Thirdly, there is another way to find out the will of God: to ask your spiritual father or a spirit-bearing elder. However, it is necessary to come to the spiritual father and the elder with faith, and precede your question with a prayer to God, so that He would reveal His will through His servant. In the old days, people did just that: they went to St. Seraphim or Ambrose of Optina, and they revealed to them the will of God in one case or another. And this is the simplest and most reliable way, but for us it is almost inaccessible, for in our time the holy elders have become extremely impoverished, and even today there is rarely a spiritual father.

When it is not possible to ask spiritual fathers or saints, there is another way to find out the will of God: prayer to God for enlightenment. The Holy Fathers teach that it is good to pray three times before making any decision. St. John the Prophet says that when you cannot ask your elder, then you must pray three times about every matter, and after that you should look where your heart inclines, even if it is a hair's breadth, and do so; for the announcement is noticeable and in every way understandable to the heart. In the event that the matter does not require a quick solution, St. John advises to pray three times within three days. For our Saviour also departed three times to pray and, praying three times, pronounced the same words.

Elder Paisios of the Holy Mountain argues similarly with St. John. According to him, in order to fulfill the will of God in any matter, it is necessary, first, to pray, secondly, to think (since God did not give us our heads in vain), and, thirdly, to act. And this is a very wise rule, for prayer sanctifies a person's mind, so that he becomes able to find the right decision, that is, in accordance with the will of God.

All the above canons in a sense sum up the instruction of St. Philaret, Metropolitan of Moscow, who, when asked how to know the will of God, says the following: "Cry out with the word of Paul: Lord! What wilt thou command me to do? Is it pleasing to Thee, O Lord, that which I have foreseen? If you will, bless; if it is not pleasing, do not suffer me to do that which is not pleasing to Thee. And then listen to what the Lord will say to you – in His word, in your mind, in your conscience, in the counsel of wise and godly people, and in outward signs and indications."

Thus, brothers and sisters, we must, using all the enumerated means, learn the great science of knowing and fulfilling the will of God at all times, in every place, and in every deed. Because if we do not do the will of God, then we do either our own will or the will of demons, and both of them do not lead us to salvation, but, on the contrary, lead us to destruction. The only good, saving and perfect will is the will of the Lord God, our Creator. Only He knows how to save each of us. Only His will is our sanctification and salvation. It is His perfect will that we must in every possible way seek, recognize and fulfill all the days of our life, according to the words of our main prayer: "Thy will be done, as it is in heaven and on earth." Amen.

All Saints' Sunday

The saints of God are very different. Their way of life, their character, their exploits, as well as the times and countries in which they lived, are very different. The Holy Apostle Paul compares the saints to the stars in the sky. The stars in the sky are all different: some are brighter and some are less bright. Stars also differ in color: they can be white, red, blue or yellow. But although the stars are different, although they differ in color and brightness, they are all established in the same sky. In the same way, the saints, although very different, all dwell in the one heaven of the Godhead.