offenses, turn to the Lord with a prayer for patience, and they will constitute evangelical bliss.

If the path of your life is hindered by gloomy circumstances, hold fast to the anointing, if you are from the

Holy, and it will teach you all things (see 1 John 2:20).

If your strength is exhausted in any way, you have not

should have hoped for them, and now experience

you are convinced to have recourse to the power of God, which

loves to be made perfect in our weaknesses.1

How long do you have to endure?

The area of patience is wide and continues in

the course of a person's entire life, as well as embraces all the destinies of mankind in this world.

With patience, a person acquires and preserves

all the benefits, succeeds in undertakings, achieves the fulfillment of desires, harmlessly withstands the admixture of evil. Having lost patience, he is immediately exposed to the danger of losing the good and suffering

from evil, or, what is more disastrous, to do evil. Without

patience, no podvig; and without podvig there is no virtue1 Jerom. Vladimir (Musatov). The Elder's Answers to the Questions of the Cell Disciple. Moscow Metochion of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius, 2002.

228 ARCHPRIEST VALENTIN MORDASOV, WHAT DO YOU ADVISE, FATHER? 229

or spiritual gifts, there is no salvation. Because

The Kingdom of Heaven is taken by force (Matt. 11:12).

What do you need to always be calm and not be afraid of anything?

In order to always have peace, one must not rely on one's own strength, but constantly learn from the Divine word. It is our fortress

and a quiet haven. There is in the Sacred

The Lord's promise, which for us