Some of the people who are invested with authority have the weakness to believe indiscriminately everything that is said about their subordinates. As a result, they often fall into great mistakes. Thus, it happens that through their blind faith in the words of others, they give evil people a reason to become more and more sophisticated in backbiting and slander, and cause sorrows and sufferings to the innocent. This should not be the case. Those in power must be extremely cautious about the judgments of others about their subordinates, and if they notice lies and slander in their words, they must immediately denounce and stop them, and protect and calm down those who innocently suffer from them. all covered with blood from the bites of flies, mosquitoes and other insects, from which he had never defended himself, met with the hegumen Niphon and, in his usual humility, preceded his greeting with his prostration to the ground and then approached him with brotherly love of kissing according to the custom of the priests. Why did he choose such a life, which, in their opinion, is strange and seductive, because he admits to himself all kinds and sexes of people, although he does this also for salvific edification? "Especially," he said, "all are offended, as if because you show merciful care to the orphans of Diveyevo."[1] Having heard all this pleasure and all the reproaches from the hegumen, which he expressed to him as if on behalf of the brethren, having himself aside, the elder again with humility fell at the feet of the hegumen and gave him such a wise and edifying answer that it completely blocked his mouth and brought him to self-consciousness. He answered him thus: "Father, father, you know that every ship has a helmsman who steers it, preserves and protects it from every nasty event of waves and attacks. In the same way, every flock has a shepherd who guards and protects his sheep from wolves and other dangerous events. But when the dogs who are with him bark in vain at some traveler, then the shepherd only stamps his foot on them, and they suddenly abandon their anger and go back to their places. This, I think, father, is what you should do. You are the helmsman of this ship and the shepherd of the verbal flock, so protect and do not allow yourself and the travelers to bark in vain and disturb yourself and travelers to eternity. For the word is powerful, and the staff, like a scourge, is terrible to all. Then both visible and invisible dogs will not dare to bark in vain."This profoundly wise answer of the elder brought the astonished hegumen into complete silence and served him as a precaution for the future to treat his difficult position with much greater attention and prudence. So, then, we have said the truth that those in power must be extremely cautious about the judgments of others about their subordinates, and in cases where they notice lies and slander in the words of these others, they must immediately denounce and stop them, and protect and calm those who innocently suffer from them. Yes, this is how it should be. For otherwise, if he who has authority gives indiscriminate faith to the slanders of everyone he meets against his subordinates, if he has special minions, earphones, and whisperers, then, truly, in the society entrusted to his care, people will live as in hell: the wicked will lift up their heads, the innocent may fall into despair, and there will undoubtedly be no end to quarrels and confusion. evil tongues must bridle, the mouths of the wicked must be stopped, and the good name of the slandered must be restored. Only under such conditions can they hope that good relations will be established among their subordinates, peace and quiet will be established, and each will be more zealous for his work, being calmer. And God grant that all this will be so. Amen.Sisters who lived in the Diveyevo women's community near Sarov, for which Venerable Seraphim took special care during his lifetime. ^

On Heavy and Unbearable Burdens

Some of the Christians – some out of zeal beyond reason, others out of simplicity, others out of pride – often take upon themselves heavy and unbearable burdens and think that by doing so they will be saved. and the fourth, finally, imposes a fast on himself beyond his strength. It is impossible because they are. obviously, they have not assimilated the truth that the Lord desires from us not such feats as they bear or wish to bear, but some others. One of the disciples of St. Seraphim of Sarov tells the following about himself: "Having read how the holy fathers, out of their love for the Lord God, put on chains and hairshirts, and I burned with the desire, following their example, to take upon myself something for the Lord's sake, for the mortification of the flesh. Therefore, for three years from the time of my entry into the monastery, I strove with all my might to acquire the desired chains or sackcloth through some spiritual personage. I decided, before taking them upon myself, to go to Father Seraphim, in order to receive his blessing for this podvig, believing that my desire and zeal would be pleasing to him as well.When I came to his cell and said a prayer according to custom, the elder opened the door for me and, blessing me very graciously, put me on a piece of wood, which served him instead of a chair. Then, closing the door, he sat down opposite me, smiling quietly.At that very time I was about to ask his blessing for my difficult feat, but I had just opened my mouth, when at the same moment the elder covered my mouth with his hand and himself, continuing to smile, began to say to me: "I will tell you this: the Diveyevo babies come to me and ask for my advice and blessing, some wear chains, and others wear sackcloth; What do you think about it, is their road on the road? Tell me."And I, like a blind man, not understanding then that he was saying this secretly about me, and not knowing who the Diveyevo babies were, answered him: "I do not know." Then he repeated again with an even greater smile: "How come you do not understand this? I am telling you about the Diveyevo babies, that they come to me and ask my advice and blessing to put on chains and hairshirts; I answered him for the second time: "I, father, do not know whether it will be useful to them or not." And at the same time I told him everything as I wished and how I got these things. The elder, having listened to me, again said with the same smile as before: "How come you do not understand, for this is what I am telling you about." then I understood clearly why he had stopped my mouth at the beginning of the conversation, and what chains and hairshirt he had told me afterwards. Meanwhile, while I, amazed by the spiritual wisdom of the elder, was silent, he suddenly swung his right hand at me, as if wishing to strike me with all his might, but he did not strike me, but only touched my ear and said: "Whoever will stab you in this way is a spiritual and the heaviest veriga." Then, as if wishing to spit on me, he said: "And if someone spits your eyes in this way, this is the spiritual and most salvific sackcloth; only you have to wear them with thanksgiving. And know that these spiritual chains and sackcloth are higher than those of which you think and wish to wear... You and I are still infants, and the passions still reign in our body and oppose the will and Law of God. What will happen if we put on chains and sackcloth, and sleep, drink, and eat as much as we like? Moreover, we cannot bear the slightest insult from a brother generously. From the superior's word and reprimand, we fall into complete despondency or despair, so that we go to another monastery in thought, and look with envy at our brethren, who are in the mercy and trust of the abbot. From this, judge for yourself how little or no foundation in us in spiritual life. And all this is because we do not think much about it and heed it."Completely struck by the gift of clairvoyance of the wonderful elder, I fell at his feet and from that moment I gave myself over to him, both body and soul, in his complete command and guide to eternity, according to God, for the attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven."From this narration it becomes clear that the Lord desires from us first of all such feats, so that we, in the words of the venerable elder, learn to forgive offenses and love our enemies; that, remembering that we are still infants and that the passions still reign in our body, we may strive to gain spiritual self-control and victory over ourselves, which consists in bearing insults generously, not to become discouraged or despairful of unpleasant words, to abandon envy and pride, and to seek salvation in humility. And let them follow them in this way, that they may attain to the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.

The saints who dwell in heaven have communion with those who dwell on earth

We all believe that the saints who dwell in heaven have fellowship with those who dwell on earth. Is this true? Venerable Seraphim of Sarov said to one of the nuns of the Diveyevo women's community on the day of the Annunciation of the Most Holy Theotokos: "We will have a vision of the Mother of God." And his words were justified.This is how the nun told about it: "This is what happened. At this time there was a noise, like the noise of the forest from a great wind. When it subsided, singing was heard, similar to church singing. Then the door to the cell opened of its own accord, and it became whiter than the brightest day, and the cell was filled with a fragrance similar to dewy incense, only better. I was scared. Father stood up and said to me: "Do not be afraid, child, this is a mercy sent down to us from God. Here is our Most Glorious, Most Pure Lady, the Most Holy Mother of God, coming to us." Their hair was golden-yellow linen and lay loose on their shoulders. They stood in front, followed by St. John the Baptist and St. John the Theologian. Their clothes were white, shining with cleanliness. The Mother of God followed them, and after her twelve holy virgins. The Queen of Heaven wore a mantle similar to that which is painted on the image of the Sorrowful Mother of God – brilliant, of indescribable beauty, she shone with an extraordinary light. On Her head was a sublime crown, variously adorned with crosses, beautiful, wonderful, shining with such light that it was difficult to look at it, as well as at the very face of the Queen of Heaven. Her hair was loose over Her shoulders and was longer and more beautiful than the angels.The virgins followed Her in pairs, wearing crowns, in clothes of different colors; They were of different heights, had different faces and different colors, hair also lying on their shoulders. Everything is of great beauty. Everyone stood around us. The Queen of Heaven was in the middle. The cell became spacious, and the top was filled with lights, as if from burning candles. I got scared and fell. The Queen of Heaven came up to me, and touching me with Her right hand, deigned to say: "Arise, virgin, and do not be afraid of us; virgins like you have come hither with me." I didn't feel like I got up. The Queen of Heaven was pleased to repeat: "Do not be afraid, we have come to visit you." Father Seraphim was already on his feet before the Most-Pure Mother of God, and She spoke to him as mercifully as if to a native person. Overwhelmed with great joy, I asked Father Seraphim, "Where are we?" Then, when I asked him: "Who is this?", the Most Holy Theotokos ordered me to go up to the virgins and ask them myself. They stood gradually on the sides, as they were walking: in the first places stood the Great Martyrs Barbara and Catherine, secondly, the First Martyr Thekla and the Great Martyr Marina, thirdly, the Great Martyr and Queen Irene and the Nun Eupraxia, fourthly, the Great Martyrs Pelagia and Dorothea, fifthly, the Nun Macrina and the Martyress Justina, Sixthly, the Martyrs Juliana and Anisia.I went up to each of them, and they all told me their names and feats of martyrdom and life for Christ's sake, similar to what is written about them in the Chetii-Menaion; they all said to me: "This is not how God gave us this glory, but for suffering, for reproach. And thou shalt suffer tribulation and persecution." The Most Holy Theotokos spoke a lot to Father Seraphim, which I could not hear, but only one thing I heard: "Do not leave My virgins." After this wondrous vision, Father Seraphim, turning to me, said: "This is the grace that the Lord has vouchsafed us, the poor. In the same way, this is the twelfth time that God has appeared to me, so the Lord has vouchsafed you. This is the joy you achieve! Defeat the enemy the devil and be wise in everything against him, and the Lord will help you in everything. Call upon the help of the Lord and the Mother of God, and all the saints, and remember me, the wretched. Remember and always say in prayer: "Lord, how will I die? Lord, how can I come to the Last Judgment, how can I come? Lord, give an answer for my deeds! Queen of Heaven, help me!" It is clear, then, that the saints who dwell in heaven have fellowship with those who dwell on earth. And this communion, as the example of the monk has shown, can sometimes be accompanied by miraculous manifestations of the Celestials.All this, of course, should strengthen us in faith in God and in love for Him, in faith in life beyond the grave and in retribution after death, and lead us ourselves to try to enter into communion with the saints who have migrated to the Heavenly World. How can we attain the latter? It is clear that through a holy life, a constant aspiration of the mind and heart to the Heavenly, eternal and Divine, and especially through frequent visits to God's churches and reverent stay in them, for there communion with God and the saints is easiest to achieve." There, that is, in the churches, says St. John Chrysostom, we together with the Celestials lift up this mysterious hymn, together with them we sing the Trisagion. There we become one with the Seraphim, join the Heavenly assembly, are numbered among the Angels, converse with the Lord, and are in communion with Jesus Christ." Both heavenly and earthly beings make up one common triumph. They have one thanksgiving, one joyful rejoicing. The ineffable mercy of the Lord brought them together. The Holy Spirit united them, the All-Good Father harmonized their singing into one harmonious song. Such is the close communion we can receive with God and His saints in the churches of God! This search will teach us to live in heaven in spirit while living on earth, will reveal to us the mysteries of the Kingdom of God, and will arouse in us a zeal to imitate the lives of the saints. Amen.

On the Folding of Fingers for the Sign of the Cross

The Old Believers reproach us for making three fingers for the sign of the cross, and not two, as they do. It is simpler, because we pray with three fingers, and not with two fingers. In reproaching us for this, they are mistaken, for the three-finger addition is ancient and has grace-filled power. That it is ancient is evident from the fact that Orthodox Christians (except Russians): Greeks, Arabians, Egyptians, Georgians, Serbs, Wallachians, Moldavians, Bulgarians, Dalmatians, Montenegrins and others, often remote from each other in their place of residence, differing in language and manner of government, from time immemorial have been praying with the cross, which is made in the sign of the Holy Trinity from the first three fingers of the right hand, which they first place on the forehead, Then on Percy, and then on the right and left shoulders. And all the monks of the holy Mount Athos, as well as monks living in various Greek islands, monasteries and sketes, monks fleeing in the deserts of Palestine, Egypt and Arabia, pray with exactly the same cross. And that it, the three-finger fold, is a composition that has grace-filled power, we will prove to the Old Believers by the following two incidents from the life of Venerable Seraphim of Sarov.Once a sick woman was brought to the monastery cell of Father Seraphim, carried into the elder's dwelling and laid on the floor. The elder asked: "How long have you been ill?" – "Three and a half years," she answered. "What is the cause of your illness?" – "I used to be," said the sick woman, "of the Orthodox faith, but I was given in marriage to an Old Believer. For a long time I was not inclined to their faith and everything was healthy. Finally, they persuaded me: I changed the cross for a two-fingered finger and did not go to church.After that, in the evening, I went to the yard to do household chores; there one animal seemed to me to be fiery, even scorched me; I fell down in fright, I began to break and writhe. A lot of time passed. The family grabbed me, looked for me, went out into the yard and found me - I was lying. They carried me into the room. I've been sick ever since." And do you again believe in the Holy Orthodox Church?" – "I believe again now," answered the sick woman. Then Father Seraphim folded his fingers in the Orthodox way, put a cross on himself and said: "Cross yourself like this, in the name of the Holy Trinity." – "I would be glad," answered the sick woman, "but I do not use my hands." Father Seraphim took the "Tenderness" oil from the Mother of God from the lampada and anointed the chest and hands of the sick woman. On the same day, Father Seraphim asked a nun who came to him, among other things: "Did you have relatives among the dead who prayed with a two-fingered cross?" Then he said to her: "Go to their graves, make three prostrations and pray to the Lord that He may resolve them in eternity." The nun did so. She also told the living to accept the Orthodox finger, and they would definitely obey the voice of Father Seraphim, for they knew that he was a saint of God and understood the mysteries of the Holy Faith of Christ. Once, a villager, going to Sarov for pilgrimage, received such a cruel blow just before leaving that he completely lost his memory, and he was brought unconscious to the Sarov hermitage. As soon as they approached the elder's cell, the sick man already felt relief in himself: his memory and understanding gradually began to return to him again, and he began to remember everything that Father Seraphim had said and done to him at that time. "God is merciful! Pray to Him in this way, and in time it will all pass." And indeed, a little after the sick man's return home, he became completely healthy through the prayers of the God-pleaser Seraphim.From all that has been said, it is clear that the three-fingered sign of the cross is both ancient and has grace-filled power. And in view of this, as it is said in the preface to the Psalter: "Let us firmly and invariably adhere to the most ancient observant all-Church tradition, to the glory of the Most Holy Trinity, placing the sign of the cross on ourselves with the first three joined fingers, which is maintained by the Orthodox, Catholic, and Eastern Church." "Let us depict it, says the saint, – on the bread that we eat, and on the cups from which we drink; let us depict him at the entrances, at the exits; when we go to bed and get up; when we are on the road and resting. It is a sign for the faithful and fear for evil spirits. Amen."

For the lazy to pray

People who are lazy to pray often murmur and complain of fatigue even after ordinary prayer at home, and even more so after church services. "Ah," they say, "how tired I am today, how crowded and stuffy the church was. And why are such long services established? They say so, and it turns out, in their opinion, that in order to fulfill the duty of prayer, it is enough to cross oneself a few times, and the matter is over. Laziness to prayer, rapid fatigue after it, and murmuring occur not at all because the prayer or service is long, but because there is no strong love for God in the lazy. There is no prayer in them, there is no grace of God with them, and there is no grace, there is no tenderness, and there is no tenderness, there is no zeal for prayer. If such people had a burning love for God, the grace of God would also become inherent in them, and with it there would appear in them both tenderness and zeal for prayer." Reaching out to the supreme podvig, – says Schema-monk Mark about Venerable Seraphim, – he became zealous to stand on a rock, in imitation of St. Simeon the Stylite. There were two stones on which Father Seraphim stood: one was in his cell, and the other was in the forest halfway from the monastery to his cell; he stood from morning to evening, descending from the stone only to take food, which was brought to him by his zealous brother from the monastery; on the other, after the shortest rest, he stood from evening to morning with his hands uplifted in grief, calling out to the Lord with the voice of the publican: "God, be merciful to me, a sinner." This podvig he carried out so secretly that during his standing no one knew about it. Afterwards he revealed this to some of the brethren. One brother, struck by amazement at such a feat of his, objected to the elder that it surpassed human strength. The elder, pointing out to him the example of the Monk Simeon the Stylite, added: "This ascetic of piety stood on a pillar for forty-seven years, and do my labors resemble his podvig?" Then this brother asked the elder: "Of course, in this podvig you felt the help of strengthening grace?" – "Otherwise there would be a lack of human strength," answered the elder. "Inwardly I was strengthened and comforted by this Heavenly gift, which descends from above from the Father of Lights." And after a pause, he added: "When tenderness is in the heart, then God is with us." Do you hear, lazy ones, what St. Seraphim says, who stood in prayer on a stone for a thousand days and a thousand nights? "Without grace," he says, "human strength would not be enough. I was inwardly strengthened and comforted by this Heavenly gift, which descends from above from the Father of Lights." And further: "When tenderness is in the heart, then God is with us." Thus, it is not because you are lazy to pray, tired after it, and murmuring because prayer or service is long, but because the grace of God is not with you, or, rather, there is no love for God in you, for grace is acquired only through love, as the Lord says: "Those who love me I love, and those who seek me will find me" (Proverbs 8:17). and then you will have zeal for prayer, and there will be no fatigue, no laziness, no murmuring. For when there is a burning love for God in your souls, then your mind and heart will reverently aspire to God, and you will always not only be fervent for prayer, but you will also carry within yourselves unceasing prayer, which the Apostle commands us to have: "Pray with all prayer and supplication at all times in the Spirit" (Eph. 6:18). And may God grant you to acquire such a prayer. Amen.

It is good to pray to the saints of God for deliverance from despondency and despair

There are days in which we not only give way to despondency, but are also close to complete despair. What to do here? Of course, nothing more than first of all to turn with prayer to God, Who Himself calls the sorrowful to Himself and Himself promises them His help. Call upon Me in the day of your trouble, and I will punish you (Psalm 49:15). After praying to God in the days of despondency and despair, it is good to turn with prayer to the saints of God, for examples show that even the saints of God give help and show mercy to such unfortunate people, and drive away despondency and despair from them. In order to convince you of the latter truth, we will give you the following example.A certain brother of the Sarov hermitage named John entered the monastery at the end of his military service and according to the monastery rite underwent various obediences with all zeal. He had great faith in Father Seraphim, enjoyed his mutual love and guidance, and himself, as far as possible, tried to imitate his God-pleasing life. In spite of the advanced years of his years, he excelled in many virtues: in fasting and prayer, in patience and love, in humility and obedience – and he was especially compassionate to all those who sorrow and suffer. After the death of his mentor and benefactor, the monk John secluded himself in his wretched cell and was in it a living dead, asceticizing in fasting, prayer and monastic labors. Having acquired from the Lord the gift of humility and warmth of heart, he firmly endured all the intrigues of the enemy, with which the enemy tried to distract him from the path of salvation.Once, by God's permission, the spirit of malice drew him into such an abyss of despondency and despair, that the ascetic decided to take his own life, and only a strong faith in Father Seraphim saved him from the greatest danger. In a moment of heartfelt sorrow, faith in Father Seraphim shone upon him, as it were, and he cried out in a loud voice: "Father Seraphim, help me!" As soon as he had time to utter these words, a saint of God appeared to him near the most holy icons in his cell, as if he were alive, and, blessing him, said: "My joy, I am always with you. Take courage, do not lose heart, but fight against the enemy of the devil." These words dispelled all the darkness of despondency in the monk, and from that time on he became completely calm in spirit. After this wondrous visit, he began to asceticize even more zealously, and finally he successfully completed his podvig and reposed in the Lord.Thus, in despondency and a situation close to despair, it is good to turn to God with prayer after prayer, as you see, to the saints of God. The example of St. Seraphim, who appeared to a desperate monk, clearly convinces us of the truth that the saints, illumined by the light of the face of God, see us, see what feelings we have for them and what we desire from them, and are always ready to give help and mercy to those who pray to them with love. The fact that the holy saints of God, who themselves have traveled a narrow, strait, and sorrowful path on earth, and therefore know from their own experience the need for supreme help for a person in need, can be thought that they will never refuse such a person if he asks them for it. Yes, there is no doubt that the saints preserve love for us even in the world beyond the grave, that their prayer for us can do much with God (James 5:16), and therefore, finally, there is no doubt that even in difficult circumstances of life, and always, we must pray to them.

On the meek treatment of neighbors

Unfortunately, brethren, in most cases we can in no way boast of our treatment and treatment of our neighbors. In dealing with the higher, we often have hypocrisy, flattery, deceit, and man-pleasing; when dealing with the inferior – contempt, pride, arrogance, arrogance. This is not good, as the Apostle James says: "If you keep the royal law, according to the Scriptures, love your neighbor as yourself, you are doing well." But if you act with respect to persons, then you commit sin, and you are transgressors before the law (James 2:8-9). But how? Yes, treat them as the saints of God did, and this will be the best. By their example they will teach you how to treat your neighbors properly, and then you will treat them very differently from what you have treated them up to now. In order to confirm our last words by our own deeds, we will now give you an example from one of the saints of God. A special feature of his demeanor and conversations was love and humility. Whoever came to him, whether a poor man in rags or a rich man in light clothes, with whatever needs someone came, in whatever sinful state his conscience was, he kissed everyone with love, bowed to the ground to everyone, and, blessing, he himself kissed the hands even of uninitiated people. He did not lay a heavy burden on anyone, bearing the cross of Christ himself with all his sorrows.He also spoke to some rebukes, but meekly, dissolving his word with humility and love. He tried to stir up the voice of conscience with advice, pointed out the ways of salvation, and often in such a way that his listener did not understand at first that it was a matter of his soul. Afterwards, the power of the word, salted with grace, certainly produced its effect.Neither the rich nor the poor, nor the simple, nor the learned, nor the nobles, nor the commoners, departed from him without proper instruction; there was enough living water for everyone, flowing from the lips of the former silent, humble and wretched elder.The people, especially in the last ten years of his life, flocked to him every day as many as thousands. Every day, with a large gathering of newcomers to Sarov, about two thousand people or more came to his cell. He was not burdened by this and found time to converse with everyone for the benefit of his soul. In brief words, he explained to everyone what was useful to him, often revealing the innermost thoughts of those who turned to him. Everyone felt his benevolent, truly kindred love and its strength, and streams of tears sometimes burst out even from people who had a firm and stony heart. And does not this appeal of the monk justify our words that you should treat your neighbors in the same way as the holy saints of God treated them? What a wonderful example to follow! He teaches us to treat everyone as brothers, not to strike anyone with cruel reproaches and reprimands, not to lay heavy burdens on anyone, to dissolve our word with humility and love, and to find time to converse with everyone for the benefit of his soul. Finally, he urges us to achieve that everyone will feel from our treatment of them our benevolent, truly kindred love and its strength, and that even cold-hearted people will be touched by our conversations. What can be said about thousands of others like it regarding the treatment and treatment of neighbors? But there are truly thousands of them, for all the saints lived by love, and were saved by love.Learn, we repeat, from the saints how one should behave towards one's neighbors, how to talk and deal with them, and you will always receive from them salvific lessons, breathing with love, compassion and mercy. Amen.

Oathbreakers are punished by God