are the greatest means of acquiring virtues.

Not making plans for the future, doing what is possible now - this is another means of acquiring courage, the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain writes about this: “But don’t think about this multitude of things, but reluctantly take on the first task and do it with all your might.” with diligence, as if there were no others at all, and you will do it calmly; then do the same in relation to other matters, and you will redo everything calmly, without confusion or fuss. Remember that there is no price for the time that you have in your hands..."

The law of the cross is that if you escaped from this cross, then in another place the Lord, according to spiritual law, will give you an even heavier cross. In essence, it will be the same - you can’t run away from yourself. In one monastery my mother told me: “Everything here annoys me, I’ll leave, I can’t stand these sisters.” I went home. He's coming. “Oh,” he says, “father, I can’t live at home for more than three days, everything there is annoying. It’s absolutely impossible to live there.” Indeed, it’s not about the house, not about the monastery, not about the people. Wherever you go, if you have this passion, until you overcome it, it will manifest itself everywhere. You will have this temptation to repeat yourself all the time. You can't run away from yourself.

There is such an example: “One brother was silent in the movie, but he constantly became angry. Therefore, he says to himself: I will leave here to a secluded place, and since I will not have a relationship with anyone there and will remain silent, the passion of anger will leave me. So, having left, he settled alone in the cave. One day, having drawn a vessel of water, he placed it on the ground - and the vessel immediately turned down. Taking it, he scooped up water another time, and the vessel overturned again. Then it was filled with water and turned down for the third time. The brother, angry, grabbed it and broke it. Having come to his senses, he realized that the devil was mocking him, and said: so I retired into solitude - and was defeated by him! I’ll go again to Cenobia; for everywhere, asceticism and patience and God’s help are needed! And getting up, he returned to his original place.”

Creating good thoughts and giving thanks to God are other means by which we can cultivate courage in ourselves. Saint John Chrysostom writes: “Bless God - and good things will remain. Did something bad happen? Bless God and the bad things will stop.” Here is our cross, here is the vertical line, raise everything to God. The bad - take it to God, repent, the good - take it to God, give thanks. And many people live as if horizontally. They care about what other people will think: “how will I look in their eyes,” “how will this matter be presented in a higher organization.” But all these are horizontal, earthly, temporary things.

Elder Paisius of Athonite writes that in any situation you can find something good and thank God, open a factory of good thoughts: “For example, a person is driving somewhere in a car, and on the road the engine begins to malfunction. And he arrives at his destination with a slight delay. Having a good thought, a latecomer will say this: apparently, the Good God slowed me down for a reason. Who knows: maybe if this delay had not occurred, I would have had an accident. My God, how can I thank You for saving me from danger and being late for work. And such a person glorifies God.”

We often feel rushed, fussed, we get worked up over just a few minutes, we get angry at others, we develop passion. Or maybe there is no need for such haste. If we had trust in God, we would understand that any unforeseen delay beyond our control is needed for something. And they would treat her calmly. We're stuck in the subway, well, that means we have to be patient here. You're stuck in a traffic jam - what can you do? We must understand that this is all the Providence of God. Nothing happens to us by chance. God's Providence is over everything. This is a completely different way of thinking, a different way of life.

Continuous repentance and the revelation of sins and thoughts are also means by which virtue can be acquired. No matter how many times a person sins, there is no need to despair. All the fathers write about this, in particular, the Monk Nicodemus the Holy Mountain in “The Invisible War”: “And even if you have to sin many times, cleanse yourself before the Lord the same number of times. So, never, not for a single moment, put off internal cleansing as soon as you recognize something wrong with yourself.” The holy fathers call this method “catching yourself at the scene of the crime.” As soon as we realized that we have somehow violated the commandment, that we are criminals before God, then here, in this place and at this same time, we must repent. Don’t write down on a piece of paper “I’d better come to confession on Saturday,” but repent here, at the crime scene. All this turns into constant repentance. Many saints have actually been in this state. They saw many of their imperfections and constantly repented of them.

A paradox arises. Indeed, you look at the diary of the holy righteous John of Kronstadt and you are amazed: he sinned every minute, he had sinful thoughts. But this is one side. And there was another one - he constantly repented. This is what holiness is all about. Holiness does not mean sinlessness. And holiness is manifested in seeing one’s sins and repenting. In this case, you too can live a holy life.

The Venerable Elder Paisius of Svyatogorets writes that a person with a sensitive conscience is prone to self-criticism: “The devil usually tries to bring such a person into despair. Dejection and mental heaviness usually have their cause in remorse, which comes from the fact that a person is overly sensitive. In this case, the person needs to confess in order to be able to receive the help of a confessor. After all, if a person is overly sensitive, then the sin he committed may be very small, but the enemy increases this sin in the eyes of such a person. And he shows him this sin through a microscope in order to plunge the person into despair, to render him useless.”

The Holy Fathers write that the devil’s favorite thing is when a person has not yet sinned, but has an opportunity to consider that this is a small sin, a weakness, that everyone does it. He tempts us to sin in every possible way. But as soon as a person commits a crime, the devil, on the contrary, suddenly makes a molehill out of a molehill: what have you done, what a great sin you have committed! And how can you repent of this now, aren’t you ashamed? He removes a person from repentance in every possible way, leading him to despair and despondency.

The Monk Paisius the Holy Mountain says: “He gave each person what was useful to him: height, courage, beauty or something else. He gave man something that could help him to be saved if he used it profitably. However, the world is tormented: “Why am I like this and he is like this?” But you have one thing, and he has another.

For Christ's sake, a foolish Romanian, having tied himself up on the Holy Mountain, told someone who was tormented by a similar thought such a story. The frog saw the buffalo and said: I also want to become a buffalo. She pouted and pouted and finally burst. After all, God made some a frog and some a buffalo. And the frog did something strange - he wanted to become a buffalo. Well, it burst. Let everyone rejoice in what the Creator made him.”

Often a person, no matter what he does, is dissatisfied all the time. One says: “Look, he’s so smart, he does this, but I can’t do this.” Elder Paisios replies: “The Lord gave you other gifts, but what hands you have, you do what he cannot do.” Indeed, sometimes one person - a smart one - envyes another for being handsome, and this handsome one envies the smart one. And an amazing funny chain is built when everyone is jealous of everyone. Everyone is dissatisfied with what he has been given, instead of appreciating his gift and thanking the Lord.

Hegumen Cyprian (Yashchenko)

You can read John Chrysostom's "Letters to the Olympiad", "Invisible Warfare" by St. Nicodemus of the Svyatogorets, "Heliotropion" by John of Tobolsk. This is an amazing book, which is completely called “The Interaction of the Will of God and the Will of Man.”

Sobriety, trust in God, courage are virtues associated with our volitional sphere, our will. Sometimes God extends his hand to us - go there, but we say: no, Lord, I myself know where to go. Our will does not agree with the will of God, it opposes it. And although we have hit some bumps and get into trouble, we still move on and continue in the same spirit. “Iliotropion” is a book about the combination of the will of God and the will of man, about their symphony. This is a fairly detailed narrative, a collection of stories from many sources.

You can read the ancient Patericon, chapters “Various stories that encourage us to courage and patience” or “That we must constantly watch and pray.” Elder Paisius of the Holy Mountain, his books “Spiritual Struggle” and “Passion and Virtues”. Ephraim of Philotheia, “My life with Elder Joseph.”

There is also a whole series of books “Help, Lord, not to lose heart.” The novel by American writer Eleanor Porter "Pollyanna". Remember? The girl was given an interesting skill from God - to create good thoughts, to see good in everything. And surprisingly, one little girl taught the whole city to create good thoughts. This is the skill of seeing God's Providence over oneself.

Some people go to the elders, looking for great saints. Well, why are you going, why, what are you going through? “And for me,” he says, “it is important to determine the will of God.” How can one determine the will of God? To do this or not to do, to do this or not to do, to live this way or to live that way, with these people or without them, to work here or there? What is a sign of the will of God? Where do we show courage to overcome temptation, and where do we need to humble ourselves and accept it as the will of God? What is an important criterion, indicator, or signal for us here? What should we listen to? The will of God is often revealed through spiritual fathers. And God’s will is accomplished in weakness. When a person is ordained as a priest, a special prayer is read about the fact that there are things that are beyond the power of people. For example, to stand before the Throne and offer the Secret Sacrifice, when wine and bread are transformed into the Body and Blood of Christ. At the same time, the will of God is done. What the priest does: raises his hands, reads prayers. But he himself does not transform wine into Blood, or bread into the Body of Christ. He is unable to do this, he can only pray. So are you and me. In our spiritual life, we can only stand before God and ask that the Lord come and arrange everything in our lives according to His Will.

At the core of the virtue of courage is the need for fellowship with God. Did Adam have such a need? Did he often communicate with God? He not only communicated with God every day, he, unlike us, saw God. Can we see God? “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God” (Matthew 5:8).

It turns out that God's will can be visible. The image of God can be found in any person. If we developed such vision in ourselves, we would love all people to tears. If such vision, by the Grace of God, were revealed in us, then we would indeed see: everything that surrounds us is a creation of the will of God. The Lord created everything - us and all our surroundings. And God manifests himself in His deeds, in our deeds. Everything that the Lord sent us today is not accidental. The Lord leads us to salvation and does this in all ways, with all people, with all meetings, with all words. He manifests His will. You can understand this with your mind, even easily, but to accept it with your heart and, most importantly, to develop such a skill in yourself, to see the surrounding reality and yourself in this way, to discover God - this, of course, is a great gift and great work, equal to returning to heaven. Sometimes we return to heaven, but then we lose it. This happens several times a day.

Nothing is meaningless in this life. And one of our main tasks is to understand the spiritual meaning of what is happening to us. And not only to understand, but also to use it to strengthen yourself in God and acquire the proper virtues.

In times of despondency, it is good, of course, to read Psalm 90. But not only him. Here are more words from the psalms: “Weeping may endure for a night, and joy comes in the morning” (Ps. 29:6). “Take courage, and let your heart be strong” (26:14). How does Psalm 26 begin? The Lord is my enlightenment and my Savior, whom shall I fear?

When we start to get nervous, anxious, afraid of something, we need to read the 26th Psalm, at least its beginning. And when you come to a calm state, nothing will be scary. And things will be done as God pleases, and not as it seems best to you. “In what way are you sad, my soul, and in what way are you troubling me? Trust in God, for we will confess to Him, the salvation of my face and my God” (Ps. 41:5). This is the 41st Psalm. Or another 101st: “Lord, hear, I pray, and let my cry come to you...”

There is a prayer of St. John of Kronstadt - it acts like a medicine. And of course, the main prayer is to our Lord Jesus Christ.

Published with minor abbreviations