What you need to know if you have just started churching. For beginners in the church life
What to do after Epiphany?
First of all, realize that after Baptism a person becomes a member of the Church, and membership in any society or organization presupposes the existence of rights, duties and responsibilities. The Church is more important than any earthly organization, since it has an unearthly origin and its Head is our Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism opens the door to the Kingdom of Heaven and a person is given the right to enter this door and, subject to the fulfillment of duties, which are the commandments of God, inherit eternal life. Responsibility means an answer or a report on the work done on the fulfillment of duties, which each person will give to God at a private trial, that is, at the end of earthly life and at the general Last Judgment, which will be after the Second Coming of Christ the Savior on earth. The path is indicated, the door is open, all that remains is to make an effort to follow this path, that is, to begin churching.
What if you feel insecure while attending the temple, afraid of doing something wrong?
Don't be embarrassed by this. Uncertainty will quickly pass if you start going to the temple regularly. To learn more about the rules of conduct in the temple, you can purchase the corresponding literature in the church shop.
You should not be offended if someone in the church made a remark not quite correctly, for example, that the candle was placed in the wrong hand and in the wrong way, or that something else was done incorrectly. We must try not to condemn such people, but to tell them: "Forgive for Christ's sake." Or walk away in silence, praying: “Lord! Forgive me my sins, just as I forgive this person! "
What does the word "churched" mean?
A church-going Christian is one who clearly understands the purpose of the Christian life - salvation. He measures his thoughts and deeds with the Gospel and Sacred Tradition kept by the Church. For such a Christian person, it is the norm of life, fasting for him is not just a restriction in food and drink, but also a time of repentance for his sins, church holidays are a time of celebration about events that are directly related to the Providence of God for the salvation of man, and most importantly - to him yourself.
The churching of a person directly affects his office and personal relationships. They become brighter, deeper and more responsible. Violating church regulations, he realizes that he is not just doing wrong, but that he impoverishes and ruins his life. And at the first opportunity he resorts to the Sacraments of Confession and Communion, seeing in them the only possible medicine for healing his soul. Finally, a church-going person is one who perceives himself as a son of the Church, for whom any distance from her is painful and tragic. An unchurched person only has to acquire such a filial feeling in himself and understand that there is no salvation outside the Church.
Where to start churching?
Prayer, church attendance, regular participation in the Sacraments of Confession and Communion are the beginning and foundation of the church life of an Orthodox Christian.
What obstacles can be on the way to churching?
The obstacles on the path to churching can be those temptations and dislocations that are sometimes encountered in church life. These temptations and vices are real, real, but there are also seeming, far-fetched. But in any case, for a correct attitude towards them, one must always remember that the Church is by its very nature both heavenly and earthly. Heavenly in the Church is the Lord acting in it, His grace, His saints and disembodied angelic powers. And the earthly is people. Therefore, even in the church, one may encounter human shortcomings, completely "earthly" interests, and the weaknesses of people. In this case, it is very easy to be seduced and disappointed. But we must try to understand it correctly. People come to church to be saved, but they do not automatically become saints. They bring their diseases, passions, their sinful skills here. Many, with God's help, overcome themselves, their bad inclinations, but this sometimes takes years.
It is necessary to know oneself, one's own weakness, so as not to condemn anyone. It is important not to judge the Church as if from the outside, you need to live in it, feel yourself an integral part of it, consider its shortcomings as your shortcomings.
It is also necessary to know that the enemy of salvation always seeks to quarrel, divide people, and restore them against each other. And here his main weapon is a lie. He shows something that really does not exist, small mistakes are terrible crimes.
We must always remember that a lot depends on the thought with which, with what inner disposition a person evaluates the surrounding reality. Elder Paisius of Athos remarkably discusses how much the assessment of this reality depends on the "thought": flowers, then she will answer: “I don’t know about flowers. But that ditch is full of cans, manure, and sewage. " And the fly will begin to list you in order all the garbage dumps it has visited. And if you ask a bee: "Have you seen any impurities here in the vicinity?", Then she will answer: "Impurities? No, I haven't seen it anywhere. There are so many fragrant flowers here! " And the bee will begin to enumerate to you many different flowers - garden and field. You see: a fly knows only about garbage dumps, and a bee knows that a lily is growing nearby, and a hyacinth is blooming a little further.
As I understand it, some people are like a bee, while others are like a fly. Those who look like a fly look for something bad in every situation, and they only do that. They do not see a drop of good in anything. Those who look like a bee find goodness in everything. " “If you want to help the Church, correct yourself, and one part of the Church will be immediately corrected. If this were all, naturally, the Church would be corrected ”.
A person who condemns other people's shortcomings and sins eventually comes to a complete spiritual disorder and cannot help anyone in this way, but can only harm.
And, on the contrary, a Christian who spends an attentive life, works on himself, struggles with his passions, becomes a good example and helper for those who are close to him. And this (in doing what everyone in his place is called to do, trying to make it according to God) is the most real benefit that a believer can bring to the whole Church.
How and where to start your spiritual life?
- “Turn to the Lord and forgive sins; pray before Him and diminish your stumbling blocks. Return to the Almighty, and turn away from unrighteousness, and greatly hate the abomination ”().
Spiritual life is inner life. We must pay more attention to the inner state of the soul, the state of conscience, strive to live according to the commandments of God, constantly monitor thoughts and feelings, not condemn anyone, not be irritated at anyone and forgive everyone.
For those who want to start a spiritual life, it is necessary:
1) Turn to God in prayer, asking Him to grant pure, deep faith, without which there is no salvation for the soul.
2) Acquire Holy Scripture and read the New Testament. Moreover, having read it for the first time in full, reopen it all over again and every day read one or two chapters, slowly, carefully, reflecting on what has been read, trying to grasp the meaning of the Divine Revelation inherent in the text. At the same time, it is good and useful to read the Interpretation of the New Testament (for example, Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria).
You can begin your acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures by reading the Children's Bible, in which the entire history of the relationship between God and man is set forth in simple accessible language, the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and His teaching about the Kingdom of God are briefly and clearly described.
3) Start reading the patristic books, which constitute the treasury of spiritual knowledge.
The selection of patristic literature for reading is a purely individual matter, accomplished with the blessing of a spiritual mentor, but there are authors whose works are understandable and useful to everyone. This is Bishop Theophan the Recluse, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt. Of the modern authors - the books of Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). And, of course, it is soulful for everyone to read the lives of the saints.
4) In order to start teaching prayer, it is necessary to acquire the "Orthodox Prayer Book" - a collection of prayers compiled by the holy fathers, people who devoted their entire lives to serving God and so purified their souls that the Lord created them as vessels of Grace, conductors of Divine Revelation. We can say that the Spirit of God Himself dictated to the holy fathers the texts of the prayers, which the Church subsequently included in the collection for general use.
5) Observe the fast days established by the Church and all long-term fasts.
6) Regularly participate in the sacraments of Confession and Communion. The most common frequency of Communion is once every three weeks. It is possible to do this more often by asking the blessing of the priest.
7) It is necessary to pray to God for the gift of a spiritual leader - a priest, who could be entrusted with his soul for spiritual guidance.
What should you watch out for in order not to damage your soul?
- You should not enter into debate and listen to sectarians who convince that their faith is the most correct one.
Before entering an unfamiliar temple, one must find out whether schismatics “serve” in it.
You should not go to prayer and to "heterodox" (ie, non-Orthodox Christians).
You cannot communicate with representatives of the occult, the "White Brotherhood", the "Theotokos Center", Mormons, Eastern and pseudo-Eastern Hare Krishnas, Roerichites, psychics, sorcerers and "grandmothers", numerous "Orthodox healers". Communication with them causes great harm not only to spiritual, but also to bodily health.
You don't need to listen to people spreading various superstitions. You should not take from anyone homemade, handwritten or typed prayers and spells, even though the giver will persuade: "This is a very strong prayer!" If something similar has already been taken, you need to go to the priest and show him, the priest will tell you how to deal with it.
All problems should be addressed to the confessor or to the priest serving in the church. Do not be offended by the priest if it seems that he has not given enough attention; it is important to remember that there are other people who also need a pastor. We must try to listen attentively to the sermons of the priests, to read Orthodox spiritual literature, in which one can find answers to all questions concerning the spiritual life.
One should not get carried away by political passions - the people have such rulers, which they deserve in terms of their spiritual condition; First of all, you need to change your own sinful life, each will improve himself - the world around will improve.
It is important to remember that a person has nothing dearer than his own soul, you should not get carried away by an unrestrained pursuit of worldly values that take time and energy, devastate and kill the soul.
We need to thank God for everything that is sent: joys and sorrows, health and sickness, wealth and need, since everything that comes from Him is good; and even with sorrows, like a bitter medicine, the Lord heals the sinful ulcers of human souls.
Having embarked on the path of Christian life, one must not be faint-hearted, not fuss, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness” () - the Lord will give everything you need in due time.
In all your actions and words, you must be guided by the main commandment of love for God and your neighbors.
Can a Christian Drink Wine?
“Wine is good for human life if you drink it in moderation. What is life without wine? It was created for the amusement of people. Delight to the heart and consolation to the soul - wine, used in moderation at the right time; sorrow for the soul is wine when they drink it a lot, with irritation and quarrel. Excessive use of wine increases the rage of the unreasonable to stumbling, diminishing his strength and causing wounds. At a feast over wine, do not reproach your neighbor and do not humiliate him during his fun: do not say insulting words to him and do not burden him with demands ”(). "And do not get drunk with wine, from which there is debauchery" ().
Why is smoking a sin?
- Smoking is recognized as a sin because this habit, which is called harmful even in a secular society, enslaves a person's will, makes him seek his satisfaction again and again, in general, has all the signs of sinful passion. And passion, as you know, delivers only new torment to the human soul, deprives it of freedom. Sometimes smokers say that a cigarette helps them to calm down and focus internally. However, it is known that nicotine has a destructive effect on the brain and nervous system. And the illusion of tranquility arises because nicotine also has an inhibitory effect on the receptors in the brain. Everything that a person harms his health is sinful. Health is a gift from God.
Why is obscene language dangerous?
- The word plays a big role in the life of a person who, unlike all other living beings, is called a verbal creature. The word is the embodied thought and expression of human feelings. Each human word has its own spirit, innermost content that affects the human soul, depending on what word it is. The words of prayers ennoble and bring the soul closer to God, and dirty and unclean words bring the soul closer to those invisible beings who are themselves unclean. It is known that possession by unclean spirits sometimes manifests itself in the form of terrible foul language. And therefore, the one who accustom himself to utter bad words involuntarily inclines himself to obsession. Indeed, is it not an obsession when the swearing people simply cannot speak without bad words, and if they are forced to restrain themselves for a long time under certain conditions, then they feel an inner urge to obscene, as if inside someone demands to utter an evil word. So you can destroy your immortal soul by a simple habit of uttering unclean words. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned" ().
Will God Punish Those Who Watch TV?
- The Church does not prohibit watching TV, it warns how dangerous it is to be addicted to TV. Not even talking about programs that destroy the minds and souls of children and adults. One must be able to choose what is useful and what is harmful and destructive for the soul. There are many good programs, including Orthodox, but there are many in other programs and outright corruption, violence, hatred of a person. You must be able to press the button in time. “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is useful; everything is permissible for me, but nothing should possess me ”().
Can Orthodox Christians keep a dog in their consecrated dwelling?
- The opinion about the inadmissibility of finding dogs in apartments and other premises where there are icons and other shrines is superstition. A dog, as well as other animals that are not dangerous for people, can live in the dwelling of Christians. At the same time, it is necessary to take precautions so that pets do not have access to shrines (icons, holy books, antidora, holy water, etc.).
What is the difference between religion and science?
- Religion and science are two different and equally legitimate areas of human life. They can come into contact, but they cannot contradict each other. Religion drives science in the sense that it awakens and encourages a spirit of inquiry. The Bible itself teaches: "The heart of the intelligent seeks knowledge, but the mouth of the foolish feeds on foolishness" (). "The wise will listen, and he will increase knowledge, and the reasonable will find wise advice" ().
Both - religion and natural science - require belief in God for their justification, only for religion God stands at the beginning, and for science - at the end of all thinking. For religion, He is the foundation, for science - the crown of the development of the world outlook. A person needs natural sciences for knowledge, and religion - for action (behavior).
Why does a person live on earth?
- Earthly life is given to man to prepare for eternal life. The true meaning of life can consist only in the fact that it does not disappear with the death of a person, therefore, this meaning must be sought in the good not for the body, but for the immortal soul - in its virtuous qualities, with which it will go to God. "For all of us must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, so that each may receive according to what he did while living in the body, good or bad" (). The soul is immortal, and it will be able to enjoy the acquired gift of grace forever. “By grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from you, God's gift: not from works, so that no one can boast. For we - His creation - were created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God intended for us to do ”(). However, in order for the soul to be able to enjoy not only here on earth, it is necessary to enlighten, educate, train it in order to grow spiritually and improve, so that it can contain the joy that the Lord has prepared for all who love Him.
It is in the search for good and its creation, the gradual but steady cultivation in the soul of all the fullness of love that it is by its nature capable of, in the progressive advancement of the soul on the path to God - in this the only true, lasting meaning of human life is acquired. The goal of life is imitation of Christ, the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, constant communion with God, knowledge and fulfillment of the will of God, that is, in becoming God-like. The goal of life is attainable on condition that its main meaning is embodied, which consists in constant growth in love for God and people: "Love the Lord Thy God ... and your neighbor as yourself" (). An example of all-perfect sacrificial love was given by the Savior Himself, having gone to the sufferings of the cross for the salvation of all people (see). "Be like me, as I am Christ" ().
If there is no striving for this, then life, from the Christian point of view, is aimless, meaningless and empty. But in order to acquire the Holy Spirit, one must cleanse the heart from passions and, above all, from pride - the mother of all vices and sins.
A person should devote his entire earthly life to caring for his immortal soul, which will live forever, and not about the body and not about the acquisition of temporal earthly goods. "What is the use of a man if he gains the whole world, but damages his soul?" ().
60 Simple Tips for Beginners in the Spiritual Life. Of course, it is impossible to perform them all at once, but perhaps you can start ... Little by little, little by little, without any strain. God help! 1. In bed, awakening first of all, remember God, and put the sign of the cross on yourself.
2. Do not leave the prayer rule that you have, and start spending your day with it.
3. During the day, at every activity, pray short prayers. Prayer is the wings of the soul; prayer makes the soul the throne of God.
4. For God to hear prayer, you need to pray not with the tip of your tongue, but with your heart.
5. Let none of those around you be left in the morning without your sincere greetings.
6. Do not give up your prayers when the enemy becomes insensible; whoever compels himself with a dryness of his soul to prayer is higher than the one who prays with tears.
7. You need to know the New Testament with your mind and heart, learn in it constantly, do not interpret the incomprehensible yourself, but read the patristic interpretations or ask your spiritual fathers for explanations.
8. There is no salvation without confession and Communion. Do not forget to drink holy water with a thirst for the sanctification of soul and body.
9. Greetings to the Queen of Heaven: "Rejoice, Virgin Mary ..." pronounce more often, or at least for every hour.
10. In your free time, read the writings of Orthodox fathers - teachers of spiritual life, and if you do not have, then persistently ask the one who has them.
11. In temptations and adversities, keep more the Psalter and read the canon of prayer to the Most Holy Theotokos: "With many we contain adversity." She is our only Intercessor.
12. When the demons throw their arrows at you, when sin approaches you, then sing the hymns of Passion Week and Holy Easter, read the canon with akathist to the Sweetest Jesus Christ, and the Lord will release the bonds of darkness that bound thee. Call also to the Most Holy Theotokos and the Guardian Angel. Read many times "Mother of God, Virgin, rejoice ..."
14. In fasting time, fast, but know that not only abstinence of the womb, but also abstinence of the ears, eyes, tongue, and also abstinence of the heart from passions is pleasing to God.
15. A person who begins a spiritual life should remember that he is sick, his mind is in delusions, his will is more inclined to evil than to good, and his heart is out of purity from seething passions, therefore, at the beginning of spiritual life, everything should be directed towards acquiring spiritual health with humility.
16. Spiritual life is a constant, incessant war with enemies for the salvation of the soul. Never sleep with your soul, your spirit must be vigorous, always call your Savior, the Mother of God and the Guardian Angel for help in any battle.
17. Be afraid to agree to sin and unite with sinful thoughts, inspired by you, the approaching enemy to you. The one who has agreed has already created what he has thought about. If you creep in your thoughts, then crush your heart and repent, the enemy will instill: "You have already sinned in thought, create sin in deed." Answer the mental killer: “I have sinned before my God, and before Him I will repent. And who are you?"
18. Remember, God desires your salvation and has done everything for your salvation, therefore, in order to perish, you need to be careless.
19. Ask the Lord constantly: "Thy fear put into my heart." Oh, how blessed is he who has constant awe before God.
20. Give your whole heart to God without a trace and you will feel heaven on earth.
21. Your faith should be strengthened from frequent recourse to repentance and prayer, as well as from communication with people of deep faith.
22. Get yourself a memorial, write there all those who hate and offend you, as well as the sufferers of our age and those for whom there is no one to pray, commemorate them daily.
23. Seek constantly and tirelessly works of mercy and passionate love. Without these deeds, it is impossible to please God. Be the sun for everyone, mercy is above all sacrifices.
24. Do not go anywhere without an urgent need, do not fuss and at home. The pursuit of wealth, the many caresses are the enemy's trick for our time.
25. Talk as little as possible, laugh, be curious, idle.
26. Never be idle, consider church holidays and Sundays as the fulfillment of the works of God, and not as sinful amusements or idle pastime.
27. Love holy solitude.
28. Endure all insults at first in silence, then by reproaching yourself, and then by prayer for those who offend.
29. The most important thing for us is to learn patience and humility. With humility we will defeat all demons, and with patience we will defeat the passions that are at war on our soul and body. Asking for humility in prayer, we ask God to allow some person to reproach us. Humility and love for enemies will not come naturally. They need to be acquired by properly enduring reproaches and humiliations.
30. Do not show at your prayer, to anyone except God, your tears of tenderness and your zeal for salvation.
31. Honor an Orthodox priest as an Angel, an Evangelist, sent to rejoice you and bring you deliverance.
32. Treat people as carefully as with the heirs of the Great Kingdom, but also as carefully as with fire. Remember the words of the Savior that everything that you do to your neighbor, you do to Himself. Our neighbor is our salvation or destruction.
33. Farewell to all and sympathize with all in their sufferings. -
34. Do not rush only with yourself, like a chicken with an egg, forgetting about your neighbor.
35. He who seeks rest here, the Spirit of God cannot abide in him, there is no love for God and neighbor in him.
36. Longing and confusion attacks from lack of prayer.
37. Always and everywhere call on your Guardian Angel for help. His suggestions bring heavenly peace to the soul, and from the evil one - confusion of the spirit, even if the thoughts seemed correct to us.
38. Keep always crying heart about your sins. When you confess them and partake of the Holy Mysteries of Christ, rejoice quietly about deliverance.
39. Know only your own obscenities and shortcomings, and beware of strangers. Do not destroy yourself by condemning others, the one who condemns is the Antichrist. One is God's judgment, the other is human. Weeping for the weakness of others, may they not perish forever. He who weeps for himself does not condemn others, but loves them, and wishes them, as himself, eternal salvation.
40. Do not believe any, even your good wishes, before they are approved by an experienced confessor. Don't trust your heart, check yourself with the writings of the Orthodox holy fathers.
41. Every evening confess to God in all your sinful deeds, words and thoughts that were during the day. Earlier in monasteries every evening the novices opened their thoughts to the elder.
42. Before going to bed, make peace with everyone with all your heart.
43. You shouldn't tell others dreams and don't believe them yourself. More than once the devil deceived and even destroyed those who believed in their dreams. *
44. Sleep with the sign of the cross and the Jesus prayer.
45. Night prayer is more expensive than day prayer.
46. Don't lose touch with your spiritual father.
47. Thank God for everything
48. You must always divide yourself into yourself and into your enemy: avoid what your inner enemy wants.
49. Inner sorrow for one's sins is more salvific than all bodily deeds.
50. There is no better word in our language than “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Lord, save me a sinner. "
51. Love all the church statutes and draw your life closer to them.
52. Get used to vigilant and always watch yourself, especially your external senses. Through them, especially the enemy enters the soul. Watch your thoughts carefully.
53. When you realize your weakness and powerlessness to do good, then remember that it is not you who save yourself, but your Savior, Lord Jesus Christ, saves you.
54. Your faith must be inaccessible, for the fierce enemy does not sleep, guards your every step. But God loves a courageous soul who always trusts in Him.
55. No one entered heaven, living cool.
56. We are brought closer to God by sorrows, labors and diseases; do not murmur against them, do not be afraid of them.
57. As often as possible, with tenderness and contrition of heart, partake of the Holy Mysteries of the Body and Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. You are only alive by them.
58. Never forget that death can kidnap us every minute, do not forget that judgment and retribution are coming soon. Remember that you are always in the presence of God and under His omniscient gaze.
59. Remember also what the Lord has prepared for those who love Him, and His commandments to those who do.
60. Read this alphabet at least once a week.
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Peace to you, dear visitors of the Orthodox island "Family and Faith"!
WITH Today we will examine an important question of spiritual life: where to start your churching?
A person's churching begins from the moment when he realizes that he cannot live on living God. It is at these moments that a person's life values are reassessed, and he realizes that real, real life is possible only in the bosom of the Church, only according to the Gospel Word, only with God and only for God.
When a person realizes that without living faith in God and without God's help, it is simply impossible, difficult and meaningless to live, then he begins to look for the path to God. And, probably, the very first and most correct steps of a novice Christian on the path to churching are attending church services.
In the Temple of God, while attending church services, one can be imbued with grace and ask the Lord to direct oneself to the true path. At first, the words of the service, and the service itself, may be incomprehensible. But gradually, day after day, month after month, the service will become clearer and clearer, more familiar and necessary. After all, it is there, in the Temple of God, among fellow believers praying, that one can be strengthened in faith and like-mindedness, with Orthodox Christians like yourself.
In addition to going to the Temple, the novice Christian should familiarize himself with the Sacraments of Confession and Holy Communion. To do this, you need to find out the schedule of services of the Temple, the parishioner of which you want to become, then you need to find out when the priest of this Temple accepts Confession (as a rule, this happens at an evening service).
It is good to buy brochures on the preparation for Confession in the church shop, which describe those sins to which a person is especially prone. At home, you should read the purchased brochures, take a blank sheet of paper and write a detailed list of your sins, which, subsequently, will be read by you to the priest in the Sacrament of Confession.
The second step on the path to churching is the responsible observance of fasts, both multi-day and one-day. If a person intends to seriously change his life, “because the gate is narrow and the path leading to life is narrow, and few find it” (Matthew 7:14) and walk the narrow and narrow path of salvation, then he must seriously and responsibility to approach such a question as - fasting. If a person has serious illnesses, he can take the priest's blessing to ease the fast, but if he is healthy, then fasting, for the sake of the Lord, will be a joy for him!
You should not try to study the Holy Scriptures at home, focusing only on your own mind. As St. Fathers of the Church - this is very dangerous, since the enemy of our salvation can easily confuse us and lead us astray.
Scripture should be listened to in the Temple at services (the Gospel, Psalter, Apostle, etc.), or you need to enroll in a Sunday parish school for the Law of God (if there is one at your Temple). Of course, at home you can and should read the Holy Gospel, and the Psalter, and the acts of the Apostles, and the Lives of the Saints, but you should not try, at first, to understand anything from what you read, since the Lord does not immediately make a person wise, but only afterwards. ...
When taking the first steps on the path to God, you should not be afraid and fear that you will not succeed. Our first steps in the Temple are like the first steps of a baby. When the baby takes his first step, he feels the support of his dear and beloved mother, whose hands are always ready to pick him up if he suddenly stumbles and falls. Likewise, a person, taking his first step on the path to God, is invisibly supported by God Himself, Who is ready to lend us a helping hand at any moment, to catch us and prevent us from falling.
Therefore, you should never be afraid and afraid that you will not understand something or do something wrong. Yes, you do not yet know many of the intricacies of church life, but you have a head on your shoulders, and therefore, soon you will learn everything, much that is not clear will become clear, everything will fall into place. This is comparable to how you begin to learn something: whether it is an advanced training, a new job, a new profession. At first, everything seems alien and incomprehensible, but with the effort and time, everything turns out to be not so complicated, understandable and even interesting.
Likewise, church life is at first difficult and incomprehensible, but if you are serious about achieving your goal, if you seriously and responsibly approach the issue of changing your life, then, with the help of God, everything becomes simple and clear.
30.1. What if you feel insecure while attending the temple, afraid of doing something wrong?
- Don't be embarrassed by this. Uncertainty will quickly pass if you start going to the temple regularly. To learn more about the rules of conduct in the temple, you can purchase the corresponding literature in the church shop.
You should not be offended if someone in the church made a remark not quite correctly, for example, that the candle was placed in the wrong hand and in the wrong way, or that something else was done incorrectly. We must try not to condemn such people, but to tell them: "Forgive for Christ's sake." Or walk away in silence, praying: “Lord! Forgive me my sins, just as I forgive this person! "
30.2. What does the word "churched" mean?
- A churched Christian is one who clearly understands the goal of the Christian life - salvation. He measures his thoughts and deeds with the Gospel and Sacred Tradition kept by the Church. For such a person, Christianity is the norm of life, fasting for him is not just a restriction in food and drink, but also a time of repentance for his sins, church holidays are a time of celebration about events that are directly related to the Providence of God for the salvation of man, and most importantly - to him. yourself.
A person's being churched directly affects his office and personal relationships. They become deeper and more responsible. Violating church regulations, he realizes that he is not just doing wrong, but that he impoverishes and ruins his life. And at the first opportunity he resorts to the sacraments of Confession and Communion, seeing in them the only possible medicine for the healing of his soul. Finally, a church-going person is one who perceives himself as a son of the Church, for whom any distance from her is painful and tragic. An unchurched person only has to acquire such a filial feeling in himself and understand that there is no salvation outside the Church.
30.3. Where to start churching?
- Prayer, church attendance, regular participation in the sacraments of Confession and Communion are the beginning and foundation of the church life of an Orthodox Christian.
30.4. What obstacles can be on the way to churching?
- Obstacles on the path of churching can be those temptations and discontent that sometimes occur in church life. These temptations and vices are real, real, but there are also seeming, far-fetched. But in any case, for a correct attitude towards them, one must always remember that the Church is by its very nature both heavenly and earthly. Heavenly in the Church is the Lord acting in it, His grace, His saints and disembodied angelic powers. And the earthly is people. Therefore, even in the Church, one may encounter human shortcomings, completely "earthly" interests, and the weaknesses of people. In this case, it is very easy to be seduced and disappointed. But we must try to understand it correctly. People come to the Church to be saved, but they do not automatically become saints. They bring their diseases, passions, their sinful skills here. Many, with God's help, overcome themselves, their bad inclinations, but this sometimes takes years.
It is necessary to know oneself, one's own weakness, so as not to condemn anyone. It is important not to judge the Church as if from the outside, you need to live in it, feel yourself an integral part of it, consider its shortcomings as your shortcomings.
It is also necessary to know that the enemy of salvation always seeks to quarrel, divide people, and restore them against each other. And here his main weapon is a lie. He shows something that really does not exist, small mistakes are terrible crimes.
We must always remember that a lot depends on the thought with which, with what inner disposition a person evaluates the surrounding reality. Elder Paisius of Athos remarkably discusses how much the assessment of this reality depends on “thought”: “When some told me that they were tempted, seeing much inappropriateness in the Church, I answered them like this:“ If you ask a fly, are there flowers in the vicinity? , then she will answer: “I don’t know about flowers. But that ditch is full of cans, manure, and sewage. " And the fly will begin to list you in order all the garbage dumps it has visited. And if you ask a bee: "Have you seen any impurities here in the vicinity?", Then she will answer: "Impurities? No, I haven't seen it anywhere. There are so many fragrant flowers here! " And the bee will begin to enumerate to you many different flowers - garden and field. You see how: the fly knows only about garbage dumps, and the bee knows that a lily is growing nearby, and a little further away a hyacinth has blossomed.
As I understand it, some people are like a bee, while others are like a fly. Those who look like a fly look for something bad in every situation and only do that. They do not see a drop of good in anything. Those who look like a bee find goodness in everything. " “If you want to help the Church, correct yourself, and one part of the Church will be immediately corrected. If everyone did this, naturally, the Church would reform. "
A person who condemns other people's shortcomings and sins eventually comes to a complete spiritual disorder and cannot help anyone in this way, but can only harm.
And, on the contrary, a Christian who spends an attentive life, works on himself, struggles with his passions, becomes a good example and helper for those who are close to him. And this (in doing what everyone in his place is called to do, trying to make it according to God) is the most real benefit that a believer can bring to the whole Church.
30.5. How and where to start your spiritual life?
– “Turn to the Lord and forsake your sins; pray before Him and diminish your stumbling blocks. Return to the Almighty, and turn away from untruth, and greatly hate the abomination "(Sir 17: 21-23).
Spiritual life is inner life. We must pay more attention to the inner state of the soul, the state of conscience, strive to live according to the commandments of God, constantly monitor thoughts and feelings, not condemn anyone, not be irritated at anyone and forgive everyone.
For those who want to start a spiritual life, it is necessary:
1) Turn to God in prayer, asking Him to grant pure, deep faith, without which there is no salvation for the soul.
2) Acquire Holy Scripture and read the New Testament. Moreover, having read it for the first time in full, reopen it all over again and every day read one or two chapters, slowly, carefully, reflecting on what has been read, trying to grasp the meaning of the Divine Revelation inherent in the text. At the same time, it is good and useful to read the Interpretation of the New Testament (for example, Blessed Theophylact of Bulgaria).
You can begin your acquaintance with the Holy Scriptures by reading the children's Bible, in which the entire history of the relationship between God and man is set forth in simple accessible language, the earthly life of the Lord Jesus Christ and His teaching about the Kingdom of God are briefly and clearly described.
3) Start reading the patristic books, which constitute the treasury of spiritual knowledge.
The selection of patristic literature for reading is a purely individual matter, accomplished with the blessing of a spiritual mentor, but there are authors whose works are understandable and useful to everyone. This is Bishop Theophan the Recluse, the holy righteous John of Kronstadt. From modern authors - the books of Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). And, of course, it is soulful for everyone to read the lives of the saints.
4) In order to start teaching prayer, it is necessary to acquire the "Orthodox Prayer Book" - a collection of prayers compiled by the holy fathers, people who devoted their whole lives to serving God and so purified their souls that the Lord created them as vessels of grace, conductors of Divine Revelation.
5) Observe the fast days established by the Church and all long-term fasts.
6) Regularly participate in the sacraments of Confession and Communion. The most common frequency of Communion is once every three weeks. You can do this more often by asking the priest for the blessing.
7) It is necessary to pray to God for the gift of a spiritual leader-priest, who could be entrusted with his soul for spiritual guidance.
30.6. What should you watch out for in order not to damage your soul?
- You should not enter into debate and listen to sectarians who convince that their faith is the most correct one.
Before entering an unfamiliar temple, one must find out whether schismatics “serve” in it.
You should not go to prayer and to non-Orthodox (i.e. non-Orthodox Christians).
You cannot communicate with representatives of the occult, the "White Brotherhood", the "Theotokos Center" (another name is "The Church of the Transforming Mother of God", currently the "Sovereign Orthodox Church of the Mother of God"), Mormons, Eastern and pseudo-Eastern Hare Krishnas, Roerichs, psychics, sorcerers and "Grandmothers", numerous "Orthodox healers".
You don't need to listen to people spreading various superstitions. You should not take from anyone homemade, handwritten or printed prayers and spells, although the giver will persuade: "This is a very strong prayer!" If something similar has already been taken, you need to go to the priest and show him, the priest will tell you what to do.
All problems should be addressed to the confessor or to the priest serving in the church. Do not be offended by the priest if it seems that he has not given enough attention; it is important to remember that there are other people who also need a pastor. We must try to listen attentively to the sermons of the priests, to read Orthodox spiritual literature, in which one can find answers to all questions concerning the spiritual life.
It is important to remember that a person has nothing dearer than his own soul, you should not get carried away by an unrestrained pursuit of worldly values that take time and energy, devastate and kill the soul.
We need to thank God for everything that is sent: joys and sorrows, health and sickness, wealth and need, since everything that comes from Him is good; and even with sorrows, like a bitter medicine, the Lord heals the sinful ulcers of human souls.
Having embarked on the path of Christian life, one must not be faint-hearted, not fuss, "Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness"(Matthew 6:33) – all that is necessary will be given by the Lord in due time.
In all your actions and words, you must be guided by the main commandment of love for God and your neighbors.
30.7. Can a Christian Drink Wine?
–“Wine is good for human life if you drink it in moderation. What is life without wine? It was created for the amusement of people. Joy to the heart and comfort to the soul–wine consumed in moderation on time; sorrow for the soul is wine when they drink it a lot, with irritation and quarrel. Excessive use of wine increases the rage of the unreasonable to stumbling, diminishing his strength and causing wounds. At a feast over wine, do not reproach your neighbor and do not humiliate him during his fun: do not say insulting words to him and do not burden him with demands "(Sir 31: 31-37). "And do not get drunk with wine, from which there is debauchery"(Eph. 5:18).
30.8. Why smoking–sin?
- Smoking is recognized as a sin because this habit, which is called harmful even in a secular society, enslaves a person's will, makes him seek his satisfaction again and again, in general, has all the signs of sinful passion. And passion, as you know, delivers only new torment to the human soul, deprives it of freedom. Sometimes smokers say that a cigarette helps them to calm down and focus internally. However, it is known that nicotine has a destructive effect on the brain and nervous system. And the illusion of tranquility arises because nicotine also has an inhibitory effect on the receptors in the brain. Everything that a person harms his health is sinful. Health is a gift from God.
30.9. Why is obscene language dangerous?
- The word plays a big role in the life of a person who, unlike all other living beings, is called a verbal creature. The word is the embodied thought and expression of human feelings. Each human word has its own spirit, innermost content that affects the human soul, depending on what word it is. The words of prayers ennoble and bring the soul closer to God, and dirty and unclean words bring the soul closer to those invisible beings who are themselves unclean. It is known that possession by unclean spirits sometimes manifests itself in the form of terrible foul language. Indeed, is it not an obsession when swearing people simply cannot speak without bad words, and if they are forced to restrain themselves for a long time under certain conditions, then they feel an inner urge to obscenities, as if inside someone demands to utter an evil word. So you can destroy your immortal soul by a simple habit of uttering unclean words. "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned"(Matthew 12:37).
30.10. Will God Punish Those Who Watch TV?
- The Church does not prohibit watching TV, it warns how dangerous it is to be addicted to TV. Not even talking about programs that destroy the minds and souls of children and adults. One must be able to choose what is useful and what is harmful and destructive for the soul. There are many good programs, including Orthodox, but there are many in other programs and outright corruption, violence, hatred of a person. You must be able to press the button in time. “Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is useful; everything is permissible for me, but nothing should possess me "(1 Cor. 6:12).
30.11. Can Orthodox Christians keep a dog in their consecrated dwelling?
- The opinion about the inadmissibility of finding dogs in apartments and other premises where there are icons and other shrines is superstition. A dog, as well as other animals that are not dangerous for people, can live in the dwelling of Christians. At the same time, it is necessary to take precautions so that pets do not have access to shrines (icons, holy books, antidora, holy water, etc.).
30.12. What is the difference between religion and science?
- Religion and science are two different and equally legitimate areas of human life. They can come into contact, but they cannot contradict each other. Religion drives science in the sense that it awakens and encourages a spirit of inquiry. The Bible itself teaches: "The heart of the prudent seeks knowledge, the mouth of the foolish feeds on stupidity"(Prov. 15:14). "The wise will listen, and he will increase knowledge, and the reasonable will find wise advice."(Proverbs 1: 5).
Both - religion and natural science - require belief in God for their justification, only for religion God stands at the beginning, and for science - at the end of all thinking. For religion, He is the foundation, for science - the crown of the development of the world outlook. A person needs natural sciences for knowledge, and religion - for action (behavior).
30.13. Why does a person live on earth?
- Earthly life is given to man to prepare for eternal life. The true meaning of life can only consist in the fact that it does not disappear with the death of a person, therefore, this meaning must be sought in the good not for the body, but for the immortal soul - in its virtuous qualities, with which it will go to God. " For all of us must appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, in order to each receive according to what he did while living in the body, good or bad "(2 Cor. 5:10). The soul is immortal, and it will be able to enjoy the acquired gift of grace forever. " By grace you are saved through faith, and this is not from you, God's gift: not from works, so that no one can boast. For we - His creation - were created in Christ Jesus for the good works that God has ordained for us to do”(Eph. 2: 8-10). However, in order for the soul to be able to enjoy not only here on earth, it is necessary to enlighten, educate, train it in order to grow spiritually and improve, so that it can contain the joy that the Lord has prepared for all who love Him.
It is in the search for good and its creation, the gradual but steady cultivation in the soul of all the fullness of love that it is by its nature capable of, in the progressive advancement of the soul on the path to God - this is the only true, lasting meaning of human life.
The goal of life is imitation of Christ, the acquisition of the Holy Spirit, constant communion with God, knowledge and fulfillment of the will of God, that is, in becoming God-like. The goal of life is achievable provided that its main meaning is embodied, which consists in a constant growth in love for God and people: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God ... and thy neighbor as thyself"(Mark 30-31). An example of all-perfect sacrificial love was given by the Savior Himself, having gone to the sufferings of the Cross for the salvation of all people (see John 13:15). "Be Like Me, As I Am Christ"(1 Cor. 4:16).
If there is no striving for this, then life, from the Christian point of view, is aimless, meaningless and empty. But in order to acquire the Holy Spirit, one must cleanse the heart from passions and, above all, from pride - the mother of all vices and sins.
A person should devote his entire earthly life to caring for his immortal soul, which will live forever, and not about the body and not about the acquisition of temporal earthly goods. "What is the use of a man if he gains the whole world, but damages his soul?"(Mark 8:36).
For many people, the world of Orthodox, spiritual literature is mysterious. After all, we do not get to know him at school or at the institute. The abundance of books published today by Orthodox publishing houses raises many questions: where to start your self-education? Are all books useful for a layman to read? We talk about this with Bishop Pokrovsky and Nikolaev Pachomius.
- The concept of "spiritual literature" is quite broad. This is a whole series of books on various topics. Often, the works of holy ascetics are referred to as spiritual literature, who set out in them the experience of their spiritual life. The main criterion for the spirituality of literature is its conformity with the gospel spirit. These books help to understand the Gospel, to know the Divine world, to improve spiritually, to learn prayer, and most importantly - to learn how to check your actions with the commandments of Christ.
In the modern world, the concepts of "spirituality" and "spiritual development" have acquired a slightly different meaning than the one that is invested in it in Christianity. The Orthodox person in the concept of "spirituality" puts the development of the human soul, its striving for God. Therefore, we can probably talk about Muslim, Buddhist spirituality. The authors of the course Fundamentals of Religious Cultures and Secular Ethics proceed from this today, assuming the presence of confessional spirituality. And talking about a kind of abstract spirituality, when a person simply imagines images, concepts of a certain vague spiritual life, is not serious. Sometimes it can even lead to tragedy. Because, not wanting to understand the spiritual, supernatural world, a person can fall under the power of the fallen spirits and be seriously damaged.
- How should a person start acquaintance with the world of spiritual literature: from serious work or from the beginning?
- The first spiritual book that every person needs to read is the Gospel. Then it is worth getting acquainted with the interpretation of the Holy Scriptures. Because the Gospel is a rather specific book, it contains many deep images, historical allusions, examples. In order to understand them, you need to have a certain skill, knowledge, conceptual apparatus. Many patristic creations allow us to correctly interpret the Holy Scriptures, help us to understand what Christ tells us and what Christ teaches us. You can advise, for example, the works of St. John Chrysostom or Theophylact of Bulgaria.
And then you need to go on a broad front. On the one hand, church life is determined by external actions, a set of rules for external behavior. A lot of good literature is being published on this occasion these days. You should definitely read the "Law of God", which tells about what a temple is, how to behave in it correctly, how to confess, and receive communion.
The second important direction is the development of the inner spiritual life of a person. Because one can learn to observe all the rules of external Christian piety, but at the same time not particularly understand what is happening in the Church and what spiritual life is. It is imperative to get acquainted with the patristic literature. Every Christian needs to read The Ladder of St. John of the Ladder, The Psychic Teachings of Abba Dorotheos, The Invisible War of Nikodim the Holy Mountain. Because it is a kind of primer for spiritual life. To apply the Gospel in your life, you need an example of ascetics, whose labors, deeds, and searches we meet on the pages of spiritual books.
- Modern man often refers to the lack of time that could be allocated for serious reading. What would you suggest?
- I do not think that this is only a problem of modern man, it is unlikely that there was more time in antiquity. There is only one advice: start reading and devote to it even the shortest, but still constant time during the day. For example, for 10-20 minutes before going to bed, everyone can read the "Psychic Teachings" of Abba Dorotheus. You know, when they talk about a modern person, I always remember a scene from the cartoon about Prostokvashino: “I'm so tired at work that I can hardly have enough strength to watch TV”.
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- The implementation of any prescription is always associated with certain difficulties. It is always difficult to do what is difficult. And when we read about the performance of a certain virtue - such as love towards one's neighbor, forgiveness, humility - it is always difficult. But here it is worth remembering the Russian proverb: "You can't get a fish out of a pond without difficulty." Therefore, here is the main principle: read - start, even with the smallest. The man says, "I can't pray, I don't have enough time." Start praying with one or two prayers, read one or two pages a day. So that you do not become like people who are always learning and never able to reach the knowledge of the truth (see: 2 Tim. 3, 7). Often priests are asked, "How can we learn humility?" You cannot do this without beginning to humble yourself before your boss, husband, wife, children, and everyday difficulties. So it is with other virtues.
- Can serious ascetic labors harm a person? After all, sometimes you can hear such a statement: "These are books for monks, it is better for laymen not to read them."
- No, I think that spiritual books cannot harm a person. You can also say: "Can the works of professors and scientists harm a student who is starting to study physics?" Everything has its time, and each has its own measure. The beginning Christian needs to read spiritual literature. And although by definition it is practically all monastic, but what is written in it can be attributed to any Christian. After all, by and large, how does a monk differ from a layman? Only a celibate life. The rest of all the prescriptions that are offered in the spiritual literature are valid for both the monk and the layman.
But at the same time, one must perfectly understand that the main virtue, which the holy fathers often write about, is reasoning. You need to be able to correctly evaluate what you read. A person is so structured that it is easier to always accept the extreme. Since the book was written by a monk, and I am not a monk, then I do not need to read it. Often such a thought becomes an excuse, an excuse that for me that small measure of spiritual development, which I have determined for myself, is enough. But if we open the Gospel, we will see that Christ calls man to perfection. So, be perfect as your Heavenly Father is perfect (Matt 5:48).
- It is difficult to say about each person. Perhaps the Gospel can be called for everyone. By the way, you can meet many people who call themselves churchmen, but at the same time have never read the Gospel, Holy Scripture. I think calling myself a Christian - and not reading the Gospel, being able to read, is very shameful. And then you need to get acquainted with the interpretations of Holy Scripture, and with the hagiographic historical literature, which makes it possible to evaluate your life using the examples of pious ascetics. One should be interested in contemporary church literature, read periodicals. There is a lot of literature, and the main thing is to correctly prioritize. In this, help should be provided by a priest, with whom a person can meet in the temple and have a thoughtful talk.
Unfortunately, today people generally read very little, and therefore are not very interested in spiritual literature. Therefore, it is important for the priest in the church to tell parishioners about the benefits of spiritual reading, about new books, about spiritual writers. There should be a good library at the temple, a selection of books on a candle box or in a church shop. The assortment of books that are sold on a candle box always makes it possible to understand how the parish lives. In private conversations with parishioners during off-service hours or during confession, the priest should advise spiritual books.
- We are now celebrating the Day of the Orthodox Book. Various activities will be carried out by the parishes of the Intercession Diocese. How can every Christian celebrate this holiday?
- In the most direct way: take a spiritual book and start reading it.