Or who would not be amazed by our Moscow grace-filled spring – the miraculous icon of the Iveron Mother of God? Pay attention to where it is located - in the very center of the city, where every resident of the capital should come for his everyday affairs. Go to the Iveron Chapel, stand near it and feel that this is a place of truly special influence of God's grace on people. Just as a traveler, exhausted from thirst in the heat, approaches a cold and pure spring of spring water and drinks from it, thus quenching his thirst, so we, the inhabitants of this God-preserved city of Moscow, hasten to the Iveron shrine in a difficult moment of our lives, drawing spiritual consolation, encouragement and healing from this grace-filled spring. And how many such grace-filled springs, miraculous icons, are scattered throughout Russia? Therefore, it is not necessary to think and wonder why this or that icon is miraculous, for this is under the jurisdiction of the all-good Providence of God, and it remains for us only to immensely thank the Lord and His Most-Pure Mother, who reveal to us, the weak and infirm, Their grace-filled sources – the miraculous icons.

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Christ the Savior, being on the Cross, prayed for His enemies. He cried out: "Father, forgive them: for they know not what they do" (Luke 23:34). The holy Protomartyr and Archdeacon Stephen, following in the footsteps of his Divine Teacher, being stoned by his enemies, also prayed: Lord! do not put this sin on them (cf. Acts 7:60). What is this property of the soul when a person forgives everything, does not remember any evil, no offense? - This quality of the soul is known as meekness. Meekness is such a quietness of heart, such a calmness of soul, when a person does not lose his temper, does not become irritated, does not get angry - it is the mother of kindness. Meekness does not delight in praise, nor is it grieved by reproach - it is the sister of humility. Meekness does not condemn anyone, does not seek to know the vices of others, does not gloat, endures everything, endures everything. Meekness is a co-operative in obedience. Meekness is the organizer of peace and tranquility in the brotherhood, for it is the mother of love. Meekness is a shield against vexation, anxiety and all despondency. Meekness is the throne of simplicity and the giver of joy. Great are the fruits of meekness!

The meek one acquires boldness in prayer, for the Lord says: "On whom shall I look, if only on the meek and silent" (cf. Isaiah 66:2). Meekness is the seat in the heart of the Holy Spirit, for the Lord Himself says: "For I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest for your souls" (Matt. 11:29). Meekness is the basis for spiritual guidance and prudence. Meekness is in itself the motive force of prayer; The meek pray well, and the meekness of the heart itself is what it is, if not a prayerful disposition. Meekness has a beneficial effect on others. The quietness of the meek heart creates the same peaceful atmosphere around him. The meek will inherit the earth. What does that mean? What kind of land does the Lord promise to the meek? - The Kingdom of Heaven, eternal bliss. The meek will inherit, that is, they will receive the Kingdom of Heaven fully and as if by some right, and this is because here on earth, because of their meekness, they endured deprivations, were among the last, did not receive what they wanted, so for this damage in earthly life they will receive there, in Heaven, a full heavenly crown.

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Many say: we are burdened by former sins and it seems to us that the Lord will not forgive us - and this feeling is so painful that it is about to turn into despair. We are all weak people, we all fall into one or another sin, and especially carnal lust disturbs many. What should we do? We must constantly pray to the Lord God for the forgiveness of our sins. If you have sinned, fall down before the Lord, pray to Him fervently with all your heart to forgive you, and do not depart from the Lord until you feel God's favor towards you, until your heart tells you that the Lord forgives you, and you, if you pray fervently, will certainly feel it: peace and tenderness will settle in your soul. Until now you were ashamed to look at the holy icon, but now you dare to look at it; until now you did not want to see people, you were ashamed of them, and after that you rejoice at them; Until now, despondency, melancholy, and depressed mood have possessed you, but after that, you experience joy in your heart. This is a sign that the Lord has forgiven you, that you have blotted out your sin with your repentance and contrition of heart. From all this, learn God's mercy for you, a sinner, and on this kindle your love for the Lord.

Reckoning with our sins is finished. We repented, the Lord forgave us. Now it remains only not to repeat our previous sins, to thank the Merciful Lord and to go on calmly, joyfully, cheerfully along the path of virtue, along the path of our march to the Lord.

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During the life of the Savior there were demon-possessed, and they still exist. At great solemn divine services, at processions of the cross, at the tombs of the saints of God, one often sees these demon-possessed. Is possession really possible? The world remains one and the same, and the enemy of the human race is the same, although it lost its power after the coming of the Saviour, it is the Christian who can now crush and conquer the enemy. And if in the time of the Savior there were demoniacs, then they can be now. When the enemy possesses a person to a strong degree, then he produces those fits that we observe in the possessed; at the same time, various evil spirits enter into a person, but for the most part the spirit of fornication and blasphemy against God. It is this evil spirit that suppresses a person's consciousness and feelings, and thus gains the upper hand. But human power, and especially of a Christian sanctified by the Holy Spirit, does not easily succumb to the spirit of malice, and it is this outward struggle that is revealed in the form of fits, frenzy and breaking. There is even a frenzy of an entire society, for example, a sectarian society, during their zeal.

But if some are really subject to possession, possessed by spirits of malice, then at the same time there are deceivers who put this possession on themselves in order to confuse the people, to do their own things, such as theft, or simply by possession they think to evoke compassion from those present and thus lure out an allowance, etc. Imaginary possessed people are usually accompanied by a company of people; some seem to help the sick during possession, while others accomplices at this time, when all attention is concentrated on the possessed, search their pockets - in a word, there can be feigned possession, even a mania of possession can develop, especially in nervous women. They say that there was a time when there was such a mass of cliques in the churches that it was necessary to fight this phenomenon with police measures, and the cliques disappeared. In any case, true possession is possible. It is attested to in the Gospel, it is known to all of us. What means can you use to get rid of it? The Lord said: this kind is not expelled by anything else but prayer and fasting. Demonic possession can be combated only by means of holy things. But who should fast and pray? The sick themselves are often incapable of this, then relatives should strengthen their prayer for the sick; and also the sick themselves should be surrounded with holy things, given holy water, led to holy places, venerated with holy relics, the Sacrament of Unction should be performed over them, and, if they are able, then they should be communed of the Holy Mysteries.

Usually, those ascetics of faith acquire power over evil spirits, who themselves have struggled much with the age-old enemy of the human race, who have led or are leading a life in purity and constant prayer. The enemy of the human race knows this, and what is it? "He is trying to harm the truth here too. He instructs many imaginary ascetics, for example, the so-called brothers, etc., to perform false healings on the imaginary possessed in order to deceive the people. This happened, at least with the Moscow "brothers": they brought an imaginary woman to the "brother", he laid his hands, anointed her with oil and allegedly healed her. A real deception. Is healing possible here when the "brothers" are seducers?

In connection with possession there is the question of the so-called corruption. One often hears that they have spoiled at a wedding, or they say: so-and-so has been jinxed, he has an evil eye... How to look at it? Is spoilage possible? The influence of man on man undoubtedly exists. After all, we often say: he influenced him, influenced... If there is a good influence, then a bad one is also possible, which has different degrees, and sometimes such degrees that become noticeable to us. If a person is evil, if he has made friends with an evil spirit, then how can he not influence someone badly? But can we be afraid of corruption, and if a bad influence has already been produced, how can we get rid of it? A bad force must try to resist with one's own spiritual, grace-filled power, which every Christian has, a Christian must always protect himself with the sign of the cross, prayer, holy things, constant confession, communion of the Holy Mysteries, then it will not be so easy for the enemy to overcome us.

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You have sinned, you have fallen under the power of some passion - use this for good. Build on your fall a sincere repentance, develop a contrite spirit, a humble feeling. Perhaps before you were exalted by your purity, your purity, and therefore you treated vicious people with contempt and condemnation; Now do not dare to overlook anyone in sins, always remember your sins, be always humble in heart, quiet and meek. Perhaps before you prayed little, relying on your outward righteousness, considering it alone sufficient without the feats of prayer and fasting; but now, when you feel your guilt, arm yourself with prayer and, first of all, with the Jesus Prayer – this bulwark against all the slanders of the enemy, be diligent in good deeds, for firmly know that faith, according to the words of the Apostle, is dead without works (James 2:17).