It's not that we flaunt ourselves, as some people do, they teach everyone: you have to do this, you have to do that. Everyone is good at learning, and that's exactly what you don't need; We need to set an example. You don't need a lot of external things, you need more internal things. But the internal, unfortunately, is very, very little; And it needs to be developed. Then there will be a real meaning in our life, then we will really live and behave like believers, like disciples of Christ, and not like other people. Otherwise, everything is the same: what everyone has, so does us. Then what is our advantage? After all, the faith that we have, we did not get for ourselves somewhere, or bought, or exchanged for some coupons. The Lord gave us this faith simply as a gift. But today He gave, and tomorrow He can take away. This happens very often. There was even such a case: a professor of the Theological Academy – a very learned man, a believer, a talented preacher – woke up one fine morning, but there was no faith. No, it's empty. He thought, how could I have been mistaken for so long? What faith? What kind of God? He became an atheist, even began to write atheistic books. That is, faith went so far that he perceived his entire previous life as madness. Why did he lose faith? Because I have sinned; And by sin, as through a trumpet, all faith came out.

That's how it is with us. Our verochka is small, weak, like a small candle. And if we also sin, then it will certainly be blown by all the winds of life. Because as long as everything is calm and good, we believe, but if our life changes abruptly, for the worse? How can we resist if we build our lives not on stone, but on sand? Nohow. The wind blows and everything flies away. That is why we must get rid of this deceit. The Lord calls us: be like children. Because the child looks with open eyes and believes everything, even often untruths. He is told that we are the most advanced, the best, the richest – and he unquestioningly believes it. Although when he grows up, he sees that this is not so. But while he is little, he takes everything at his word. And the Lord wants us to have such direct faith, so that we perceive the sound teaching of Christ with all our hearts, because the word of God is truth. And those thoughts and doubts that overwhelm us on this basis must be driven away, because this is all satanic. All doubt is from the devil, because the devil is the father of lies, and he wants to pervert everything, he wants to give everything a different meaning. He has such activities – it is directed against us. Therefore, we must attain simplicity of faith, its firmness. Then everything in our life will be clear and simple. Then we will not suffer. And we often believe in all kinds of devilry more than in the sound teaching of Christ. This is exactly what today's Gospel is about.

We don't have to look for anything, because we have everything. I was in the south and was surprised: there local residents go somewhere into the mountains for twenty kilometers, walk along steep paths to the holy spring, take water there. The water tastes just amazing, beautiful, legends are associated with it, and the place is holy – everything is very good. But they follow it on Sunday. Why not go to church? Christ is in the church, communion is in the church. Let the spring be the holiest of all springs. But not holier than the Body of Christ! Here's the thing. Where to go, where to go? Seraphim of Sarov did not go anywhere. He made holy places for himself around his cell. Here he had Golgotha, here Gethsemane. He will come to his Golgotha and remember the sufferings of Christ the Savior. When he comes to Gethsemane, he remembers how the Lord prayed for the chalice. And he did not need to travel to some distances, which in itself is not bad, but you should not look for earthly things. But the evil and adulterous generation seeks a sign.

All our search for something, apart from simple and clear things, is often a departure from God. And there is no benefit for the soul in this, we only dissipate from it. The Lord calls us so that we do not find ourselves condemned before God, as those people who had such an unspeakable happiness were condemned – to hear Christ Himself. Everybody could come and touch Him. What a wonderful miracle it is! A woman touched His garment and was healed of a twelve-year illness. Here we partake of Communion from the Chalice of Christ, and then we touch this Chalice. In it is the Body and Blood of Christ, which means that it is the garment of Christ. We also touch the clothes of Christ the Savior. But we not only touch the Chalice, we take into ourselves the Body and Blood of Christ in the guise of bread and wine. What can be higher, holier, more miraculous? What more incomprehensible miracle can a person not only see, but even imagine? What other miracles are needed? What other evidence do you need?

And that's what we don't believe, that's what we don't strive for: I'd rather later, I'm lazy, reluctant to read the rule, I haven't fasted, and so on. Some times a year they take communion. This is generally surprising: either a person does not understand anything at all, or he has such indifference to God. How can it be that you do not want to listen to the word of Christ?! We have listened today – this is a direct speech addressed to us. Through the mouth of the priest Christ speaks.

And why does Christ Himself not appear on the ambo? What does it cost Him? So take and appear instead of Father Dimitri Himself. Yes, then we will all burn out! For example, Seraphim of Sarov was holy and pure from infancy, and even then, when he saw Christ in church, he was stunned and could not continue the service. Then he was taken away, imprisoned, and for a very long time he could not even speak. If we see Christ here like this, then what will happen to us? We will all turn to ashes! But this does not mean that Christ is not here. He's here. And we, in our cunning, foolishness and lack of faith, are still looking for something: what kind of elder could we find, so that he would tell everything, explain everything. Now there are elders who are in no way inferior to Seraphim of Sarov, and they can work miracles no lower than the miracles of the ancient saints. But they live where no one will ever find them. And why don't they appear and turn us to God? Because no one will listen to them.

I once observed the following picture: one elder (he was already deceased, then he was over eighty) was sitting on a chair and confessing. And suddenly a man came in and asked: why is this grandfather sitting here, is he really still thinking about something? That's the attitude. A miracle worker was sitting, and he said: "Does this old man really understand something?" Not only can we not listen to simple and clear things, but we cannot even hear them. And what if the will of God is directly revealed to us? An elder is a prophet of God, he proclaims the truth. And if a person tries not to listen to this truth, well, what will happen to him? Of course, if the world stands, it means that there are elders, and they pray – that is why it stands. But this does not mean that they will work miracles. Now is the era of the Kashpirovskys, these miracle workers will fill our entire lives. Now this whistling has just begun, and then it will get worse. All sorts of psychics, miracle workers are already receiving patients in clinics – and that's it, no medications, you don't need to go to America to get anything. He just gave fifteen rubles and be healthy.