I was glad to hear some people say, "We are unworthy, but God has taken pity on us again: He has given us a little rain and snow." If we have such humble thoughts, then God will give us more. At least, the recognition of one's unworthiness is already repentance. Fortunately, there is still some starter left. Ask God to take a screwdriver and tighten the screws in people's heads. I see that some of those who hold high positions are kindly disposed. They understand where we are going.

Let us ask God to give the world repentance

Oh, if only we were aware of God's long-suffering! It took a hundred years to build Noah's Ark[90]. Do you think God couldn't have built some kind of ark quickly? Of course, He could, but He left Noah to suffer for a hundred years so that the others would also understand what awaited them and repent. "Look," Noah said to the people, "there will be a flood! Repent!" but he was laughed at. "What a box he is building!" - Noah's contemporaries ironically and continued their own. And now God can shake the whole world in two minutes and force it to change – so that everyone becomes believers and even "super believers". How? And here's how: if He switches the toggle switch to "earthquake" and begins to slowly turn the amplifier regulator: first to "Richter 5 points", then to "6", then to "7"... On the "eight" high-rise buildings will begin to swing like drunks and hit one another. At the "ten" everyone will say: "You have sinned! We beseech You, save us!" And perhaps people will even vow to become monks – all of them! But as soon as the earthquake is over, and people, although they will still sway a little, will already be able to stay on their feet, they will again run to bars and discos! Because in such a conversion of people to God there will be no real repentance, they will pronounce the words of repentance superficially in order to be saved from evil.

 — Geronda, if some, for example, natural disaster happens as the wrath of God and righteous people pray to God for mercy, does God hear their prayers?

 "Do you know what's going on?" People do not repent, and therefore God does not hear the prayer of the righteous. If, having angered God, we admit our guilt, this is a completely different matter, then God is propitiated on us and helps us. But if a person does not admit that he has angered God, and continues to blow his pipe, then how will God hear the prayers of the righteous? In order for God to forgive a person who has committed a misdeed, he must realize this transgression. And besides, if spiritual people commit errors, then they have no mitigating circumstances. "For our sins and for the ignorance of men,"[91] says one prayer. If the misdeeds of unfortunate worldly people are "ignorance", then the misdeeds of spiritual people are already "sins". Therefore, if the offense is committed by spiritual people, then this is not a joke. Worldly people have mitigating circumstances.

This year[92], when a fire raged on the Holy Mountain during the Dormition Fast, something terrible was happening. All the best firefighters gathered on Mount Athos, but none of them could do anything, they could only watch the flames rage. The fire brigade planes only seemed to intensify and inflate the fire even more. One monastery was surrounded by special fire belts to prevent the fire from passing through them, but the fire, in defiance of all belts, jumped inside the monastery - into the archondarik - where no one expected it. The Holy Mountain burned for fifteen days, and on the fifteenth of August[93] the fire went out of its own accord. Some said: "Why doesn't the Mother of God extinguish it?" But then, when six days later a fire broke out again, this time in a different place on the Holy Mountain, it immediately began to rain and extinguished everything. One fire went out, but the other did not. Is it really not clear why?

Some people, not knowing the existing spiritual laws, pray with pain, but are not heard, because the misfortune that occurs is the wrath of God. And others do not pray at all in some calamity – not a single rosary, because they recognize the justice of God's wrath, the purpose of which is to bring people to their senses. May God grant us monks more enlightenment, for for the most part we are foolish virgins,[94] and our lamps are filled with water—only the wick is a little soaked in oil. And the people of the world are waiting for us to light the way for them, and they will not stumble!

Let us ask God to give the world repentance, and we will escape His righteous wrath. The coming wrath of God cannot be avoided except by repentance and keeping of His commandments.

Part two. About modern culture

"Культура — это хорошо, но для того, чтобы она принесла пользу, необходимо "окультурить" еще и душу"

Глава первая. О Божией Премудрости и окружающей среде

"Вся́ прему́дростию сотвори́л еси́..."[95]

 — Геронда, можно мы разорим ласточкины гнезда? Ласточки разводят грязь, и собираются клопы.

 — А ты сама можешь слепить хоть одно ласточкино гнездышко? Ах, что за красоту сотворил Бог единым лишь Своим словом! Какая гармония, какое разнообразие! Куда ни взгляни — во всем видны Божии премудрость и величие. Посмотри на небесные светила, на звезды, — с какой простотой рассыпала их Его божественная рука! Отвеса и уровня, которыми пользуются мастера, Он при этом не применял. А как отдыхает человек, глядя на звездное небо! Тогда как от выставленных в ровный ряд мирских светильников человек очень устает. С какой гармонией все устроено Богом! Посмотри-ка на леса, посаженные человеком: деревья стоят армейскими шеренгами — все равно, что роты солдат. А как восстанавливает силы человека настоящий, а не искусственный лес! Одни деревца — поменьше, другие — побольше, каждое дерево отличается от другого даже цветом. У одного крохотного Божия цветочка благодати больше, чем у целой охапки искусственных бумажных цветов. Они отличаются друг от друга так же, как дух отличается от духов[96].