Through the intermediary of our Lord Jesus Christ, innumerable and ineffable blessings have been poured out upon the human race: not only has the redemption of men been accomplished, but their adoption as sons to God has been accomplished. Bishop Ignatius (Brianchaninov) (111, 138).

FOLLOWING CHRIST

... If you want to follow our Lord Jesus Christ, then keep His commandments. If you want to crucify your old man with Him, then remove from you those who bring you down from the cross. And prepare thy heart to endure humiliation with good humor, to love those who offend thee, to humble thyself before all, to restrain thy desires. Be silent with your tongue and lips, condemn no one in your heart (82:144).

Let us apply all possible care to eliminate the passions and restore in ourselves human qualities in the state in which our Lord Jesus Christ revealed them in Himself. He is holy and dwells only in the saints (82:174).

Our Lord Jesus Christ accepted suffering and death on the cross for us and serves as a model for us by these actions. We must, as the Apostle says, "know Him, and the power of His resurrection, and share in His sufferings, being conformed to His death, that we may attain to the resurrection of the dead" (Phil. 3:10-11) (82:190).

The Lord, delivering those who are faithful to Him from the fear that is brought about by the world that persecutes the disciples of the Lord, said: "In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world" (John 16:33). Strengthening them, so that they would not be faint-hearted in sorrows, He gave joy to their hearts, saying: "Ye have continued with Me in My afflictions, and I bequeath unto you, as My Father hath commanded Me, the Kingdom, that ye may eat and drink at My table" (Luke 22:28-29). He did not say this to everyone, but to those who were with Him in temptations. Who are these who remained with Jesus in temptations, if not those who resist the inclinations of the fallen nature and, finally, completely destroy their action? These words were spoken to them by the Lord when He was going to the cross. Whoever desires to eat and drink at the Lord's table, let him ascend with Him to the cross. The Cross of Jesus is abstinence from the passions, crowned with their complete destruction (82: 206-207).

Christ's yoke is easy, and the burden is light (Matt. 11:30). It consists of: purity, devoid of anger, kindness, meekness, spiritual joy, abstinence from all passions, love for all, holy reasoning, unshakable faith, endurance of sorrows, alienation from the world in the heart, the desire to be separated from the body and unite with Christ. This is the good yoke and the light burden that Christ has commanded us to take upon ourselves and to bear on our shoulders. It is also a path. For its sake, in order to walk on it, the saints took upon themselves many labors and were subjected to many sorrows. No one can enter this path if he does not free himself from all passions, if he does not acquire love. Divine love frees man from all the attachments of the transitory world. Abba Isaiah (82:209).

"And Jesus went out, and saw a multitude of people, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick" (Matt. 14:14). There is a spiritual meaning in this Gospel story. The people following Jesus from the cities means that the people have abandoned their former way of life and different opinions. And the departure of Jesus Christ from a solitary place to the people means that they did not have the strength to reach Him on their own, and therefore the Savior went out to meet them, just as the father went out to meet the prodigal son. When He saw a multitude of people, He took pity on them and healed the sick so that full faith would be rewarded. Blessed Jerome (115, 783).

He left His life as a prototype of virtue for all who wish to live piously, so that others, seeing these traits, would imprint a similar image in their lives. He Himself teaches us:

"Whosoever serves Me, let him follow Me" (John 12:26), meaning not the bodily following of Him, but the complete imitation of His life. St. Basil the Great (113, 278).

Let us follow Him by Whom we are saved, and belong to His inheritance, not caring about what is of little value and belongs only to earthly things. St. Gregory the Theologian (16:125).

A Christian is one who does not ignore the path of Christ, but wishes to walk along this path through the sufferings of Christ. Do not desire to follow any other path than that which Christ Himself walked. Obviously, this path is sorrowful, but it is already the safest. On the other path, perhaps, there are consolations, but there are many robbers on it. Blessed Augustine (113, 279).

Let us carefully watch where the Lord is marching, and following Him, keep to His path. For Jesus will be followed by him who imitates him. That is why He says: "Follow Me, and let the dead bury Thy dead" (Matt. 8:22). To follow is to imitate. That is why He repeats, "Who serves Me. Let it follow me" (John 12:26).

So, let us consider where He is going to serve Him in our service. Here He is, the Lord and Creator of the Angels, desiring to take on our nature, which He created, descends into the womb of the Virgin. He did not want to be born into the world from the rich, he chooses the parents of the poor. They did not even have a lamb, which had to be sacrificed (according to the law) for Him, and the Mother sacrifices "two turtledoves, or two young pigeons" (Luke 2:24). Nor did He wish to be happy in this world, but endured dishonor and ridicule; He endured spitting, beatings, beatings, a crown of thorns and a cross. We have lost our inner joy because of bodily pleasures, and He shows with what bitterness it returns. So, what must man endure for himself, if God has suffered so much for people?