35. Why do we go to church?

Would you tell me why you believe, if you ask such questions wisely? Presumably, we go to church not to chat with a friend or girlfriend about our school news, not so that the priest, seeing you, praises: "Ah, Vasya, well done, diligent, diligent man of prayer!" – or the grandmother, standing in front of the candlestick, put us to it and made us a colleague in this very responsible matter – watching the burning candles, and we go to church to Christ. we walk, as the apostles could not help but follow Christ, although it was much harder for them than for us: they had to give up a lot, give up a lot, no, they could not live without Christ. In the same way, we cannot live without Christ.

36. Is it possible to force a person to go to the temple?

There is a proverb: a slave is not a worshiper. A church proverb! This means that you cannot force your soul into anyone, and you cannot force anyone to be a believer. So what can we do? Not to drag our sisters, brothers, class friends, who are not yet believers, but to live in such a way that they, looking at us, would want to understand what we have in our souls and in our lives, what they do not have and why their lives are more empty, and they themselves would follow us to the church of God. Only then will their faith be the true Orthodox faith.

37. If your parents are non-believers, and you are a believer, and they do not allow you to go to church, what should you do?

We must remember that obedience to people, especially parents, extends very far, but no further than to our Heavenly Father. We must also remember the rule that if we live with our fellow non-believers, then we must be firm in our confession of faith, but extremely gentle in our treatment of them. If, for example, instead of going to church on Sunday, you are told to wash the dishes, peel the potatoes, or do some other work, then get up two or three hours earlier, wash the dishes, peel the potatoes, take out the trash can, and then go to church.

38. Can I be considered Orthodox if I believe in God, but cannot go to church?

What do you mean I can't? If you are chained to your deathbed and cannot walk, then you, of course, without going to church, but praying a lot, can consider yourself Orthodox. If your parents are such that they lock you at home during the service and do not let you into church, and you, striving with all your soul to go to church and pray at home, for this reason cannot come to the service without being offended by your parents, pray before the icon, pray for them, so that the Lord would soften their souls, then you, of course, are a believing Orthodox person. And if on Sunday, instead of going to church, you go to have fun, then think for yourself, are you a deeply religious person?

39. Why does everyone go to church on Sunday?

Because it is impossible to remain outside of the Pascha of Christ, it is impossible not to come and rejoice with the Church that Christ has risen, that the myrrh-bearing women came to the Lord's tomb and found the stone and rolled it away, and everything else that the Church remembers on this day, to be without this and outside of all this means to greatly impoverish one's life and make one's faith poor. Who will choose it voluntarily? Therefore, of course, everyone will go to church on Sundays.

40. Why do I want to go to church but can't?

Oh, how frightening! There were such terrible sinners who wanted to enter, but their invisible forces did not allow them, as, for example, Mary of Egypt, who later became a saint, wanted to venerate the Cross of the Lord, but her power restrained her to some extent, because she had a grave sin in her soul. I know from priestly experience that there are people who, as it were, are drawn to the church, as if their souls are already in it, but sin does not allow it; he will come to church once, twice, to the Liturgy, he will come dozens of times, he will walk in circles like some kind of Odysseus, or like a Jew in the desert, he will wander for forty years until he reaches the Promised Land. I don't think, my dear, that you have sinned or sinned so much that the Lord would not let you in. Maybe there is only one thing you need to do: show determination and cross the threshold. And if you can't do it yourself, ask someone: take me by the hand and lead me into the church. They will introduce it once, and then it will be easier.

41. Why does my sister think that I cannot go to church at this age (10 years old)?

Because she herself, apparently, is not used to going to church. And you can do only one thing: without irritation, very politely and unobtrusively, ask her to accompany you to the church, since it is too early for you to travel around the big city alone at this age. If the sister does not want to enter the church, then let her at least stand at the door or come in – not to pray, of course, but only to listen and wait for you. Maybe she will agree.