Laura Melik. A powerful prayer shield for all occasions. Prayers, amulets, conspiracies. "Who is my neighbor
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.
(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 concerned about 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 he who 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.
The Gospel description of the Last Judgment (see: Matt. 25: 31–46) contains a very important truth: justification or condemnation is carried out according to the principle of our attitude towards people, namely: whether we were merciful to others. By showing participation or, on the contrary, indifference to a suffering person - and every suffering person bears within himself the image of God - we thereby build our inner attitude towards God: “just as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matthew .25:40).
The Gospel, therefore, clearly testifies: whoever sees those in need and does not do everything in his power to provide help, deprives himself of hope for grace-filled communion with Christ. “Whoever misses the opportunity to do good,” explains St. Nicodemus the Holy Mountain, “not only loses the fruit of goodness, but also offends God. God sends someone in need to him, and he says: “Come later.” Although he speaks to man, it is the same as to God who sent him. God will find another kind person, and the one who refused will answer for himself.”
– this is the simplest way in which we can become like God. “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Not everyone is able to acquire prolonged, attentive prayer, withstand fasts fully in accordance with the Rule, gain the deepest humility or meekness, have a prudent attitude towards life, or even more so, ascend to the heights of life. O marriage. And mercy towards others is available to everyone.
At the same time, when we talk about mercy, it is important to remember that the word “mercy” means not just an act, but a special spiritual disposition. Grace is empathy and compassion, a heartfelt desire to help someone in need. For the merciful, every sufferer is family and friends. Moreover, with true mercy, a person gives what is his to another and rejoices.
The Prologue relates how in one monastery the following pious custom was observed from ancient times. Every year on Maundy Thursday, the poor, widows, orphans came to the monastery from all the surrounding places and took from the common property of the monks an established amount of wheat, a small amount of wine and honey, and five copper coins. So it's light Christ's Resurrection they spent without need and in joy.
One day there was a crop failure, and the price of bread rose enormously. Although the brethren had plenty of food supplies, they thought that the donors’ alms would stop during the crop failure, and suggested that the abbot this year break the pious custom and not give wheat to the needy. For a long time the virtuous abbot did not agree to the request of the brethren. “It is a sin to violate the statutes given to us by the holy founder of the monastery,” he said, “it is a sin not to hope that the Lord will nourish us.” But since the brethren resolutely declared that they did not want to feed others at the expense of themselves, he answered with spiritual sorrow: “Do as you wish.” And the poor, who came to the monastery with hope, returned from there with despair.
But on Holy Saturday the monastery cleric went to the granary to give out clean flour for the bread. As soon as he opened the doors, he noticed a bad smell: all the wheat had rotted so much that all that remained was to throw it into the river. The brothers were surprised, regretted their action and did not know what to do; and the pious abbot, calmly looking at the spoiled bread, said: “Whoever breaks the commandment of the holy father, the founder of the monastery, does not trust in God’s Providence and does not have mercy on the poor, must certainly be punished for disobedience. You have spared five hundred measures and destroyed five thousand... From now on, know whether you should trust in God or in your barns.”
It is vain to think that you can be happy without helping others. There will never be joy in your heart if you turn away from your neighbors, refuse to help them and think only of yourself. Our soul thirsts for goodness and love not only from someone, it has a need to open up to people, to bring them light and warmth. Therefore, when you do good, you yourself become happy. A person who does not love his neighbors, who does not wish the best for other people, is a flawed person. And one more thing: this is a deeply unhappy person.
But even if we help the suffering person only because we see him as a pitiful creature, then our mercy is pagan. We throw a piece of bread to the animal when we see that it is hungry. But the holy righteous John of Kronstadt says: “Know that yours is always insignificant in comparison with man, this child of God.” Christian charity sees the image of God in the needy, even if trampled upon by earthly vicissitudes. This means that we have no right not to help.
Here it is important to understand that everyone who suffers grief is God’s chosen one, who is given the opportunity to bear his own cross in life, which perhaps we are not capable of. By helping such a person, we share his grief with him, but in the end we also become accomplices of God’s choice given to him.
Unfortunately, in life we constantly have to observe the opposite situation. We don't want to be kinder and more merciful to each other. They are always dissatisfied, irritated, and in relation to their neighbors they are precise in formalities: it’s impossible, it’s not allowed, it’s not allowed. Moreover, when we show hard-heartedness towards others, we often want and seek to be treated condescendingly and kindly. We are reluctant to meet our neighbors halfway even in small ways, and in our personal lives we strive to occupy a position in which others would be obliged to help us.
An acquaintance, the vice-rector of a theological seminary, told how, having assumed an administrative position, he was faced with the need to lead others. Actually, administrative work involves constant control, demands, and organization of others to work. The entire life of an administrative person turns into constant instructions to others what and how to do, into penalties: why didn’t you do it or did it wrong? This leaves an imprint on the personality. But one day, when he was filing an insurance claim in connection with damage to a car, he was informed by mobile phone that the student agreed to have the rector sign the document, three hours later he would board the train with the documents, and the rector unexpectedly left the seminary. The only one who can still sign is the vice-rector. But he sits in the insurance claims department and thinks about how to properly document the damage, which for some reason the police did not all record in the report. The distance between them is such that the student will still be late if he goes to him first. The right decision did not come immediately. Although it was evening and the vice-rector had a child with him who still had to prepare his homework, he decided to go to the station to meet the student at the train.
The seminarian was clearly late, and, standing on the platform, my friend began earnestly asking the Lord to help. There were only a few minutes left before departure. He bought a fountain pen, which, as always at such moments, was not in his briefcase, so he could immediately sign the document. A miracle did not happen - the train left. The student came running only three minutes later, but during this time the vice-rector managed to think through what to do so that the student would not be shocked. He immediately took him to hand over his ticket. I immediately found out that in two hours there was another train in the same direction. Surprisingly, only one seat was free. I had to add money to buy a ticket. But in the end everything was resolved successfully. This means that the Lord helps us in everyday situations, but especially helps us when we ourselves strive to participate in the lives of our neighbors.
The author of these lines knows many priests who help others free of charge. And these priests always experience joy, as if they were not giving, but acquiring themselves. Mercy always brings with it breadth and spaciousness to the soul; the merciful person leaves the narrow framework of internal self-isolation, finds freedom and joy of the heart in the good done for others, while selfishness always impoverishes life.
An egoist, like a thief, hides from others in order to snatch only for himself - he is unhappy and pathetic in his self-interest and, like a mole, digs holes in earthly things, away from the light, as if trying in advance to equip his own grave with accumulations.
But man is a creature with such deep spiritual needs that cannot be satisfied by self-interest. The possession of earthly treasures will never give happiness to anyone if they are not shared with their neighbors. This truth is expressed by St. Maximus the Confessor: “What is mine is what I give to others.” Because the heart rejoices only by opening up to others, and not by closing in on itself. Our famous fabulist Ivan Andreevich Krylov presented this figuratively in the fable “The Hind and the Dervish,” concluding:
Yes, true goodness
Without any reward he does good:
He who is good finds excess a burden,
As long as he doesn’t share them with his neighbor.
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There are people who, according to the word of Scripture, “will not sleep unless they do evil” (Proverbs 4:16). But there are also people who cannot sleep if they have not done good to someone. Among the saints who became famous for their special concern for the poor, the Patriarch of Alexandria John, nicknamed the Merciful, enjoys the greatest veneration. He spent all his money on helping the unfortunate, remaining himself in extreme poverty. Once, a noble resident of Alexandria gave him an expensive blanket, asking him to make use of this gift. Indeed, Saint John covered himself with a blanket at night, but the thought that it would be possible to help the unfortunate with expensive things did not give him peace. In the morning, John sent the blanket to be sold and distributed the proceeds to the poor. The donor saw his blanket in the market, bought it and brought it back to St. John. But the saint of God did the same thing before evening, in order to fall asleep peacefully. When the donor brought the blanket for the third time, Saint John said: “I will always sell this thing that is unnecessary to me; We’ll see who is the first of us to stop doing his own thing.”
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov once rightly said: “It is necessary that behind the door of every satisfied person, happy person someone would stand with a hammer and constantly remind him by knocking that there are unfortunate people, that, no matter how happy he is, life will sooner or later show its claws to him, trouble will strike him - poverty, losses, and no one will see or hear him how now he does not see or hear others.”
Who will remind every person behind the door of the soul with his knock of the need to do mercy? This should be, first of all, our conscience. The very essence of a person is determined by what he is like alone with his conscience.
But here is how the righteous saint warns us: “Be attentive to yourself when a poor person in need of help asks you for it: the enemy will try at this time to fill your heart with coldness, indifference and even disdain for the person in need; overcome these non-Christian and non-human dispositions in yourself, arouse in your heart compassionate love for a person similar to you in everything, and whatever the needy person asks you to do, fulfill his request to the best of your ability.”
Already in school years I couldn’t pass by a beggar without giving him some. If there was nothing to give, he always said: “Sorry.” Once Gogol even remained in debt to a beggar woman. To her words: “Give for Christ’s sake,” he replied: “Count for me.” And the next time, when she turned to him with the same request, he gave her double, explaining: “This is my duty.”
In the Holy Scriptures, refusal to give alms is clearly viewed as a sin (see: Deut. 15: 7–9). And about alms itself it is said this way: when giving it, “your heart should not grieve” (Deut. 15: 10). “Give to the one who asks you, and do not turn away from the one who wants to borrow from you” (Matthew 5:42). And although there are those who ask who have turned poverty into a craft, it is not our business every time to figure out where and why our alms will go. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7), says the Savior, without discussing any conventions.
In order to learn Christian charity, several rules can be proposed:
1. Serve, although a little, but with. You don't have to give everything you have. Give at least a little, pinch yourself in small ways, but only without irritation towards the person: not brushing off the poor person like an annoying fly, but wishing him well.
2. Be sure to help those people whose poverty of life you know for sure - relatives, employees, acquaintances.
3. Do not judge beggars who beg for food, but, as it seems to you, would be able to work themselves or will allegedly use your alms for bad reasons. Everyone will answer for themselves.
4. Finally, do not give alms out of a desire for praise, for the sake of apparent prestige, ranking, or even just a report. Such people “already receive their reward” on earth, remaining without the reward of the Heavenly Father (see: Matt. 6: 1-2).
According to St. John Chrysostom, mercy has various images. There are works of physical mercy: feeding the hungry, giving drink to the thirsty, clothing the naked or lacking necessary clothing, visiting the sick, welcoming a stranger into a home, etc. And there are spiritual works of mercy, which are as much higher as the soul is higher than the body. The works of spiritual mercy, for example, are as follows: to convert a sinner from error, to teach an unbeliever truth and goodness, to give good advice to a neighbor in difficulty or a danger he does not notice, to comfort the sad, not to repay evil with evil, to forgive offenses from the heart.
You can also help with a warm prayer for him. We don’t always have money with us, but prayer, as the holy fathers say, is always with us. Moreover, it is in vain to think that by providing only material assistance to another, you have fulfilled your Christian duty, as if you have bought yourself off from the demands of the Gospel. The Savior calls us to raise everyone to unity with God: “That they all may be one, just as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You, that they also may be one in Us” (John 17:21). Prayer paves the way to this.
Prayer unites, graciously binds together everyone for whom we say our prayers before the Lord. Therefore, prayer is an opportunity to do good to people always and everywhere.
In prayer there is no division into distant and close, into enemies and friends, because in the prayer requests of a Christian everyone is placed before the All-Seeing God, everyone is called to His eternal Kingdom.
But prayer is prayer only when it finds a response in the heart of the one praying, when the soul is burning with the desire to give others eternity, to ask the Lord for this priceless gift for others, and therefore prayer from the heart is always a triumph of love and goodness, it is the beginning of victory over hostile feelings, malice and hatred.
Prayer is asking for mercy from the Lord. To pray from the heart for someone means to feel someone else’s pain and reach out to the person in need, as if to take his burden, so that he himself can feel better.
So, many means to mercy are offered to us, and although the specific choice remains ours, one thing is certain: every step towards another, every good deed, alms, selfless help and prayer for others will find its justification, decorate the soul of a merciful person and make his life more joyful and happy.
“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 thoughts 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 own 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).
II. Works of mercy
In Russian theology, according to the tradition laid down by Peter Mogila (“ Small Catechism ") it is customary to distinguish between corporal (material) and spiritual works of mercy.
Saint Philaret (Drozdov) in the “Long Orthodox Catechism of the Orthodox Catholic Church” Eastern Church” writes: “The fifth commandment of the Lord for blessedness is that those who desire blessedness must be merciful.
This commandment should be fulfilled through works of mercy - physical and spiritual, for, as St. John Chrysostom says, the image of mercy is varied and this commandment is broad (Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, conversation 15).
Corporal works of mercy These are: 1. To feed the hungry. 2. Give drink to the thirsty. 3. Clothe the naked or lacking in necessary clothing. 4. Visit someone in prison (in custody). 5. Visit the sick person, serve him and help him recover or Christian preparation for death. 6. Accept a stranger into your home and provide him with rest. 7. Bury the dead in squalor (in poverty, in poverty).
Spiritual works of mercy the essence is as follows. 1. By exhortation to turn the sinner from the error of his way (from his false way) (James 5:20). 2. Teach the ignorant truth and goodness. 3. Give your neighbor good and timely advice in case of difficulty or in case of 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 with all your heart (About the Fifth Beatitude ).
Material works of mercy:
1. Feed the hungry, give food to those who, due to illness or other circumstances, cannot obtain it by their own labor and need the help of other people. God calls people to this through the Old Testament prophets: “Break your bread to the hungry” (Isa. 58:7).
2. Give water to a thirsty person who, due to weakness or other circumstances, needs this help. This work of mercy will not go unrewarded according to the words of the Savior: “And whoever gives you a cup of water to drink in My name, because you are Christ’s, truly I tell you, will not lose his reward” (Mark 9:41).
2. Dress someone who lacks the necessary clothing or give him the means to purchase it. Saint John Chrysostom, wanting to arouse mercy in people, said: “Here is a severe cold; the beggar lies on the platform, dressed in rags, dying from the cold, gnashing his teeth, and arousing compassion with his appearance and clothes; but you, dressed warmly and intoxicated, pass by, not paying attention to him...
If you despise such a person, then how can God forgive you your sins against Him? Doesn't this deserve Gehenna? And here’s what’s strange: often you cover a dead, lifeless body, no longer feeling honor, with many different gilded clothes; and the body that is suffering, sick, tormented and exhausted by hunger and cold, you despise; you please vanity more than the fear of God...
Immediately more reproaches begin against the approaching poor man. Why, you say, doesn't it work? Why does he eat bread without working? But tell me, did you yourself, through your labors, acquire what you have? Wasn't it his father's inheritance he received? And even if you worked, is that really why you can reproach another? Have you not heard the words of Paul: “But do not be weary, brethren, in doing good?” And he says this after he said: “If anyone is unwilling to work, neither should he eat” (2 Thess. 3:13, 10)" (Commentary on the Epistle to the Hebrews. Conversation 11 ).
4. Visit someone in custody. Saint John Chrysostom (Interpretation of the Gospel of John. Conversation 60 ): “Let us not neglect such a matter and occupation... If you say that there are not honest, kind and meek people kept there, but murderers, robbers, thieves, adulterers, dissolute people and villains, then in this again you will show me the motivation why it is necessary visit such places. For we are not commanded to show mercy to the good and punish the evil, but we are commanded to show kindness to all. “Be,” it is said, “like the heavenly Father, for He commands His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45).
5. Visit the sick person, serve him, help him recover or Christianly prepare for his death. Saint Gennadius Scholarius, Patriarch of Constantinople, called for observance of this rule: visit the sick person and bring him what he wants to taste, serve him yourself as your relative, knowing that you too can suffer. When someone groans heavily from illness, shed tears of compassion and sigh to God for his painful condition. If a doctor happens to be here, give him payment for healing the sick ( ).
6. Accept a stranger into your home and do for him everything that Christian love inspires and that means allow you to do. “Establish a dwelling,” says Saint Chrysostom, “where Christ would come, say: “This is Christ’s cell, this house is appointed for Him.” Even if this dwelling is not rich, He does not disdain. Christ walks in the form of a naked and wanderer, needing only a covering; give Him at least this; don’t be cruel and inhuman..." (Interpretation of the Acts of the Apostles. Conversation 45 ).
7. Bury the dead in squalor and provide assistance for this according to their condition. Saint Gennady Scholarius: “If the sick person dies, close his eyes with your hands, close your lips and wash him with your hands; Pray to God for his soul with all your heart. If he is poor, try to bury him properly" (Rules of Saint Gennadius, Patriarch of Constantinople on faith and Christian life ).
Spiritual works of mercy
Russian theologian Archpriest Grigory Mikhailovich Dyachenko (1850-1903) writes in the book “Catechetical teachings explaining the teaching of the Orthodox Church, with biblical and historical applications”:
First thingspiritual mercy is an admonition to turn a sinner from the error of his path. Just as great is the misfortune of a person when he stands on the path of error and sin, so great is the merit of the one who not only avoids sins himself, but also takes care to keep others from them. The Apostle James teaches: “Brothers! If any of you deviates from the truth, and someone converts him, let him know that he who converts a sinner from his false path will save his soul from death and cover a multitude of sins” (James 5: 19-20).
SecondThe work of spiritual mercy is to teach the ignorant truth and goodness. This responsibility lies not with the pastors of the church alone, but to some extent with everyone in general. Saint Tikhon (Zadonsky): “Pastoral work is to preach the word of God publicly and everywhere, to insist in good times and untimely, to reprove, to forbid, to plead (2 Tim. 4:2), and yours is not public, but secretly, in a friendly manner, between you and your brother, where the grace of God gives you an opportunity. Another replies: “I am ignorant; How can I exhort or teach my neighbor? Answer: “Love will find words with which you can edify your neighbor; she will present you with a way to direct your mind and tongue.”
Third case- give good and timely advice to your neighbor in difficulty or danger that he does not notice. Very often, such advice can protect your neighbor from great disasters.
Fourth casespiritual mercy - praying to God for your neighbor. Often we cannot show other acts of mercy to our neighbor, but we can pray for everything and for everyone. And having, apparently, no means of doing good to our neighbors, we can do all kinds of good to them, offering warm prayers for them to the Almighty. For the Lord Himself said: “And if you ask the Father anything in My name, I will do it, that the Father may be glorified in the Son” (John 14:13).
Fifth casespiritual mercy - to console the sad. Sadness is a disease of the soul. How bodily illness prevents the body from acting freely; This is how sadness binds the activity of mental forces. Therefore, it is a great benefit to relieve the sorrow of the soul with consolation and direct it to godly activities.Saint Gregory the Theologian : “Great healing for the ill-fated, when someone sincerely regrets him: the misfortune of another is eased by contrition and condolences.”
Sixth casespiritual mercy - not to repay evil for evil, but to endure insults and insults with complacent patience for the sake of Christ. The Apostle Peter teaches us this virtue, saying: “Be all of one mind, compassionate, brotherly, merciful, friendly, humble in wisdom; Do not repay evil for evil or insult for insult; on the contrary, bless, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing” (Pet. 3:8, 9).
Seventh casespiritual mercy - to forgive offenses from the heart. The Lord teaches this by word and example. “Forgive,” He commands, “if you have anything against anyone, so that your Heavenly Father may forgive you your sins” (Mark 11:25); since He Himself “did not slander one another; while suffering, he did not threaten” (1 Pet. 2:23); on the contrary, and from the cross he prays to the Heavenly Father for His crucifiers, crying out: “Father! forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34). Saint John Chrysostom says: “Forgive the offenses of those who have sinned against you, for for this you too have been promised forgiveness of sins.”
Prayer occupies a special place in works of mercy - for our neighbors, for those who have sinned, for those who do not know God. Our prayer for them is an act of mercy and it brings God's blessing. Seraphim of Sarov advised: “If you do not have anything with you that you could give to a beggar, pray to the Lord for him.”
Conditions of Gospel mercy:
1. Compassion.
Venerable Simeon the New Theologian (Word seventieth ): “Who are the merciful? Are they the ones who give money to the poor and feed them? No, this is not the only thing that makes one merciful: there must be mercy of the heart.
And those merciful ones who became poor out of love for Christ, who became poor for our sake, and have nothing to give to the poor, but, remembering the poor, widows, orphans and the sick, and often seeing them, are consumed with pity for them and cry, like Job, who says about himself: Did I not weep for him who was in grief? (Job 30, 25).”
Speaking about this condition, it is appropriate to recall the biblical expression, which is translated into Russian as “gracious mercy” (Luke 1:78).
According to the words of St. Gregory of Nyssa, “mercy is the strengthening of love” (About the bliss. Word 5 ).
2. Charity must be given voluntarily, willingly, cordially, with love for those in need, with a feeling of gratitude to the recipient, remembering that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). We must try not to humiliate or insult the person we want to help with our help. John Chrysostom: “To give alms does not just mean giving, but with zeal, with joy and with a feeling of gratitude to the recipient: “Not with grief,” it is said, “and not with compulsion; For God loves a cheerful giver” (2 Cor. 9:7). So, if someone does not give with such a disposition, it is better not to give, because this is not alms, but a waste" (Commentary on the Epistle to the Philippians. First conversation ).
3. Do not do good according to the principle “It is on You, God, that it is not good for us!”
: “It is so difficult for us to part with our goods, it is so difficult to detach ourselves from things and money, that if we happen to lose it all for some reason, then we are not happy with life. Lord, dispose our hearts to give away at least that which we can easily do without, deliver us from the passion of covetousness and wean us from placing our hope in wealth, so fragile and fleeting!...
Deeds of alms are then pleasing to the Lord when they are done from one’s own property, acquired by honest labor, and not by theft, deception and untruth. And in order to give sufficient alms, it is necessary to limit your expenses, for example, not to buy excessively expensive things that you can easily do without, for this is the theft of the property of the poor, since our surplus belongs only to them.”
4. Alms should be done in secret! "Give to everyone who asks you; when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing.”(Matthew 5:42).
One should “help others not out of vanity and pride, not out of a desire for gratitude and reward from God, but out of sincere love for one’s neighbor! And if you still “trumpet” about your deeds, then you will add vanity to hypocrisy. And then your goodness, visible to others, will turn into obvious evil for you.
So beware! When doing good, it is better not to know about your good, that is, to immediately forget it. And move on to other good deeds. And then right hand will not have time and will not want to find out what the left one is doing. And God, who sees in secret, will reward you openly.
While we are still at peace with those to whom we do a little good, it is as if we do not remember our small services and goodness, but as soon as a quarrel or enmity arises, we begin to list our good deeds in relation to the current “enemy” and complain at his ingratitude. This is where all the vain emptiness of our affairs is revealed.”Archimandrite John (Peasant) .
The Fathers of the Church teach that God is displeased with hypocritical charity, which aims to earn human praise, selfish charity, with the expectation of reciprocal benefits, and charity from unjust means.
John Chrysostom spoke about the latter: “Keep your hands from covetousness - and then extend them to alms. If we use the same hands to strip some and clothe others, then at least we clothed them with something other than what we stole, and in this case we will not escape punishment. Otherwise, alms will be a reason for every crime.
It is better to show no mercy than to show such mercy. After all, it was better for Cain not to bring anything at all. And if he, by bringing less, angered God, then how can he not anger Him who gives someone else’s? I commanded you, God will say, not to kidnap, but
do you honor Me by being kidnapped? Do you really think that this is pleasant for Me?” ( Interpretation of the Gospel of John. Conversation 73).
How to cultivate the virtue of mercy?
I. Take the example of the Savior.
The God-man Jesus Christ is a model of mercy for us:
Out of mercy, Jesus healed the sick: “And Jesus went out and saw a multitude of people, and had compassion on them, and healed their sick” (Matthew 14:14).
Out of mercy, Jesus restored sight to the blind: “And as they went out from Jericho, a great multitude followed him. And so, two blind men who were sitting by the road, hearing that Jesus was passing by, began to shout: have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! The people forced them to remain silent; but they began to shout even louder: have mercy on us, O Lord, Son of David! Jesus stopped, called them and said: what do you want from Me? - They say to Him: Lord! so that our eyes may be opened. Jesus, being moved with compassion, touched their eyes; and immediately their eyes received sight, and they followed Him” (Matthew 20:29-34).
Out of mercy, He cleansed the lepers: “A leper comes to Him and, begging Him and falling on his knees before Him, says to Him: If you want, you can cleanse me. Jesus, having compassion on him, stretched out his hand, touched him and said to him: I want you to be clean. After this word, the leprosy immediately left him, and he became clean” (Mark 1:40-42).
Out of mercy, Jesus healed the possessed: “And they brought him to Him. As soon as the demoniac saw Him, the spirit shook him; he fell to the ground and lay there, emitting foam. And Jesus asked his father, “How long ago did this happen to him?” He said: since childhood; and many times the spirit threw him into both fire and water to destroy him; but, if you can, take pity on us and help us. Jesus said to him: if you can believe as much as possible, all things are possible to him who believes. And immediately the boy’s father exclaimed with tears: I believe, Lord! help my unbelief. Jesus, seeing that the people were running, rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him: the spirit is dumb and deaf! I command you, come out of it and do not enter it again. And, screaming and shaking him violently, he went out; and he became as if dead, so that many said that he was dead. But Jesus took him by the hand and raised him up; and he stood up” (Mark 9:20-27).
Out of mercy, the Lord resurrected the dead: “When He approached the city gates, they carried out the dead man, the only son of his mother, and she was a widow; and many people went with her out of the city. Seeing her, the Lord took pity on her and told her: don’t cry. And, approaching, he touched the bed; those carrying them stopped, and He said: young man! I'm telling you, get up! The dead man got up, sat down and began to speak; and Jesus gave him to his mother" (Luke 7:12-15
Out of mercy, Jesus fed thousands of people: “Jesus called His disciples and said to them, “I have pity on the people, because they have been with Me for three days and have nothing to eat; I don’t want to let them go dumb, lest they become weak on the road. And His disciples said to Him: where can we get so much bread in the desert to feed so many people? Jesus said to them: How many loaves have you? They said: seven, and a few fish. Then he ordered the people to lie down on the ground. And taking the seven loaves and fishes, he gave thanks, broke them, and gave them to his disciples, and the disciples to the people. And they all ate and were filled; and they took up the remaining pieces into seven baskets full, and those who ate were four thousand, besides women and children” (Matthew 15:32-38).
2. Imitate the holy saints of God. There are countless examples of true mercy in the history of the Church. Saint Martin the Merciful (October 25), who lived in IV century, served in the Roman army. Keeping from his salary only as much as was needed for food, denying himself everything, he used the rest to help the unfortunate, clothe the naked and feed the poor.
One day, passing through the city gates, Martin met a half-naked beggar, almost completely numb from the severe cold. Passers-by paid no attention to him and left him without any help. Martin also had nothing. He could not give the beggar any alms, since he had previously given away all his money. Then he took off his cloak and, dividing it into two halves, gave one to a poor man suffering from the cold, and wrapped himself in the other half. The life of the saint identifies this beggar with Christ.
The holy righteous Philaret the Merciful (December 14), who lived in Asia Minor in the 8th century, was rich. He loved the poor and needy and generously provided for them. After the raid of robbers on his village, he was left with two oxen, a horse, a cow and some land (arable land). Like righteous Job, he did not complain, but surrendered himself to the will of God and did not stop helping the poor. So first he gave one ox, then another to a villager whose oxen had died in the arable land. He gave the calf to the poor, and then the last measure of wheat. His granddaughter, Maria, selected among the most beautiful girls for the royal looks, she became the wife of the emperor. Fame and wealth came to righteous Philaret. But, as before, he generously distributed alms, arranged meals for the poor and served them himself.
3. Strive to keep the gospel commandments:
“...be merciful, just as your Father is merciful (Luke 6:36);
“...in everything you want people to do to you, so do you to them...” (Matthew 7:12).
If we desire compassion and help from others when we suffer illness, misfortune, or need, then others, in all fairness, have the right to expect the same compassion and the same help from us.
Saint Gregory the Theologian: “Let the healthy and rich comfort the sick and poor; who did not fall, fell and crashed; cheerful-despondent; enjoying happiness, tired of misfortunes. Give something to God in gratitude for the fact that you are one of those who can provide benefits, and not one of those who need benefits, that it is not you who look into the hands of others, but others into yours...
Every navigator is close to shipwreck... so everyone who has a body is close to bodily ailments... While you are sailing in a favorable wind, give your hand to the one who is shipwrecked; while you are healthy and rich, help the needy... Even if you have nothing, cry with the suffering: the great medicine for him is mercy coming from your heart; and sincere compassion greatly alleviates grief” (Ilarion (Alfeev).Life and teaching of St. Gregory the Theologian. Mercy).
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