In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Thus will My Heavenly Father deal with you, if every one of you does not forgive his brother his trespasses from his heart (Matt. 18:35). Dear brothers and sisters! Our Lord Jesus Christ repeatedly teaches in the Gospel about the forgiveness of offenses to our neighbors, so that we too may be forgiven of our sins. If you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will forgive you also, but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses (Matt. 6:14-15) - this is the easiest means of justification from sins, fully accessible to all, and always dependent on our will. It would seem that according to the instruction of such an easy means of justification, all sinners should use it for their salvation, and not a single sinner will remain in Christian society. But the Lord the Knower of Hearts foresaw that the passionate, self-loving, and vindictive human heart was least of all capable of submitting to this commandment of humility and meekness, that even among His followers many would be deaf to hearing and rigid to the fulfillment of this salvific commandment – therefore the Lord found it necessary to speak about this many times. One of these sublime teachings about the forgiveness of offenses is the parable that was offered in the Gospel that we have just read. For our edification, let us repeat its contents. During the Lord's conversation with the disciples about how to act when our brother sins before us in something, the holy Apostle Peter, listening to the word about the forgiveness of offenses, asked the Lord: Lord! How many times shall I forgive my brother who sins against me? Up to seven times? Jesus said to him, "I do not say unto thee, 'Unto seven, but unto seventy times seventy'" (Matt. 18:21-22). That is, no matter how many times your brother sins against you, you must always forgive him, especially never and in no case should you take revenge on him. And in confirmation of this commandment, the Lord told us a wonderful parable – He depicted His teaching in the example of a certain unrepayable debtor, who had already been forgiven and pardoned, but for his cruelty to his brother was again given over to cruel torment – so that it would be easier for us to see what happens to those who do not forgive their neighbors' sins, and so that we would understand what will happen to us in such a case: Therefore the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to reckon with his servants; when he began to count, someone was brought to him who owed him ten thousand talents; and since he had nothing with which to pay, his lord ordered him to be sold, and his wife, and children, and all that he had, and to be paid; Then the servant fell, and bowing down to him, he said, "Sire! Be patient with me, and I will pay you all. The sovereign, having compassion on that servant, released him and forgave him the debt. And the servant went out, and found one of his companions, who owed him a hundred denarii, and seized him, and strangled him, saying, Give me what you owe. Then his companion fell at his feet, begged him, and said, "Have patience with me, and I will give you everything." But he did not want to, but went and put him in prison until he paid off the debt. His companions, seeing what had happened, were very grieved, and when they came, they told their sovereign all that had happened. Then his lord summoned him and said, "Wicked servant! I have forgiven you all that debt, because you have begged me; Should you not have had mercy on your companion, as I also had mercy on you? And being angry, his lord delivered him up to the tormentors until he had paid him all the debt. As My Heavenly Father will deal with you, if every one of you does not forgive his brother his trespasses from his heart (Matt. 18:23-35). This parable teaches us, dear brothers and sisters, the truth that the Lord is unmerciful to us if we ourselves are unmerciful. He does not forgive our sins, if we ourselves do not forgive our neighbors their sins against us. For edification, let us analyze this parable. The Kingdom of God is in many ways similar to the earthly kingdoms of men, for it is the prototype of all human kingdoms. And just as in the kingdoms of the earth there is a king and there are subjects, so in the kingdom of God there is a King, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who is King of kings and Lord of lords.

In the kingdoms of the earth there are laws and ordinances by which the range of actions of the subjects is determined, and in the kingdom of God there is the law of God, which determines the will of God and teaches us how to behave towards our King Christ and our neighbors, in order to deserve the mercy of the King and not to be subjected to His wrath and punishment. Just as in the kingdoms of the earth the king at times demands from his subjects an account of the fulfillment of the duties entrusted to them, so in the Kingdom of God the Lord will demand from us an account of all our thoughts and desires, words and deeds. For this purpose the terrible glorious day of Judgment and Retribution has been ordained from all eternity. But even before this universal Judgment, the Lord will demand of us an account on the day of our death, when our soul, separated from the body, will appear in the world of spirits. At every moment we must be ready for death and the judgment of God, therefore we are commanded to examine our conscience daily and not only to bring repentance at certain times, but also to spend our entire lives in repentance, so that death at no time will find us unrepentant. By not paying tribute to the king and not fulfilling his duties, the subject becomes a debtor to the king, and the more he does so, the more his debt increases. In the same way, a subject of the King of Heaven, if he does not fulfill what the law of God requires of him, becomes a debtor to God. Let us take as an example at least one day of our life and count what has been done and what has not been done contrary to the law of God and our own conscience. All the thoughts, intentions, dreams, conjectures that are constantly swarming in our minds; all the desires, aspirations, and inclinations by which our heart lives are all the fruit of the free activity of our soul, and all this is subject to an account before the Judge of the Heart. Let us also remember all our words, for for every idle word that people say, we will have to give an answer on the Day of Judgment. And what a heavy debt will be made up of one day lived! And how great this debt will be throughout the entire life lived! And who among us can think of himself as a lesser debtor before God's justice than the debtor to his king mentioned in the parable? Having nothing with which to pay his debt, the debtor from the parable falls down before the sovereign and begs him to endure him. This is what we, sinners, must do, if we wish to be cleansed from our sins. Every sin is terrible first of all because it offends the greatness and holiness of God; by violating the law that upholds the moral order of the world; by disturbing the peace and tranquility of the Kingdom of God. Therefore, we cannot atone for our sins on our own. Only a living faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, Who suffered for our sins, one living hope in the power of His Cross, one sincere repentance for our sins, one prayer of a contrite and humble heart – can atone for the grave guilt of our sins and justify us by the grace of Christ. Only to those who sincerely repent does the Heavenly Father forgive all their sins freely, for the sake of the sufferings on the Cross and the death of His Only-begotten Son. What does a forgiven and pardoned debtor do? Finding his comrade who owed him a hundred denarii, he begins to strangle him and gives him to prison. Do we not act in the same way when, having been pardoned by the Heavenly Father, we are angry and malicious for a small insult inflicted on us by our brother or sister, we persecute and wound him by all means, if only to denigrate and accuse the offender? The cruelty of the crafty slave towards his comrade became known to the king. So our mutual bitter and vengeful feelings are in the Lord's home. Our persistent helpers, the holy Angels, seeing our cruelty to one another, announce this to the Heavenly Father with sorrow, so that not a single angry and malicious movement of our heart can be concealed from His all-seeing eye or hidden from His punishing wrath. For the evil deed of the evil slave, the emperor handed him over to the torturers until he paid his debt. The Lord acts in the same way with us, if we do not forgive the sins of our neighbor - He rejects us from His presence and gives us over to eternal torment. Such is the eternal and immutable law of truth, such is the inevitable consequence of hardness of heart towards one's neighbor. Can an irritable and vengeful person be in the Kingdom of God, which is the kingdom of love, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit? Is a heart that is cruel and merciless to its brother worthy of the compassion and mercy of the Heavenly Father? Whoever persecutes others with anger and vengeance, does not himself deserve the vengeance and wrath of God? Judgment without mercy to him who has not shown mercy... (James 2:13) - we need to remember and fulfill this. Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good (Romans 12:21) – then the Lord will have mercy on you not only in this world, but also in the life to come. For only the merciful will have mercy. Amen.

On Envy (sermon on the 27th Sunday after Pentecost)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ! On this Sunday, the Holy Church offered us the Gospel reading about the miraculous healing by our Lord Jesus Christ of a certain unfortunate crooked woman. Once, according to His custom, the Lord entered the Jewish synagogue on the Sabbath and began to preach the word of God there. And he saw a woman who had been suffering from a grievous illness of infirmity for eighteen years - she was crouched and could not straighten up. The Lord had compassion on her and, calling her to Himself, said: "Woman! thou art freed from thy infirmity" (Luke 13:12). And He laid His hands on her, and straightway she straightened up and began to praise God. The ruler of the synagogue, nourishing in his heart a hidden envy of the Saviour, seeing what respect He enjoys among the people and what love He surrounds His people, became indignant at the miraculous healing of the unfortunate woman by the Divine Wonderworker, and began to say sternly to the people: "There are six days in which one must do; on these also come to be healed, and not on the Sabbath day (Luke 13:14). The Saviour, seeing in these words the pretense and hypocrisy of the ruler of the synagogue, publicly exposes the mask of his imaginary zeal according to the law of Moses: hypocrite! Does not every one of you untie his ox or donkey from the manger on the Sabbath day, and lead him to drink? And this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan had bound for eighteen years, was it not proper to be released from these bonds on the Sabbath day? (Luke 13:15-16). After such a denunciation, the malice of the soul of the professed zealot from the Jewish synagogue was immediately revealed to everyone. Dear brothers and sisters! In this example, we have seen how envious people act, who pretend to be people who care about the common good. In fact, they harbor a disgusting hypocrisy in their hearts. Good people rejoice in the well-being of their neighbors, bless benefactors and glorify the beneficent God. Evil and envious people treat the well-being of their neighbors with ill-will, cannot tolerate anyone's superiority, do not rejoice in anyone's joy, but on the contrary, try to hinder the well-being of their neighbor. And if they are unable to achieve this, then they try to humiliate and dishonor the good deed of their neighbor by any intrigues and intrigues, reinterpreting everything in a bad direction. Like moles digging in the ground and unable to see the light of God, envious people undermine the very foundation of virtue in order to defame someone. And there is no good deed on earth that is not touched by envy. Envy gives unworthy names to all that is good and holy, with the sole purpose of humiliating respectable and decent people, depriving them of love and respect, which they enjoy justly. Envy gives rise to terrible vices: hatred, slander, contempt, deceit, deceit, murder and many others. Therefore, envy is the root of all evil. If other evil has a certain limit, then envy has no limit – it is a constant evil, a boundless, infinite sin – as the Holy Fathers say. If there were no envy, then silence and tranquility, peace and prosperity would surround us. To do good to our neighbor would be a pleasure of the heart, to see the happiness of a brother would be our happiness. If there were no envy, our actions and desires would be governed only by love, which wishes everyone well. But where there is envy, there is disorder, there is all evil. The envious one, like a night thief, breaks in, destroys the well-being of his neighbor and only calms down when he achieves his goal. To deprive someone of happiness, to see him in misery - this is the goal to which envy strives. Lies, slander, deception, low slyness, caressing before the higher - these are the properties of envy. Much evil and harm is brought by envy of society, trying to harm people's happiness, destroying Christian peace among neighbors. The history of the Church knows many examples of terrible atrocities committed under the influence of this vice. Driven by envy, Cain kills his brother Abel; Joseph's brothers, envious of his physical and inner beauty, sell him into slavery; the chief priests and Pharisees, moved by envy of the Saviour, having slandered and humiliated Him, commit the terrible sin of murder of God. Envy is rust that eats away at the soul of an envious person. An envious person has no peace day or night, he is always dissatisfied with everything, he complains about everything with a murmur, frequent anger and constant anger torment him. Beloved brothers and sisters in Christ! Let's protect ourselves from this vice! Let us try to cultivate in our hearts disposition and love for every good deed. The Holy Fathers say: when you see a neighbor who is superior to you in something, do not give room for envy, but lift up a fervent prayer to the Lord, that He strengthen and increase the virtues of your neighbor, then the Lord will not abandon you with His mercy and love. For those who are already infected with this vile vice and want to get rid of it, the Holy Fathers advise to kill the mother of this passion - the mother of envy is pride. And the holy Apostle Paul recommends acquiring and acquiring love, because love does not envy (1 Corinthians 13:4) - and then envy will fall by itself. In addition, it is necessary to know that everything that belongs to a person cannot and should not be considered important and great, and therefore cannot be an object of envy. For a Christian, true blessings should be heavenly blessings, and everything else: health, wealth, honors - is perishable, temporary, and should not give rise to envy. Let us try, beloved, to have peace among ourselves, for there is nothing in the world sweeter than peace. Let us pray to the Lord that He grant and establish peace among us, and that we may be delivered from the vile vice of envy and avoid punishment from the Lord at His terrible and righteous Judgment. Amen.

On the Sin of Condemnation (I)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Let the man of God be perfect, prepared for every good work, says the holy Apostle Paul in his Epistle to Timothy (2 Tim. 3:17). And again: Turn away from worthless and womanly fables, and exercise yourself in piety, for bodily exercise is of little use, and piety is useful for everything... (1 Tim. 4:7-8). Therefore, we will allow ourselves to talk about what may seem insignificant, but there is a very common sin among the people - this is the sin of condemnation. The habit of judging others is very common among all people. It is difficult to find a person who would have a proper command of his language. I would say what needs to be said, and keep silent about what I need to be silent about. As soon as he hears something about his neighbor, he begins to judge and reinterpret in different ways. It would be good if they spoke only fairly, but they would certainly add on their own behalf. One will add, the other will add, and little by little a whole heap of untruth in life will grow. Therefore, if at first glance it seems that this sin is insignificant, in fact it brings with it the greatest evil to human society, and therefore it must be avoided at all costs. What does the habit of condemning and judging one's neighbor mean? This hunting, the pleasure with which only bad and not good rumors about their acquaintances are spread? "It's nothing more than that these people have a bad heart. They are glad to see others - how bad they are, and they are glad that their listeners sympathize with them in this. When we condemn our neighbor, humiliate his honor, blacken his good name, why should we not remember that a good, honest name is the greatest and dearest good? Someone will say in his justification: I am not inventing, I am saying what I know, and what I have heard from faithful people. But, dear ones, this cannot serve as an excuse for us either. Maybe a person really deserves it, in fact he is bad, and his actions are not good, bad. But all the same, brotherly love and Christian solidarity should put the seal of silence on our lips. After all, very often the inner voice of our conscience tells us that these rumors about a person are unfair. That the person himself is not what they say about him. Nevertheless, we rejoiced at the opportunity to slander him in society. Our language is already becoming an instrument of falsehood and falsehood. And an insignificant rumor, thanks to our "allowances" and others like them, turns into a terrible story about a person. A small spark of fire turns into a big fire that incinerates the good name of our neighbor. First of all, dear ones, we must remember that we have no right to condemn our neighbor just because it is forbidden by the Lord Himself. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned (Luke 6:37). With what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged (Matt. 7:2). Whether our judgment is good or bad, it is better for us not to judge our neighbor. The Lord knew the weakness of our human nature and therefore forbade us to condemn and judge others. It is quite another thing to judge the supreme authority over one's subordinates - it is necessary. Because without this court there will be no well-being, there will be no order in society. And the word of God repeatedly calls upon the supreme authority to take care of its subordinates, and commands the subordinates to obey the authority placed over them. But it is forbidden for us to condemn the actions of our neighbor. Because this gossip does not edify the one whom we condemn, but only leads to ridicule, all kinds of reproach, and so on. We must deal with our neighbors as the Lord does with sinners. At the time when the cry of the depraved inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah reached the Throne of Heaven, crying out for vengeance, God's punishment followed in that hour. The Lord says: I will go down and see if they do exactly as the cry that goes up to Me is against them, or not; I will know (Gen. 18:21), and only then will I walk according to the law. - O Lord who knows the heart, do You not know that the earth, burdened with the sins of sodomy, does not cry out to You, to Your justice, in vain? The Lord knows everything. The Lord knows what we have done, what we will do in the future, knows what we are capable of. But with these words of His He shows that no human eye will see excessive severity in His judgment. On the contrary, His judgment is always animated by all the forbearance of righteous love. And, as you can see, the condemnation and retribution were preceded by a thorough examination of the case, a strict examination of the case. The Lord allows us to see, to know that He has a desire not to aggravate, but to mitigate the fate of the guilty. This is how the Lord deals with us, sinners. Such is His judgment upon us. And so do all pious people, people of kind, pure heart. When they are called to bear witness to the deeds of their neighbor, they will only reluctantly and regretfully go and will say only what they are asked. They will not say anything superfluous, add anything, they will testify without any anger, without any annoyance. On the contrary, they will languish in their souls, lest the accused be condemned. And what do we do? We endlessly spread rumors, and gossip, and backbiting. We talk about our neighbor when no one asks us about it. We blame our neighbor when no one forces us to do so. We talk about what we don't even know ourselves. And sometimes we say things that may not have happened. Often we speak towards our neighbor with such stinging anger, as if we were facing a sworn enemy. And sometimes we judge even those people on whom we depend, we judge our superiors, leaders, and we judge them precisely for the purpose of humiliating them, defaming them, slandering and slandering them. Our court is wrong, illegal. Sinful, criminal judgment. Criminal first of all, because this court is self-proclaimed. The Apostle Paul says, addressing those who condemn their neighbor: "Who are you, who condemn another man's servant? Before his Lord he stands, or falls. And he will be raised, for God is able to raise him up (Romans 14:4). In fact, by what right, who gave us the power to condemn the actions of our neighbor? What do we have to do with it? Have we given him life, have we brought him up, or have we done some great good, that we have the right to watch over his life, to guide him? There is nothing of the kind, and therefore our court is illegal, our court is self-appointed. And therefore the Apostle Paul says: "Therefore you are inexcusable, every man who judges another... (Romans 2:1). And just as if in civil life there is such an impostor who will judge and punish people without having any authority or right from a higher authority, is severely punished for such an offense, so in the same way anyone who condemns the actions of his neighbor turns out to be just as criminal before God as this impostor "judge." Condemnation, slander, and backbiting bring very, very much evil. They harm people - both to health, and in material terms, and to their position in society. And they cause moral pain to their neighbor. Condemnation is so terrible and subject to God's judgment that we should not, do not have the right to condemn and should fear this sin. I will give you some examples from the history of the Christian Church - how grave this vice is. A certain elder, hearing that a certain monk had fallen into a grave sin, condemned him and said: "He has done great evil." And after a while an angel appeared to him with the soul of this condemned brother and said: "Behold, he whom you have condemned, he is dead. Where do you command him to determine his soul? To the Kingdom or to Hell? But you, he says, are the judge of the righteous and of sinners. Here, determine what to do with this soul. To pardon him or to condemn him." The elder was horrified and realized that he had sinned gravely by condemning this brother. And then he began to weep, lament, and ask for mercy. And the Lord did not answer his prayers and requests for a long time. But then He took pity on him and sent His Angel to him to declare that this sin was forgiven him. And the angel appeared to him and said: "Thy sin is forgiven thee, but know in the future how great is the sin of condemnation." Another ascetic, the Monk Paphnutios, once, traveling through the wilderness, lost his way because of the fog and came out to a certain village, where he saw people shamelessly talking among themselves. And the monk did not condemn them, but, stopping, began to pray for his sins. Suddenly, an angel appeared before him with a drawn sword and said: "Paphnutios, all who condemn others will perish by this sword. But you did not condemn, you humbled yourself before God and began to pray for your sins. Therefore your name is inscribed in the book of life." And so all pious people, fearing this sin, always trembled and did not dare to condemn anyone. One elder, whenever he heard about someone's malfunctions, sighed heavily and said: "Yes, as this brother sinned today, so tomorrow I will sin." And I will also remind you of the story of a certain monk who led a negligent life. He did not care about his salvation, about prayer, about fasting. In short, he lived inattentively. And when he began to die, he was surrounded by the brethren. And everyone was amazed: he was dying the death of a righteous man, he did not tremble before death. On the contrary, he thanked God and smiled. The brethren, knowing that he had led such a negligent, such a distracted life, turned to him: "Be strengthened by the power of Christ, rise up and tell us, why do you die so easily?" And indeed, he stood up a little and said: "Yes, brothers, indeed, I have lived negligently, carelessly. And just now the Angel presented before me all my sins. I expected severe punishment, retribution. But the angel said, Because you have condemned no one, and have been not malicious, you will not be condemned either. And so I depart, die such an easy death." Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. St. John of the Ladder says: "This is the shortest way to the forgiveness of your sins: do not judge, and no one will condemn you either." Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, be prepared for every good work and learn the commandments of God and try to fulfill these commandments in your life. Because only those who fulfill the commandments of Christ will be justified and inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. Always remember this direct commandment: do not judge and you will not be judged, do not condemn and will not be condemned. With what judgment you judge, you will be judged. Amen.

On the Sin of Condemnation (II)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! All of us are now with you, dear ones, deeply experiencing what is happening around us. Everyone feels anxious and is gripped by anxiety and embarrassment. But it must be said that all people are to blame for all these alarming events and dangers. We are also guilty. They have ceased to live in a Christian way. They have ceased to live according to the commandments of Christ. Therefore, God's long-suffering and mercy have been exhausted, and the Lord allows such bloody internecine wars. Therefore, we need to pay special attention to ourselves, to our lives, so that our life may be accomplished in the spirit of the Gospel, in the spirit of the teaching of Christ the Savior. We have departed from Christ, do not fulfill His commands, and live according to our own will. That is why such disasters come upon us. And it can be worse. Therefore, we must heed the teaching of the Savior, live the life to which our Lord Jesus Christ calls us in His Divine Gospel. The time before last, we already talked about the sin of condemnation. That this sin is very common among the people. And although it seems insignificant in appearance, it brings with it a lot of evil. Therefore, this sin must be avoided in every possible way. It was also said that this habit, this passion stems from an unkind heart - the habit of condemning, dissenting the actions of one's neighbor. It was said that the sin of condemnation was forbidden by the Saviour Himself, that the Lord, knowing the weakness of our human nature, strictly forbade: "Judge not, that ye be not judged" (Matt. 7:1). We have no right to judge our neighbor in any way. Because we did not give him life, we did not bring him up, he is not accountable to us, and therefore we have no right, no power to condemn or judge the actions of other people. The Lord is the judge of all of us. Therefore, the judgment of people who love to condemn their neighbor is the most unrighteous judgment, because it does not really reflect the state of the condemned. According to the words and actions of neighbors, which often have nothing criminal and sinful in them, but are subject to reinterpretation by slanderers, lovers of condemnation often ascribe grave, gross sins to the innocent, and tell everyone about these "sins," and secretly and openly condemn, condemn, and humiliate their neighbor. For example, a person became rich by his honest work, his diligent, reasonable activity and thrift. And so lovers of condemnation accuse him without any grounds of embezzlement. People who are in friendly relations with each other are also condemned without any grounds, in their friendship outsiders see some impure motives and goals. Even the most pious people who love God, love churches, prayer, and they are very often subjected to various slanders and reproaches. Not to mention the fact that if a real sin is really seen, then lovers of condemnation exaggerate this sin several times. Perhaps there was some inclination to sin, or some sinful thought arose, or an outward manifestation of this sinful thought appeared, but lovers of condemnation already see in this grave, great, gross crimes and vices, and loudly announce it to everyone. And at the same time, they do not take into account at all, do not take into account the repentance and correction of the sinner. Perhaps a person who sinned, in the silence of his solitude before God, wept over his sins, condemned himself. And before the Lord he already stands more justified than those blasphemers who judge him, just as the publican came out of the temple more justified than the Pharisee who condemned him. And therefore the Pharisaic judgment of slanderers is always unrighteous, always criminal, always self-appointed and condemning. The sin of condemning one's neighbor is grave. After all, we are commanded to love one another, we are commanded to love, brotherly love. And all lovers of this slander, this gossip, sin gravely against this commandment. And to whom are such slanderers likened, such slanderers, who maliciously, slanderously condemn their neighbor? Such people are likened to the primordial murderer - the devil, who hates all truth and love, who always rejoices in evil and seeks it, tries to bring it triumph. They are likened to the wicked slanderer who slandered the most righteous Job before God. And much, much evil is done by such slanderers, who slander those around them. And, of course, a bad fate awaits them. For their punishment will be together with the slanderer devil. After all, thanks to this slander and slander, how many worthy people are deprived of the respect and honor they deserve from their neighbors! And sometimes they even lose their very lives. How much this slander and slander has brought and continues to bring discord into good families! Spouses, sincere friends, are made enemies, distrust of trustworthy people; they do not allow worthy, talented people to high service, but open the way for such service to insignificant, untalented people. That is how criminal, how harmful to society and to the state is sin - slander, slander, condemnation. Therefore, we must be afraid of this sin. Always remember the commandment of Christ: do not judge, and you will not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned... (Luke 6:37). We ourselves need to look after ourselves, our sins, our vices and correct them, but not to judge the actions of our neighbors. Denouncing the passion to condemn one's neighbors because of moral decay, one preacher says this: "One of our neighbors has fallen. But you who condemn him, have you never fallen yourselves? Would you be pleased if someone began to talk about your bad past, which you have already forgotten? You will say that your life was free from big mistakes. I agree. But do you ascribe this virtue to yourself? If you lacked an opportunity to fall, then how many times did you mentally strive for it. How many desires and dispositions to this particular sin did you have in your soul? Show us, if you dare, your inner life. Tell us about your secret thoughts that people do not know and do not see. About his shameful passions, about his unworthy desires. And so, when this sinful abyss wandered through your soul and mind, your outward life was seemingly irreproachable. You were respected, and not a single human eye matured, did not see what was happening in your soul. And suppose that at one of these moments passion has set your heart aflame, captivated your conscience, temptation has appeared, the most vivid one... And what would have happened to you at that time if someone had noticed your fall and began to tell people about it? Would you like it? Therefore, if God's mercy protects you, it is only by the goodness of God that the Lord does not allow you to fall, the Lord preserves. And if He had left you to your own instincts, your passions, you would have perished long ago." And then he continues: "Behold, the neighbor has fallen. But do you know its history? The story of his birth? His environment, his environment? Was his past a grace-filled upbringing, in a good environment? Did he feel tears, a warning from a Christian mother? Was it a Christian environment? Was the gospel revealed to him from the very beginning? The most righteous Lord will righteously judge in His scales which of you should be more responsible and guilty: are you, who have received more talent and knowledge, or the one who has known nothing?" And secondly, to deep compassion for a person who has fallen into evil. We see that the Angels are perfect, holy, pure, close to God, they are the first to rejoice and bless God for the salvation of fallen humanity. They are more capable of compassion and mercy for the fallen. And the Lord Himself is called by the Angels the Lord of mercy and compassion for fallen beings. Therefore, if the angels are holy, perfect, if they have compassion for the fallen sinner, then how can we not humble ourselves, not have compassion – we who fall into innumerable sins, into innumerable transgressions and errors? Judgment is inaccessible to us, true judgment. Why? Because we can judge only by external appearances, but what happens in the soul of a person is revealed only to God, the Knower of the Heart. Apparently, it is impossible to judge by appearance. Sometimes it happens that a person is outwardly pious, but on the inside he can be the greatest sinner. And, on the contrary, a person who is a great sinner in the eyes of people is a great saint of God in the eyes of the Lord. For example, if a person has done some good deed, and people praise him for it, they believe that his deed is noble. But if this person has done this good deed in order to be praised, to be glorified, then such a good deed has no moral value in the eyes of God. His act is low, a mercenary act. And there are a lot of such examples. The Monk Vitaly of Alexandria, living in Alexandria, was hired by day, and at night he went to the homes of fallen women. And all the inhabitants of the city, both in front of their eyes and behind their eyes, considered him a libertine. And yet he gave the money he earned to these women for food, in order to warn them against sin. Andrew, the fool-for-Christ, was considered mad by the inhabitants of the city, spat on him, even beat him, and laughed at him in every possible way. But nevertheless, he was a great saint before God. Therefore, it is impossible for us, sinners, to judge the actions of our neighbor. One time the brothers turned to the Monk Pimen and asked whether, if they saw their brother's sin, they should keep silent and cover up his sin. The monk says: "It follows. If you cover your brother's sin, the Lord will cover your sin." And another said to the same father, "I hear unseemly things about a certain brother. It seduces me. I want to get out of this place." The monk asks: "Is it true that you have heard about your brother?" "Yes," he said, "it is true that a faithful man told me so." The monk objected to him: "If he had been faithful, then he would not have said evil to you about his brother. He's an unfaithful man." And when the brothers turned to him, asking: "What answer will you give to God, when you see your neighbor sinning and do not convict him?", the monk answered: "I will say to the Lord: "Lord, Thou hast commanded first to remove the beam from thy own eye, and only then to remove the mote from the eye of my neighbor." In this way I will fulfill His command." This is how holy people looked and condescended to the infirmities of their neighbors, covered the infirmities of their neighbors! They did not rant, did not divulge, but covered everything with love. And also - how grave is the sin of condemnation. In the Lives of the Saints, such an incident is narrated. Once an elder from another monastery came to a certain ascetic John to take a blessing from him. And John asked: "Well, how do my brethren live there?" He answered: "Glory to God, through your prayers" - "And how does such and such a monk, about whom there was a bad rumor?" - "He lives badly and does not improve, he still lives badly." Then John exclaimed, "Oh! woe to him!" and with these words he fell into oblivion, fell into a kind of sleep. In a dream he saw that he was standing before Golgotha. On Golgotha the Saviour is among the two thieves. When he wanted to approach and worship the Saviour, the Saviour said to the Angels: "Cast him out, for he is the Antichrist, he condemned his brother before My judgment." And when the Angels began to drive him out, his mantle caught on and remained there. He woke up quickly, awe, in fear. He sighed and said: "Yes, this day is hard for me!" And he tells him about this dream: "The fact that my mantle remained there indicates that I have lost the protection and grace of God for the sin of condemnation." And he prayed for the forgiveness of this sin for seven years. He did not eat bread, did not enter the cell, did not receive anyone, did not talk to anyone. And so, after seven years, the Lord appeared to him in a dream vision, returned his mantle, from which he learned that the Lord had forgiven him this sin. Such are the sacred traditions and examples, and the instructions of God. We should only condemn ourselves, we should only reproach ourselves. They say: "We condemn others because we do not know ourselves. If we knew ourselves, we would never dare to condemn our neighbors." And this, dear brothers and sisters, may serve us as an edification, instruction, and moral teaching, so that we may fulfill God's commandments in practice. To condemn ourselves and correct our infirmities, our sins, our habits, our vices, of which we all have an innumerable number - this is a good deed, this is our sacred duty. And we must do it, otherwise we will not be saved. We must gradually rise from strength to strength. And only through such self-correction, purification, correction of oneself and one's sins can a free entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven be opened, which the Lord promised to reveal to all those who love Him. Amen.

On the Sin of Condemnation (III)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Dear brothers and sisters in Christ! Giving instructions to Christians, the holy Apostle Paul commands us to edify one another with the word of God, to direct them to every good while there is time. Although we all know what God's will requires of us, and we try to protect ourselves from grave sins, we do not fully recognize some of our sins, do not attach all importance to them, and do not try to free ourselves from them. For all these sins, each of us will have to answer before God's justice. Among these sins is the sin of condemnation. To condemn one's neighbor, to ridicule his weaknesses and shortcomings, to see and discover only the evil in one's neighbor, is a great pleasure for some, and this is a general weakness of the human race, including Christians. We often do not have a single day that we do not condemn someone. We condemn relatives, friends, and neighbors. We condemn both the elders and the younger, and the pastors of the Church, and our own parents. Sometimes we do not condemn only ourselves. And for all this, this disease, so universal and universal, is hardly recognized as a disease: either it is not considered a sin at all, or it is recognized as a sin that is too insignificant. Apart from condemnation for sin, we do not even think of protecting ourselves from this sin. And yet the sin of condemnation is grievous - it deprives us of the Lord's mercies and brings God's wrath upon us. We have no right to condemn our neighbor, because God alone is both the Lawgiver and the Judge, Who can both save and destroy. Only He has the power to judge the ungrateful sinner. Who art thou, who condemn another man's servant? Before his Lord he stands, or falls. And he will be raised, for God is able to raise him up (Romans 14:4), says the holy Apostle Paul. To condemn and ridicule one's neighbor for his deeds and actions means to take up something that is not one's own business, it means to anticipate the judgment of Christ. What does our neighbor owe us, in what does it depend on us? Everything that he has: bodily health, beauty, wealth, spiritual abilities and knowledge - all this is not given by us. He received this from the merciful God, Who alone has the right to demand from man an account of the use of the talents granted to him. Whether he uses these talents for the benefit of himself and his neighbors or abuses them - for everything a person is accountable to the Lord alone. We, on the other hand, due to the limitations of our abilities, cannot justly evaluate and judge the actions of our neighbors. In most cases, we judge a person only by his external actions and signs, without entering into his inner state of mind. Who among men knows what is in man, except the spirit of man that dwells in him?.. (1 Corinthians 2:11), asks the Apostle Paul. Judging the actions of our neighbors, we can easily err in our judgments. Perhaps at a time when we condemn our neighbor, he repented before God in tears and contrition of heart and asked Him for forgiveness. And we put our judgment above the judgment of the Lord. And very often we condemn completely innocent people, because we see only their sins and do not want to see their repentance before God. And we must constantly remember that every person, due to the corruption of our nature by sin, is more inclined to evil. And not loving sin, and not wanting to commit it, a person sins solely because of his innate inclination. The Monk Abba Dorotheus tells how once two girls were brought to the slave market for sale. One of them was bought by a righteous woman and brought up in the spirit of piety - she taught her to be honest and to believe in God. The other girl was bought by a profligate woman and taught her all kinds of debauchery and vice. When the girls grew up, the first became an object of love and respect, and the second was despised and disgusted by everyone. Such was the judgment of man, but not so will the Lord judge, Who judges not only deeds and words, but penetrates into the curves of our hearts and, as the Knower of the Heart, justly rewards each one according to his deeds. The strength of natural heredity, innate inclinations, the environment in which a person lived in childhood, the character of his parents or educators, the knowledge that a person received - all this has a huge influence on the choice of this or that life path, in the commission of this or that act. And we should not judge our neighbors harshly, so as not to fall into the sin of condemning the innocent. What would we have done with the Apostle Peter if we had seen him in those moments when he denied Christ three times? And with the Apostle Paul, when he was a fierce persecutor of Christians? What would we do with St. Mary of Egypt or with St. Eudoxia if we saw them at a time when they were doing evil deeds? Perhaps we would condemn them harshly. But their sincere, true repentance and righteous deeds interceded with the Lord's forgiveness, and they now rejoice in the palaces of the King of Heaven. And our neighbors, neighbors, acquaintances, whom we condemn - can they not become virtuous and righteous? Of course, they can. And the sinner can become righteous, and the righteous can lose his righteousness. In the Holy Gospel it is narrated that two people entered the temple to pray: the Pharisee and the publican. The Pharisee had good works, and in appearance, in his outward appearance, he was a righteous man. But he exalted and praised himself, and condemned and humiliated the publican, for which he himself was condemned by God. The publican had nothing but sins, but he was aware of them and was crushed. And the Lord justified him (cf. Luke 18:10-14). By condemning our neighbors, we thereby show that in our hearts there is neither Christian love nor mercy either for sinners or for virtuous people, but there is only one bad, unkind feeling towards them. With our evil words and mockery, we blacken the honor of our neighbor, who may be more worthy of us before God, and this is a great sin. The Holy Fathers, who clearly saw all the plagues of men, were more lenient than we do towards human falls. One time the brethren came to the Monk Pimen the Great and asked him: "Is it necessary, seeing the sins of a brother, to keep silent about them and thus cover his sins?" - "It should," answered the monk, "if thou coverest thy brother's sin, then God also will cover thy sin." "I hear unseemly things about a certain brother," a certain monk once said to the same Father, "and therefore I am tempted by his life and want to leave the monastery." "And is it true that you hear about your brother?" – asked the Monk Pimen. "Yes, it's true, because a faithful man gave it to me." "No, he is not a faithful man," retorted the monk, "if he had been faithful, he would never have said evil to you about his brother. And what you have not seen yourself, do not believe it. Even if you see it yourself, don't believe it right away." "What answer will you give to God, if, when you see your brother sinning, you do not rebuke him? The monk was asked again. "I will say: Lord! You ordered first to take the beam out of your own eye, and then to remove the mote from your brother's eye... I have fulfilled Thy command." And here is another example from the life of another holy ascetic. Once the monks came to him and accused a certain brother who was upset in his behavior: they asserted that there was a woman in his cell. But the monk did not believe it. Then they led him to this cell. The brother, who really had a woman at that time, was frightened and hid her under an empty tub. And the monk saw this in spirit and, not wishing to rebuke his brother, he approached and sat down in the tub, commanding the monks to search the entire cell. When they found no one, he, having given them a severe reprimand, dismissed them, and said to the inhabitant of the cell with love and meekness: "Brother, take care of your soul." The sinner was crushed, fell at the feet of the monk, and after this incident he became a most exemplary monk. And the Lord Himself, dear brothers and sisters, condescends to our weakness and covers our sins. Remember the Gospel account of how the Pharisees brought to Christ a woman who had been taken in adultery and demanded that the Lord pronounce His judgment on her. But the Lord said to them: "He that is without sin among you, let him be the first to cast a stone upon her" (John 8:7). The woman was not stoned or condemned, because the Pharisees, convicted by their conscience, hastened to hide. For leniency and mercy towards others, God will be lenient and merciful to our sins. It is narrated that once a certain monk died, who lived carelessly and lazily. All the brethren gathered at his bedside. To everyone's surprise, the monk died very calmly and even with a happy smile on his face. The brethren began to beseech him to explain to them why he died so easily, although he had lived negligently. Rising slightly, the monk answered: "Yes, fathers and brethren. I really lived lazily and negligently, and I was very afraid of God's strict judgment for this. But an angel appeared to me and said: "The Lord sent me to tell you that although you lived negligently, you were not malicious and did not condemn anyone in your life - for this all your sins are forgiven," - and the angel tore up all the handwriting of my sins. That's why I'm dying so peacefully." And having said this, the monk gave up his soul to God in peace. Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke 6:37) – this commandment, understandable to all, can lead each of us into the Kingdom of God. Dear brothers and sisters! Great is the reward for those who do not condemn. And therefore we must guard ourselves from the sin of condemnation and more often remember the prayer of St. Ephraim the Syrian, which we read during Great Lent: O Lord, the King! Grant me to see my sins and not to condemn my brother, for blessed art Thou unto the ages of ages. Amen.

On the Sin of Condemnation (IV)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit! Do not be surprised, dear brothers and sisters, that we are compelled to continue to speak about the sin of condemnation. The fact is that this sin has become so ingrained in the flesh and blood of our human race that, although it is considered an insignificant fall, it is in fact very dangerous and grave. Old wounds must be healed longer, and greater diligence must be applied to their healing. People who like to condemn and judge their neighbors usually demand a lot from others. They say that "they could not do this. They should be ashamed that they have fallen into such a sin." And they consider themselves righteous, saints, condemning and humiliating others. And if they had looked at themselves well, it would have turned out that they too are sinners like all mankind. A very good example of this is given in Bishop Herman's book "In the Hours of Pastoral Leisure." He tells how once an old man and his wife came to church to pray, and at the Liturgy the priest delivered a sermon about how Adam and Eve sinned. At the end of the sermon, they went out and talked about it on the way. The husband said: "There would not have been so much sin in the world if Eve had not listened to the devil and had not forced her husband to eat the forbidden fruit." The wife agrees: "Yes, because of one thing everyone suffers. If I were Eve, I would not touch the forbidden fruit. God be with him!" The husband added: "And if I were Adam, if you had touched me and decided to seduce me, I would have given you such a thrashing that you would have forgotten how to seduce your husband." The woman said: "So it is, Eve did badly, that she broke the commandment of God, and so did Adam..." That was the way they walked, reasoned, and condemned Adam and Eve. At that time they were passing by the manor's garden, where the kind, pious lord was sitting. He heard the conversation and decided to invite them to his house for dinner to eat bread and salt. They were surprised at this unexpected proposal and obeyed. They were led into the manor's mansion, then after a while they were led to the dining room, where a table was laid for them with two utensils with different dishes and wines. The master enters, sits them down and says: "Eat everything in good health, but do not touch this dish, covered with a lid, it is not for you." And immediately he went to his room. They sat down and began to eat delicious dishes, washed down with wines at once, and at the end of dinner the wife turned to her husband and said: "What is in this dish? Probably some unusual dish at the master's. Let's see, open the lid a little and see. After all, no one will see, no one will know." The husband objects: "Why, you can't." "Why," the wife persists, "it's some kind of unusual dish!" And by the way, when he says these words, he himself burns with a great desire to see what kind of food is there. My wife noticed this and put her hand on the dish, looked at it herself so attentively and said: "Well, let me just open it a little." The husband finally agreed. She opened the lid a little and said: "There's nothing there, it's empty." The husband asks: "Then open even more." When she opened the lid a little more, a mouse jumped out from under it and ran into the basement. At first, the guests did not understand what this meant. But then the master came to them and asked: "Well, how are you, well-fed, satisfied?" "Yes, we humbly thank you for your mercy," was the reply. He lifted the lid and said: "But there is no mouse! Why did you lack human food, that you envied cat food?" Then he said to them: "Remember, fools, how you condemned Adam and Eve as you went, forgetting the words of the Scriptures, 'Judge not, that ye be not judged.' Go now before God, and in the future do not judge your neighbor, it is better to watch yourself more strictly and do not rely on your own firmness." And they left the master with tears. Only to one's own sins should the attention of a Christian always be directed. Only for your own, but not for other people's sins, weaknesses and vices. Grant me to see my sins and not to condemn my brother, – prays St. Ephraim the Syrian. When there is a lot of work and a lot of care in the house, then a person will not go to other people's houses and see what is happening there. Otherwise, he will not do his job. People who like to gossip and judge know themselves badly. And not knowing themselves and constantly paying attention to the sins of others, they fall into self-deception. And they think that they are better than others. That is why such people, according to the word of the Savior, see the mote in the eye of their neighbor, but do not feel the beam in their own. And not knowing their sinful wounds, they do not heal them. And wounds that are not healed then grow old, stagnate and become incurable. Such was the state of the Pharisees in the time of our Lord Jesus Christ. They considered others to be the greatest sinners, judged them, but never looked into their own hearts. Therefore, although the Lord, the Heavenly Physician, was always near them, they remained unhealed. And when some of the Pharisees asked the Saviour: "Are we also blind?", the Lord answered them: "If you were blind, you would not have sin on you; but as ye say that ye see, the sin remains upon you (John 9:40-41). The sins of one's neighbor must be covered, and not divulged. Ham, who uncovered the nakedness of his father, subjected himself to a curse, lost his good fate with his brothers, and was condemned. How much the greatest punishment will be inflicted on all those who reveal the sins of their neighbor! - says St. John Chrysostom. Because, by discovering the sins of their neighbor and not only not covering them up, but trying to make them even more known, such people do not contribute to the correction of anyone, they only increase the sins even more. An attentive person after his fall (when he has no witnesses to his fall) can easily heal his wounds. But when his sin is revealed, becomes known to everyone, then a person loses shame and loses the ability to return to the true path, does not want to return to the path of virtue. For then a person seems to fall into a deep lake and, under the influence of the waves, sinks deeper and deeper, falls into despair and loses the ability to heal himself, says the same St. John Chrysostom. That is why we should not only not reveal the sins of our neighbors, our brother, but even if we hear from someone something bad or bad about someone, we should not seek to see his nakedness, but, like the good sons of Noah, cover up these sins and heal the fallen soul with exhortations and good advice, presenting the great love of God, the boundless goodness and love of the Lord, Who desires salvation for all, for all to come to true understanding, does not desire the death of the sinner, but that he may be converted and live (cf. Ezekiel 33:11). All righteous, pious souls flee from this sin of condemnation. The Patericon tells how once in a certain monastery a monk fell grievously. And the brethren gathered for a conference, for a council on this occasion, and summoned the pious elder Moses, but he refused to come to this council. Then the skete presbyter sent for him a second time, demanding that he appear at the council. He walks, but what does he do? He took an old basket, poured sand into it, went with it, the sand was pouring down. The monks who met him asked him: what does this mean, father? He says: "Behold, I have as many sins as this sand, and I do not see my sins, but I go to judge another." Then the brethren realized their mistake and, without making any remark to this monk, they let him go, leaving him in peace. It is necessary, it is necessary, my dear, to protect ourselves in every possible way from this sin. Let us also say a few instructions on how one should try to protect oneself from condemnation and gossip. First of all, when such an evil thought comes to us – to condemn, slander our neighbor, to denigrate him – then first of all let us ask ourselves: do we also have shortcomings? Do we not also have our own weaknesses, that we condemn others? One must carefully and strictly observe one's moral behavior, one's actions, one's deeds. Know thyself - this is the great rule that even the ancient sages had. And the Holy Church also suggests that at the end of each day we also check what we have done during the day, what we have done that is pleasing to God, what we have done that is useful to ourselves, what we have done for the good of our neighbor. And it is then that we come to know our spiritual poverty. We recognize all our weaknesses and infirmities, we know that we have no virtue, that we are incapable people. It is then that we will close our mouths to condemn and slander our neighbors. So we are strict judges for our neighbors only because we do not know ourselves, we do not take care of ourselves. It has been accurately noted that people who carefully watch over their morality, their spiritual life, their actions and thoughts, these people are always more lenient towards the actions of their neighbors. On the contrary, people who are frivolous, empty, who do not take care of their lives, are the strictest judges, cruel judges in relation to others. In addition, it is necessary to pay attention in general to bridling one's tongue, to abstinence. The fact is that the language, the word, is a priceless gift of God. And we must treasure it, because through the word we communicate with one another. This is the greatest treasure that God has given to people. Through the word we pray, we turn to God, through the word we connect with each other. We receive instruction, exhortation, advice, we share our joys and sorrows with each other, and we write to friends who are far away from us. And if you take away the word from people, then the human race will cease to exist. This is the greatest significance of this priceless gift that God has given to people - this word. Therefore, we must protect ourselves from talkativeness. Do not give me the spirit of idle talk, - we pray during Great Lent. And finally, in conclusion, we will cite a few words of St. Basil the Great about when and why it is permissible to say evil things about one's neighbor. This is only in two cases. First, if we want to convert, save a sinning brother and come to an experienced mentor for advice, then we can tell him all the bad things about the brother. And secondly, when we want to warn someone against the evil influence of this sinning brother. Because being in association with him and considering him a good person, another person can fall under his bad influence. In this case, in order to save him, you can say all the bad things about this brother, in whom he hopes and has a friend. In other cases, if a person speaks with the intention of condemning, denigrating, humiliating his neighbor, even if this is the truth, this is already slander and condemnation. And a person himself is condemned for this. Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, let us remember the Christian teaching: to abstain from one's tongue in every possible way, not to interfere in the affairs of one's neighbors, not to touch them and not to talk about them. Remember that we have our own weaknesses, sins, and delusions. It is better to direct all our attention to ourselves, to the correction of our errors. This will be salvific and pleasing to God. Let us remember the words of the Apostle Paul: "Who art thou, that condemn another man's servant? He stands before his Lord, or falls. And he will be raised, for the Lord is able to raise him up (Romans 14:4). Let us remember the words of the Savior, let us write them on the tablets of our hearts: Judge not, and ye shall not be judged; condemn not, and ye shall not be condemned; forgive, and ye shall be forgiven" (Luke 6:37). Amen. And glory to our God!

On the Power of a Humble and Meek Word

You and I, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, have now entered the field of the Dormition Fast. And although this is a short-term fast, it is very strict. Therefore, these days we are required to pay great attention to ourselves and to our behavior, to our actions. Especially in these days, which remain before the feast of the Dormition, we must pay attention to our language. We sin in nothing so much and often as with our intemperate tongue. Therefore, first of all, rein in this unrestrained horse. If we defeat him, refrain from idle talk, overcome his stubbornness, then we will conquer our whole body. Of the many virtues of St. Sergius known to us, the writer of his life speaks of one more, which especially attracted the respect of his listeners. These are his meek, touching words and speeches. Thus, it is narrated that the monk had the custom every night to go on patrol around the cells of the brethren and with a light knock on the window or door to remind the idlers that there is a better occupation for a monk – how to spend his free time. And in the morning, with cautious hints, without directly denouncing the guilty, with his quiet and gentle speeches, he evoked repentance from the guilty without any annoyance. Thanks to his gentle words, the monk evoked from the depths of people's hearts good feelings and won them over to himself. Thus, under the grace-filled influence of his words, the most severe Ryazan prince Oleg, for whose reconciliation the monk came to Ryazan, could not resist. The quiet and meek words of the elder softened his heart, and he was reconciled with the Moscow prince Dimitri Donskoy. Therefore, the word is very important. The Word is a gift of God that we have from the Lord. And therefore you need to be very careful about it. Our word is the imprint of the word of God. God has the Word, and man has the Word. For God, the Word is the very image of His being, the Only-begotten Son of God. For man, the word is not an empty sound, but also an imprint and image of his spirit. If our words were put together, we would see our own image. The Word is a gift of God, which only man is endowed with, and this is what distinguishes him from other creatures of God. The word is a conductor of our feelings, desires, thoughts, joy, and sorrow. The word upholds the union and strength of the human race. Take away the word, and everything will be overthrown in the human race. When the Lord wanted to punish the ancient people for their prideful thoughts, who intended to build a tower to heaven, He resorted to a very simple means: He confused their languages and thereby destroyed their vain attempt. Therefore, the word has a very, very great significance in our human society. A person can be killed with a word and bring the greatest evil and calamity to human society. And a word can resurrect a person and save entire cities and states. "For every idle word," says the Saviour, "which men speak, they will give an answer on the day of judgment: for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" (Matt. 12:36-37). The word was given to us for the edification of our neighbors, for perfection, for the glorification of the name of God. And not so that rotten, idle, vain, insulting words come out of our mouths. Therefore, extreme caution and moderation in words have always been revered not only as a great Christian virtue, but also as the best means of preserving a peaceful and happy life in human society. Our spoken word is never wasted, does not disappear without a trace. It doesn't go back. But it passes into the minds, hearts, lips of other people and gives rise to numerous feelings, wishes, deeds, and deeds. And, having grown into a great tree with its fruits, it will certainly meet us at the Dread Judgment of God. You need to be able to master your language. To have abstinence in the word. An intemperate, thoughtless word of a proud person can cause irritation. To seduce the weak. A talkative person can lead to condemnation and slander. A person who is intemperate in speech, when he is in anger, always pours from his mouth innumerable all kinds of reproaches, reproaches against people - even neighbors, even innocent ones. A person who is intemperate in speech, when he finds himself in trouble, pours out torrents of murmurs and complaints against everyone and everything. In contentment, on the contrary, an innumerable amount of boasting, self-boasting, self-satisfaction and arrogance are poured out. The Apostle James says: the tongue is a small member, but it does much... It is full of deadly poison. With it we bless God and the Father, and with it we curse men, created in the likeness of God. From the same lips proceed blessing and curse: "My brethren, it must not be so." Does sweet and bitter water flow from the same opening of the spring? (James 3:5, 8-12). Therefore, we need to pay close attention to what we say. And what are we talking about. Our word should be only good, only for edification, only for the glorification of the name of God. It is for the edification and creation of the spiritual salvation of one's neighbor. At all times, people have paid great attention to this. And although people sometimes tolerate idle talk for the sake of entertainment, still those who love idle talk lose respect in the eyes of people. And the ancient sages, when they received their disciples, were not in a hurry, but first tested them in a long silence and only then kept them with them. They were so attentive to the selection and reception of their students. A good word always bears abundant fruit. An evil, rotten word always has evil consequences. The history of the Church knows many such examples: examples of the disastrous consequences of an idle evil word, and vice versa, examples of the beneficial influence of a kind and gentle word. Thus, for example, not far from the monastery of the Monk Benedict, who lived in the fifth century, there lived two fasting women, virgins, who served God by fasting and prayer. But in spite of these feats of theirs, they had one drawback - they were not restrained in their tongues. They loved to reproach and talk to their neighbors. The Monk Benedict repeatedly reprimanded them and threatened them: "I will excommunicate you from communion if you do not reform." But they never recovered, and death found them in this state. They died. They were buried in the narthex as fasting women, women of prayer. But pious people saw during the Liturgy, when the deacon exclaimed, "Catechumens, depart," they rose from the coffins and left the church. This was reported to the monk, and with regret he offered prayer for them and the Bloodless Sacrifice, and only after this did these visions cease. And here is another example of consoling edification: the beneficial influence of the word, which proceeds from a meek pious heart, when a good word humbles the proud and softens hardened hearts. In the days of St. Pope Leo, the Huns, a savage, warlike people, led by the ferocious Attila, conquered all Europe. On their way they destroyed, burned everything, and without any pity exterminated the entire people. Having destroyed 500 cities of Europe, they approached the capital of the Roman state - Rome. All the people were in fear and confusion, unable to find the strength to resist these hordes. Only Pope Leo was not afraid. At the command of the emperor, he went out to meet the formidable conqueror Attila, taking with him not a military weapon, but a weapon of a gentle, kind word. "Attila," the Pope said to him, "you have conquered the whole universe. Now we ask you - defeat yourself. Don't destroy our city. Have mercy on us." These persuasive, gentle words did more than an army. Attila replied, "Your words have touched my heart. I do not know who you are, a man or an angel, but Rome owes her salvation only to you. Elder, in one minute, in a few words, you have done more than my numerous soldiers. I confess that I have been defeated by you." These are examples of the beneficial influence of a gentle and kind word that proceeds from a godly heart. Therefore, dear ones, when you feel that your heart is indignant at some kind of grief, agitated, keep your word and do not enter into a quarrel, but try to hasten to quench your anger with a kind word. And you will do more than irritation and vexation. To refrain from verbosity is the best way to avoid all evils and troubles both in family life and in social life. By refraining from anger in this way, we will thereby avoid many quarrels, often, perhaps, even very dangerous and cruel quarrels, we will avoid prolonged enmity. So great is the significance of a kind, gentle word. It is narrated that a certain hermit, who lived in the desert, when robbers came to him with the aim of robbing and killing him, full of love, brought a laver and offered them to wash their feet. And, ashamed of his attention and love, the robbers turned away from their evil intentions, and in general after that they repented, and abandoned their robbery and their evil deeds. Here is another example of the beneficial influence of a kind, gentle word and a bad word. Once the Monk Macarius the Great was walking with his disciple to Mount Nitria. He sent the disciple ahead of him. And when the disciple was walking, he met him with a certain pagan priest, who was in a hurry somewhere, carrying a log with him. Seeing him, this monk cried out: "Demon, where are you in a hurry?" The angry priest beat the monk so that he barely remained alive. Continuing his journey further, the priest met with Saint Macarius. The monk, when he saw him, greeted him from afar: "Hello, industrious! Hello!". Surprised by this greeting, the priest asks him: "Why do you greet me so warmly?" The monk says: "I see you toiling and hurrying somewhere. That's why I greeted you." And then the priest said: "My heart has been pacified by your greeting. I see that you are a great servant of God. But in front of you was a black man who cursed me, I beat him." And he said to the monk: "I will not leave thee until thou hast made me a monk." Then they went and, taking the body of the beaten monk, brought it to the church. The brethren, seeing that the monk was going with the priest, were greatly astonished. But after a while, this priest accepted the Christian faith, then took monastic vows. And many of the idolaters who worshipped him, seeing that their priest had accepted the Christian faith, forsook their impiety and accepted Christianity. That is why one of the monks says: "A proud and evil word inclines a good man to evil. But a humble and good word makes an evil man good." And so, dear brothers and sisters, bearing in mind these examples, these instructions, let us try to spend the remaining days of the Dormition Fast first of all not in verbosity, but in abstaining from all superfluous speeches, remembering the folk proverb: "The word is silver, and silence is gold." We must spend these days in quietness, humility, meekness, forbearance towards one another, and love. This will be the best sacrifice for the glorification of the Mother of God, in Whose honor the Holy Church established this short-lived but strict Dormition Fast. Let us fast with a pleasant fast, pleasing to the Lord. True fasting is the alienation of evil, the abstinence of the tongue, the postponement of rage, the excommunication of lusts (1st sticheron for Vespers on Monday of the 1st week of Great Lent). This is a true and pleasant fast, pleasing to the Lord. Let us be kind and attentive to each other. Let us not condemn, slander, slander. Let us guard our lips from every kind of rottenness, remembering that the word is a gift of God. Let us use our word only for the glory of the name of God and for the edification and benefit of our neighbors. In which may the Lord our God Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory and honor now and ever, and unto the ages of ages, help us. Amen.