Testament of Peter Mogila (how to remember deceased parents)

Breviary of Peter the grave: prayers for soldiers

Since the situation requires extraordinary actions, the commanders of Kharchevnya decided to turn to our heritage, namely, the prayers that were read in the 17th century by the Ukrainian clergy for the victory of the registered Cossacks and the Zaporozhye army.

The title of one of them directly states “for the Tsar or Hetman ...”

It must be said right away that texts that appear on social networks as coming “from the Breviary of Peter the Mohyla” often do not.

Such “prayers” can be compiled from magic spells, so pay attention to the correspondence of unfamiliar texts to the Christian worldview! Real prayers should not contain any appeals to evil spirits, curses, or attempts to “defeat evil with evil”!

So, some prayers from the third volume of the modern (1996) reprint of the Trebnik of Peter Mogila.

This is our own adaptation to modern spelling of prayers from the Breviary, first published in 1646. The language and punctuation of the original are preserved.

The first prayer is for victory against the enemies of the king and his howls going to battle

Lord our God, having made all human things with His wisdom and one word, and gathered and combined together with Your ineffable power and action, for all things are possible for You, and nothing is impossible.

And for this sake, times, and summers, and years, by Your Divine command, having gathered and combined, You made this one visible world, for you have spread out, like the skin of that one, with a wonderful multitude of condensed stars, and having given the current constantly driven by it, You have placed this in order, to preserve your limit, not to harm us at all, but with your orderly movement, according to Your will, for the benefit of our unceasing mother-in-law: you set the sun in the light and in the regions of the day, and the moon in the regions of the night: and having opened the invisible earth, you transformed it into kindness , for the sake of human nature, and over everything on it and in the sea, and in the air soaring birds, you commanded man to rule, for the sake of the structure in everything.

You and the multitude, the numerous Jewish race from Egypt, brought them in order and like-mindedness to the Promised Land, sending Moses, over them with Your right hand and the strong arm of the people you installed, giving them a single leader and chief, and that wise structure given to him by You You have preserved them in Your shelter under Your sovereign hand, unharmed from many and various enemies: You are now Holy to the King of glory, our faithful king, whom You have favored to rule over us, bless you with wisdom, good counsel, strength, strength, and courage, and mercifully grant victory from heaven to the godless enemies who rise against us.

And just as with Abraham, sometimes you drove away your enemies, you traveled, and by the Divine power of You you handed over his enemies to him, and now we humbly pray to You, our servant, our king (name of the rivers), travel with us and overcome our enemies, and conquer those under his nose.

And like Moses, the Jewish race, from the bitter work of Pharaoh, You freed them by drowning them with your irresistible power, and now Your servant, our king, has victoriously delivered them from the enemies that beset us.

Having strengthened Gideon by Thy power, and thereby erased the opposing multitude, and converted into nothingness: and now Thy servant, our king, having made Thy heavenly fortress and courageous and strong, eradicate our enemies in victory.

His king and prophet David, who strengthened the proud and blasphemous fighter Goliath, and thereby overthrew him and destroyed him: and now our king and his Christ-loving warriors, having strengthened the strong right hand of You, create bold and strong in battle, and show them terrible and formidable enemies, as if Those enemies, having seen, will transform their boldness into flight, and will be driven and defeated under the feet of Your faithful ones by Your Angel.

By all means, Lord our God, hear me, a humble and unworthy servant at this hour, and do not leave the rod of the wicked in the lot of your faithful: but grant to your servant our king a peaceful and serene kingdom and deliver from all internecine strife and rebellion and war: and exalt all Create troubles and needs: and destroy all enmity and sedition that arises against his power.

With Your invincible power, deliver from every enemy slander and invasion: strengthen it everywhere against all enemies, and combine it in unanimity and righteous obedience, and grant them deep and serene peace and victory against all those who resist, on land and sea, Always giving them everything for the benefit of soul and body, so that we may shake off the battles and rumors raised against us, with one mouth and one heart let us glorify Thee, the miracle of God.

For You are the King of the world, and the Savior of our souls, and we send glory to You, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto ages of ages.

Amen.

The third prayer for victory against the enemies of the Tsar or Hetman, and howling to those going into battle

Our Lord and God, the only mighty and strong one in battle: the only one who has the power to live and to kill, you have all hearts in your hand, and according to your will you want them, you give strength and courage to the worthy, and you show victorious and hopeless enemies: the hand of the weak you strengthen the strong hearts, make them sick and weak, and destroy their advice, and transform their courage and audacity into cowardice and flight.

You, to Abraham, who had captured his brother Lot's son, in a small number of people, I called upon You for help, You granted victory, and You returned it with much self-interest.

You, Gideon of old, who trusted in Your fortress, with three hundred men, trumpets and fire, and water-carriers, frightened the countless multitude of Mamdiamlikh howls, you put them to flight, and you killed one hundred and two ten thousand.

Thou didst grant Thy servant David, in many and difficult battles, who trusted in Thee, and sought help from Thee, strength and strength, and courage, and victory.

Even now, Thou, Omnipotent Father, all-good and all-merciful Master, look upon us, Thy unworthy servants, who fall in humility and repentance before the face of Thy glory, and to Thee, the only true One in the Trinity of the Holy Glorified God, who call upon us by faith, and from Thee alone is help and intercession those who seek, and grant to our king (or hetman, the name of the rivers) and his Christ-loving army strength and strength, boldness and a courageous heart, resisting our enemy, who have gathered to tear us and our saint to pieces, and destroy us and our Orthodox faith, those who seek: put our enemy in Having created fear and trembling in their hearts, both the cowardly and the hopeless, turn their boldness into flight, and subdue them under the feet of your faithful, so that all the nations may see that we are Your people, the imams of You who delivers and saves us from the hand of our enemies. .

For there is no difference before You, God of heaven, than to save in many and in few: the overcoming of battle is not in multitude, but from You from heaven strength is given for the Holy Faith that is in You, and for Your laws, and for your soul to those who take up arms.

For You are the fortress of intercession and salvation for Your people, and to You we send glory, honor and worship, to the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and to the ages of ages.

Amen.

section

Source: //poetrytavern.com/?p=3962

Metropolitan Peter Mogila on begging for his deceased relatives: how to atone for the sins of his family

After the collapse of Byzantium, the crisis of the Ecumenical Patriarchate began. It had a negative impact on the Orthodox Christians of Red Ruthenia, which was captured by the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth.

In 1596, according to the Union of Brest-Litovsk, the Kiev, Galician, Lvov and Lutsk metropolises were forcibly transformed into the Russian Uniate Church.

The uprising of the Cossacks and the pressure of the Lviv and Kyiv brotherhood, the precarious internal situation forced the Polish king to recognize the Orthodox Church in the territory under his control.

The most compromise figure for the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth was Peter Mogila (Petru Movilă (Movilă), 1596-1646).

Personality Petru Movilă

Petro Movila is one of the ascetics of the church, who was awarded canonization as a locally revered saint. His merit is the social legalization of Orthodoxy in the territory of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. History has left many evidences of the power of the Mogil dynasty. Many of them were patrons of the Orthodox Church, churches in Galicia, primarily the Assumption Brotherhood.

Their descendant Peter Mogila found fame as a defender of Orthodoxy at a turning point for the church.

Birth and childhood

The future founder of the largest educational center of Red Rus' was born in the Principality of Moldova, whose ruler was his father Simeon.

The mother of the famous ascetic was a Transylvanian (Romanian) princess named Margaret, a woman with a strong will to power. Based on a fragment of the mother’s letter, it can be argued that the children’s initial education took place at home.

In a letter sent from Dedilov to Lviv, Margaret asked a teacher and professor from the Lviv Assumption Brotherhood school to teach one of her sons.

The range of sciences of this institution included:

• poetics;
• rhetoric;
• philosophy.

Thus, the biographers gained insight into the family traditions of this house in relation to children. P. Mogila left a lot of information about himself on the insert notes of the books he published.

Due to the difficult geopolitical situation, contenders for the throne of the buffer principality were forced to constantly maneuver between various forces: Turks, Poles, Cossacks, Moldavian clans. Such instability shaped the character of the descendant of the Movile family, Peter.

Getting an education

The education of Petro Mohyla continued in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. This was supposed to ensure a future in the political, secular or spiritual field.

The reasons for the forced flight of the noble family were:

• seizure of the principality by a rival from the Kantemirov family - Murza;
• poisoning by Elizabeth, widow of Jeremiah's brother, father.

Margaret settled with her children in Lviv. Family support was provided by the powerful magnate of left-bank Rus' - Prince Vishnevetsky. The Lviv fraternal school, organized in 1586 to protect and preserve the Orthodox faith, provided worthy knowledge to the young descendant of Mogil.

Family

As a student, Peter, in his panegyric “Eucharistion” (1632), cited the genealogical legend of his family. The family tree, in his opinion, begins with an ancestor with ancient Roman roots - Gaius Mucius Scaevola. Even then, he manifested a desire to pray for his family in Orthodoxy and perpetuate it.

Without a doubt, the tribal status of Petru Movila played a decisive role in choosing a candidate from the new generation for the highest spiritual post.

Election as archimandrite

Throughout his life, Peter Mogila indicated the title “voivode of the lands of Moldova”, signing books from his own library. By this, he emphasized his high aristocratic origin, which gave him the right to leadership positions. With the death of Sigismund III, there was a change in the attitude of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth towards the original religion in Rus'.

A letter from the Cossacks threatening the Polish Sejm indicates that the situation is escalating.

The gentry began searching for suitable people. The choice fell on P. Movila. In 1627 he became a monk. A short time later he becomes exarch of the throne of Constantinople. In the same year he was elected great archimandrite of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra.

In 1633 he accepted the rank of metropolitan, which was negatively perceived by the brotherhood. Considering the conflict nature of the situation, Peter arranged his consecration not in Kyiv, but in Lvov.

This appointment had political overtones:

1. Kiev Metropolitan Isaiah and the priests faithful to him were deposed.
2. Orthodoxy has been resubordinated to the Patriarch of Constantinople, which is dependent on Rome.
3. There was an attempt to separate the Orthodox Christians of Chervonnaya Rus from the mother church of the Moscow Patriarchate.
4. The Lviv and Kiev brotherhoods have been weakened.
5. A new center for Orthodox education was founded as a counterweight to the brotherhood.

last years of life

He was called a “man of many worlds” because of his belonging to two religious cultures, the political establishment of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, and a multi-ethnic community. P.

Movila achieved great results thanks to political intuition, diplomatic flexibility, writing talent, philanthropy and education.

His commandments “On begging for your departed relatives” became widely known.

Merits of the great archimandrite to the Orthodox people:

• revival of Orthodox centers under difficult conditions;
• raising the level of education;
• reducing interfaith tensions;
• restoration of the monastery (in 1628 he addressed requests for donations to the Russian Tsar Mikhail Fedorovich and the Lviv Orthodox Brotherhood);
• ransom for personal funds of church vestments and precious church utensils pawned by the predecessor;
• collecting information about miracles associated with the relics of the Lavra;
• publishing activities;
• patronage.

The canonization of P. Mogila was carried out in 1996 by the Ukrainian Orthodox Church, and in 2005 it was approved throughout the territory of the Russian Orthodox Church.

Social and political activities

The church service of Orthodox priests during that period can be compared to a situation between a rock and a hard place. It was necessary to have courage, a flexible mind, and use connections to make it a rule in life to overcome moments of crisis and fulfill a high mission.

Publishing of church books

There is documentary evidence that the Catholic Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth did not allow the creation of an academy in Kyiv. The gentry opposed obtaining a full higher education.

Theology courses were still taught in European academies. But Mogila achieved the creation of an education center. He opened a printing house where theological books were printed in Old Church Slavonic based on Greek originals.

Thanks to this, the Kyiv school received the status of a collegium.

Participation in religious controversy

Movila was an apologist for Orthodoxy, engaging in sharp polemics with the Uniates, who were “confused by the demon,” and Roman Catholics. He always showed inflexibility when it came to preserving the Orthodox rite. As a sign of protest against the trampling of faith, being an archimandrite of the Kiev Pechersk Lavra, he founded the Goloseevskaya Hermitage monastery.

The metropolitan appointed by the gentry did not live up to her hopes. Even having achieved equality between the Orthodox and Uniate churches in 1635, he demanded that the Uniate Church be recognized as non-canonical.

In his diary, a high-ranking church figure cited facts about how Uniates “falsely communion” with water.

Moscow Tsar Alexei Mikhailovich highly appreciated his polemical work against the Uniates - “Lifos”. By a special decree, it was republished in a Slavic translation, which confirmed its significance.

Foundation of the school

Since the end of the 16th century, Uniate and Catholic religious leaders opened spiritual institutions on Russian lands.

Centers of national resistance operated at some monasteries. They created circles that grew into schools and brotherhoods.

In 1632, the Lavra School was created at the Kiev Pechersk Lavra. This worried the Uniates and Catholics. Therefore, in 1633 the Polish Sejm appointed Peter Movila archimandrite.

Trying to appease the Sejm, the new head changed the name of the school to the Kiev Brotherhood College. In addition, he set a goal - to create an educational institution based on the European model. This idea received enormous material support from Hetman Sagaidachny.

The archimandrite successfully implemented his training system:

• students were not distinguished by class or age;
• knowledge was gained through patient practice;
• education took place in the Orthodox spirit;
• the school provided primary, secondary and higher education;
• Teaching staff were being trained on site.

The leader bequeathed to his brainchild a personal library, an inheritance that included real estate and farms. Today, the Ukrainian university bears the name of its patron: the Kiev-Mohyla Academy. In addition to the Kiev College, the outstanding figure created a school in Vinnitsa.

Restoration of Kyiv shrines

The Uniates, having gained access to the shrines of ancient Rus', began to seize its temples. The bishop returned St. Sophia Cathedral and Vydubitsky Monastery to the fold of the national church.

With his participation, the Church of the Savior on Berestov and the Church of the Three Saints were raised from the ruins. During the restoration work in the Church of the Tithes, the remains of Equal-to-the-Apostles Prince Vladimir were identified.

The holy relics were worthily reburied (for example, Saint Righteous Juliana, Princess Olshanskaya).

Writings and books

P. Movila is a historical figure. Not only is he glorified as a saint, but he is also the author of a number of publications. There is also the rite of reading the psalter according to P. Mogila and a written covenant - a testament on how to pray for our family, our relatives in the flesh.

Testament for the remembrance of the dead

The Church of Christ sets as its task the veneration of the roots of the family. She views the genus as a single organism. The Holy Spirit accumulates from the good deeds of its representatives, helping each of its members. Sins are also cumulative. The deceased retains a living soul. Commemoration is an ancient tradition of people.

In the Orthodox Church there is a custom to read the psalter about the departed. Each salom must be read slowly, carefully delving into the meaning. The prayer of remembrance allows you to:

• pray for the soul of the deceased;
• have mercy on those who pray.

When praying for repose, it is necessary to read the Psalter in its entirety 20 times a year, at all 3 “Glories” of each kathisma, reading the prayer for repose. Then God shows mercy by forgiving sins. In this way, a person protects himself and subsequent generations, removing the problem of generational sins.

The will of Peter Mogila on the remembrance of the dead is a source of knowledge about departed souls with a request to “keep this value.”

The commemoration of repose during the liturgy encourages the angels to ask God for mercy for the soul of the deceased:

1. For 3 liturgies, they ask for the grace to sprinkle holy water on a sinful soul in hell.
2. For the next 3, they bring Communion to the sinner’s soul.
3. In another 10, they lead you to the gates of hell.
4. 20 - receive a blessing for liberation from hell.
5. 25 - liberation of burnt souls.
6. 30 - sprinkling with holy water.
7. 35 - dressing in clean shirts.
8. 36 - leading to the doors of heaven.
9. 38 - God's blessing.
10. After the 40th liturgy, begging for the soul opens the gates of heaven for it.

Thus, the clergyman called for atonement for the sins of his family.

Confessions

The saint of Kiev compiled the “Orthodox Confession of the Catholic and Apostolic Church of the East.” It consists of questions and answers on the history of the church and its main dogmas.

The main instruction for a Christian:

• understand the purpose of faith;
• accept that in “one Godhead there are three Persons: Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Other works and publications

The Enlightener raised the level of education. One of his goals was achieved - the school turned into a college where one could get a higher education.

List of books published by the archimandrite:

• "Servant";
• "Trebnik";
• "Short Catechism";
• "Gospel Teaching";
• "Confession";
• “Collection of short science on the articles of faith of Orthodox Catholic Christians”;
• "Lifos";
• instructions on expelling the devil and evil spirits.

He began work on describing the “Lives of the Saints” and correcting the Slavic text of the Bible, which was completed by his followers.

about Peter Mogila

Watch a video about the saint, known in the history of the church as a champion of Orthodoxy and a fighter against Uniateism for the return of the rights of his flock.

Reviews and comments

Source: //proreligiu.club/lichnosty/svyatye/petr-mogila.html

Orthodox Confession of Faith of the Catholic and Apostolic Church of the Eastern Part One. About faith

Question 6.

What is the first member of the Faith?

Answer. “I believe in one God, the Father, Almighty, Creator of heaven and earth, visible to all and invisible.”

(Council I).

Question 7

. What doctrine is contained in this member of the Faith?

Answer. This member of the Faith contains a twofold teaching: firstly, that everyone should believe and confess that “God... is one” (Deut. 6:4), glorified in the Trinity by the Holy One, and that in the Divinity is the beginning and root of the Son and the Holy Spirit , there is a Father. Secondly, it teaches that this Trinity God created from nothing everything visible and invisible, as the Psalmist testifies: He “spoke and was commanded and was created” (Ps. 33:9).

Question 8.

What concept should I have about God?

Answer. One must believe that God is one in the Holy Trinity, according to the word of Scripture: “one God and Father of all, who is above all and through all and in us all” (Eph. 4:6); that He, being good and most good, although He Himself was most perfect and glorious, created the world out of nothing at the end, so that other beings, glorifying Him, would participate in His goodness. However, what God is in His essence cannot be known by any creature, not only visible, but also invisible, i.e. nor the Angels themselves; since there is absolutely no comparison between the Creator and the creature. But for our piety, as Cyril of Jerusalem testifies, “if we know that we have one God, the existing and eternal God, who is always like Himself, and is the same” (Ochsh. 6) and that besides Him there is no another God, as this very God says through the Prophet: “I (am God) first and I am hereafter, besides Me there is no God” (Is. 44:6). And Moses, admonishing the people of Israel, says: “Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord” (Deut. 6:4).

Question 9.

If God is one, then is it not necessary to think that there is one Person?

Answer. There is no need. God is one in nature and essence, and in Persons He is Trinity, as is clear from the teaching of our Savior Himself, Who said to His Apostles: “As you went and taught all languages, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 28, 19). These words clearly show that there are three Persons in one Godhead: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The Father, who before the ages begot the Son from His being, and produced the Holy Spirit; The Son, born of the Father before the ages, and consubstantial with Him; The Holy Spirit, proceeding from eternity from the Father, consubstantial with the Father and the Son. Explaining this, St. Damascus says this: “The Son and the Holy Spirit share one guilt - the Father” (book 1, chapter 11). And in another place it is the same: “The Son is from the Father by way of birth: the Holy Spirit is also from the Father, but not by way of birth, but by procession” (chapter 10). And Gregory the Theologian, in response to the words of the Apostle to the Romans: “For from Him and by Him are all things” (Rom. 11:36), says “the first, i.e. from That must be attributed to the Father, the second to the Son, the third to the Holy Spirit.” From this it is clear that in the Divinity there is a Trinity. Moreover, we are equally and without any distinction or exception, baptized in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, as the Father is by nature, so are the Son and the Holy Spirit.

But the Father by nature is true and eternal God, the Creator of everything visible and invisible: therefore, the Son and the Holy Spirit are the same; and therefore They are consubstantial with one another, according to the teaching of the Evangelist John, who says: “three are he who testifies in heaven, the Father, the Word and the Holy Spirit: and these three are one” (1 John 5:7). In these words, the only thing excluded is that the Father in the Divinity is the author of the Son and the Holy Spirit; that these two Persons have their existence from Him, but He Himself is from no one. Thus we have been taught from the eternal Truth itself, Jesus our Savior; so they received from the Holy Apostles; this is how, and not otherwise, the Ecumenical and Local Councils and teachers of the Church taught, betrayed and approved. Our Orthodox and Catholic Church contains the same thing. For this faith, the Holy Martyrs shed their blood and preferred death to real life. So we must believe with all our hearts, without doubt, and maintain this faith firmly and unshakably, even when necessity demands, to die for it, in the hope of acquiring salvation for ourselves with the help of our good deeds, for which we will receive eternal rewards in heaven .

Question 10.

Would I like to understand the mystery of the Holy Trinity a little more clearly?

Answer. This mystery cannot be fully explained by any similitude, nor can we separately imagine in our minds how God is one in Essence and Trinity in Persons. And that no likeness is sufficient to explain it, God Himself, called Jehovah, testifies to this through the mouth of the Prophet: “To whom will you liken Me, and make Me equal, and make Me like, that I may be like him” (Is. 46:5)? So no mind, not only human, but also angelic, can comprehend or tongue express Him. So, we must say with the Apostle: “bringing down thoughts and every exaltation that is raised against the mind of God, and bringing into captivity every mind into the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor. 10: 4-5). We firmly believe that God the Father, who exists from eternity and to eternity, and, moreover, is not descended from anyone, begets the Son and produces the Holy Spirit. Athanasius the Great expounds this in his symbol at greater length. Believing in this way, we do not explore anything further: because Scripture forbids exploring and testing the Divine greatness: “Do not seek those who are superior to yourself, and do not test those that are stronger for yourself. Even as you are commanded, understand this: there are no secret needs for you. Do not be curious about the abundance of your deeds” (Sir. 3, 21–23). It is enough for us that the Holy Scripture of the Old Testament, speaking about the one God, shows us the trinity of Persons: “God said: Let us make man in Our image and likeness” (Gen. 1:26). Also: “Behold, Adam became one of Us” (Gen. 3:22). And again: “Come, let us go down there and confound their tongues, so that they will not hear the voice of their neighbor” (Gen. 11:7). The Prophet clearly shows this very thing: “And one (Angel) cried out to another, and said: “Holy, Holy, Holy is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is filled with His glory” (Isa. 6:3). And the Holy Psalmist said: “The heavens were established by the word of the Lord, and all their power by the spirit of His mouth” (Ps. 32:6). The Holy Scriptures and the teachers of the Church speak about this many times.

Question 11.

What are the essence of the properties of God?

Answer: Just as God is incomprehensible, so His properties are incomprehensible. However, to the extent that we can acquire knowledge from the Holy Scriptures and the Teachers of the Church, we can think and talk about them. And so one should know that other properties of God are personal

, and others
are significant
.

Question 12.

What are the personal properties of God?

Answer. The personal Divine properties are those by which the Persons of the Holy Trinity are so different from one another that one Person cannot be the other. Those. The Face of the Father is not the Face of the Son; for the Father was not born of anyone, but the Son was born of the Father, by nature, before the ages, as Scripture says: “from the womb before the star I begot Thee” (Ps. 109:3). So: Father, Son and Holy Spirit, unbegotten, begotten and proceeding

- they distinguish Persons in the Divinity, and not a being, which is inseparable in itself, but is separated only...1 from the creature. The born and the unborn cannot be one person. We must think in the same way about the Holy Spirit: He comes from the being and nature of the Father without beginning, i.e. eternal, and is consubstantial with the Father and the Son. But it differs from the Father in a personal property: because it comes from Him; differs also from the Son: because He has existence from the Father, not by birth as the Son, but by procession from the same Father. The Son and the Holy Spirit have one essence: because both of these Persons are from one Father's nature. They are consubstantial with the Father, because they are from His being. Gregory the Theologian says about this: “The Son and the Holy Spirit have this in common, that both of these two Persons are from the Father. The property of the Father is that He is unborn; the Son that He is begotten; the Holy Spirit, that He proceedeth” (Homily 23). Moreover, the personal property of the Son is the whole matter of the incarnation; for neither the Father took flesh, nor the Holy Spirit. This is how the Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church teaches us to believe and confess one God by nature, in three Persons! See about this in the acts of the First Nicene Council and the Second Ecumenical Council of Constantinople.

Question 13.

What are the essential properties of God?

Answer. The essential properties of God are those that are equally appropriate to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, such as: to be God, to be eternal, beginningless, endless, good, omnipotent and all-fulfilling, limitless, leading everything secret and obvious. Briefly, in addition to those personal properties that we talked about above, i.e. to be unborn or Father and wine; to be begotten or Son and Word incarnate; to be emanating or the Holy Spirit - everything that is said about God constitutes the properties of the Divine being, equally common to the three Persons without any distinction.

Question 14.

Why are other properties omitted in the first member of the Faith, and only
the Almighty
?

Answer. Because this word more accurately expresses the property of God. For no created being can be called omnipotent for two reasons. Firstly, because it has its existence not from itself, but from its Creator; secondly, because it cannot produce a single thing from what has no existence anywhere. Both belong only to the omnipotence of God. And that God is omnipotent, He Himself says this in the Apocalypse: “I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, says the Lord, who is and who is and who is to come, the Almighty” (Rev. 1:8). The Archangel also says the same: “with God every word fails” (Luke 1:37). However, this omnipotence and omnipotence of God is determined by His own will and will; and therefore He does not produce everything that He can, but He only does and can do that which He pleases, as the Holy Psalmist says: “But our God is in heaven and on earth: do whatever He pleases” (Ps. 113:11) . He could have created dozens of worlds like this one, but he did not want to. Moreover, one must know that this omnipotence of God is closely connected with perfection, and is removed from everything imperfect or weak, as the following example will show. God cannot be evil, nor sin, nor lie or deny Himself, as Paul says (2 Tim. 2:13; Heb. 6:18), since this is imperfection. If God could be evil, or sin, or deny Himself, then He would not be omnipotent: since such properties are in themselves signs of imperfection. So, God is omnipotent in accordance with His will and perfect goodness, as the Prophet Songsinger sings of Him: “Who is the great God like our God? Thou art the God who works miracles: Thou hast spoken Thy power among men” (Ps. 76:14-15). Finally, He is called Almighty or Almighty because everything is in His power, and that He created the world without any obstacle and without any labor, but by His sole will.

Question 15.

If God is infinite and omnipresent, then why is it said that He lives in heaven and in certain certain places on earth primarily?

Answer. This is not said because it is as if heaven, or Zion, or some other place could contain an immaterial and incorporeal Deity - God does not occupy any place, but for Himself there is a place. But since He acts in these places in a special way, and since His actions and grace are more obvious and more numerous there, it is said that He lives in them. For example: “In heaven,” (as Saint Damascus says, Theological Book 1, Chapter 16), “because there are Angels doing His will and glorifying Him evermore. On the earth: for on it he dwelt in the flesh with men. In the Holy Church: because in it His grace is primarily given to the faithful, and His glory is preached. In the same way, every place in which the grace of God is in some way revealed is called His place.”

Question 16.

If, according to you, it is characteristic of God alone to know everything, secret and obvious, then how do people - Prophets and Angels - know this?

Answer. God knows all the secrets and depths of men and Angels by Himself, and not only when they think, but also before the creation of the world, as Scripture says: “The eyes of the Lord are darker than the brightest sun, seeing through all the ways of man and looking into secret places. "(Sir. 23, 27–28). And in another place: “For the Lord understands every vision and looks at the sign of the age, announcing things that have passed and things to come, and revealing the traces of secret things” (Sir. 42: 18-19). And John in the Apocalypse: “I am the one who searches the hearts and bellies: and I will give you every man according to what you have done” (Rev. 2:23). But Angels and men, if they sometimes recognize the hidden future, recognize it by Divine revelation, as Scripture testifies: “God reveals the deep and hidden” (Dan. 2:22). So God revealed to Elisha what his servant Gehazi secretly took from Naaman on the way (2 Kings 5:26); and to Peter, the Apostle, about Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5:11). All the Prophets had the same vision.

Question 17.

Are there other properties befitting one God?

Answer. The properties of God are countless; but even those about whom we have hitherto spoken as useful for salvation already sufficiently show what concept we should have about God. So, leaving aside other properties, believe firmly and undoubtedly that God is one in three Persons, omnipotent, omnipresent and omniscient, immutable in essence, and eternal.

Question 18.

In this member is placed the word
of the Creator
: is God really the Creator of all things?

Answer. Without any doubt, God is the Creator of all visible and invisible creatures. First of all, with His thought He produced from nothing all the heavenly Powers, as excellent singers of His glory, and created this intelligent world, which, by the grace given to it, knows God, and is always devoted to His will in everything. After that, God created this visible and material world out of nothing. Finally, God created man, who is composed of an immaterial and rational soul and a material body, so that from one man thus composed, it could already be seen that He is the Creator of both worlds, the immaterial and the material. For this reason man is called a small world

; for he bears on himself the image of the whole great world (Damascus. Theology, book 2, chapter 3, 12).

Question 19.

Since God created the Angels first of all, what concept should we have about them?

Answer. Angels are spirits brought from God from non-existence into existence so that they glorify Him and serve Him, and, in addition, serve people in this world, guiding them to the Kingdom of God. They are also given for the preservation of cities, kingdoms, regions, monasteries, churches and people, both spiritual and temporal. We have an example of this in the book of the Acts of the Apostles, where it is written: “And an angel of the Lord opened the door of the prison at night, and brought them out, saying: Go, and speak unto the people in the church all the words of this life” (Acts 5:19-20). And again: “An angel of the Lord appeared... and said to Peter: Gird yourself and step into your vestments... put on your robe and follow me” (Acts 12:7-8). And a little later: “And Peter, being in himself, said: Now truly we know that God has sent His angel and has taken me out of the hand of Herod and from all the hope of the people of the Jews” (Acts 12:11). They also protect young children, as our Savior teaches: “For I say to you, that their angels in heaven have always seen the face of My heavenly Father” (Matthew 18:10). They bring prayers and our alms and other good deeds to the Majesty of God, not because God Himself does not see our alms, or does not heed our prayers; but because they intercede for us. In the Old Testament, before the law of Moses was given, the Angels taught our Forefathers the law and will of God, and showed them the path of salvation, as St. Dionysius testifies (Hierarch. Cer. 4); and afterward, when the law was given, they instructed them and guided them for good. Scripture itself proves this when it says that Angels appeared to the Prophets and predicted the future for them. So, the Angel gave advice to Joseph so that he would take precautions against Herod’s intentions, saying: “Arise, take the Child and His Mother, and flee to Egypt, and be there until the river reaches the river: for Herod wants to seek the Child, and destroy him” (Matthew 2, 13). Likewise, when Joseph was afraid to be the guardian of the Virgin, the Angel of the Lord encouraged and instructed him (Matthew 1:20). They also announce the works of God. Thus, at the birth of Christ, they revealed to the shepherds that Christ was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:8-11). In addition, by the command of God, they are everywhere with every person, deliver us from all danger, and drive away the enemy of our souls, who mercilessly torments a person when he notices that God allows him to do so. And that the Angel protects us, we can clearly see this from what Scripture says about the one who trusts in the Lord: “as His Angel commanded you, to keep you in all your ways: they will take you up in their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.” (Ps. 90, 11–12).

Question 20.

How many degrees are Angels divided into?

Answer. Dionysius says (Heavenly Hierarch., ch. 6 and 7) that they are divided into nine faces, and these nine into three ranks. In the first rank are those who are closer to God, such as: Thrones, Cherubim and Seraphim. In the second rank: Power, Dominion and Strength. In the third: Angels, Archangels, Principalities. They are placed in such an order that the lower Angels receive enlightenment and the blessings of God through the higher ones. These Angels were established in the grace of God forever; since they did not agree with the star, to rebel against God, they received this grace, so that they can no longer sin; however, not by nature, but by the grace of God. These brief remarks, made in the brevity of this Orthodox teaching, are sufficient for the knowledge of Angels. So, knowing that the Angels help us and intercede for us, we call on them in every prayer, so that they pray to God for us, and most of all we call on that Angel who is our guardian.

Question 21.

What concept should one have about evil angels?

Answer. Evil angels were created good by God; For whatever God has created, He has created good; but they became evil of their own free will. As our Lord testifies about their leader: “he is a murderer from time immemorial and does not stand in the truth, for there is no truth in him: when he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own: for lies is the father of lies” (John 8:44). They are the perpetrators of all wickedness, blasphemers of Divine majesty, corrupters of human souls, themselves and their instruments, as the Scripture says: “Be sober, be vigilant, for your adversary the devil, like a lion, roars about, seeking whom he may devour” (1 Peter 5:8). However, you need to know that demons cannot use violence either over one person or over any other creature, if God does not allow them, as Scripture testifies to this: “But enrage Him, saying: If you drive us out, command us go into the swine herd. And he said to them: Go” (Matthew 8:31–32). Moreover, everyone should know that they cannot force a person to sin, but only seduce him with temptations: for man has free will, and not even God Himself does any violence or coercion to this freedom. since they are condemned forever, they can never receive the grace of God, as it is said: “Depart from Me, O curse, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angel” (Matthew 25:41).

Question 22.

What concept should one have about other creatures?

Answer. That God created everything from nothingness by His command, and finally created man and made him lord over all creation that is under the heavens, saying: “Let us make man in our image and likeness, and let him have the fish of the sea, and the birds of the air, (and beasts) and livestock and all the earth” (Gen. 1:26). The Holy Psalmist also says: “Thou hast placed Thy hand over his works, Thou hast subdued all things under his nose. All sheep and oxen, also Polish cattle, birds of the air and fish of the sea, the passing paths of the sea” (Ps. 8:7-9). And above: “You made him a little lower than the angels, you crowned him with glory and honor” (Ps. 8:6). But since man did not keep the commandments of God in paradise, when he was innocent, but took from the forbidden fruit and ate: for this he lost his dignity and the state that he had during his innocence. Having been expelled from paradise, he became the same as the Prophet describes him, saying: “a man of honor who has no understanding, has become like a foolish beast and has become like them” (Ps. 48:21); and heard the sentence: “You are earth, and you will go back to earth” (Gen. 3:19).

Question 23.

What was the state of man’s innocence, or his purity and sinlessness?

Answer. The state of innocence or sinlessness (according to the testimony of Saint Basil in the conversation at the beginning of Proverbs) is twofold. Firstly

, it is a voluntary removal from sins, i.e.
when a person, by his own determination, removes himself from sins, having learned evil through experience and long-term skill in it. Secondly
, there is ignorance of evil or inexperience in it, i.e. when a person does not know evil and has not experienced it at all, either due to his childhood or for other reasons. Innocence or sinlessness in Adam, before he sinned, was of this second kind, and was combined with complete perfection, with innate rightness, both on the part of the mind and the will. All knowledge resided in the mind; in the will there is all rightness and kindness. For Adam knew God most perfectly, how much was given to him at that time, and how much was needed; and because he himself knew God, he knew all things through Him. Among other things, we have this proof: when God brought all the animals to Adam so that he could give them names, he called each one by its own name. And this happened because he knew their nature - not by any science, but solely because he thought and reasoned about God and His goodness. As for the will, it always submitted to reason, although it was always free, and man had the power to sin or not to sin, as the Scripture says: “Do not say, because for the sake of the Lord you have retreated: for those whom you hated, you did not do. Don’t say that you deceive me: you don’t require a sinner’s husband. The Lord hates all abomination, and hates nothing to those who fear Him. You yourself created man from the beginning and left him in the hands of his will: if you will, keep the commandments and do good deeds by faith. He offered you fire and water, and if you want it, stretch out your hand. Life and death are before man, and if he pleases, it will be given to him” (Sir. 15:11-17). And soon after this: “I did not command anyone to be dishonest, and I did not let anyone be weak to sin” (Sir. 15:20). In this state of innocence and sinlessness, man was like the Angels. But as soon as he fell into sin through disobedience, he immediately entered into a sinful state in paradise itself and became mortal; for the Holy Scripture teaches: “The price of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). Then he suddenly destroyed the perfection of reason and knowledge, and his will bowed more to evil than to good. And thus, since man did evil, the state of innocence and sinlessness changed into a state of sinfulness, and this perfect man humiliated himself so much that he must say with David: “I am a worm, and not a man” (Ps. 21:7).

Question 24.

Are all people susceptible to this sin?

Answer. since all people were in a state of innocence in Adam; then, as quickly as he sinned, everyone else sinned in him and fell into a state of sin. Therefore, they are not only subject to sin, but also to punishment for sin. This punishment is announced in the following definition of God: “If you suffer from it one day, you will die” (Genesis 2:17). The Apostle says the same thing: “For as one man sin came into the world, and death came into the world through sin, and so death came to all men, in whom all sinned” (Rom. 5:12). Therefore, with this sin we are conceived in our mother’s womb and born, as the Holy Psalmist says: “For I was conceived in iniquity, and in sins did my mother give birth to me” (Ps. 50:7). This sin is called ancestral sin

, firstly, because before this man was not defiled by any sin: although the devil was already corrupted by his sin, at whose instigation the so-called original sin arose in this man, to which Adam, who committed it, and all of us were subjected , originating from him. Secondly, because a person is not conceived except in sin.

Question 25.

If God knew that Adam would sin, then why did He create him?

Answer. God knew most perfectly not only about Adam’s sin, but also about the evil of the star before he created him, and about every unimportant thought that he would turn in his mind, and every action that he would perform. But despite this, He did not want the sin of man or the malice of the devil to exceed His Divine goodness (Damascene. Theologian. 2, 27). So, in order to reveal His extraordinary goodness, He created this angel good, who became evil by his own will and arbitrariness. The same way He created man, who sinned at the instigation of the devil. However, God arranged for man in such a way that, because of his sin, the goodness of God would shine forth much more: since He determined to send His only begotten Son into the vale of the earth, so that He, having received flesh from the Most Pure Virgin through the action of the Holy Spirit, would redeem man and bring him into His kingdom is in much greater glory than what he had in paradise, to the shame of the devil. Therefore, this sin did not prevent God from creating man.

Question 26.

If God knew everything before He created, then did He predetermine everything in such a way that good and evil cannot be otherwise, but only as they are?

Answer. God knew everything before the creation of the world, but predetermined only good, as St. Damascus says (Theology 2:30): since predetermining evil is contrary to God’s goodness. One sin must be considered evil; for in the world there is actually no evil except sin, which is a crime of the Divine law and the will of God (Damascus. Treatise on the two wills in Christ). And everything else with which God punishes us for our sins, such as pestilences, wars, illnesses and the like, is called evil towards us (Basil the Great. Conversation 9. About the fact that God is not the author of evil) , since these misfortunes cause us sorrow and suffering, which we turn away from. In relation to God they are not evil; for they contain the power of good: since God, punishing us with them, thereby excites us to good. Therefore, if Scripture says: “Or there will be evil in the city, which the Lord does not do” (Amos 3:6), then here it calls God’s righteous punishment evil. In addition, God, in His wisdom and justice, predetermines only those things whose existence is not in our power. On the contrary, He foresees those goods whose existence lies in our power in such a way that He Himself, by His good pleasure, promotes our desire, which, however, does not destroy the essence of freedom.

Question 27.

What is freedom?

Answer. Human freedom is a voluntary, independent desire, originating from the mind or rational soul, to do good or evil. For rational creatures must have an autocratic nature and act freely under the guidance of reason. This mind, when a person was in a state of innocence, i.e. Before he sinned, he was undamaged in his perfection, but sin damaged him. The will, although it remained intact in relation to the desire for good or evil, however, became more inclined in some to evil, in others - to good. Basil the Great says about this: “According to his own desire and arbitrariness, everyone can be either a holy seed or the opposite of it. Listen to what Paul says: “In Christ Jesus you were born through the gospel” (1 Cor. 4:15). Listen to what is also said: “The little ones received Him, and gave them the power to become children of God” (John 1:12).” This Holy Teacher shows that although the human will was damaged by original sin, yet even now it is in the will of everyone to be good and a child of God, or evil and the son of the devil. All this depends on the choice and power of man, but in such a way that the grace of God inclines man towards good, and rejects him from evil, without, however, forcing his freedom.

Question 28.

If people are born in a state of sin, does the body alone come from the seed of Adam, or does the soul come together?

Answer. The human body comes from the seed of Adam; and the soul is given from God, as the Scripture says: “The Lord, who made the heavens and founded the earth, and created the spirit of man in it” (Zech. 12:1). And in another place: “and the dust will return to the earth as it was, and the spirit will return to God who gave it” (Eccl. 12:7). Moreover, if the soul received existence from human seed, then together with the body it would die and turn to dust. But we see the opposite of this in Scripture, where Christ says to the thief on the cross: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43). The thief’s body remained on the cross, but his soul, like an immortal spirit, entered heaven with Christ. But if she had received existence from human seed, she would have died on the cross along with her body. Moreover, how could these words of our Lord be true: “Do you not honor what was spoken to you by God, saying: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; God is not the God of the dead, but (God) of the living” (Matthew 22:31–32). What should be understood not about the body, but about the soul. since the bodies of the dead have already turned to dust; meanwhile, these words are fair in relation to the soul, which is always alive and inherent in God. But if she also came from the same seed from which the body comes, then they would die together. The soul is given from God at the time when the body is formed and made capable of receiving it. And when it enters, it spreads throughout the whole body, like fire in a red-hot iron (Damascus. Theology 1:17). But mainly it takes place in the head and heart.

Question 29.

Since God is the Creator of everything, shouldn’t He provide for everything?

Answer. Fair. From small to great, He knows everything exactly, and takes special care of every creation, as we can see from the words of Christ: “Are not two birds valued by one Assar; and not one of them will fall on the earth without your Father: and you are the chief power of the essence” (Matthew 10: 29-30). Such providence is clearly revealed in the Old Testament through the mouth of David, when he says: “The eyes of all trust in You (Lord), and You give them food in due season. Thou openest Thy hand and fulfilleth every living creature’s good will” (Ps. 144:15-16).

Question 30.

Are foreknowledge, predestination and providence one and the same in God?

Answer. Foreknowledge, predestination and providence differ in God in their actions. Providence refers to created things. But foreknowledge and predestination were in God before the existence of all creatures, although they are different from each other. Foreknowledge is just knowledge of the future, without defining it in particular, i.e. it does not determine the existence of this or that thing. But predestination, depending on foreknowledge, is a particular determination, i.e. it precisely determines what should be; but defines only good, not evil. For if it also defined evil, then this would be contrary to the natural property of God - goodness. So, we can rightly say from our way of thinking that foreknowledge

in order it precedes in God, followed by
predestination
, and after creation,
providence
for what was created. The Apostle clearly teaches us this, saying: “Whom you foreknew, (those) you also ordained... and whom you ordained, you also called: and whom you called, you also justified them; thirty). However, these words should apply only to man. since other creations (except for Angels, who are in a solid and immutable state) are not subject to predestination, for they do not have freedom; and therefore there can be no sin in them. And everything they do is done by nature, and therefore they are neither punished nor rewarded.

Question 31.

From this member of the Faith, what else do we learn regarding God and creatures?

Answer. Every good that you can imagine in your mind, relate to God, the Highest Good, as the cause and beginning. On the contrary, think that all evil is alien to Him, and removed from Him, not by place, but by nature. Reason about the creature in this way: since it was created by the Good, it is itself good, with the difference that a rational and free creature, when it deviates from God, becomes evil not because it was created that way. For this reason, the reasons for its action are contrary to reason. An unreasonable creature, because it does not have freedom, is completely good by nature.

How should one atone for the sins of the family?

THE LIFE AND TORMENT OF UNRETENTENT SINNERS

Question: “Is it possible to deliver a soul from eternal torment with one mass (liturgy)?” Answer: “Sometimes by one, and sometimes by many - according to the quality and severity of sins”

Q: “Will the righteous have pity on sinners in the age to come?” A: “No, even if they were the closest wombs”

Q: “How great is the torment of hell?” A: “The smallest torments of hell are greater than a thousand times the greatest torments on earth.”

Q: “Do the convicts know each other?” A: “They know, although they have not seen each other in this world”

Q: “Do they feel sorry for each other in the next world?” A: “No, but they curse each other terribly”

Q: “Will sinners get used to torment?” A: “No, but the further they go, the more severe torment they will be plunged into.”

According to the church charter, from Maundy Thursday of Holy Week until the Ascension of the Lord, there are souls in the Holy Place, and from that day, again, souls return to their places. And they should be remembered on all days except the day of the Ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And also, since the soul is very sinful, and when it is remembered and taken from a dark place to a bright place, then the Lord sends abundance to that person who remembers his parents and will live in prosperity for many years, and will be delivered from many troubles and misfortunes, and in the next century he will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven!

When the dead are remembered, their joy is inexpressible, and they exclaim: “O priceless children, our sons and daughters, our brothers and sisters! Oh, if only we could return to earth and tell everything, or write a letter to you and describe our torment and torment in hell! But we can't. Between us and you lies an insurmountable gulf; no one comes from us to you. Oh woe to us, the accursed, that we did not live according to the Holy Scriptures and Divine teaching. We did not do good deeds, did not devote time to obedience, prayer to God. And they did not try for our souls.

Oh, our friends! We cannot return to you on earth and repent of our sins. Oh, if only it were possible, we would pray day and night in our cells, even if they were filled with stinking worms, just so as not to be in eternal torment! But there is no absolution for us here...

O our children! And relatives! Who would get out of our family and correct the annual income for all seven tribes and for their parents! Waiting for you!

What gives us light and joy? When you serve prosphora in church, we have light and joy from Friday evening to Monday, a shining light to our souls all day and night.

You are our beloved relatives! We ask your prayers, not for various decorations, but for heartfelt remembrance. If anyone from our family could be found, he would recognize the Holy Scripture and try for us.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIWF7iPll5g

O our friends and relatives! If there is no learned person in our clan, then look in another clan or country who could explain this to you.

The Lord says: “I will write your entire trace in gold and forgive you your sins, if you seek the Holy Scriptures and try for the souls of your parents.”

So, for this mercy, you will receive remission of sins in this century and will be delivered from troubles and misfortunes, and in the next century you will be heirs of the Kingdom of God in Heaven.

Whoever does not care about their deceased parents, know that they are unfortunate, lying face down, underground in dungeons, their left hand below, and their right above, shedding bloody tears.

They cry and ask their relatives: “You are our beloved sisters and brothers, our dear children! Try for our souls and for all sinners, until the future Last Judgment of the Lord, do not leave us, while it is still possible to receive God’s forgiveness and joy for our souls, while there is still an opportunity to beg the Lord for forgiveness and liberation from eternal torment, do not leave us!”

If someone does not remember their parents, then they, being in severe torment, ask the Lord: “Lord! God! Send punishment to our family, if they have a field with grain, then beat it with a thunderstorm, if they have livestock, then freeze it with frost or burn it with fire, if they have wealth, then take it away - send a dashing man.”

All Orthodox Christians who live in faith - understand that the dead do not stand at our gates, but will take what is theirs.

If a Christian remembers his relatives, then his parents pray to the Lord there and exclaim: “Lord! God! Give them joy and prolong their life, and grant them sevenfold all prosperity, send them a hundredfold with your mercy and bless them, Lord!”

A Christian who celebrates the annual commemoration of his deceased parents and relatives on Saturdays and reads twenty (20) psalters and twenty (20) funeral canons a year, then that Christian’s parents and all seven tribes will stand before the King of Heaven, praying with zeal , and they will say with tears about those who taught their relatives living on earth, who showed them mercy: “Lord! God! How they remembered us! Who taught them, who read the Holy Scripture to them! And you, Lord, give them zeal for salvation, and the truth of faith for the deliverance of our souls.”

Relatives who live in abundance and do not care about helping their departed ones are possessed by demonic stinginess. Such will weep and lament and receive punishment. And their deceased relatives will turn to your alms, and when your hour comes, they will joyfully return everything to you.

If they don’t have this, they will then cry: “Woe to us damned ones! Those who have wasted their lives. Those who spent it on drunkenness, on pleasures, on decorations and having fun with friends.

Where can we now find intercessors to the King of Heaven? Who can beg the Lord to save us now from terrible and endless torment? Who would fulfill this annual? If anyone from our family were to be found and would celebrate this annual celebration, then all seven tribes would pray to God for him. The commemoration would bring us great joy, more valuable than any gift.”

Whoever remembers his parents in this way, the Lord gives him deliverance from sorrows, troubles and misfortunes, and in the next century He delivers him from eternal torment.

O you are our children, remember the eternal torment! How fierce and unbearable they are! We expect alms from you, and if someone teaches you to pray, we will say: “Lord! Who taught our relatives to try so hard for our souls? Lord, reward that man, prolong his life and send him health and prosperity on earth!”

And those who do not remember their deceased relatives, then if they are in torment, they pray like this: “Lord! Take from them their most beloved child, so that, remembering their dear child, they would remember us.”

A person who does not know the Holy Scripture himself, does not want to hear about it and turns away with hatred from those who remind him of it - woe to that person, misfortune. It would have been better for him not to have been born.

And whoever performs twenty (20) psalters, twenty (20) canons for repose during the year, and every Saturday, at mass, serves in the Church a prosphora for the repose of the souls of his parents, then no matter how sinful the soul may be, it will be delivered from darkness and torment, and will be taken to the Land of God's light.

A person who does not forget his parents, by the grace of God, with his mercy and the prayers of our Holy Orthodox Church, who delivered their suffering souls from the wrath of hell, is already here, in this life, will never have any need and at the end of his earthly journey will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

Ratings

Metropolitan Macarius (Bulgakov) (+ 1882):

“The Orthodox Confession truly constitutes an epoch in... the history (of Orthodox theology). Until now, the sons of the Eastern Church did not have a special symbolic book in which they could find for themselves the most detailed guidance given on behalf of the Church itself, guidance in the matter of faith. The Orthodox Confession of Peter Mogila... was the first symbolic book of the Eastern Church. Here, for the first time, all the dogmas are set out on her behalf as accurately as possible... Here, therefore, the most detailed and at the same time the most reliable guidance in the matter of faith is given, both to all Orthodox, and, in particular, to Orthodox theologians in a thorough disclosure of dogmas” [1].

Prot. Georgy Florovsky (+ 1979):

“Mogila was not alone in his crypto-romance. Rather, he expressed the spirit of the times. “Orthodox Confession” is the main and most expressive monument of the Mogilyan era. It is difficult to say exactly who was the author or compiler of this “Catechism”: Mogila himself is usually named, although it may be the collective work of several of his associates. The Confession was originally written in Latin, and in this first version there is much more Roman influence than in the final version, which underwent critical revision at the councils of Kyiv (1640) and Iasi (1642). However, what is important for us is not so much individual deviations into Catholicism - they can be explained by chance - but rather the fact that the entire “Confessio Orthodoxa” is built on Catholic materials. Its connection with the Roman Catholic writings is deeper and more direct than with the spiritual life of Orthodoxy and the Tradition of the Eastern Fathers. Individual Roman dogmas - for example, the doctrine of papal primacy - are rejected, but the general style remains Roman" [2].

Archbishop Vasily (Krivoshein) (+ 1985):

“[The Confession is] the Orthodox symbolic monument of its era and in all controversial issues dividing the Orthodox with the Roman Catholics, such as the Filioque, the papal primacy, or with the Protestants, such as the veneration of Sts. icons and relics, invocation of saints, sacraments, etc., it always adheres to Orthodox teaching, but this does not prevent it from being a clearly Latin document in form, and sometimes in content and spirit. Following in its presentation the well-known Roman Catholic catechism of Peter Canisius, and almost literally borrowing entire pages from him, especially in its moral part, the Orthodox Confession completely assimilates Latin scholastic terminology, such as, for example, the matter and form of the sacrament, the intention (intentio) of the one performing the sacrament as a condition of its reality, transubstantiation, the Aristotelian doctrine of substance and accidents to explain transubstantiation, the doctrine of the performance of the sacraments ex ore orerato, etc.. The Orthodox Confession tries to put Orthodox content into Latin forms. With a few exceptions (Basily the Great, Pseudo-Dionysius, Pseudo-Athanasius, Augustine), the Orthodox Confession is almost completely devoid of references to the holy fathers - a characteristic sign of the break from the patristic tradition that is felt in the entire theology of this symbolic monument. One can also say that what is most characteristic of it is not the presence in it of certain inaccuracies or deviations from Orthodox theology..., but rather the absence of any theology, the poverty of theological thought...”

“Although we do not have sufficient grounds to reject the Orthodox Confession as a historical monument that played a positive role in the defense of Orthodoxy from its enemies in the 17th century, we cannot see in it an authoritative symbolic text and a source of Orthodox theological teaching” [3].