(Heb. 6:13-20; Mk. 9:17-31). In His sayings about the Beatitudes, the Lord depicts the heart of paradise (Matt. 5:1-12). His mood includes: humility, weeping and contrition, meekness and angerlessness, complete love of truth, perfect mercy, purity of heart, love of peace and peacemaking, patience with misfortunes, vain and persecution for the faith and Christian life. If you want paradise, be it. And here you will also foretaste paradise, which you will enter ready after death, as the predestined heir.

Monday. (5th week of Lent). "The eyes of the Lord are in every place; they see the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3). Oh, if only a rational creature would always remember this! Not only would she not have dared to commit outrage openly and indulge in carnal obscenities, but inwardly, in the thoughts of her mind and in the movements of her heart, she would not have allowed anything that was displeasing to God. She would then have stood as a warrior before the tsar at the front, with all attention and severity towards herself, so as not to be unaware of her articles and not to fall under the tsar's wrath and punishment. Articles for her are God's commandments, determining both the way of thinking that befits her and what she should be in her feelings and dispositions; in all this she would then be quite in good order.

Tuesday. "Hell and Abaddon are open before the Lord, how much more are the hearts of the sons of men" (Proverbs 15:11). But the sinner still thinks that no one sees him, and, hiding from the eyes of men in the darkness of the night or the emptiness of the place, he believes that no one sees him. God's eye has seen all things; The guardian angel and conscience were witnesses. Thou shalt stand before judgment: then all that is hidden shall be exposed; incorruptible witnesses will be present — and you will be silent. The verdict will be peremptory. One way to prevent this inevitable extreme is repentance. The door to it is open. Hasten to enter in before the hour strikes, which will strike when you do not know, and will put an end to both your sins and all hope of mercy.

Wednesday." The way of life of the wise is upward, that he may turn away from hell below" (Proverbs 15:24). Everyone knows that there is hell, and everyone can go there for his deeds. But not everyone remembers this and does not live so regularly that the concern to avoid hell is visible. They live as they live, at random: maybe somehow we won't get to hell. Where is our mind? In worldly affairs one can still get away with "maybe," but in such a decisive matter, which, once accomplished, will remain unchanged forever and ever, "maybe" exposes the irrationality of the last degree. Do not boast, O mind, of your reasonableness, when you do not remember this and do not offer us the thoughts of life how to avoid hell and be saved.

Thursday. "The fall is preceded by arrogance" (evil thinking) (Proverbs 16:18). Therefore, do not allow evil thoughts, and there will be no falls. Meanwhile, what is most neglected? About thoughts. They are allowed to boil as much and as they like, and they do not think of ever taming them or directing them to reasonable pursuits. And yet, in this inner turmoil, the enemy approaches, puts evil into the heart, deceives it and inclines it to this evil. And a person, without noticing it, is ready for evil. It remains for him either to fulfill the evil that is fettered by his heart, or to fight. But our misfortune is that almost no one undertakes the latter, and everyone, as if bound, is led to evil.

Пятница. “Души праведных в руке Божией” (Прем. 3, 1). А грешников души в чьей руке? Спаситель говорил апостолам, что сатана домогается сеять их, как пшеницу, то есть домогается сбить их с правого пути, взять в свои руки и делать с ними, что захочет. Потому все уклоняющиеся от Господа — в руках сатаны, и он сеет их и бросает, куда хочет. Оттого у грешников голова постоянно и кружится, что враг, мотая ими туда и сюда, не дает им опомниться; даже как скоро заметит, что кто‑нибудь начинает одумываться, еще сильнее начинает трясти его, чтобы опять помутилась голова и мысли рассеялись.

Суббота. (Ев. 9, 24–28; Мк. 8, 27–31). Спросил Господь апостолов, как они Его понимают? В лице св. апостола Петра, они отвечали: “Ты — Христос”. Не вдруг созрело это исповедание, но, созревши, осело в глубь сердца и стало источным его направителем. Оно было омрачено смертью Господа, но не поколебнуто и, быв воскрешено еще в большей силе Воскресением, стремило апостолов во всю их жизнь на проповедь всему миру. Есть момент и у каждого верующего, когда он всеми силами своими изрекает: “Ты — Христос, Господь мой и Сласитель. Ты спасение мое, свет мой, сила моя, утешение мое, надежда моя и живот вечный”. Тогда совершается то, от чего он с апостолом взывает: “кто меня разлучит от любви Христовой”! — и подобно ему начинает гнаться за всем угодным Христу Господу, пока достигнет в меру возраста Его.