The application of the divine and sacred to things or actions that are manifestly sinful

"God is not mocked" (Galatians 6:7). Isn't it a mockery when a guest is asked or the guest himself wants to be treated to a third glass of wine in honor of the Most Holy Trinity? By repeating something up to three times, it is possible to honor the Holy Trinity only in pure objects, following the orthodox. By the Church: for example, in this sense, the Church circumambulates the font three times, pronounces Alleluia three times. But drinking too much wine is a sin: what does it look like to do it for the glory of God?—Thus someone with the holy name of "angel" magnifies orally or in writing ("my angel"!) a woman's face, for whom he has an unlawful love... Thus some weave the name of the saint of God into a riotous song. Oh, man! Do not increase the severity of your already difficult sins by blasphemy!

Indifference is silence at someone's blasphemy and an expression of pleasure in someone's blasphemy

In the Old Testament, to hear someone's blasphemy was considered a terrible surprise: a Jew, in great indignation because God Himself had been offended, tore his clothes (2 Kings 19:1). Should a Christian be indifferent – to remain silent when someone blasphemes his Savior Christ or the Most-Pure Mother of God, or any of the saints, for example, Mary Magdalene? He was taught much more than the Old Testament worshiper of God the concepts of the greatness and attributes of God. He already sees God's promise of redemption of mankind fulfilled and, so to speak, drowns in God's mercies, for example, partaking of God Himself in the mysteries of the Body and Blood of Christ. Should he, therefore, out of reverence and love for Jesus Christ, for the merciful Mother of God and the holy saints, shudder at someone's blasphemy, immediately rebuke the blasphemer, and in special cases even present this person to the proper authorities, so as not to give freedom to temptation? No, indifferent silence at the blasphemy of another already constitutes involvement in this crime.—Then, let someone personally not allow blasphemy and do not know how to blasphemy: but smile with others when someone sarcastically ridicules sacred objects; but it is pleasant to receive a merry blasphemer as a guest; But to ask and persuade that the blasphemer amuse the assembly, that he may present the reading or singing of some clergyman, that he parody some church service: — all this, on the one hand, is not direct participation in blasphemy, and on the other hand, is it not an encouragement of the blasphemers to their sin? It is said: "It is impossible to restrain oneself from laughing at blasphemous speeches or movements of others: before that, some naturally imitate some church service or rite, or wittily pepper their speech with texts." Pathetic incontinence! But it is this uncontrollable laughter that makes us feel that we are not serious enough for the sacred, that we have not yet deeply developed reverence for the divine and the ecclesiastical. "Sometimes there is no way to stop the blasphemer: because everyone in the living room, everyone, both the highest and the middle, admires him, because he himself is sometimes one of the highest." But for others, it would be necessary to respond to the antics of the blasphemer with a word of truth and reproof: then he would also be more cautious forward, especially before such persons whose inner disposition is unknown to him this time. If it is no longer possible, indeed, to rebel directly against the blasphemer, if it is not possible to hush up his speech with another conversation; in this case, it is no longer necessary "to sit on the seat of the destroyers" (Psalm 1:1), remembering the admonition: "Save your soul in saving" (Gen. 19:17). It is difficult to change the Herods: and it remains more often to remain silent about their blasphemous words and actions... But they answer: "And sometimes it is impossible to leave, for example, from the common table." In this case, one of our appearances remains to express sadness and discontent in view of the blasphemy of others. Oh, good Christian! Do not put up with someone else's blasphemy or blasphemy!

About oaths

Taking the oath without fear of God

"Fear the Lord thy God... and swear by His name" (Deut. 6:13). And it is a sin to pray carelessly: and the oath is higher than prayer: it is a sacred act. And for prayer, even at home, you need to prepare yourself for at least two or three minutes, especially for the oath. The swearer must reflect that he solemnly wants to make God Himself a witness to his words and promises, that the Lord God is here and with him, or "near" to him (Psalm 14:8). To this feeling (i.e., the immediate presence of God) he must add a sense of truth. Preparing to take the oath and accepting it, he must be completely imbued with a sense of truthfulness and abhorrence of all lies; because the task of the oath is impartial truth, sincere loyalty.—The rite of the oath also inspires a feeling of God's fear of it. The cross and the gospel are placed before the eyes of the person taking the oath: the cross points to the salvation of all people, including him; and the appearance of the Gospel reminds us of the teaching of the Savior and of the hopes of the Christian in the present and future life. The priest is here as the same witness or mediator as during confession. The swearer raises his hand upwards (Gen. 14:22-23), above his head. By this he expresses that he swears by this: "To those who dwell in heaven"! He raises his hand not simply, but with the sign of the cross, in which the whole essence of the Christian's faith is also clearly expressed (belief in the Most Holy Trinity and in the divine-incarnation of the Son of God). In conclusion, he kisses the words in the Gospel and the cross of the Saviour, showing that as a pledge of his assurances or promises he gives what is dearest or dear to him (they usually kiss those whom they love, and kissing is transferred from animate faces to inanimate objects). After this, how inexcusable is the negligence of those who take the oath without thinking in the least about its importance, and accept it as only an official form of judgment!—To pronounce its words as if reluctantly and quietly (just as some do not want to read publicly and sincerely before Holy Communion the prayer of confession: "I believe, O Lord..."); they do not raise their hands with the finger of the cross as they should; having taken only one step away from the tax where they swore an oath, they resume their dispute with those in whose case they are supposed to testify! But this time the leaders of the oath are also guilty before the greatness of the oath, i.e. the superiors, judicial investigators, judges, and clergymen—guilty if they do not protect its sanctity, as by their own example, whispering in its moments, standing indirectly, as well as on the part of others, not forbidding visitors at those moments to talk noisily. But if others, on the contrary, find a reason for themselves to take it lightly in the rite of oath itself, because it is very short, then the reason why the rite of oath is shorter than all the church requirements is not understood. People in strong feeling speak briefly but vividly: the same power of feeling belongs to the sworn invocation of God. But the main thing is that brevity, clarity and definiteness were taken in the oath so that there would be no room for perplexity in it, so that there would be nowhere for human deception to hide. Christian! If you are called to take an oath, approach it with spiritual fear and reverence, as to a great sacred action.