So the father wanted to support his weakened son; he added both caresses and threats, but the son did not heed his words, and was angry at the threats. A year or two passes, and Alexei does not even think of correcting himself. Finally, in 1860, on the evening of May 19, Alexei came to his father in a rather drunken state. The father still began to scold his son, who had long been tired of parental admonitions.

And so he wanted to go up to the old man who was standing by the jamb of the middle window and say something; but before reaching it, he staggered a little and leaned his hand, instead of a jamb, directly into the frame. From the strong onslaught the glass broke, shattered and cut off Alexei's arm above the hand; blood flowed like a stream; In fright, Alexei threw himself on a nearby bed and clamped the wound with his other hand. "Alyosha, what's wrong with you?

"Nothing, father," he answered, "everything will pass"; and meanwhile he hid the circumcised hand in his clothes. Seeing, however, that the blood was running from under his clothes, the father snatched out his hand and found a wound above the hand, made as if by the point of a knife. The bandaging has begun, and the blood is gushing out; The old man's hands are trembling with fright, the bandage does not go well, blood is flowing. At last they bandaged it, the blood subsided; but unfortunately for the sick man, he was attacked by a violent cough, and as soon as he began to cough, the wound under the dressing opened again, and the blood again began to run violently.

Six days after this, the father of the sick man came to me and asked me to guide his son. I get ready, go to the patient, see him in a strong exhaustion, white as a sheet. "What's wrong with you, Alexei?" "The Lord punished me," was his first word, "for disobeying my parent and for living a drunken life. I gave Alexei his parting words.

"Father, mother, wife, children, forgive me," he said, "but forgive me, I am dying." And indeed, soon after my departure he died" (Strannik, 1866, pp. 125-126). Children! Remember the fifth commandment: "Honor thy father and thy mother, that it may be good for thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth" (Exodus 20:12). See how true the word of God is..

This son, for disobedience to his parent, lost his blessing by leading an intemperate life, and was found to be short-lived, dying at the age of thirty, as the same priest further declared. "In the parish of the appanage department," writes one sexton, "in the village of N., I know of one family, consisting of the mother of an old woman and her two sons with their families. The father left his children as minors; they grew up under the care of their mother, who brought them up in piety and the fear of God, saved up a decent capital for them, built them a new house instead of a dilapidated one, provided them with everything that a peasant needed, and married them.

Being under the care of their mother, the children obeyed her, lived well, piously, and soberly. But after marrying and entering the Volga trade, called piloting, they soon changed completely, became depraved, impudent, disorderly and, especially, drunk; foul language almost never left their tongues. At the same time, they became extremely disrespectful to their mother, and by their insolent treatment of her they gave reason to their families not to respect her.

Her youngest son was especially disrespectful to his old mother. For this, God soon punished him. Once I happened to come to their house, and I was a personal witness of his extreme disrespect for his parent. When she began to persuade him to behave decently, like a good man and a good Christian, to spend less time with wine, and to try to be pious and respectful to his mother, and to teach his children the fear of God, not only did he not want to listen to her, but in my presence he chose her with foul words, and in the most stinging terms poured out his wicked insolence on her.

The mother could not bear such an insult from her son and immediately said in anger: "If only you, the accursed one, would go blind for such words and deeds of yours." The rebellious son, however, not only did not cease to swear, but began to offend the old woman even more. His mother's words did not remain in vain: less than two months after that, her son really became blind, and moreover for no apparent reason; his eyes are still fresh, like healthy ones, but they see absolutely nothing; last year, in December, he went to Moscow for treatment, but they did not help him" (Strannik, 1866, pp. 43-44). Why are stillborn children?

Stillborns are born for two reasons: first, from non-observance of the marital laws; secondly, from the will of the Lord. The Lord said in the Gospel parable that not even a hair will fall from the head without the blessing of God. I doubt that my husband will improve. "About the correction of that one should only doubt who is in hell with demons" (St. John Chrysostom).

At what age should you start raising a child? A child must be brought up from an early age. When the child is fed and watered, he should sit quietly, and not in his mother's arms, so that the child rejoices when he comes. If a child sits with his mother, but does not want to stay with his father, then he already has a root of pride and self-love. Then the child should not be given wine until he comes of age; it is necessary to accustom him to the temple of God and prayers; he must come home at certain hours, otherwise he must be punished; never accept what he has stolen.

Bring up your child in this way, and after your death he will be grateful to you. Take a small tree as an example: it is easy to transplant and tie it so that it grows straight, but you cannot transplant or fix an old one. In the same way, a child: accustom him from childhood to good deeds; Otherwise, you will not be considered fathers, but infanticides. If the child has already grown up in godlessness and has become ingrained in bad habits, then it is necessary to pray for him, that the Lord forgive him his sins, and not condemn him.

I really like one young man, but after communicating with him, my heart is somehow uncomfortable. "If I see that my most beloved is leading me into spiritual harm, I will immediately reject him, i.e. I will cease acquaintance and communication with him" (Abba Agathon)[110]. About illnesses and sorrows How to behave when communicating or being near people who are obviously spiritually ill (possessed)?

To have compassion for the sick and pray inwardly for them. Elder Arsenius of Athos writes: "Being near the possessed, one must be very careful that the enemy does not inspire you with such thoughts that you are very God-loving, have the grace of God, and so on. The enemy inspires all this so that a person thinks of himself that he lives God-pleasing, not like others.