Laura Melik. A powerful prayer shield for all occasions. Prayers, amulets, conspiracies

Many of us have heard the parable of the Good Samaritan, which reveals the meaning of one of the main Commandments of God - love your neighbor as yourself. Who is my neighbor? And what should I do? The answer can only be found in the Gospel. Jesus Christ Himself gives it to us.

There are certain laws in spiritual life, just as in the material world. One of them is the boomerang law: what you throw out will come back to you, what you give is what you will get. Or, as the Russian proverb says, what goes around comes around.

Re-reading the Gospel and the lives of the saints, you can notice how a thin, but at the same time central thread runs through all the stories - love, sincere, sincere, which does not want its own, but, if necessary, will give everything that is its own. Many examples are given of how deeds of love and deeds of mercy are dear to both God and people. How they transform a person when he does them not for his own glory or some benefit, but for the sake of Christ, moreover, for Christ Himself.

The Lord gives each person, from a small age until death, the opportunity, and more than one, to prove himself in relation to Him and to man. How important it is to notice it and not miss it, so that not only in thoughts, not in words and not in false deeds, but to truly demonstrate oneself as a Christian faithful to God.

The bitterness of regret haunts people throughout their lives, even unconsciously, when such holy moments were overlooked or rejected. But as long as we breathe, we will appreciate every moment of our life, every day given to us by God.

I remember the righteous Tabitha from the Acts of the Apostles, who, although she was not rich herself, understood the needs of people even better, and with her own hands sewed clothes for poor women and widows. When she suddenly died, all the women gifted by her took the dresses that they received from her and, weeping, came to the Apostle Peter, showing her handicrafts. The apostle was moved to tears by such a sincere expression of gratitude and the loss of a person dear to them, and, after praying, he resurrected Tabitha. I would like to ask ourselves, will they remember us like this after death, and how will they remember us, will they pray for us? But life is fleeting, and you need to have time to fill it with the living presence of God.

During life we ​​make a lot of mistakes, stumble, fall, get up again and make mistakes again. Observing ourselves, we see ourselves not at all as we would like. But in the Church the Lord gives us a precious opportunity to be cleansed of sins, to wash ourselves, to change, to begin new life. The Holy Fathers write that sincere prayer coupled with alms can do a lot.

Almsgiving is when we do something, giving a part of ourselves, limiting ourselves in some way, infringing on ourselves. Remember how the poor widow put only 2 mites - 2 small pennies - into the temple treasury (donation cup). And people with wealth came nearby and deposited much larger sums. Christ said that the widow contributed more than everyone else, because she gave all her food, that is, she pinched herself more than everyone else for the sake of a holy cause - an expression of her love and reverence for God's temple. And you know, when something is expensive, you give away the last one. The rest did not really feel that something had diminished in them, and therefore they did not have the same feeling for the temple, for God, as this widow had. Perhaps they even made donations for the show.

And in our time there are also “poor widows” who spare nothing for God’s work, help with their own hands, respond to the first call, and share their available wealth. There are also “others” who are still far from deep attachment to God, when you devote your entire life, all your activities to Him, and comprehend life through the prism of the Gospel. Let us take an example from this poor widow, from righteous Tabitha and many other saints. Let us remember the great benefits and gifts of the virtue of Mercy. It is not for nothing that the Lord said in His sermon to the people: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” Soften your hearts, fill them with love and compassion, perhaps you too will be lucky enough to meet and show mercy to the Lord Jesus Christ in the form of your neighbor.

2. The fifth beatitude must be fulfilled through works of mercy, physical and spiritual. For, as Saint Chrysostom says: “The form of mercy is varied and this commandment is broad.” (On Matt. demon.15).

3. Physical works of mercy are defined:

1) To feed the hungry.

2) Give drink to the thirsty.

3) Dress the naked or lacking in the necessary decent clothing.

4) Visit someone in prison.

5) Visit the sick person, serve him and help him recover or Christian preparation for death.

6) Take the wanderer into the house and put him to rest.

7) Bury the dead in squalor.

4. Spiritual works of mercy are defined:

1) By exhortation to turn the sinner from the error of his ways (James 5:20).

2) Teach the ignorant truth and goodness.

3) Give your neighbor good and timely advice in a situation of difficulty or danger that he does not notice.

4) Pray to God for him.

5) Comfort the sad.

6) Do not repay the evil that others have done to us.

7) Forgive offenses from the heart.

5. The fifth commandment does not deny the punishment of the guilty according to justice, if this is done out of duty and with a good intention, that is, to correct him or to protect the innocent from his crimes.

6. The Beatitudes require from a Christian not only external actions, but also constant moods. From St. The Gospels show that the Lord praises the merciful not by their external deeds, but by the mood of love and generosity that prompts them to such deeds. This is clear from His preference for the poor donor, who gave two mites to the temple, over the rich, who put large sacrifices into the temple treasury.

7. It is absolutely impossible to do works of spiritual mercy and be a comforter and peacemaker without having a heart filled with love and compassion for others. Words of consolation and reconciliation, coming from a heart alien to love, will not have a good influence even about such a benefactor. Paul says this: “If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, then I am like a ringing brass or a sounding harp.” (1 Cor. 13:1).

8. The fifth beatitude contains an exhortation about the highest virtue of the Gospel, i.e. about love and pardon of the soul, was promised by the Lord as a reward not for the highest degree of this virtue, but for those Christians who, while striving in it, have not yet cleansed their souls from other passions and themselves primarily need Divine mercy.

9. There are many sayings in the Old Testament about God’s forgiveness of sins for mercy towards the unfortunate, but it is enough to quote the words of St. Apostle from the New Testament. James: “Judgment is without mercy to him who has shown no mercy; mercy is exalted above judgment” (James 2:13); and about spiritual mercy: “Whoever turns a sinner from the wrong path saves a soul from death and covers a multitude of sins” (James 5:20) and the Apostle Peter: “Above all, have fervent love for one another, because love covers a multitude of sins.” (1 Peter 4:8).

10. The virtue of mercy will be especially valued at the judgment of God. This is absolutely clear from the Lord’s speech about His Second Coming and the final judgment. (Matt. 25).

11. The fifth beatitude enjoins upon all Christians the fundamental virtues of generosity, selflessness and love.

12. We must constantly remember the words of Christ and Moses: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4), as well as the parable of the Lord about a man whose field produced a rich harvest ; how he was going to accumulate his wealth, without helping anyone, and God said to him: “Madman! This night your soul will be taken from you; who will get what you have prepared?” (Luke 12:20).

Chapter 21. About the sixth beatitude.

1. The sixth commandment of the Lord for beatitude requires that those who desire beatitude must be pure in heart.

2. Purity of heart is not the same as sincerity. Candor or sincerity, according to which a person does not hypocritically show good dispositions without having them in his heart, but good dispositions of the heart that appear in good deeds are only the lower level of purity of the heart. A person achieves purity of heart through the constant and unflagging feat of vigilance over himself, rejecting from his heart every unlawful desire and thought and every attachment to earthly objects, and constantly observing in his heart the remembrance of God and the Lord Jesus Christ with faith and love; this is called walking before God, for which in St. The Bible praises Enoch and Abraham.

3. The first basis for acquiring this feat of spiritual life or walking with God is the Fear of God, as it is said in the book of Proverbs: “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” (Prov.9:10).

4. The Lord promises Christians with a pure heart that they will see God.

5. This promise must be understood in such a way that the Word of God likens the heart to the human eye and ascribes to perfect Christians “the enlightenment of the eyes of the heart” (Eph. 1:18). Just as a pure eye is able to see light, so a pure heart is able to contemplate God.

6. This promise applies in its entirety to the future life, but partly also to the present. The Apostle testifies to this: “Now we see through a glass darkly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know, even as I am known.” (1 Cor. 13:12).

7. The virtue most closely associated with purity of heart is chastity, which is protected by abstinence and fasting; on the contrary, gluttony and drunkenness, as vices hostile to chastity, deprive the soul of the ability to ascend to the contemplation of God and the enjoyment of His words: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down by excess and drunkenness and the cares of this life... Therefore, watch at all times and pray , that you may be worthy to escape all these future disasters and to appear before the Son of Man." (Luke 21:34,36).

8. About what highest reward is promised to those who have maintained complete chastity and purity of heart, the Apostle John sees in the special glory of many righteous people singing before the throne of God as if a new song, which no one could learn except themselves, and explains: “These are those who who have not defiled themselves with women, for they are virgins; these are they who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. They are redeemed from among men, as the firstborn to God and to the Lamb." (Rev. 14:4).

Chapter 22. About the seventh beatitude.

1. The seventh beatitude requires that those who desire the beatitude be peacemakers.

2. We must not only act friendly with everyone, even with the concession of our rights, for the sake of preserving peace (unless this is contrary to duty and is not harmful to anyone), but also try to reconcile others who are at war with each other, as long as we have the opportunity, and when not We can pray to God for their reconciliation.

3. The virtue of peacemakers is great because it not only cares about what is connected with the life of the ascetic himself, but strives, as it were, to bring down heaven itself to earth, so that instead of the malice and hatred that separates people from each other, “the peace of God, which is above every mind, guards your hearts" (Phil. 4:7), just as the Son of God, "coming and preaching peace to you, both far and near." (Eph.2:17).

4. Peacemakers are people filled with high piety and zeal for God. The society with which they come into contact is imbued with an imitation of their zeal for God and love for their neighbor, and then their petty human quarrels and mutual malice, which took place while they did not have a higher goal in life, subside. So it is said about the first Christians that they had one heart and one soul. (Acts 4:32).

5. In order to acquire the spirit of a peacemaker in oneself, one must be able to find in each neighbor something good or susceptible to good, and from this side approach his soul in order to receive a good influence on it.

6. The best example of peacemaking is the Apostles themselves. This is evidenced by the words of St. Paul: "To the Jews I became as a Jew, that I might win the Jews; to the weak I became as weak, that I might win the weak. I became all things to all, that I might save at least some." (1 Cor. 9:20-22).

7. In order to make oneself capable of such insight into the good, one must first of all not condemn others, but for this purpose bridle one’s tongue, then one must pray for them and remove from one’s soul the thought of vanity and lust for power, so that all the good in the life around us is not directed towards ours, but to God's glory.

8. All Christians are called to the deeds of a peacemaker, but especially church shepherds, as successors to the apostolic ministry, about which the Church sings: “By the union of love the apostles, who have laid upon themselves Christ, who rules over all, have cleansed their red feet, preaching peace to all.”

9. The Lord promises the peacemakers that they will be called sons of God.

10. This promise signifies the greatness of both the feats of the peacemakers and the reward prepared for them. Since by their deed they imitate the Only Begotten Son of God, who came to earth to reconcile sinful man with the justice of God, then they are promised the gracious name of the sons of God and, without a doubt, a degree of bliss worthy of this name.

Chapter 23. About the eighth beatitude.

1. The eighth beatitude warns that those who desire beatitude must be prepared to endure exile for the sake of the truth, without betraying it.

2. Expulsion and slander are predicted for the zealots of truth and worshipers of Christ, because the world hates the servants of Christ, since the prevailing customs in it are evil, but are pleasant to the people of this world, and denouncers of public untruth are hated by it: “He who reproaches the wicked will gain a stain for himself.” (Prov.9:7).

3. Scripture confirms this view of the world. Ap. John writes: “The whole world lies in evil” (1 John 5:19). The Lord says to His disciples on the day of His betrayal: “If the world hates you, know that it hated Me before you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but since you are not of the world, I have chosen you out of the world, That's why the world hates you." (John 15:18,19).

4. According to the type of suffering, the Lord divides the blessings of those who suffer for the truth into two parts: their first degree consists in exile, which should be understood in the literal sense, as Saints Athanasius the Great, John Chrysostom, Metropolitan Philip of Moscow and many others were expelled into exile (and even in ancient times, Joseph the Patriarch), and in a more general sense, as the removal of his former friends and even relatives from a zealot of the faith; this first test of spiritual alienation, even without expulsion from one’s home and homeland, is pleased by the Lord in the 8th commandment, and expulsion by the verdict of the authorities and people is in the 9th.

5. As an example of the first kind of persecution in Holy Scripture, the entire 68th Psalm is written on behalf of such a sufferer for truth and faith: “For Your sake I bear reproach, and they cover my face with dishonor. I have become a stranger to my brothers and a stranger to the sons of my mother “For zeal for Your house consumes me, and the slander of those who slander You falls upon me.” (Psalm 69:8-10).

6. Those expelled for the sake of righteousness, like the poor in spirit, are promised the Kingdom of Heaven as a reward. The poor in spirit have renounced self-love, i.e. that feeling that alienates a person from God, and those expelled for the sake of truth have renounced a world hostile to the kingdom of God, and therefore are his most worthy heirs in heaven. The Lord Jesus Christ, having told His disciples that He had chosen them from the world, offered a prayer to the Heavenly Father for all those who believe in Him and said: “Father, whom You have given Me, I want them to be with Me where I am.” . (John 17:24).

Chapter 24. About the ninth beatitude.

(About works of spiritual mercy). I. Among the great ascetics who chose a desert life for the love of Christ, the church honors the Monk Isidore Pelusiot, whose memory is celebrated today. He left many letters and writings full of wisdom and edifying instructions. St. Isidore lived in the fifth century. He was born in Egypt, from wealthy parents, received a good education, and at a young age left the world, wanting solitude. He took monastic vows, then settled in a deserted place, near the city of Pelusium, in lower Egypt, which is why he received the nickname Pelusiota. Here he lived in strict abstinence, wore rough clothes, and ate only roots; He prayed incessantly and raised his thoughts to God. The rumor about his strict and pious life attracted other ascetics to him, and he was elected abbot of the monastery. Constantly caring for the spiritual benefit of the brethren, he guided them with wise instructions, taught them by word and example humility, meekness, mercy, non-covetousness, and the fight against passions and worldly thoughts. However, the teacher did not address only monks and desert dwellers. Isidore his teachings. His writings contain much that is edifying for people of all ranks. In letters, of which more than two thousand have reached us, he addressed both rulers and bishops with wise advice; he refutes false teachings; sets out the dogmas of faith, explains the Holy Scriptures, so that everyone can draw useful instruction from them. He considered his highest happiness to be if he managed to save any perishing soul, that is, to show it spiritual mercy. II. May the bright image of St. serve for us. Isidore Pelusiot is an example of spiritual mercy towards our neighbors. a) Mercy towards the body has so many different types that, it can be argued, there is absolutely not a single person who could not perform it in one way or another. Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, giving shelter to the strange, clothing the needy, serving the sick, visiting the prisoner - all these are various acts of mercy, for which our Lord I. Christ promised the kingdom of His Father as a reward (Matt. 25, 35 - 36) , and which, if not all are possible and accessible to all of us, then at least many for many. And a person does not at all need to be rich in order to be merciful, for even corporal deeds of mercy are assessed not by apparent significance, not by quantity, but by quality, by the zeal with which they are done, by the purity of means, intentions and motives. That is why sometimes one cup of cold water is more valuable to the recipient and more salutary to the giver than a handful of gold thrown out of vanity or with disdain for the needy. b) But along with the physical needs of our neighbors, there are also very diverse spiritual ones, which also require our compassionate participation. Here our neighbor suffers from ignorance in the matter of faith, is devoted to gross superstition, is not far from the danger of falling into the snares of false teachers, wicked and vicious people - let us hasten to his aid, as we would hasten to a drowning man: with all the measures within our power, which sincere sympathy inspires us to him, let's try to divert him from evil, remembering the words of St. Apostle that whoever converts a sinner from his false path will save the soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:20). Let us not wait for a call from those in need of our spiritual help, but let us deal with them as the Lord God deals with them, Who says about himself: I have revealed myself to those who did not ask about Me; Those who did not seek Me found Me (Isa. 65:1). Our neighbor is given over to inconsolable sadness and cowardice on the occasion of the everyday adversities, misfortunes and misfortunes that have befallen him; he may be inclined to murmur against God and is ready to fall into despondency and despair - the sin of Cain and Judas - let us take part in it, enter into his position, let him understand that we sympathize with him, share his grief: he who weeps with those who weep - a great benefactor for them. Our neighbor, when faced with difficult circumstances, does not know what to do, what to decide on; let us give him good advice and thereby prevent an unwise and, perhaps, irreversible step, which he would later repent of. We cannot be mentors and leaders of others; we will find other ways to be merciful. Someone has insulted us: we, of course, have the right to seek legitimate satisfaction for the insult, but it is better to tolerate and forgive the offender - and we will perfectly fulfill the commandment of mercy. III. Let us, brothers, imitate our all-merciful Savior, so that the Lord I. Christ will show mercy to us at the Last Judgment. (Extracted in abbreviation from the prop. appendix to the “Manual for the village past.” for 1891, December). Sermon by Archpriest Grigory Dyachenko. Reverend Isidore Pelusiot.

Venerable Isidore Pelusiot.

(About works of spiritual mercy).

I. Among the great ascetics who chose a desert life for the love of Christ, the church honors the Monk Isidore Pelusiot, whose memory is celebrated today. He left many letters and writings full of wisdom and edifying instructions. St. Isidore lived in the fifth century. He was born in Egypt, from wealthy parents, received a good education, and at a young age left the world, wanting solitude. He took monastic vows, then settled in a deserted place, near the city of Pelusium, in lower Egypt, which is why he received the nickname Pelusiota. Here he lived in strict abstinence, wore rough clothes, and ate only roots; He prayed incessantly and raised his thoughts to God. The rumor about his strict and pious life attracted other ascetics to him, and he was elected abbot of the monastery. Constantly caring for the spiritual benefit of the brethren, he guided them with wise instructions, taught them by word and example humility, meekness, mercy, non-covetousness, and the fight against passions and worldly thoughts.
However, the teacher did not address only monks and desert dwellers. Isidore his teachings. His writings contain much edification for people of all ranks. In letters, of which more than two thousand have reached us, he addressed both rulers and bishops with wise advice; he refutes false teachings; sets out the dogmas of faith, explains the Holy Scriptures, so that everyone can draw useful instruction from them. He considered his highest happiness to be if he managed to save some perishing soul, i.e. show her spiritual mercy.
II. May the bright image of St. serve for us. Isidore Pelusiot is an example of spiritual mercy towards our neighbors.
a) Mercy towards the body has so many different types that, it can be argued, there is absolutely not a single person who could not perform it in one way or another. Feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, giving shelter to the strange, clothing the needy, serving the sick, visiting the prisoner - all these are various acts of mercy, for which our Lord I. Christ promised the kingdom of His Father as a reward (Matt. 25:35 - 36) , and which, if not all are possible and accessible to all of us, then at least many for many. And a person does not at all need to be rich in order to be merciful, for even corporal deeds of mercy are assessed not by apparent significance, not by quantity, but by quality, by the zeal with which they are done, by the purity of means, intentions and motives. That is why sometimes one cup of cold water is more valuable to the recipient and more salutary to the giver than a handful of gold thrown out of vanity or with disdain for the needy.
b) But along with the physical needs of our neighbors, there are also very diverse spiritual ones, which also require our compassionate participation. Here our neighbor suffers from ignorance in the matter of faith, is given over to gross superstition, is not far from the danger of falling into the snares of false teachers, wicked and vicious people - let us hasten to his aid, as we would hasten to a drowning man: with all the measures that depend on us, which sincere sympathy inspires us to him, let's try to divert him from evil, remembering the words of St. Apostle that whoever converts a sinner from his false path will save the soul from death and cover a multitude of sins (James 5:20). Let us not wait for a call from those in need of our spiritual help, but let us deal with them as the Lord God deals with them, Who says about himself: I have revealed myself to those who did not ask about Me; Those who did not seek Me have found Me (Isa. 65:1).
Our neighbor is given over to inconsolable sadness and cowardice on the occasion of the everyday adversities, misfortunes and misfortunes that have befallen him; he may be inclined to murmur against God and is ready to fall into despondency and despair - the sin of Cain and Judas - let us take part in it, enter into his position, let him understand that we sympathize with him, share his grief: he who weeps with those who weep - a great benefactor for them.
Our neighbor, when faced with difficult circumstances, does not know what to do, what to decide on; let us give him good advice and thereby prevent an unwise and, perhaps, irreversible step, which he would later repent of.
We cannot be mentors and leaders of others; we will find other ways to be merciful. Someone has insulted us: we, of course, have the right to seek legitimate satisfaction for the insult, but it is better to endure and forgive the offender - and we will perfectly fulfill the commandment of mercy.
III. Let us, brothers, imitate our all-merciful Savior, so that the Lord I. Christ will show mercy to us at the Last Judgment. (Extracted in abbreviation from the prop. appendix to the “Manual for the village past.” for 1891, December).

“True mercy is the fruit of Christian love,” writes St. Tikhon. How high this virtue is, we see from the Holy Scriptures, when, depicting the Last Judgment of God, the mercy shown to others, “Christ attributes to Himself.” On the other hand, by grace a person “becomes like the merciful God” (3, 318).

The saint singles out the works of “spiritual mercy” (“to console the sorrowing,” “to guide the erring one on the path of truth,” “to bring to reason the one who hesitates,” etc.) and “physical mercy” (“to feed the hungry,” “to give drink to the thirsty,” “to clothe the naked,” etc.) etc.).

About the need for a Christian to do works of “spiritual mercy,” the saint writes: “The saving will of Christ our God demands from us that we seek both our own and our neighbor’s salvation and encourage each other to repentance and to please God. The honor of Christ also requires Christians to admonish each other and lead one another away from disorderly living, so that the name of God and Christian teaching do not suffer reproach from the pagans.” The Holy Scripture pleases the merciful: bliss of mercy, for there will be mercy(Matthew 5:7), as he warns the hard-hearted: judgment for without mercy he who has shown no mercy(James 2:13). Brotherly love moves a Christian towards mercy towards his neighbor, from which he also learns love for Christ. “Christian society, or the Church,” writes the saint, “is like an army. In the battle of this world, one warrior encourages and strengthens another who is exhausted: so in the Christian battle, victory is impossible without mutual help” 84 (3, 319). The surrounding nature seems to indicate to the saint the necessity of works of mercy towards all people equally. “The creation of God,” he writes, “serves everyone equally by the command of God. The sun, the month, the stars shine equally for the rich and the poor; The clouds give rain to the rich and the poor alike, the earth gives fruit to the rich and the poor alike. For we learn from this that the rich and the poor alike must be content with the good things of this world.” After all, we, “whatever good we have, is not ours, but is given to us by God, which was given to us not for the sake of us alone, but also for the sake of our neighbors” 85 (3, 321). Both God’s commandment and “natural law require that we do to our neighbor what we want for ourselves. We ourselves want to eat, drink, dress, and rest, so we must do the same for our brethren. Even the pagans, driven by natural law, show mercy on the poor.” If even this reasoning does not move the stony heart towards mercy, then the saint warns that the one who does not hear someone else’s prayer will not be heard by God in his prayers. "As you say: Lord have mercy, when you yourself are not kind? How will you ask with others: give it, Lord, when you don’t serve it yourself, but can you serve it? With what lips will you say: hear me, Lord, when you yourself do not hear the poor, or even more so, in the poor, Christ Himself, crying out to you?

Works of mercy, like deeds of other virtues, being performed on earth, ascend to heaven. “Now it is favorable to sow these good seeds,” says the saint, “so that on the General Resurrection we will reap with joy the incomparably multiplied and best fruit that endures forever.” The wealth “that is squandered here in the name of Christ will be found in heaven with great growth. He who shows mercy to the poor gives back to God. If it would be kind and joyful to appear before the merciful merciful and meek The Son of God with His many brethren, whom in His name here He fed, gave drink, clothed, and gave rest to! How much more desirable is it to hear this favorable voice from the righteous Judge: Come, blessed of My Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you(Matt. 25, 34). On the contrary, how terrible and unmerciful it will be to hear the terrible voice of the righteous Judge: depart from Me, curse, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angel(Matt. 25, 41)" (2, 164; 3, 318-323).

But those who want to take care only of themselves in earthly life and avoid eternal condemnation at all times seek justification for their unmercifulness. And the saint shows how unfounded their arguments are.

The saint also asks the question, “What is mercy and how to create it?” Not every good deed is a deed of mercy. “There is mercy when good is done to those who in no way deserve it from us, otherwise there will be no mercy, but reward. When good is done without any expected gain from the one who accepts it, otherwise there will be bargaining or mutual giving.” “Mercy should not be done for the sake of vanity, so as to receive praise from people, but in the name of Christ, for the glory of God and for the benefit of one’s neighbor.” The mercy shown should not be exalted, but the good done, as much as possible, should be forgotten: we give God’s, and not our own. Genuine mercy “is not done through compulsion, but out of loving will, zeal and heartfelt compassion for those who require mercy.” Alms should be given “not from theft and untruth, but from our estates, given to us by God.” Thus, selflessness, voluntariness and the mystery of giving, the humility with which it is given, as well as the “goodness” of the means from which the good deed is performed - these, according to St. Tikhon, are the necessary conditions for godly mercy, which Christians are commanded to do.

Although “mercy should be given to everyone who requires mercy,” it is also necessary to take into account the “need of the one who requires” it, as well as the capabilities of the benefactor: let the heart of one who has nothing to give, let him not be embarrassed, preserving only his good disposition: “it is considered mercy not only the work, but also the very zeal and desire to create mercy” 88.

In conclusion, the saint, citing the words of the Lord without Me you cannot do anything(John 15:5), adds: “Why every true good comes from God, therefore it must be attributed to God. To that one, as the Source and Giver of good things, thanksgiving, honor and glory are due” (2, 163-164; 3, 328-330).

Closer than others to the word “mercy” is the word “alms”, in a broad sense denoting any act of mercy and, as mentioned above, even the very desire to do it (27, 515). But in a narrow sense, alms is what is given to poor people. Those “who are truly beggars according to God’s Providence” can ask for alms without sinning against the law of God and their conscience; or who squander their property and give it to the poor, and so spontaneously deign to endure poverty for the sake of the name of Christ” (3, 332).

Almsgiving involves prayer for those who give it or are asked to pray for. But the saint advises not to be embarrassed by the unknown whether those who receive alms will pray, for “alms given simply from a pure and loving heart pray silently, and pray more than all men” (27, 516).

Perhaps it is through the example of works of mercy that one can see the insufficiency of ascetic work alone without its fruits - Christian virtues. “It is better for God to hear and accept alms done,” writes the saint, “than prayer, song and praise offered. What is prayer without alms? Like a voice without power. Without our mercy towards our neighbor, all our deeds are incomplete, like a tree without fruit.” “I know some,” St. Tikhon quotes the words of Saint Basil the Great, “who fasted, prayed, sighed and showed other virtues, but did not give a single penalty to the poor: what is the use of that?” 89 (27, 515-517).

According to the saint, a beggar resorts to the mercy of a rich man just as every Christian resorts to Christ (27, 615). The Lord gives to everyone, without reproach or conditions, as an example to those who have what to give. While we expect mercy from God for ourselves, let us show it, incomparably less, to our neighbor. And in this way we will not “earn” God’s mercy, but will only show ourselves ready and capable of receiving it.

The saint himself was constantly engaged in the creation of alms. Having experienced extreme poverty in childhood (he was almost given to be raised by a coachman, since his widowed mother had nothing to feed his family) and in his youth (while studying at the seminary, the future saint dug beds to feed himself and send help home), the saint until the end of his life gave life to those in need. “One year,” writes Metropolitan Evgeniy (Bolkhovitinov), “when there was a crop failure near Zadonsk and, therefore, the high cost of bread, the most salutary thing for the poor was his help. Every day, at the gates of the monastery and at his cell, greedy people appeared, to whom he sometimes distributed money, and sometimes bread that he had begged from good landowners, of whom he taught many to be philanthropic and give alms. Those who received pleased him with heartfelt thanksgiving and prayers, and this humane act glorified his name throughout all surrounding areas. But from this very fact he became more secluded, began to show himself less to the people, and was often forced to do charity not personally, but through the hands of his cell servants” (6 “Notes”, 50). And I. Efimov notes that the saint “that day on which he had no one from the poor, he was extremely bored, so that he seemed to be sad about the loss of some pleasant thing” (6 “Notes”, 36).

The saint’s desire to serve his neighbors even after his death is remarkable. “Two years before his death, he wrote a will about the images of the passion of Christ and about his small property, such as shirts, sweatshirts and other clothing. He handed over the will to one of his cell servants so that after the death of his Eminence, the icons of the saints would be given to his famous benefactors as a blessing, and the sweatshirts (of which there were 8) would be distributed to poor orphans; a simple carpet, which was stuffed with straw and on which he slept, and two of his own pillows, a sheepskin sheepskin coat, with which he dressed instead of a blanket, several shirts, and, moreover, two old duckweeds, a third silk duckweed, worn out, two cassocks, a small amount of tin and wooden utensils, all this, according to his will, was sold, and the entire amount, and at the same time the 14 rubles remaining after him. 50 k. were distributed to the poor. From the first years of his stay in the Zadonsk monastery, he sold his previous silk attire, cold and warm cassocks and cassocks with fox fur and other things suitable for the rank of bishop, a robe, a down jacket with down pillows and good blankets, solely for the purpose of distributing money to the poor for food; and also, having sold the best dream cassock that had once been given to him, he used the money for poor widows and orphans” (6 “Notes”, 38-39).

But even higher than mercy for Saint Tikhon is peacemaking: the merciful are promised only mercy from God, while peacemakers sons of God will be called(Matt. 5, 7, 9). In this regard, we present the testimony of Metropolitan Eugene about this side of the activity of the great saint. “A remarkable thing,” writes the Metropolitan, “is said about his visits: he often came to his friends uninvited and usually on such occasions when his presence was very necessary for them due to circumstances, so that without that they themselves would have wanted to call on him. This happened especially during family discord, during the division of inheritances, when children were upset, and the like. When he appeared between them, he was greeted as a messenger of heaven, kissed as a benefactor and friend, and listened to as a father and mentor. All his conversations were animated by meekness and teachings of brotherly love. No one dared to express hostility in front of him, and whoever he found guilty unquestioningly admitted himself. He did not leave such a house until he tamed the obstinate, until he reconciled everyone and established harmony. Then his pleasure and joy were complete, and leaving them, he invoked God’s blessing on everyone” (6 “Notes”, 58). The saint did the same in the monastery. “When any quarrel or irreconcilable disagreement occurred between the monastic brethren due to the machinations of the enemy and the innate weakness of man, he, having heard about it, called those of the brethren who were quarreling to him in their cells in order to reconcile them, with the destruction of hatred from their hearts. And when he himself, being either occupied with the thought of God, or due to poor health, was not able to speak much, then, having heard about the quarrel and enmity between the brethren, he sent a cell attendant to the quarrels to reconcile them on his behalf, in which many times, with God's help, and managed; after reconciliation, he called such people to himself, talking with them about the proper Christian and monastic life” (6 “Notes”, 43).