Wednesday. (Acts 2:22-36; John 1:35-51). The truth of the Resurrection can be proved by reason by its considerations on the basis of Scripture, and the force of its arguments cannot but be recognized by the unbeliever, so long as the sense of truth has not yet been stifled in him. The believer does not require proofs, because the Church of God is filled with the light of the Resurrection. Both of these pointers of truth are true and convincing. But against the considerations of reason, counterconsiderations can be born and encountered, and faith can be disputed and shaken by perplexities and doubts that come from outside and arise from within. Is there not an impregnable fence for the truth of the Resurrection? Eat. This will be when the power of the Resurrection, received already in baptism, will begin to be effectively revealed in the destruction of the corruption of soul and body, the establishment in them of the beginnings of a new life. Such will walk in the light of the Resurrection, and everyone who speaks against the truth of the Resurrection will seem foolish to him, as to him who walks by day, who says that it is night now.

Thursday. (Acts 2:38-43; John 3:1-15). Beneficent is the work of those who, with sound considerations, shatter the lie perched against the truth of the Resurrection. Read and arm yourself with these considerations; but at the same time, do not be lazy to give more and more space for the power of Christ's Resurrection to enter into you. The more you do this, the more you will breathe the air of the Resurrection, and the safer you will become from all the arrows of the enemy directed against this truth. You may ask, what is needed for this? Nothing special: be what you ought to be according to the covenant which you entered into in holy baptism, which is our resurrection. Have you spat on Satan and all his works? — and continue to behave in this way in relation to him. Did you marry Christ? — and abide with Him. The works of darkness and light are manifest. Run away from some and be diligent for others. But do this without any concessions, not even the slightest, so that the norm of your life is this: there is no communion between light and darkness, Christ with Belial.

Friday. (Acts 3:1-8; John 2:12-22). The Holy Fathers praise certain persons who are glorious for their Christian life, which consists in the fact that they were resurrected before the general resurrection. What is the secret of such a life? In the fact that they assimilated to themselves the characteristic features of life after the resurrection, as they are indicated in the word of God, and made them qualitative in themselves. The future life seems to be detached from all carnal things: there they will not marry, nor encroach, they will not eat dead food there, and the body itself will take on spiritual food. Thus, whoever lives in detachment from all things carnal takes into himself or grows in himself the elements of the future life after the resurrection. Reach the point where all that is carnal in you will be stilled, and you will become resurrected before the future resurrection. The Apostle shows the way to this when he says: "Walk in the Spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh" (Gal. 5:16). And he certifies that in this way it is probably possible to attain tea: "He who sows," he says, "in the Spirit shall reap eternal life from the Spirit" (Galatians 6:8).

Saturday. (Acts 3:11-16; John 3:22-33). We have two lives, carnal and spiritual. It is as if our spirit is buried in the flesh. When, having been revived by the grace of God, he begins to extract himself from co-dissolution with the flesh and appear in his spiritual purity, then he is resurrected or resurrects himself part by part. When it has completely plucked itself out of this coherence, then it proceeds as from the grave in renewed life, and thus the spirit becomes, in itself, alive and active; and the sepulchre of the flesh in itself is dead and inactive, although both are in one and the same person. And this is the mystery of what the Apostle says: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" (2 Corinthians 3:17). It is freedom from the corruption that surrounds our incorruptible spirit, or from the passions that corrupt our nature. This spirit, which has entered into the freedom of the children of God, is the same as an attractively colored moth fluttering out of its ball. Here is its rainbow coloring: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faith, meekness, self-control (Galatians 5:22). Is it possible that such beauty of perfection is not strong enough to arouse competition in us?

Thomas Week

(Дея.5, 12–20; Ио. 20, 19–31). “Господь мой и Бог мой!” воззвал св. апостол Фома. Ощущаете ли, с какою силою ухватился он за Господа и как крепко держит Его? Не крепче держит утопающий доску, на которой чает спасенным быть от потопления. Прибавим, что, кто не имеет таким Господа для себя и себя в отношении к Господу, тот еще не верует в Господа, как следует. Мы говорим: “Господь Спаситель”, разумея, что Он Спаситель всех, а этот говорит: “Господь Спаситель мой”. Кто говорит: “мой Спаситель”, тот ощущает свое спасение, исходящее от Него. Ощущению же спасения сопредельно ощущение пагубы, из которой извлек спасенного Спасающий. Чувство пагубы жизнелюбивого по природе человека, знающего, что не может он сам себя спасти, заставляет искать Спасителя. Когда обретет Его и ощутит силу спасения, от Него исходящую, хватается за Него крепко и оторваться от Него не захочет, хоть бы лишали его за то самой жизни. Такого рода события в духовной жизни христианина не воображаются только умом, а переживаются самым делом. Затем, как вера его, так и сочетание со Христом становятся крепки, как жизнь или смерть. Такой только искренно взывает: “кто меня разлучит!”

Понедельник. (Дея.3,19–26; Ио.2,1–11). “Покайтесь и обратитесь, чтобы загладились грехи ваши, да придут времена отрады от лица Господа”. Так говорил св. апостол Петр распявшим Господа иудеям, утешая их, что сделали это по неведению. Мы же не по неведению распинаем в себе вторично Господа грехами своими; но многомилостивый и нас принимает, когда каемся и обращаемся к Нему от всего сердца своего. Это и сделали мы в великий пост. Всякий прибегал ко Господу в слезах покаяния о грехах своих, и чем искренне это делал, тем сильнее ощущал прохладу помилования, исходящего от лица Господа, чрез руки и разрешительное слово иерея Божия. Теперь что нам остается делать? Беречься от новых падений, чтобы опять не впасть в вину распинания Господа. Апостол говорит, что Господа Иисуса небо прияло только до лет устроения всех. Потом Он опять приидет и сотворит суд. Какими глазами воззрят на Него те, которые пронзили Ему ребра! А ведь и нам придется стоять в ряду их, если перестанем приносить плоды покаяния и возвратимся на старое.