Today is Thursday the sixth week Lent. Lent is significant not only because it is the longest (ie, non-obvious at first glance, the concept of "temporal acres) and not only that it complies with the majority of citizens. Including the unchurched, including all non-church people, those of orthodox and post perceived exclusively in the cultural aspect - as a Russian national and cultural identity. And certainly not a gospel of redemption.
But Lent is a sad and samosmiryayuschaya prepare us supergreshnikov, to celebrate the greatest event in human history - the Lord's Passover. Redemptive meaning, rehearsed the Jewish Passover in Egypt for centuries before Christ, our Lord revealed to all mankind - "... Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you ... "(Matthew 28:19-20)" ... and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and to the ends of the earth "(Acts 1:8). And his disciples came to the north of Scythia, and brought word of the Slavic tribes, whose descendants we are.
Good News about the meaning of Pascha of the Lord our wild carnal mind. We want a direct result of Easter in our lives, ignoring the pre-compulsory component crucifixion flesh with its passions and desires. Want of money (gold, property, etc.), sex (many and varied), respect for people (it is also worship, it is the same authority, It is "Napoleon syndrome"). But "what doth it profit a man to gain the whole world, and himself kill or hurt yourself?" (Luke 9:25). No gain nothing. No, because in two cars at the same time you will not go, in two houses at the same time will not live in two beds at the same time do not go to bed. Availability of money in itself one did not make happy. Naked man comes into this world naked and goes, she will not take with him anything of his favorite toys in his lifetime - respect, money and power.
All this is very obvious thought. But they are obvious to me now. Once they were not clear, as they are not obvious to most people, who earns money exclusively for gourmet fun tasty meal, estetskih pleasure to buy shoes European handmade fuck sex some superdivoy, to all my friends obzavidovalis. Real humility and currently own crucifixion of the flesh does not mean the physical care of temptations, they mean the penalty of his affection in the depths of his soul. Sodom remained in the soul of Lot's wife, she wanted to look at the city of exquisite beauty, Elegant fabrics and liberal citizens.
I do not understand the monastic life, a feat hermit, hesychasts. Because I live in the world. Vanity, lust of the flesh, lust eyes and the pride of life (1 John 2:16) as an acid eating away at me. I do not have a thousandth of that humility and crucifixion of his sinful nature, what a long period, the efforts of the devil, sin generate a new level of quality - self-righteousness. And now, for the unconscious or conscious self-righteousness are Anthony the Great in Alexandria, and Abba Zosimus to the desert beyond Jordan. And there talking to these people, what they themselves show their own sinfulness - sinfulness of such people who are out of reach for us examples of humility.
Who can be saved? Even reached an incredible degree of holiness Mary of Egypt, held unbearable for the ordinary man the spiritual battle with Satan's kingdom, feared the detail to remember everything - so that was not born Unfortunately, such Unfortunately the wife of Lot, which is the essence of an open door for the enemy of the human race. Even she, having passed through great trials, considered himself unworthy spaseniya.Kto can be saved? "... By grace are ye saved through faith and this not from yourselves the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast" - tells us the Lord by the mouth of the Apostle Paul (Ephesians 2:8). But at the same time, "faith without works is dead" (James 2:20). Vera mummified, if we are not their lives even a fraction of what we are commanded in the New Testament. She gasped for breath, if we fariseystvuem. She is dying, if we treat the post as to the diet.
not for me, a sinner by word and deed, to argue about it, I do not know much materiel righteousness. Much better - materiel sin. Therefore, at the end of his post I will quote some of the men of God, succeeded in crucifying sinful essence of a lot more me.
You want to know how much better you've done? Test yourself, how much worse you feel. The lighter your eyes, the clearer you see the glory of God and our sinfulness.
St. Gregory the Theologian
As succinctly Gregory the Theologian, expressed the pattern that is not can we by nature closer to your heaven! Understanding this fact, the feeling of a permanent barrier (which is sin) between himself and God - this is the beginning of the ability of see the glory of God. But it was only the beginning, and just the ability - but certainly not an algorithm in the style of "press the button - you will receive the result."
than someone more inattentive to yourself, the more think himself pleasing to God. But who is trying to cleanse itself from the passions and indiscriminate actions, he is ashamed to raise his eyes to heaven to God: For sees itself, which is very far from Him.
Rev. Abba Isaiah
ashamed. For a sinner. And the passions exposed. And always find excuses add-on.
People unbelievers also do quite a few beautiful, even if meritorious cases, commit many virtues, deeds of mercy, love and sacrifice; sometimes give their lives for the sake of your neighbor, give the last piece of bread to the hungry, help each other in trouble, donate their property to different kind case; found amazing, even heroic deeds, we can reduce such examples, that many will be touched them deeply. And all of these manifestations Goodness, if they are not based on the Gospel, if they do not grow from the bottom of the believing Christian soul, all this is so praiseworthy - unclean, defiled the fall, God has the value that people ascribe to him. This important truth, many will not be adopted today, having heard what was said, many are wondering offended, some are angry.
And the truth, hears strange: a person commits a high achievement, sacrificing his life for his neighbor die for the sake of the other could live happily - and for the soul of a hero can be little doubt that she was rescued, he could still face the hell? Is such an act is not washed all the sins of man? Sounds like cruel. But look on the other hand: if the hero is not for Christ's sake, not according to the teachings of the Gospel, not of the Christian faith have gathered force in the deed, if not Christ's sacrifice is accomplished by force, not in the name of God, then it would go, and that without faith, without Christ's redemption of man can be saved; would mean that in the fallen man survived the force and purity, sufficient for its recovery, in order, so that he himself escape from the chains of sin. Then why the terrible sacrifice of Golgotha \u200b\u200bneeded, why the doctrine of Christ, the Gospel, the Church? Why the Sacraments, prayer, fasting, Christian deeds? Then would be sufficient only one desire and efforts of our faith, even faith is not necessary ... How?
fact that good deeds, beautiful things, commendable deeds and deeds of faith - not the same! Do good, committed without faith, without God, are devoted to this world, out of this world and they get paid: glory, honor, honor. Fame eternal, heavenly, they are alien. A matter of faith have the inner dedication to God, to pray, with reference to God as possible secret, so that was in charge one God, and such cases have less experience of the external, but it takes the Lord of them pays for them glory in the hereafter.
and do not properly considered the salvation of soul and heritage of the kingdom of heaven directly dependent on our good deeds. God has mercy on man and rescues, not for his good deeds, but for his believing, broken and lowly in heart. Of course, this faith without works should not be, nor can it necessarily be translated into concrete actions and deeds, these are certainly the most good and holy, because it teaches the believer for the Lord Himself.
Archimandrite Lazarus (Abashidze),
"On the secret ills of the soul"
Amen. When motive of your good deeds is the glory of man - your pride is immeasurable.
will conclude quote one of the three ecumenical teachers and saints - St. John Chrysostom:
Thank God for everything! This word inflicts a mortal wound, and the devil in any trouble (and temptation), the speaker delivers the most powerful tool for the approval of and consolation. Do not stop yet never pronounce it and teach to others.
I thank God for everything that is happening to me. For all the misfortunes that have been in my life. For all the insults I've heard in your address and most of all - for the undeserved ones. For what God, in his great mercy, giving me awareness of the sinfulness of my deeds and thoughts, and gives the possibility of salvation. Salvation through the addition of an event that we celebrate this year's April 24 according to the Gregorian calendar ...
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