About true Christianity - Zadonsk Tikhon “Saint”

Hungry childhood

Born on the territory of the Novgorod province, in the village of Korotsk, in 1724. At birth, his parents gave him the name Timofey.

The father of the future saint, Savely Kirillov, served as a sexton in the village and had a modest income. He died early, and the burden of supporting his children, four brothers and two sisters, fell on the shoulders of his widow, Dominicia.

The need that the family faced after the death of the breadwinner sometimes seemed so bleak to the mother that one day she almost gave Timofey up to be raised by a childless neighbor who served as a coachman and wanted to adopt him. Timothy's elder brother, Peter, who took his father's place, encouraged his mother as best he could. In this case, he intervened in a timely manner and dispelled her spiritual doubts.

It happened that the family did not have enough money even for meager food. Often the only food was black bread, and even that was not enough. In order to somehow help his mother, Timofey hired himself out to wealthy landowners to dig up beds for pennies or for food. At the same time, all children were raised in the love of God, and it is obvious that it was hope that saved the family from excessive sadness and sorrow.

Seminary training. The beginning of the monastic path

At the age of thirteen, Timofey was assigned to a theological school that functioned at the Novgorod Bishops' House. The poor mother, of course, did not have the means to pay for her son’s education, but here again his older brother, Peter, intervened, promising to take over Timofey’s maintenance at the school. Timofey himself, knowing how hard it was to get the funds he needed, whenever possible, he worked part-time where he had to.

Soon the school was transformed into a seminary. Timofey studied diligently and in 1740, among the best students, continued his studies at the seminary at public expense. He approached education with all responsibility. Often, while his peers allowed themselves to play and be naughty, he sat behind his textbooks. It happened that he sold part of the ration, bought candles with the proceeds and read at night.

It happened that frivolous peers made fun of him, censing him with their bast shoes and addressing him with mocking dignities.

Due to the seminary not being fully staffed with teaching staff, the training lasted longer than the usual regulated period.

In 1750, while a student in the theological class, Timofey, having proven his worth to the leadership, began teaching Greek, for which he received a 50-ruble salary and some flour. Later, after completing the course, he was entrusted with the position of teacher of rhetoric and philosophy.

In April 1758, one of Timothy's most cherished desires came true: he took monastic vows. Then he was given a new name - Tikhon. During this period he took the place of prefect of the seminary.

Soon he was called to St. Petersburg and ordained a hierodeacon, and then a hieromonk.

In 1759, Father Tikhon was sent to the Tver diocese, and upon arrival in Tver he was elevated to archimandrite of the Zheltik monastery. Somewhat later, he was sent to the Otroch Monastery and appointed to the post of rector of the Tver Seminary. During this period he established himself as a teacher of Theology.

Episcopal activities

In May 1761, Father Tikhon was consecrated Bishop of Kexholm and Ladoga.

This statement was preceded by a remarkable incident. Once, during the Divine Liturgy, when Archimandrite Tikhon served in the Tver Church together with Bishop Athanasius and asked to remember him, he, instead of the phrase “your sacred archimandrite...” unexpectedly said, “may the Lord remember your bishopric...”.

When Saint Tikhon visited the city of Novgorod, where he spent his youth, among the clergy he met those of his peers who had once made fun of him, feigningly giving undeserved honors. He reminded them of their pranks without malice. They asked him for forgiveness and he forgave them in a Christian way.

In addition, here he met his own sister, who lived on the brink of poverty. The saint was ready to take her under his care, but she soon died. He personally participated in her funeral service and, as historical sources testify, at that moment her face expressed a smile.

In 1763, by decision of the Holy Synod (at the insistence of the Empress), Saint Tikhon was appointed to the Voronezh See in place of the deceased Ioannikiy of Pavlutsky.

By this time, much in the Voronezh diocese needed reorganization. There were not enough clergy, and the religious and moral state of the laity left much to be desired. Bishop Tikhon, having taken up his new duties, quickly took stock of the situation and took the necessary measures. During his service at the department, he personally traveled around preaching to villages and villages, fought against pagan prejudices, received and listened to visitors, organized schools, and worked to improve the moral and educational level of the clergy entrusted to him.

In order to improve the quality of education for future clergy, he recreated the Voronezh Seminary, personally attended classes, talked with students, developed rules of conduct, and made efforts to increase the library collection.

“Spiritual Treasure” and other books

According to theologians, the work of Tikhon of Zadonsk was influenced by German pietism, and especially the books of Johann Arndt. Tikhon Zadonsky began writing “Spiritual Treasure” in four volumes after he left his position as bishop. In addition to this work, other works came from the pen of the saint:

• about the principles of Christianity;
• letters from cells and sent;
• about the gospel teaching;
• moralizing words;
• sermons of diocesan works.

All the work of the saint is permeated with deep edifying wisdom, bringing salvation and leading to God. The works of St. Tikhon became available to the laity in March 1784, after the decision of the Holy Synod.

In 1875, a collection of all the works of the miracle worker was published, presented in the chronological order of their writing.

Retirement

Monastic feats and struggles with numerous difficulties undermined the health of the saint. In addition, he increasingly strove for a solitary contemplative life. He sent a request to the leadership three times for release from managing the diocese. Twice he was refused and he was forced to turn to the empress.

Finally, in 1767, his request was granted. The saint was dismissed to his long-awaited retirement with a pension payment of 500 rubles.

At first, the Tolshevskaya Transfiguration Monastery was chosen as the place of further stay, but due to the inconsistency of the conditions there with the deteriorating health of the saint, in 1769 he moved to the Zadonsk Monastery.

Here he gave away his meager property, leaving only the most necessary things, and lived a simple monastic life: he regularly participated in divine services, regularly prayed in his cell, and was engaged in monastic economic affairs.

He often went out to people under the guise of an ordinary monk, wanting to learn about their difficulties, and then helped, including from his pension, those of them whom he considered necessary.

Not all the inhabitants of the monastery treated Saint Tikhon with the respect due to his rank: some slandered him, some whispered after him. He accepted this humbly and liked to repeat that forgiveness is better than revenge.

For the holiness of life, God rewarded His saint with the gift of clairvoyance.

The saint learned about the time of approaching death, as often happened with holy ascetics, in advance. On August 13, 1783, he rested in peace in the Lord.

As a literary heritage, many works have come down from St. Tikhon of Zadonsk. Among them there are instructions of a moral, ascetic and dogmatic nature.

The most famous works include: Instructions written for monastics, On true Christianity. Book 1, About true Christianity. Book 2, Certain notes selected from Holy Scripture, awakening the sinner from the sleep of sin and calling to repentance, with subsequent images, Cell letters and other creations, The priestly office, Flesh and spirit, Spiritual treasure collected from the world.

Text of the book “The Sacrament of Joy”

Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk Sacrament of Joy

© Nikeya Publishing House, 2014
All rights reserved. No part of the electronic version of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, including posting on the Internet or corporate networks, for private or public use without the written permission of the copyright owner.

Preface

Tikhon of Zadonsk, Bishop of Voronezh, was born in 1724 in the Novgorod province, in the family of a poor psalm-reader. At baptism he was named Timothy. The boy lost his father early, his family lived in great poverty.

When Timofey turned 14 years old, he entered the Novgorod Theological Slavic School. As one of the best students, Timofey was transferred to the newly opened seminary and accepted into government pay. After successfully graduating from the seminary, he received the department of rhetoric and taught Greek and theology. Timofey won the love of both his students and his superiors. His kindness, modesty and warmth attracted people to him.

At the age of 34, Timofey was tonsured a monk with the name Tikhon, and a year later he was appointed archimandrite of the Tver Zheltikov Dormition Monastery and rector of the Tver Theological Seminary.

When electing the Novgorod vicar, the name of Archimandrite Tikhon was among the eight candidates. Three times they cast lots, and three times it fell on Tikhon. But he did not stay in the Novgorod diocese for long and in 1763 he was appointed to the Voronezh see.

In the Voronezh region at that time many sectarians and schismatics were hiding, paganism flourished, many parishes were desolate. Bishop Tikhon worked tirelessly to overcome the turmoil in church life. First of all, he was concerned with training worthy shepherds, established theological schools for this, and supported the seminary from his own funds. The bishop wrote several books and many articles for priests and monks.

Knowing firsthand what need is, Saint Tikhon remained close to the common people. More than once he gave all his funds to those in need, and stood up for the peasants over the landowners. Being a bishop himself, he lived extremely modestly. He slept on straw, covering himself with a sheepskin coat. It is known that the saint had the gift of foresight; for example, he predicted the flood in St. Petersburg in 1777, the victory of Russia in the war with Napoleon and other important events.

In 1767, due to poor health, the bishop retired and lived for 15 years in the Zadonsk Monastery, remaining a shepherd and teacher for everyone; people from near and far flocked to the saint’s cell.

Here he completed his main works - “Spiritual Treasure Collected from the World” and “On True Christianity.”

From the works of the saint, we chose those places where it is said how to know God, how to hear His quiet call. And to do this, you need to look into your heart, cleanse it of passions and filth. Be silent in order to hear.

Shut up and you will hear

God Himself wants to come to us and make Himself known to us! He stands at everyone’s door and wants to be known to everyone, but few people hear Him knocking on the door, since everyone’s hearing is drowned out by the lusts of sin and the love of the world. And, having knocked on the door and having found nothing, he leaves the person with nothing. Calm and quiet your mind and heart from carnal lusts and the noise of worldly desires. Turn away from all this and listen to Him alone. Then you will truly know that He stands near you and knocks on the doors of your heart, and you will hear His sweet voice, and you will open the doors to Him. Then he will enter your house and dine with you, and you with Him. Then you will taste and see how good the Lord is

(Ps. 33:9).

* * *

Just as those who enter a pharmacy filled with fragrant ointments, and hesitate for a while, take with them the fragrance of those ointments, so a pious soul, having entered into a meeting of people living according to the flesh and the world, and having hesitated, endures a little evil, like the stench that has clung to them. For our senses, especially hearing and vision, are like doors through which all evil enters our heart and, whether we want it or not, it strikes and draws us towards what either the ear heard or the eye saw.

* * *

Anyone who wants to maintain piety and succeed in it must avoid friendship and worldly conversation. For in the assembly of the sons of this age nothing else happens but words and deeds that are contrary to the will and holy Law of God. In one meeting about this, in another about something else they talk and discuss. There one is reviled and cursed, here they complain about another and with their teeth, like a weapon and a sharp sword, they wound his name, and when they have had enough of the slander, they attack the other. In one meeting, feasting, drunkenness, disorderly cries, and so on, followed by drunkenness, in another - quarrels, quarrels and mutual abuse take place, and so the Law of God is ruined, either by word or by deed, and temptation is given. All this strikes and almost hurts our conscience and deprives it of its peace and quiet. And, Christian, you will return to your home no longer the same as you left home.

* * *

Since the human heart is inclined toward evil, it conveniently turns to evil and is seduced, and thus conceives and gives birth to lawlessness. So the holy David, leaving his house and walking on the roof of the king’s house, saw Uriah’s wife, and was deceived and fell (see: 2 Sam. 11: 2-4). That is why we read in church history that the saints withdrew from cohabitation with the wicked. Many preferred to live in deserts rather than in cities and villages, so as not to be harmed by the temptation of lawless deeds and words. Therefore, the whole world is surprised at the righteous Lot, that while living among the lawless Sodomites, he remained safe (see: Gen. 19). But it was no small torment for the holy man to see and hear such iniquities of wicked people, for this righteous man, living among them, was tormented daily in his righteous soul, seeing and hearing lawless deeds

(2 Pet. 2:8).

* * *

If you need to leave your house and be in a meeting, do not hesitate there, guard your eyes and ears, so that evil does not enter your heart and, in the likeness of the thief, destroy your spiritual home, and in that case pray to God: Turn away my eyes so as not to see the fuss

(Ps. 119:37).
Woe to the world from temptations, for temptations must come,
says Christ (Matthew 18:7). Satan lays snares for the pious everywhere and tries to catch them with them: as soon as you step out of the house, then you are met by the temptation of words or lawless deeds, which will either hurt or disturb your conscience. But you cannot know the ulcer until you are alone in the house.

* * *

In the home and in solitude, one who stays is free from those incidents that lead those in meetings and conversations to sin. The house and walls cannot give temptation, the ear does not hear and the eye does not see evil, and so a person does not accept temptation from others and does not give temptation to anyone, but all this can be contrary. There may be an examination of conscience, which, like a notebook, will present to you the sins of your past life, will present God’s judgment for sins and Gehenna prepared for sinners, from which true repentance and heartfelt contrition will follow. There is righteous and true reasoning about worldly and perishable things, wealth, honor, glory and sweetness, which will show you all that joy, like a sleepy vision, briefly appearing and disappearing, and will imagine death approaching, and unknown to everyone coming, which is the end of everything believes.

* * *

The solitude of idle talk does not know what to answer for on the day of judgment

(Matthew 12:36), but there is a mother of silence, which is the root of sinlessness and good deeds. In solitude, a book is opened in which the faithful soul will see its Creator and recognize the omnipotence of Him who created everything out of nothing and by His power contains and preserves all creation; His goodness and wisdom, shown in creation and government. He will see His fatherly love for the human race, which He showed through His Only Begotten Son in restoring the fallen and renewing the decayed.

* * *

In silence you will hear, beloved Christian, the voice of God inside you saying: “I am the Lord your God, who created you, and honored you with His image, and cares about you, Whom you, as your Creator and God, should diligently honor, love, listen to.” , call..."

* * *

In silence you can see the Son of God appearing on earth in the flesh and moving from place to place, preaching the word of God, revealing the mystery of His Gospel, showing the path of truth, calling sinners to repentance, preaching the Kingdom of Heaven, performing signs and wonders - like a meek Lamb suffering blasphemy, reproach and dishonor, suffering and dying for the sake of our salvation, rising from the dead and preaching peace, ascending into heaven in glory, sitting at the right hand of the Father and again coming to judge the living and the dead.

* * *

Just as the sun is more comfortable to see in clean and quiet water than in disturbed and agitated water, so the eternal and spiritual Sun - God - is more comfortable to be known in silence and peace by faith and the intelligent eye than in anxiety and human rumor. From this source, like living streams, flow Christian virtues with the help of the Holy Spirit. This spiritual treasure is suppressed by the rumors of everyday conversations and, if it is not kept in the cage of the heart, it is stolen.

* * *

Someone will say: “Should all Christians really go into the desert and move away from people?” No, that's not what we're talking about here. May your house, which God gave you for your rest, be desolate.

* * *

If you want to be with people, then look for those whose words, deeds, and actions show Christian hearts; and not only do not move away from them, but often deal with them. So, not only in your house, but also in their conversation, day by day you will acquire spiritual benefit. And whatever food you are satisfied with in the conversation of the pious, try to turn it into juice and blood in the house with meditation, and so everything will work out for your good: solitude and gathering, silence and conversation will build you up.

About human dignity

God's wondrous creation is man! Created differently than other things. Of all things it is written: God said, and it was; commanded, and it was created

(Ps. 32:9).
It's not like that about a person, but what? Let us create man
(Gen. 1:26).
Thus the Trinitarian God advised; As if intending to create some great work, God said: Let us create man.
What kind of person?
Let us create in our image and likeness
(Gen. 1:26). Man was honored by his Creator with great and high honor when he was created, so it cannot be higher.

* * *

Man was created in the image of God and in the likeness of God. What creature has received such honor from God? We don't see that. Man has been worthy of this, and is honored by God with the image of God. O dearest and most beautiful creation of God - man! It contains the image of God, like a royal seal. Glorious is the king, and so is his portrait. God, the Heavenly King, is worthy of all honor, and His image, man, is also worthy of honor. Such goodness, O Christians, was poured out on us by God in our creation.

* * *

God ordained the whole world to serve man. The sky, sun, moon, stars, air and earth with their decoration serve one person. God for His own sake does not need them. For whatever he created, he created for man.

* * *

Turn your mind and eyes, O man, to His entire creation and judge: who does it serve? Shouldn't we? Who wants the sun, moon and stars? Shouldn't we? Who wants air and clouds? Shouldn't we? Who wants the land with fruits? Shouldn't we? Who wants livestock, animals and birds? Shouldn't we? Who wants water with fish and others living in it? Shouldn't we, O Christians? All creation serves us by the command of God, since we cannot live without it even for the slightest time. Who can live without bread and water, who can live without clothes? We need air so much that we cannot live even a minute without it. What would our lives be like if God took the light away from us? Wouldn't everyone wander like the blind? Who could remain unharmed from the invisible enemy, the devil, if God, with His almighty hand, did not protect us from the enemy, who rages against our race with the strongest malice...

What kindness and benefit God has not shown us, O Christians! He created us, and created us not as beasts, but as people gifted with reason. He created with His special advice: Let us create man (Gen.

1:26). Created in His own image and likeness. What greater honor could a person have than to be created in the image of God!

* * *

God is the Father of Christians, therefore they resort to God, like children to their father, in all their needs and sorrows. The sons of this age either resort to princes and nobles and their other defenders on the day of sorrow, then they stretch out their hands to their mammon, whom they serve, redeeming themselves with silver and gold from the impending misfortune, then they rely on their strength, cunning and cunning to protect themselves and help. True Christians are not like this: they abandon all this as a refuge, as vain and ungodly, and resort to the one God with their hearts and with their hearts and lips crying out to Him: Lord, You have been our refuge for generations and generations.

(see: Ps. 89: 2),
you are my refuge from the sorrow that has come upon me.
My joy, deliver me from those around me (see: Ps. 31:7).
In this they act like little children who, either suffering from illness or seeing some kind of misfortune, stretch out their hands to their father or mother and come running. Likewise, Christians, who are sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus
(Gal. 3:26), without seeking or expecting help from anywhere, run to God as their Father and stretch out their hands.

* * *

The world considers it great to be a child of the king of the earth, but how incomparably greater is the dignity of being a child of God Most High, the King of heaven and earth, having for a Father God the beginningless, infinite, immortal, indescribable, omnipotent, King of kings and Lord of lords - the human mind does not comprehend this title ! All the glory of this world is nothing before him. Looking at this, the viewer of the mysteries of God, Saint John, is surprised and says to the faithful: See what love the Father has given us, that we should be called and be children of God

(1 John 3:1).

* * *

If God the Father is the faithful, then the faithful are His sons, as the apostle says: You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus; all of you who were baptized into Christ have put on Christ

(Gal. 3:26–27).

* * *

The father of the flesh, even though he wanted to give what he asked to the children who asked, he often does not give it, for not everything he wants is possible, and God our Father is not like that: just as he wants everything good, since he is most good, so he can give everything, like the almighty. us. Therefore, we are commanded to ask Him for everything: Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and it will be opened to you

(Matt. 7:7).

* * *

If God is our Father, then who is on us? If God is for us, who is against?

cas?
- says the wise Paul (Rom. 8:31). If God is our Father, then, without a doubt, He is for us. What father doesn't stand up for his sons? Who can embitter us, snatch us away at His hand, and destroy us if we don’t want to? You are my.
Whether you pass through waters, I will be with you; whether you cross rivers, they will not drown you; “If you walk through the fire, you will not be burned, and the flame will not scorch you,” He says through the prophet to His faithful Jacob (see: Isa. 43: 1–2).

* * *

God, in such a wonderful and incomprehensible way, restored and renewed fallen man, and brought him to his first state, even to a better one, through His Only Begotten Son Jesus Christ, so that to those who accepted Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the power to become children. God's

(John 1:12).
Heaven, instead of paradise with all the blessings that the eye has not seen, the ear has not heard, and has not entered into the heart of man
(see: 1 Cor. 2:9), he lovingly opened to them and its inhabitants, and made His eternal kingdom partakers.

* * *

How great is His love for us, for He, the King of kings and Lord of lords, before Whom all nations are as nothing, deigned to be called Father and to be for us, the poor, humble, rejected and guilty of eternal condemnation, and to accept us as His sons and daughters. Reflecting on this truly ineffable love, at which even the holy angels are amazed, the holy Apostle John says with surprise: See what kind of love the Father has given us, that we should be called and be children of God

(1 John 3:1).

* * *

It is wonderful and beyond any surprise that God, the Creator of heaven and earth, the Great and Incomprehensible, came to us, the poor, and visited us, came in our image to us... God deigned to call His Servant His Mother and the Son of God the Son of the Virgin - and so the Beginningless began, the Invisible became visible, the Intangible became tangible, Inaccessible to the Cherubim and Seraphim, accessible to sinners. The King of Heaven has descended to earth. God became like us, people, lived with us on earth, with us and for our sake humbled himself.

* * *

When we sinned, fell and perished, and then our Most Good Creator did not leave us in our destruction. And what means did He not invent to restore us and bring us to Himself! He sent His prophets to us, who turned us, who had departed from Him, to Him. He gave us His holy word, like a message in which He revealed and declared His holy will. And since we were so struck and wounded by the fierce robber, our enemy the devil, that we could not be healed by anything, our Merciful Creator had mercy on us, the poor, so that He did not spare His Only Begotten Son for our sake, but sent Him to us to seek to heal us, the lost, the wounded and broken, to save the lost...

* * *

Wonderful: the Lord from His evil servants blaspheme, dishonor, reproach, bind, outrage, ridicule, reproach, judgment and condemnation, spitting, strangling, slander, slander, beating, wounds, leading to death, nailing to the Cross and worshiping the lawless meekly and willingly wanted to endure! For whom? For the sake of you and me, Your real enemies! This is such a great and wonderful thing that, seeing it from afar, the prophet exclaimed with horror: Lord! I heard Your rumor and was afraid. God! I understood Your works and was horrified

(see: Hab. 3: 2,16).

* * *

Truly we can exclaim with the prophet: Lord! What is man, that You have revealed yourself to him, or the son of man, that You think about him?

(see: Ps. 143:3). For my sake you came down from heaven, so that you will raise me to heaven. For my sake you humbled yourself, so that you may exalt me. For my sake, the real God became man, so that You may make me a partaker of Your Divine nature (see: 2 Pet. 1:4). For my sake he was born in the flesh, so that I might be born in the spirit. For my sake you endured persecution, and you will bring me, expelled from paradise, into paradise again. For my sake you deigned to wander, so that you would return me, captive, to my fatherland. For my sake you were blasphemed, so that you may silence my enemy, the slanderer the devil. For my sake you were bound, so that you would free me from the bonds of sin. For my sake, you grieved, grieved, grieved and cried, so that you could deliver me from grief, sadness and eternal tears. For my sake you were dishonored and mocked, but you will glorify me. For my sake you were counted among the lawless, so you will acquit me. For my sake, my life, you have tasted death, that you may revive me. I am amazed at Your love for mankind!

* * *

Know, Christian, the nobility, honor, dignity and advantage of the human soul. For the sake of her deliverance and redemption, not an Angel, not some other intercessor sent from God, but God and the Lord Himself came. He himself honored her with His coming and visited her. And He redeemed her from the devil, death, hell and other enemies, not with silver, or gold, or any other perishable price, but with His honest Blood. He honored us in our creation, when He created us in His image and likeness. But he honored us more when He Himself came to us, fallen and perished, in our image, and suffered and died for us. The Lord placed the human soul so dearly that He Himself came to seek it and shed His Blood to acquire it.

* * *

True Christians are brothers of Christ, for He is not ashamed to call them brethren, saying: I will proclaim Your name to My brethren

(Heb. 2:11–12).
And to the myrrh-bearing women he says: Go, tell my brothers
(Matthew 28:10), and to Mary Magdalene:
Go to my brothers and tell them: I ascend to my Father and your Father, and to my God and your God
(Jn. 20:17). Look, dear Christian, to what heights Christians are raised: they are brothers to the Lord of heaven and earth! There can be no higher dignity than this. But the love for mankind is also inscrutable of the Son of God! It is surprising when the king of the earth calls his subjects his brethren, although he himself is the same person as his subjects. Christ, the Heavenly King and Son of God, is not ashamed to call people His brethren.

* * *

God wants to be loved by man. He loves a person and wants him to love Him, and so enter into friendship with him. For friendship is nothing other than mutual love, that is, to love and be loved. We consider it great when a subject slave has friendship with the king of the earth, how incomparably greater is when a person has friendship with God, a wretched creature with the Creator, an earthly and earthly one with the Heavenly King! It is impossible not only to describe this honor in words, but also to understand it mentally. God calls us to this high dignity with His love; and through good deeds, as messengers and witnesses of His love, attracts and convinces.

* * *

Although God wants us to love him, he does not want it for His own benefit, but for our benefit. God, since He is completely blessed in Himself, does not demand anything from us, but gives us everything and does everything for our sake, and therefore, if we love Him truly and unfeignedly, there is no benefit for Him from this, but only for ourselves This love brings benefits. And from here everyone can see how great love He has for man, so that when he wants to be loved by him, he does not want it for His own sake, but only for the sake of man.

* * *

Know, Christian, the preciousness of your soul and do not be seduced by the charming ranks and titles of this world, with which the sons of this age are seduced and fall into madness. The honor, glory and dignity of your soul is greater than the glory of the whole world. Your soul is a bride, with Christ, the Son of God, forever betrothed and redeemed by His holy Blood. Understand her nobility. The Noble Bridegroom is the noble and bride associated with Him. You don’t see this nobility and dignity now, but you will see it when the children of God are revealed. It has not yet been revealed what we will be. We only know that when it is revealed, we will be like Him, because we will see Him as He is

(1 John 3:2). All the nobility, dignity and advantage of this world, collected together, is pus before the honor and nobility of the human soul.

* * *

His warriors, true Christians, are also likened to their King Christ. They humble themselves below all, but God exalts them above all (see: 1 John 4:4), they wander on earth, but their fatherland is heaven, they turn on earth, but their residence is in heaven, from where they expect the Savior

(see: Phil. 3:20).
They walk around in rags, but inside they are covered with royal purple. They are deprived of a human inheritance, but they have a divine one: heirs of God, and joint heirs with Christ
(Rom. 8:17).
They do not seek or have wealth on earth, but heavenly treasures are opened to them (see: 2 Cor. 4:7). They are cast out by people, but God accepts them (see: 2 Cor. 6:17). People leave them, but they have fellowship with God (see: 1 John 1:3). The world condemns them, but God will justify them (see: Rom. 8:30,33). The world curses them, but God blesses them (see: Eph. 1:3). The world insults them, but God comforts them (see: 2 Cor. 1:4). The world dishonors them, but God glorifies them (see: 1 Pet. 5:10).

Prayer to Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk

O great saint of Christ and miracle worker Tikhon! Hear us, many sinners, who come running to you with warm faith and tender prayer. We know beforehand your angel-like good life on earth, we glorify your mercy in everything, we are in awe of the height of your Christian virtues, in which in good times you prospered to the glory of the Lord who wondrously glorified you. You truly were the good shepherd of the verbal flock of Christ, the valiant builder of the mysteries of God, the pillar and adornment of the Orthodox Church, the Russian Chrysostom, the strong exterminator of pagan customs, the skilled interpreter of the Gospel teaching, the zealous guardian of the sacred traditions of the fathers, the lover of monastic silence, the inspired collector of treasures. spiritual wisdom from of this visible world, created with wisdom by God. You, as a chosen vessel of grace, unfailingly taught all those who thirsted for salvation in word, life, love, spirit, faith, purity and humility. You were the merciful protector of the orphans, the care of widows, the poor and a quick comforter to all those in troubles and misfortunes, and now we know that you stand before the face of the Lord of glory and have great boldness towards Him; For this reason, Father, we come running to you and earnestly pray to you: be an intercessor for us all at the Throne of the Most High. May He forgive our iniquities and untruths; may it enlighten our mind, darkened by vanity, and direct it to the true light of knowledge of God; may our weak hearts be preserved from the lustful, sinful passions and pernicious wisdom of this age; may the land be given timely irrigation of rain and fruit and all that is useful to us, even to the temporal and eternal life, and may all who flow to the race of your incorruptible relics find peace, love and serenity. For our Church, ask the Heavenly King for mercy, prosperity, salvation, and victory and victory for our enemies. Protect our Fatherland with peace and quiet. Preserve your holy monastery from all temptations and teach us all to reverently and fearfully walk along the paths of God’s commandments, so that we, together with you and with all the saints, may be honored to stand at the right hand of the Lord of hosts on the day of His terrible universal judgment. Remember, O saint of Christ, Saint Father Tikhon, in your holy prayers the souls of our departed father and brothers, may the Lord rest them in the heavenly villages; do not despise our sighing, so that we may glorify the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Miracles through prayers to the saint

Saint Tikhon helps everyone who sincerely asks. Prayers to him perform miracles where medicine is powerless. Below are just a few cases of miraculous healing:

1. Doctors could not cure a nun suffering from liver cirrhosis, and with her last hope she turned to the image of the saint in Zadonsk. After a long prayer, the disease subsided.
2. One woman’s husband was dying of cholera. She prayed to the miracle worker for a long time to save her husband, and he soon recovered.
3. Many witnesses said that the monk came to them in a dream after prayer, and in the morning they woke up healthy.