Neither the first, nor the second, nor the third, but one should pay special attention to the mind and heart, as evidenced by the following sacred story: "When the Greek emperor Theodosius II was twenty years old, his elder sister and co-ruler St. Pulcheria considered it her first duty to choose for him a wife worthy of the royal rank.

But since she did not consider the wealth and nobility of the family to be among the virtues, she could not find a spouse for her brother, the king, for a long time. At last an unforeseen accident satisfied the desire of her heart. The maiden Athenaida, the daughter of the Athenian philosopher Leontius, came to Constantinople, beautiful, sensible and meek. The reason for her arrival in the capital was quite remarkable: Athenaida's father, dying, divided all his inheritance among his sons, leaving nothing to his daughter, except for a few pieces of gold.

When his relatives asked him why he left his daughter without anything, he only said: "Beauty and intelligence are sufficient for her," and with this word he died. Athenaida's brothers were so hard-hearted that they did not want to violate their father's will in any way. Torn apart by grief, the maiden, honoring the memory of her father, could not forgive such an incomprehensible indifference of the brothers and decided to seek justice at the altar, bringing a complaint to St. John. Pulcheria.

The princess, seeing the beauty of Athenaida, her mind and innocence of heart, intended to make this orphan maiden a participant in the throne; she herself was a mother at her font and soon married the king, her brother" (see the Life of St. Pulcheria, September 10). What are the responsibilities of a Christian spouse? The all-wise king of Israel points out the following duties of a Christian wife (among other duties)

She recompenses him with good, and not with evil, all the days of her life. He gets wool and flax and willingly works with his own hands. Like merchant ships, it earns its bread from afar. She rises at night, and distributes the food in her house, and the servants, to her maidservants. She thinks of a field and buys it; from the fruit of his hands he plants a vineyard.

He girds his loins with strength, and strengthens his muscles. She feels that her occupation is good, and her lamp does not go out even at night. She stretches out her hands to the spinning wheel, and her fingers take hold of the spindle. She opens her hand to the poor, and gives her hand to the needy. She is not afraid of the cold for her family, because her whole family is dressed in double clothes...

Strength and beauty are her clothes, and she looks merrily at the future... The children rise up and praise her, the husband, and praises her: "There were many virtuous women, but you have surpassed them all" (Proverbs 31:12-21, 25, 28-29). How to pray to a woman who is preparing to become a mother? You are pregnant, and therefore pray to the Lord God as follows: "Thank you, my Creator, that You have brought me to such a state in which I recognize myself as a mother!

This name is gratifying, desired for my heart! But in the pleasant consciousness of this name, I confess, like St. Solomonia, the mother of the Holy Martyrs Maccabees, that I do not comprehend how a living being was formed and grows, for it was not I who arranged the tender members of his body, nor did I animate him with life. Thou, O Lord, hast given existence and life to this tiny creature, which by its movement in me informs me of its existence!

Make me a true Christian mother and vouchsafe the fate of those holy mothers who have gained eternal salvation with the children born of them. And grant me, like the mother of Samuel the prophet, to learn the name of a mother through fasting and prayer. Cleanse me from all sinful defilement, for I realize that just as in sin I myself was born, so in sin I conceived the creature felt in me.

Therefore, believing and confessing that Thou alone art sinless, O Christ the Saviour, I give myself over entirely to Thy paternal providence for me, and with all the strength of my soul I beseech Thy goodness: complete Thy creation, conceived in me, and support by Thy grace my weakness in bearing this burden, and grant me patience always, but especially in my present state!

Knowing that, according to the determination of His all-holy truth, pronounced in the person of the first mother to all women, I am still waiting for the sickness of childbirth, I submit to this holy decree with humility and complete devotion to Thy will. But, O Lord, strengthen my weakness in the hour of my deliverance from burdens, send down Thy strength to my weakness for this, support my weak physique with it, protect me with Thy creation that I am born of by Thy holy angels."

Does the Lord punish children for disrespecting their parents? Punishes. Here are two examples out of many. "A peasant of my parish," writes a priest, "of the village of Burnykovka, named Alexei, was given to military service in 1855. His father, left with two young grandchildren, grieved much for his only son. But what was his joy when, two years later, his son unexpectedly came on vacation with a ticket — henceforth, on demand!

His father, as usual, made a feast, summoned his relatives and acquaintances, and entertained them as much as he had. But Alexei, freed from surveillance, unfortunately began to lead a dissolute life with his friends, which is why his father did not calm him down at first and looked through his fingers, as they say. This merry life, which began with joy, gradually became a habit — and Alexei began to drink with his acquaintances to excess.

Then my father, sober and compassionate, turned his joy into bitter sorrow. "Child, child," he used to say, "it is time to stop; You have a wife, little children, you should teach them and be an example, but what are you doing? Today he is drunk, tomorrow - the same, the day after tomorrow - with friends. Did the Emperor, our father, let you go to me for that?" — "I will stop," was the answer, "when there is no hunting."