6) That this saying ("let us stand"; before this he spoke of oρθoi — having straightened up) refers to the soul, was again shown by the same St. Paul, saying: "Thus stand in the Lord, beloved" (Phil. 4:1). For just as a sagittarius, wishing to shoot arrows directly at the target, first of all takes care to set himself, and, having already established himself correctly against the target, begins to shoot; so you, wishing to shoot the devil in his evil head, first take care to establish your thoughts, so that, having established yourself in a right and unhindered position, you will faithfully throw arrows at him [Ibid.].

7) Prayer is a great weapon, an inexhaustible treasure, a wealth never dependent, a haven without agitation, an imperturbable silence — and prayer is the root and source of innumerable blessings, and the mother of innumerable blessings: it is more powerful than the royal power itself. "As for prayer, I mean not some kind of prayer, not negligent and distracted, but ardent and difficult, proceeding from a sick soul and a deeply collected mind. Only such a prayer is heavenly [1, 743-4].

(8) As water, when it flows on a level place and spreads widely, does not rise upward: but when the hands of craftsmen oppress it with all-round fences, then it rushes upwards faster than an arrow from its own pressure: so the human heart, enjoying all peace, is scattered and overflowed; but when circumstances oppress it, then it sends pure and fervent prayers to grief. And in order to convince you that these prayers, which are offered out of sorrow, are the most powerful in heaven, listen to what the Prophet says: "To the Lord I am in sorrow, I have cried and heard me" (Psalm 119:1). Let us inflame our hearts, and crush our souls with the remembrance of sins, let us crush it, not only to oppress it, but to prepare and hear its prayer, making it sober, alert, and touching the very heavens [1, 744].

9) "God be merciful to me a sinner," cried the publican, and he left the temple justified more than the Pharisee (Luke 8:13). And it came to pass that words appeared above deeds, and utterances surpassed deeds. He exhibited his righteousness, fasting, tithes; but this one spoke words (without works), and obtained forgiveness of all sins. Why is that? Because God did not listen only to the words, but rather to the feeling with which they were uttered, and, finding him contrite and humble, He had mercy on him and loved mankind. This I say, let us not sin, but let us be humble. For if the publican, a man of the utmost wickedness, did not humble himself (for what humility does one have in whom all things are bad?), but only when he became wise, and expressed his sins, and confessed himself to be what he was, attracted God's favor to himself, then how much greater will God's help be attracted to themselves by those who, having done many good deeds, do not think highly of themselves! For this reason I always ask, and pray, and adjure each of you, to confess your sins before God as often as possible. I do not bring you out before the public, as to a spectacle, and I do not force you to reveal your sins before people. Open your conscience before God. Show Him your wounds and ask Him for healing. Show Him not to him that reproaches, but to him that gives, (James 1:5). He already sees everything, even though you are silent. Speak out, then, and you will benefit. Speak out, so that having laid down all the burden of sins here, you will go there clean without any sinful wounds, and you will be delivered from the unbearable publication of them (at the Last Judgment). Three youths gave up their souls for confessing the one true Lord of all and God, and were cast into the fiery furnace; yet, after so many and so many valors, they say: "We shall not open our mouths, nor shall we be reproached by thy servant, nor by them that worship Thee" (Dan. 3:33). "Then why do you open your mouth?" "For this alone, they say, to say that 'we cannot open our mouths, and by this alone propitiate the Lord' [1, 745-6].

10) The power of prayer quenched the fiery power, tamed the fury of lions, stopped fighting, opened the gates of heaven, broke the bonds of death, drove away illnesses, repelled attacks, saved hails from earthquakes, averted blows from above, and slanders prepared by men, and all kinds of disasters in general. Again, I do not mean prayer that which only revolves in the mouth, but that which proceeds from the depths of the heart. For just as trees that have taken root deep into the earth do not fall down and are not uprooted, no matter how strong the winds attack them; for the roots hold them firmly in the ground: so also the prayers sent from the depths of the heart, being rooted there, safely stretch out to the mountain, not being deviated from this direction by any addition of thoughts. That is why the Prophet also says: "From the depths I have cried unto Thee, O Lord" (Psalm 129:1).

11) Although we have had occasion to speak about prayer many times, it is necessary to speak about it now. For as it happens with our garments, that if the cloth of which they are sewn is only once dyed, the dye quickly and easily comes off, but if the dyer covers it several times with paint, its colour remains the same forever: so it is with our souls, that if we often hear any instruction, we accept it as a deep-going dyeing, we do not easily forget it. Therefore, do not listen in passing to the words about prayer. For there is nothing more powerful than prayer, there is nothing equal to it. Not so much a king clothed in purple is brilliant as he who prays, adorned with conversation with God. For just as if someone, in the presence of all the army, commanders and various rulers, approached the Tsar and began to converse with him alone, then he would turn the eyes of all to himself, and at the same time appear in their eyes especially worthy of distinction and honor: so it happens with those who pray. Imagine what it is like for a man, as a man, in the presence of Angels, in the presence of Archangels, Seraphim, and Cherubim, and all other bodiless Powers, to approach and converse with the King of these Powers with great boldness? What does this not clothe him with honor? "But it is not only honor, but also a very great benefit for us from prayer, even before we receive what we ask for. For at the same time as a man lifts up his hands to heaven and calls upon God, he immediately falls behind all human affairs and is carried by his thought into the future life, and then he contemplates only the heavenly things, nothing pertaining to the present life, not heeding during prayer, if he prays fervently. As a result of this, whether he had anger before him was in motion, he easily subsides; if lust burns, it is extinguished; whether envy is a winepress, it is driven away with great ease. In the soul, too, what happens in nature at sunrise, as the Prophet says. Do you remember what he says? "Thou hast put darkness, and there was a night, in which all the beasts of the oak grove shall pass: they shall take up the roaring scumbags, and seek from God their food. The sun has risen, and they are gathered, and they will lie down in their beds" (Psalm 103:20-22), And so, as at the appearance of sunlight all the beasts flee and hide themselves in their beds: so when prayer, like a ray, appears from our lips and our tongue, then the mind is enlightened, all the irrational and bestial passions retreat, scatter and hide in their holes,  — if only we pray properly, with a cheerful and sober soul. Then, if the devil is near, he is driven away, if he is a demon, he runs away [1, 766-7].

(12) The Lord did many things to set an example for us. With the same intention, He performed many prayers. When the disciples approached Him and asked Him to teach them to pray (Luke 11:1); What was he to do, tell me? "Not to teach them how to pray?" But then He came to raise them up to all wisdom. But if it was necessary to teach prayer, then it was necessary to pray Himself. You will say that this could have been done with a single word? But learning by words does not have such a strong effect on the students as teaching by deeds. That is why He teaches them to pray not only in words, but He Himself does the same, prays all night long in solitary places, teaching us and inspiring, when we intend to converse with God, to avoid the noise and rumors of life, and to withdraw into an empty place, adapting to prayer not only the place, but also the time. A desert is not only a mountain, but also a dwelling that is inaccessible to noise. Likewise, when He blessed the loaves, He looked up to heaven and prayed (Mark 6:41), that He might teach us not to partake of the table first, as after thanksgiving to God, Who had created fruits [1:187],

13) Nothing can establish and affirm the righteousness and purity of life so much as frequent visits to church here and diligent listening to the Word of God. For what is food for the body, so is the teaching of divine words for the soul. "Man does not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God" (Deuteronomy 8:3), which is why the non-communion of this meal produces a kind of famine. And God threatens them and brings him as a punishment and punishment. "I will send," says the Lord, a famine upon the earth, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the word of the Lord" (Amos 8:11). After this, how will it not be inappropriate, in order to remove the bodily hunger, to do and undertake everything, and to voluntarily inflict the spiritual hunger on oneself, while it is much more disastrous than the first, to the extent that in the most important thing the damage from it is also suffered. I beseech you and beseech you, let us not set up such an evil slander against ourselves, but let us prefer our stay here (in the church) to any other work and occupation. For tell me, what can you gain that could be equal to the harm to you and to your house from leaving the church assembly? Even if you find a treasury full of gold, and for this reason you have not come here, you will suffer more and more harm, as much as the spiritual is more valuable than the sensual. Even if there were many of them, and they flocked more and more from everywhere, it is not a great matter; for it will not descend to us into the life there (beyond the grave), it will not settle with us in heaven and will not appear before the dreadful throne, and often even before death it leaves us and disperses, and if it remains in our hands until the end of our lives, it will be taken away from us by the very end of our lives. And spiritual treasure is an inalienable acquisition, it always accompanies us, it will follow us in our migration, and before the throne of the Judge it gives us great boldness [1, 800-1].

14) We receive twofold fruit from attending church meetings. It is not only the fruit of this that we drink our souls with divine words, but also that through this we cover our enemies with extreme shame, and bring consolation and enlivening to our brethren. —

For if stone against stone quickly draws out a spark, if even then, as the stone is cold and the fire is hot, the collision of them conquers nature, then if this happens to the stone, will it not be all the more so with souls when they begin to rub against each other and warm each other with the fire of the spirit? [1, 801].

15) The husband is the head of the wife (Ephesians 5:23), and the wife is the helper of the husband. Therefore let the head not venture without his body on the path that leads to this sacred place, and let not the body appear here without the head, but let both the head and the body enter here, having with them also their children. For if it is pleasant to see a tree with sprouts from its root, how much more pleasant is it to see a man having a child with him, as a sprout from his root. And this is not only pleasant, but also beneficial and praiseworthy. It is beneficial for those assembled, in the sense in which I said above; It is praiseworthy for parents and ministers of the word: for we are amazed at the farmer not when he cultivates the land, which has already been cultivated more than once, but when he takes the land that is unploughed and unsown, and takes care of it in order to make it fruitful. In the same way, St. Paul acted, setting himself in honor – to preach the Gospel not where Christ is already named, but where He is not named. We will imitate Him, both for the return of the Church, and for our own benefit [1, 802].

16) It is not so much the royal crown that adorns the head, as the cross, the most honorable of the whole world. From which formerly everyone abhorred with horror, now it has become desirable for everyone, and you will find it everywhere, among rulers and subordinates, among wives and husbands, among virgins and married, among slaves and freemen. Everyone often imprints it on the most important part of their body, and on their foreheads, depicted as on a column, they wear it every day. He is at the sacred meal, he is in the ordinations of priests, he is again shining with the body of Christ at the Last Supper. Everyone can see Him dominating everywhere – in houses, in markets, in deserts, on roads, on mountains and hills, on the sea, on ships and islands, on beds, clothes and weapons, on silver and gold vessels, on precious stones and wall ornaments, on the bodies possessed by demons, in time of war and peace, day and night. So desirable for all has become this wondrous gift — this ineffable grace! No one is ashamed of him, no one covers his face, thinking that he is a sign of shameful death; but we are all adorned with it more than with crowns, diadems and innumerable margaritas [1, 826].

17) Do you want to see the best decoration of the bed? I will now show you the decoration of the bed, not of some simple peasant, and not of a military man, but of the king's bed. I am quite sure that, even if you were the most self-loving of all the selfish, you would not desire a bed more beautiful than the bed of a king, and not just any king, but the first king, all the kings of all, and to this day glorified throughout the whole world. I point you to the bed of Blessed David. Do you know what she was like? She was adorned not with gold and silver, but with tears and confession. He himself speaks of this, saying: "I will wash my bed every night, with my tears I will wet my bed" (Psalm 6:7). Tears like margaritas were planted on her everywhere. And look at me, what a God-loving soul he has? Since during the day he was amused by many cares and cares about the affairs of the people and the military, he used the time of rest for confession, prayers and tears, in which others all enjoy peace. And he did not do this in such a way that he would be awake one night and rest the next, or stay awake for two or three nights, and in the intervals give himself up to rest, but he did so every night. "I will wash," he says, "every night I will wash my bed, I will wet my bed with tears," thus expressing both the abundance of tears and the constancy in them. When everyone was resting and giving themselves up to rest, he alone then conversed with God, and did not close his eyes, confessing his sins with contrition and weeping. Make yourself a bed of the same. A bed overlaid with gold on the one hand arouses human envy, and on the other, it inflames the wrath of God. Tears, like those of David, quench even the fire of Gehenna [1, 973].

18) Why did God put into our souls such a vigilant and vigilant judge? "Conscience, I say. There is no such vigilant judge among people as our conscience. External judges are spoiled by money, and flattery relaxes, and fear makes the scales turn, and many other things evade the righteous decision of affairs. But the judgment seat of conscience is not damaged by anything of this kind; but even if you give money, even if you squander flattery, even if you frighten or do anything else, she pronounces all righteous condemnation of sinful thoughts; and he who sins himself, he himself condemns himself, even though no one else convicts him of sin. And this is not once or twice, but many times and all her life she does not stop doing. Even if a significant amount of time passes, she will never forget what she has done. Both during the commission of a sin, and before committing it, and after committing it, a strict judgment is imposed on us, especially after a sin. While we commit sin, intoxicated with the sweetness of sin, we do not feel so (the reproaches of conscience); but when the sin is committed and the sinful deed is brought to an end, then the sweetness of sin disappears and finds the bitter sting of repentance. The opposite of this happens to those who give birth. Those before birth have unbearable pains, tearing torments, but after birth they have joy and peace, for with the exodus of the fetus of the womb all pains also depart; but here it is not so, but when we accept sinful thoughts and conceive criminal desires, we rejoice and be glad, and when we give birth to an evil child, it is sin, then, seeing the shame of the begotten, we begin to be tormented and torn apart by pains, bitter than those who give birth. Wherefore, I beseech you, let us not receive especially at the beginning of corrupting lust; but if we receive it, let us destroy this seed within (before the fruit is ripe and born from it). But if we allow this through negligence, let us hasten to kill the sin committed by deed, by confession, tears, and condemnation of ourselves. For nothing is more destructive to sin than self-condemnation with repentance and tears. Have you condemned yourself in sin? cast off his burden. And who says this: God Himself is the Judge. "Thou shalt speak thy iniquities first, that thou mayest be justified." Why, tell me, are you ashamed and blush to confess your sins? Do you tell a man that he should revile you? Or do you confess it to your servant, so that you tell everyone about it? No, but to the Lord, the merciful, humane physician you show your wounds [1, 1011].