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This was at a time when philosophy was not an armchair discipline, but a way of life. According to this criterion, today we have no philosophers at all, alone, I will not say who. So, those monks to whom the question was addressed answered: "In outward signs, you and we differ little. But we trust in God and abide in grace."

Based on what has been said, we can say something similar about our fasting. For example: "We learn to love God and often remember the coming of His Only-begotten Son into the world. We also love the Mother of Jesus Christ, "Who served such a terrible Mystery." This post is dedicated to Her. Fasting, we trust in God and abide in grace, since the Virgin Mary Herself is grace-filled, and the Angel said to Her: "Rejoice, O Blessed One, the Lord is with Thee."

If you eat and drink less, or even do not eat at times and do not drink at all, then what to do? Prayer! Without which fasting is just a diet, and nothing more. Prayer is needed: strong, collected, fervent, for oneself and for everyone. Not just the reading of certain prayer texts, which in itself is a commendable school of prayer, but not the whole prayer. It is necessary not to pretend to be a praying person, but it is necessary to pray itself, which (God sees) changes a person, "made a child of this light."

The Mother of God knows how to pray. I studied this all my life. In silence, in simplicity, in solitude. Now working, now resting, now getting up, now lying down, She had God in Her memory and His name on Her lips. Then, having been vouchsafed the visit of Gavrilov and carried in her womb, she listened all the more to the beating and growth of the fruit in herself, answering every movement of her Son with a prayer to His Father.

And then she followed her Son, "laying down all His words in Her heart." Then she burned in the fire of unbearable suffering, standing under the Cross, but she did not abandon prayer. Then she changed sorrow into joy and preached salvation to people in Him Whom she carried, and nourished, and heard.

And then it was time for Her to die. And again her prayer intensified and multiplied, in response to which the Son Himself came and took the Mother's soul in his arm. Then there was Her resurrection and ascension to heaven, from where She sees us, and visits us, and appears with intercession and manifold help.

She gave birth, but remained a Virgin. She died, but passed into Life, because our God is Her Son. If Life has come to us, it is through it, and therefore it is the Door of Life. If God came down to us from heaven, then by Her, and therefore She is Jacob's Ladder, connecting heaven and earth.

In anticipation of the feast of the Dormition, it is worth fasting in spirit and belly. Talk less and not delve into anything that does not directly concern us. Eat less to feel a certain lightness and cheerfulness in yourself. The lightness and vigor that has appeared should be "converted" into a visit to church and prostrations to the ground during prayer. To do something good for Christ's sake, and not for the sake of praise or reciprocal human goodness.

Одним словом, надо подвигом добрым подвизаться, и течение совершить, и веру соблюсти. И делать это нужно сегодня, а не «потом». Кто сегодня не хочет спасаться, тот рискует завтра быть вычеркнутым из числа спасенных. Умножим сегодня молитвы, братие, потому что Дева Мария за нас молиться не перестала, но до днесь «молитвами своими избавляет от смерти души наша».

1392 Пророк Исайя о покаянии

Книга пророка Исайи начинается с обличений Израиля в греховном образе жизни и с призыва к покаянию. Великим постом слова эти читаются и в наших храмах.

«Не носите более даров тщетных: курение отвратительно для Меня; новомесячий и суббот, праздничных собраний не могу терпеть: беззаконие - и празднование!»