Orthodox stories parables of different monks. Parables for children
Christian teaching is a very harsh Way, infinitely far from that sentimental Christianity that has been created by modern preachers.
The center of Christian teaching is the person of Jesus Christ, who was born at the beginning of our era and crucified, according to legend, around 33 AD. His life, short activity and His teaching are described in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of the Apostles and the Apocalypse. There are four canonical gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. But based on the fact that Jesus Christ had twelve close disciples, later called apostles, it can be assumed that there were twelve Gospels, of which only four fell into New Testament. Confirmation that there were more than four Gospels is found in Nag Hammadi (Upper Egypt) of manuscripts from the first centuries of our era. You can get acquainted with some of them thanks to their translation into Russian, made by M. K. Trofimova. The same can be said about the Epistles of the Apostles. But in the New Testament there are fourteen Epistles of the Apostle Paul, one - James, two - Peter, three - John and one - Jude.
The twelve apostles and the twelve gospels associated with them probably have a place in connection with none other than twelve types of people. Since each type of person in the same phenomenon or event sees something of his own, imperceptible to others, but important to him, the most complete picture of what is happening can be obtained only by becoming acquainted with all twelve points of view. Second important point, which speaks in favor of this hypothesis, is that the most complete perception of information is possible when the transmitting and receiving are of the same type of people. For example:
"Why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not feel the beam in your eye? Or how will you say to your brother: let me take the speck out of your eye - but there is a log in your eye? Hypocrite! first take the log out of your eye, and then you will see how to take the speck out of your brother's eye.” (Matt. 7:3-5)
“You see the speck in your brother’s eye, but you don’t see the beam in your own eye. When you take the log out of your own eye, then you will see how to take the speck out of your brother's eye." (Form 31)
The difference between the two statements is only in the way a person defines “the beam in his own eye”: in the Gospel of Matthew - through feeling, and in the Gospel of Thomas - through vision; that is, the channels of perception and transmission of information are: emotional - in Matthew and mental - in Thomas.
The purpose of the teaching of Jesus Christ is to reach the Kingdom of Heaven. Moreover, it is interesting that it, the Kingdom of Heaven, belongs to a few (and not all), that the gates to it are narrow and the path is narrow, that only a few will be able to pass it, thus achieving salvation, that those who will not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, - just straw that will be burned.
“Already the ax lies at the root of the trees; every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire…” (Matt. 3:10) “His shovel is in His hand, and He will cleanse His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into a barn, and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.” (Matt. 3:12)
What is the Kingdom of Heaven? Here are some characteristics of the Kingdom of Heaven given by Jesus Christ himself:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field; which, though smaller than all seeds, yet when it grows up, is larger than all herbs and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and take refuge in its branches.” (Matt. 13:31-32) “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven, which a woman took and put into three measures of meal until it was all leavened.” (Matt. 13:33)
This means that the Kingdom of Heaven is at first something small, which, starting to act, captures everything and changes it, that is, what is obtained as a result of the action of this small one completely changes the original.
“The kingdom of heaven is likewise like a merchant looking for fine pearls, who, having found one precious pearl, went and sold everything he had and bought it.” (Mat. 13:45-46)
“Seek the Kingdom of God most of all…” (Luke 12:31)
This means that the Kingdom of Heaven does not come by itself, it requires a search.
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a net thrown into the sea and seizing all kinds of fish, which, when it was full, they dragged it ashore and sat down, collected the good in vessels, and threw away the bad.” (Mat. 13:47-48)
The kingdom of heaven requires choice and selection; that is, in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, a person must know what is good and what is bad for the Kingdom of Heaven. He must also be able to keep the good and throw away the bad. And since parting with something of one's own is a sacrifice, it means that a person must be able to sacrifice.
“The kingdom of God is like if a man casts a seed into the ground, And sleeps, and rises night and day, and how the seed rises and grows, he does not know; For the earth itself produces first greenery, then an ear, then a full grain in an ear,
When the fruit ripens, he immediately sends a sickle, because the harvest has come. (Mark 4:26-29)
Man is responsible for sowing the seeds of the Kingdom of Heaven and for the harvest, but sprouts and growth no longer depend on man. Another saying of Jesus Christ indicates where the Kingdom of Heaven is located and where it is necessary to throw its grains, and where to throw the net:
“But being asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God would come, he answered them: The Kingdom of God will not come in a conspicuous way, And they will not say: “Behold, it is here,” or: “Behold, there.” For behold, the kingdom of God is within you.” (Luke 17:20-21)
This means that the Kingdom of God is the inner world of man. But since the ordinary inner world of a person who has not encountered the teachings of Christ is the world of mammon, a world where wealth is the main value, it must be changed. “I tell you a secret: we will not all die, but we will all change...” (1 Corinth. 15:51) - says the Apostle Paul.
The inner world of a person who wants to enter the Kingdom of Heaven must include the values of this Kingdom. Jesus Christ speaks about these values and ways of achieving them most of all in the New Testament.
One of the characteristic features of the Christian Path, in contrast to Judaism, is the need for the traveler's own efforts to achieve the traits necessary in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven:
“From the days of John the Baptist until now the Kingdom Heavenly power is taken, and those who use force delight it.” (Mat. 11:12)
“The law and the prophets before John; From now on, the Kingdom of God is proclaimed, and everyone enters into it by force.” (Luke 16:16)
The primary condition for a person to enter the Path of Christianity is his repentance. A very big problem in understanding the Gospels is that often we do not know exactly what meaning was put into many words by one or another actor, due to the fact that the meaning of words changes over time. The same applies to the word "repentance". In the modern interpretation, the word "repent" is always supplemented by the words "in sins", that is, "repent of sins." John the Baptist and Jesus Christ said:
"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mat. 3:2; 4:17)
The word “repent” means “to return to the source”, that is, it implies some kind of experience that returns a person to the beginning of his life, when he was closest to God and the human world had not yet imposed its bonds on him. The following words of Jesus Christ resonate with the last statement of Jesus Christ:
"Truly I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mat. 18:3)
In every tradition, the problem of space and time is solved in one way or another. It is known that space and time are connected with each other: the product of the magnitude of the internal space and the rate of passage of time is a constant value. The larger the value of the internal space, the slower the time passes, and vice versa, the smaller the value of the internal space, the faster the time flows: that is, time is a psychological value that depends on the internal state of a person. Remember at least how time is perceived by a person, when he is waiting and when he is late. It has now been proven by science that a year of the life of a five-year-old child is equal to ten years of a fifty-year-old person. And only in ordinary consciousness was the opinion established that the passage of time is a constant value, directed from the past through the present to the future, that time is a one-dimensional value. Astronomical time, which has one measurement coordinate and a constant flow rate, is used by people for convenience. Everyday life. Time, like space, has three measurement coordinates, and eternity is one of these coordinates. Jesus Christ was well aware of this and offered his disciples a method of working on this problem - to repent (to return to the source, that is, to 0 coordinates) and, being in the state of a child, enter another time - eternity. Like any wisdom, the sayings of Jesus Christ have a multi-level system of knowledge, the reading of which depends on the state of human consciousness. Therefore, this interpretation is not the only one.
Great importance in the tradition of Christianity is given to the Sermon on the Mount of Jesus Christ as the quintessence of this teaching:
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they reproach you and persecute you and slander you in every way unjustly for me; Rejoice and be glad, for great is your reward in heaven; so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” (Matt. 5:3-12)
Poverty of spirit, weeping, meekness, hunger and thirst for truth, mercy, purity of heart, peacemaking, exile for truth, reproach, persecution and all kinds of unjust reproach for Jesus Christ - this is what is necessary and what awaits a person who has embarked on the Path of Christianity. "Poor in spirit" is a very cryptic expression that has been interpreted and interpreted in different ways, but the direct meaning of this expression is forgotten. People agree to many humiliations, but they will never agree and did not agree that they are spiritually poor. Spiritual wealth is considered a priori to belong to a person. But if you are rich in something or think that you are rich, then naturally you do not make any effort to increase what you consider wealth. You do not ask God for this, because you have it. And if you do not ask, then you will not be given. We, in fact, are poor in spirit, but, thinking the opposite, we close the door for the arrival of spiritual wealth.
The lie, as it permeated all of humanity, continues to permeate it and, perhaps, has increased even more since the time of Jesus Christ, since before the mind did not play such a big role in people's lives. People lie both consciously and unconsciously, and the latter is more common than the former. That is why “hunger and thirst for truth” is so important for the disciples of Christ, since one cannot enter the Kingdom of Heaven without such an ability.
Jesus Christ had twelve disciples close to Him, later named Apostles: Simon (Peter), his brother Andrew. James Zevedeev, his brother John, Philip, Bartholomew (in the Gospel of John - Nathanael), Thomas, Matthew, James Alpheus, Judas Leveveus (Thaddeus), Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.
Thanks to the direct vocation, numbered among these twelve, Paul also considered himself. Paul's real name was Saul. He was born into a family of Jewish diaspora - wealthy enough to give his son a classical education along with a thorough study of the Torah - and was a Roman citizen and Pharisee. At first he belonged to the persecutors of Christians, but he converted to Christianity, having received a vision of Christ on the road to Damascus. Soon his missionary activity began, which consisted in the spread of Christianity outside of Judaism.
The Christian religion is currently one of the most numerous on Earth. Its story is like a tree in the process of growth: it has large and small branches, some of them suddenly stop developing, while others, having remained small for a long time, suddenly sprout with many shoots, and some of the shoots themselves become large branches.
After a millennium of united existence, although the Christianity of the East and the Christianity of the West had been different for many centuries, in 1054 Christianity officially split into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. At the end of the XV and the beginning of the XVI centuries. Protestant reformation began in Catholicism, which led to the emergence of Protestantism. In Orthodoxy, there are fifteen autocephalous (independent) churches and several autonomous ones. Protestantism includes three main movements - Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism - and big number sects, of which many have turned into independent churches: Baptists, Methodists, Adventists, etc.
Parables of mankind. (5)
During the Great Patriotic War in one of the Russian villages, the mother accompanied her son to the front. The son was a man far from church life and did not wear a pectoral cross. His mother, blessing him, put a cross around his neck and asked him not to take it off under any circumstances. The young man, although he grew up in an atmosphere of atheistic propaganda, obeyed his mother and fought with a cross on his chest. It happened to him with his military unit to be surrounded and captured by the Germans.
It was a dry summer, and the farmers, the inhabitants of a small village, were worried about what would happen to their crops. One Sunday after Mass, they turned to their pastor for advice.
Father, we must do something or we will lose the harvest!
All you have to do is pray with absolute faith. Prayer without faith is not prayer. It must come from the heart,” the priest answered.
On the first day of Great Lent, a village priest put forty-nine beans in his pocket in order to determine the day of the end of the fast by throwing away one bean each day. While washing the priest's clothes, his wife noticed that his pocket was full of beans. “Batiushka loves beans, I’ll add a little to him, let him eat for health.” And so she did. Batiushka threw one bean out of his pocket every day, but it did not end.
One harlot met a woman on the way, whose child had just died in her arms. The grief of the mother touched the harlot so much that she falls on her knees and prays: “Lord! I am cursed, unclean and filthy, unworthy of anything that You could do for me.
God appeared to an old woman in the village.
She told the priest about this, who, taking care of the spiritual dispensation of his parishioner, told her.
I took most of the parables given here from various open sources / links at the end /, but I slightly reduced some. Several parables were told to me, and I simply wrote them down from memory.
I believe that parables do not have to be strictly tied to a particular religion, because all of us - His children - are instructed by the same Father.
PIECE OF CLAY
God molded a man out of clay, and he had an unused piece left.
- What else to blind you? God asked?
- Blind me happiness! the man asked.
God did not answer, only put the remaining piece of clay in the man's palm.
TWO ANGELS
There were two angels in paradise. One always rested on a cloud, while the other flew from earth to God.
The resting Angel decided to ask another:
- Why are you flying back and forth?
- I carry messages to God that begin with the words "Help, Lord ...". Why do you always rest?
- I have to carry messages to the Lord that begin with the words "Thank You, Lord ...".
CROSSING
Two monks were walking from the monastery. When they came to the river, they met a girl who asked them to take her to the other side.
The vows forbade monks to touch women, but, nevertheless, one of the monks put her on his shoulders and carried her to the other side. Then the monks continued their journey, and the girl continued hers.
An hour later, one of the monks could not stand it and asked another:
“Why did you do it, because our vows forbid touching women?”
To which the second monk replied:
“I carried it an hour ago, and you continue to carry it until now.
Let go of the past - it is no more.
IN GOD'S STORE
Once a woman had a dream that the Lord God was standing behind the counter of the store.
- God! It's you? she exclaimed with joy.
“Yes, I am,” God replied.
- What can I buy from you? the woman asked.
“You can buy everything from me,” came the answer.
- In that case, please give me health, happiness, love, success and a lot of money.
God smiled benevolently and went to the utility room for the ordered goods. After a while he returned with a small paper box.
- And it's all?! exclaimed the surprised and disappointed woman.
“Yes, that’s all,” God replied. "Didn't you know that my store only sells seeds?"
BE HAPPY!
A beggar stood by the road begging for alms. A rider passing by hit the beggar in the face with a whip.
He, looking after the departing rider, said:
- Be happy.
The peasant, who saw what happened, heard these words and asked:
Are you really that humble?
“No,” replied the beggar, “it’s just that if the rider was happy, he wouldn’t hit me in the face.”
STAND INTO YOUR PLACE
Once Mark of Thrace, who had been in the desert for more than 90 years, was talking with an ascetic about faith.
“If you have faith,” Mark explained, “and you say to the mountain “Move!”, then it will move.
And the mountain that was not far from them actually began to move. Then Saint Mark said to the mountain:
- I'm not telling you, stand up.
The mountain fell into place.
LITTLE SON
A man asked an old man:
- Tell me, father, how is it that you not only do not get angry at those who speak ill of you, but also continue to love them?
The old man laughed for a long time and replied:
- Tell me, man, did you have a little son?
- Was.
- Did you get angry with him if he did or said something wrong?
- No.
- Didn't you try, on the contrary, to somehow cover up his shortcomings so that he would not be upset?
- Tried.
- So am I: I do not get angry and continue to love.
BECAUSE OF YOUR FEAR
The inhabitants of one city were mired in sins, and God decided to punish them for such behavior. He called the angel of death and ordered him to go to this city and kill a hundred sinners, and bring their souls to Him.
A little time passed, during which the inhabitants of the city were struck by an epidemic of a terrible disease.
The angel of death appeared before the Almighty, bringing with him the souls of sinners. But their number was not one hundred, as God ordered, but several thousand.
God asked the angel to explain his disobedience. And the angel answered:
- I followed your order exactly. I killed only one hundred citizens of this sinful city.
How did the others get here? - asked the Lord?
- The rest left the earthly world because of their fear.
SAINT
Somehow a rumor was spread about a certain monk that he was a saint. And everyone even told him this in his eyes. And he kept calling himself a sinner and at the same time humbly bowed to everyone. But then one day he said to someone, as usual:
- I'm a sinner.
And he answered him:
- I know you're a sinner.
He got so excited:
- How? Have you heard anything about me?
WILL YOU NOT BE SHAMED?
One day, Abba Ephraim was walking through the city, when, at the instigation of someone, a harlot approached him to seduce him into a shameful union, and if not, then bring him into anger, since no one had ever seen him angry. Ephraim spoke to her:
- Come after me!
Approaching a place where there were many crowds of people, Abba Ephraim said to her:
- Here, do what you wanted to do.
But the harlot, seeing the multitude of people, exclaimed:
- How can we do this in the presence of so many people? Wouldn't it be embarrassing?
“But if we are ashamed of people, then all the more should we be ashamed of God, Who sees everything,” the elder answered her.
THIS IS THE ANGEL THE LORD SENT TO YOU
Elder Macarius of Optina corresponded with many laity. One day, a St. Petersburg merchant writes to Makariy that his servants left him and his acquaintances recommend him a village girl.
- Should I hire her? - asks the merchant.
“Yes,” the old man answers.
After some time, the merchant sends a new letter.
- Father, - he writes, - let me fire her, this is a real demon. From the minute she showed up at my house, I've been constantly angry and lost all self-control.
“Don’t kick her out under any circumstances,” the elder replied. - This is the angel that the Lord sent you so that you could see how much malice was hidden in you, which the previous maid could not reveal in you.
GIFT OF MIRACLES
In ancient times, there lived a holy man. Every day of his life could be defined in two words: he did good and forgave. Even the angels marveled at his holiness and said to God:
- Lord, grant him the gift of miracles!
“I agree,” God replied. - Ask him what he wants.
And the angels asked him:
Do you wish to give health to the sick with the touch of your hands?
“No,” answered the saint. - Let the Lord Himself do it.
- Would you like to have such a gift of speech, by the power of which you would turn sinners to the path of truth and goodness?
“No,” answered the saint. - This is the work of angels, not weak man. I pray for the conversion of sinners, but I don't.
But the angels continued to insist:
“Still, you need to ask for the gift of miracles.
“Good,” the saint agreed, “I want to do good in such a way that I myself don’t know about it.
HOW I LEARNED
Once a monk asks another:
- Tell me, who taught you the Jesus Prayer?
“Demons,” he replies.
- Yes, how is it? the monk was surprised.
- Yes, like this: they keep bothering me with sinful thoughts, and I keep doing prayer and doing. That's how I learned.
we were taught
Once Abba Isaac came to Abba Pimen and saw him pouring water on his feet. Surprised, he said instructively to him:
- How so! Others live in austerity and torment their bodies, but what are you doing?
“We were taught not to kill the body, but the passions,” the elder answered calmly.
WHO KNOWS YOURSELF
Once a monk asked an old man:
- Tell me, father, why do I constantly condemn my brothers?
“Because,” the elder answered, “you have not yet known yourself. Who knows himself, does not look at the affairs of others.
AH WHAT!
Once upon a time to one Orthodox priest An old woman came for advice and said:
- Father, I have been praying continuously for almost fourteen years, but I have never had the feeling of God's presence.
The priest looked carefully at the woman and asked:
- Tell me, did you let Him put in a word?
“Ah, that’s what I was thinking about!” - she exclaimed. - No, I spoke all the time myself.
BY MY DESIRE
One a kind person I met a beggar old man on the church porch. His emaciated body was covered with rags, and he was covered with wounds.
- Good day to you, old man! said the man in greeting to the beggar.
“I don’t remember that a day was ever bad for me, dear man,” answered the beggar.
“I wish you happiness,” the man continued.
- I've never been unhappy.
The man was surprised and thought. that the beggar did not listen to his words, added:
- I wish you well.
- I've never been unhappy.
“Are you really the only lucky man among all people,” the man asked in complete bewilderment, “when earthly life full of sorrows and hardships?
“Unfortunate is the one who seeks happiness,” the elder said instructively. - And on earth there is no other happiness than to rely on the will of God in everything: pleasant and nasty, bitter and sweet in life, I always accept from God with love and humility and wish only what is pleasing to God. And so everything happens according to my desire.
PROPERTY IN THE UPPER HOUSE
A thief made his way to one of the hermits at night. Finding nothing of value on him, the thief asked:
- Listen, where is all your property?
“I hid everything in the upper house,” answered the hermit, pointing to the sky.
DO YOU LOVE GOD?
Once they invited Elder Herman, who lived in Alaska, to a frigate that had come from St. Petersburg.
- Do you love God? - the old man asked the officers of the ship.
“Of course,” everyone answered, “we love God.” How not to love Him?
“But I, a sinner, have been trying to love God for more than forty years, and I cannot say that I love Him completely,” Fr. Herman objected to them.
And continued:
- If we love someone, we always remember that one, we try to please that one, day and night our heart is occupied with that subject. Do you, gentlemen, love God in the same way? Do you often turn to Him and fulfill His holy commandments?
There was only silence in response.
WHO AM I TO JUDGE
One day, Abba Macarius of Egypt saw a monk committing a grave sin.
“If God, its Creator,” he said to himself, “suffers sin when he could burn him with fire, then who am I to condemn him?
OLD MAN AND YOUNG PRIEST
One day the elder wanted to kiss the hand of a newly ordained priest, but the latter, out of his humility, would not let him do it.
“If you want the hand to be your property,” said the elder, “then you didn’t have to become a priest.
TWO PICTURES
Once a monk asked Abba Pimen:
- Tell me, abba, how can you achieve not to speak badly about your neighbor?
We and our brothers are like two pictures, - answered the elder. - If a person, looking at himself, finds shortcomings in himself, then he sees perfection in his brother. And when he seems perfect to himself, then, comparing his brother with himself, he finds negative qualities in him.
HOW TO NOT BE ANGRY?
Once an old man was asked:
- Tell me, abba, how to achieve not to be angry when you are humiliated and slandered by others?
He replied:
- Whoever considers himself the most insignificant in his heart, he no longer resents any humiliation.
PLANTING CABBAGE
Five disciples came to one elder to ask for a monastery. He looked at them carefully and gave them a task: he sent them to plant cabbage with the roots up and the leaves in the ground.
They came to the field and began to work. Two began to plant, as he ordered, and three - in their own way, as they believed, in the right way, with roots in the ground.
The elder came to see how they were doing their work, and those who, according to his instructions, were planted with their roots up and their leaves in the ground, he took to the monastery, but he did not accept others.
THAT WOOD
Once the Elder of Optina Hermitage Joseph was walking in the forest, and he was told that in one convent there are recluses. The old man spoke:
- This is a dangerous path - passions grow in solitude, but it is more useful for the people. Look where people walk, on the road, the grass doesn't grow there, and where they don't walk, it's thick. They go into solitude out of impatience. And it is useful for us when we are pushed. That tree, which the wind shakes more, strengthens its roots more, and which is in silence, it immediately falls down.
BIG HARVEST
An old man was once asked:
- Tell me, abba, who is like a man who boasts of his good deeds?
“The one who reveals and divulges his good deeds is like one who sows on the surface of the earth: the birds of the air fly and peck at the seed,” the elder answered them. - And he who hides his life is like one who sows arable land in the furrows: he will reap a bountiful harvest.
HOW UNPURE ARE YOUR HEARTS!
One of the desert fathers once came out of the gates of Alexandria with his disciples. On the way, a beautiful woman approached them. The disciples quickly covered their faces with cloaks so as not to fall into temptation. But curiosity takes over, and they began to watch their mentor from under their cloaks. With indignant astonishment, they saw that he was examining the woman with all his eyes.
When she entered the city, the disciples lowered their robes and asked him:
- Abba, how did you succumb to the temptation to look at this woman?
And he sadly replied:
How impure are your hearts! You saw in it only an object of temptation, but I saw a wonderful creation of God.
THE FISH ROTS FROM THE HEAD
One day Father Kondrat came to visit the abbot of a monastery.
- Where is the old man? - asked the abbot of one of the monks.
"He's downstairs in the pantry," he replied.
On that day, sardines were salted there - they made a supply for a year. And, as usual, the elder was the first at work.
- Old man, are you here? - asked the abbot, going down to the cellar.
- And how, my brother! Father Kondrat answered. - You know, the fish rots from the head.
WE JUST HAVE TO DO IT
The monk of Optina Hermitage Varlaam once heard that in one village there was a God-loving peasant who was leading a spiritual life. He found this peasant and, after talking with him for a while, said:
- And how would you manage to attract the grace and mercy of God to yourself?
“Oh, father,” answered the simple-hearted peasant, “we only need to do our due, but God can’t stand up for it.”
ACCEPTS
One day there was a crowd of people walking along the road. Each carried his own cross on his shoulder. It seemed to one person that his cross was very heavy. He was very cunning. Leaving behind everyone, he went into the forest and sawed off part of the cross. Satisfied that he outwitted everyone, he caught up with them and went on.
Suddenly there was an abyss on the way. Everyone put down their crosses and crossed over. The cunning man remained on this side, as his cross turned out to be short.
WINTER PANTS FOR SON
On a summer evening, a young woman sat outside the house and sewed trousers for her son, listening to the voices of the children who were playing in the garden. My husband came home from work and sat down next to her. The woman took a deep breath and said:
- What will happen to us in winter? We barely make ends meet in the summer, and winter will come ... Where can we get money for fuel, warm clothes and other needs?
Her husband calmly asked her:
- Tell me, please, dear, what are you sewing?
“I am sewing trousers for our son for the winter,” she replied.
- Does he know about it?
Of course not. Hear how cheerfully he walks in the garden with the children!
- Maybe it's better to tell our son not to worry about winter trousers?
“Do you really think that this question worries our son?”
- Well, what do you worry about winter? the husband asked. - If we take care of our son, then our Father will take care of us.
BE NOT QUADRANGULAR, BUT ROUND
Once a monk asked Abba Matoya:
- Tell me, abba, what should I do? My tongue worries me. When I am with people, I cannot keep him, but I condemn and rebuke them in every good deed.
“If you can’t restrain yourself, then run to solitude, for this is help,” the elder said in response. - Who lives with brothers, he should not be quadrangular, but round, so that he can roll to everyone.
“And I live in solitude,” added the elder, “not because of strength of spirit, but because of weakness. And the strong live among people.
YOUR CROSS
One person seemed to have a very hard life. And one day he went to God, told about his misfortunes and asked Him: “Can I choose a different cross for myself?” God looked at the man with a smile, led him into the vault, where there were crosses, and said: "Choose."
A man entered the vault, looked and was surprised: "There are no crosses here - small, large, medium, heavy, and light." A man walked around the vault for a long time, looking for the smallest and lightest cross, and finally, he found a small, small, light, light cross, approached God and said: “God, can I take this one?” “You can,” God replied. - This is your own and is.
GREAT FEAT
A disciple came to an old man and said:
- Abba, I see Angels with my spiritual eyes.
- This is not a feat, my dear, - the elder answered him. - That's when with spiritual eyes you see the abyss of your sins, like sea sand, then it will be a great feat.
BELIEVE!
Once an atheist was walking along a cliff, slipped and fell down. As he fell, he managed to grab hold of a branch of a small tree growing out of a crevice in the rock. Hanging on a branch, swaying in the cold wind, he realized the hopelessness of his situation: there were mossy boulders below, and there was no way to climb up. His hands, holding on to the branch, weakened.
Well, he thought, only God can save me now. I never believed in God, but I must have been wrong. What am I missing? So he called, “God! If you exist, save me and I will believe in you!" There was no answer.
He called again, “Please God! I never believed in you, but if you save me now, I will believe in you from now on."
Suddenly a Great Voice came from the clouds: “Oh no, you won't! I know people like you!”
The man was so surprised that he almost let go of the branch. “Please God! You're wrong! I actually think so! I will believe!" “Oh no, you won’t! All of you say it this way!" The man begged and persuaded.
Finally God said, “Okay. I will save you… Let go of the branch.” "Release the thread? the man exclaimed. "Don't you think I'm crazy?"
ON THE DESERT ISLAND
Once the ship got into a storm and crashed on the rocks of a desert island. Those who were saved began a new life, because during the shipwreck all of them lost their memory, a manifestation of which was also the fact that they forgot the exact words of the daily prayer.
A few years later, Christian missionaries sailed to the island. Having asked the inhabitants of the island about their life, they taught them to pray correctly. And when the missionaries sailed away from this island, after a while they noticed people from the island following them on the water. It turned out that they again forgot the words of the prayer and wanted to learn them again.
The missionaries, seeing the phenomenon of walking on water, replied:
- Pray as they prayed before us. So you are probably closer to God.
SHAFT FROM THE FAULT
A thousand years ago, a man lived in a Russian village. Since childhood, this man could not move, and therefore the only thing he could do was lie on the stove. And he lay like that for about thirty years. Probably, his life would have ended on the same stove if an old man had not once passed through the village. The traveler entered just the hut in which the young man lay and prayed for death, and asked for water.
The patient cried and said that he was unable to help, because in his whole life he had not taken a single step without help. The old man asked:
How long have you been trying to take this step?
It turned out that a very long time ago - the patient did not even remember how many years ago. Then the old man said:
- Here's a magic staff, lean on it and go for water.
The patient was as if in a dream. He slid down from the stove, wrapped his arms around the staff and… got up! He cried again, but this time from happiness.
- How can I thank you and what a wonderful staff you gave me?! exclaimed the young man.
“This staff is an ordinary stalk from a spade, which I picked up from you on the porch,” answered the old man. - There is nothing magical in it, just as your illness did not really exist. You were able to get up because you forgot your weakness. And you don’t need to thank me, instead you find a person who is just as unhappy as you yourself were most recently unhappy, and help him!
CHILD
There was a drought in one city. Summer was in full swing, and the city priest called everyone to the temple in the morning to pray for rain. The whole city came, and the whole city laughed at one child. The child came with an umbrella.
And everyone laughed and said:
- Fool, why did you bring an umbrella? You will lose. There will be no rain.
The child said:
- And I thought that if you pray, it will rain.
A young cheerful man came to his father and said:
- Father, rejoice with me, I entered the university. I will be a lawyer! Finally I found my happiness!
“Very well, my son,” answered the father, “it means that you want to study hard now. Well, what then?
- In four years I will defend my degree with excellent marks and leave the university.
- And what's next? Father didn't back down.
- Then I will work hard to become an independent lawyer as soon as possible.
- So what is next?
- And then I will get married, create my own family, raise and educate children, help them learn and get a good profession.
- So what is next?
- And then I will go on a well-deserved rest - I will rejoice at the happiness of my children and rest in a good old age.
- What will happen next?
- After? The young man thought for a moment. - Yes, no one lives on this earth forever. Then I will probably need to die, like all people.
- And then what? asked the old father. - Dear son, what will happen next? ' said the father in a trembling voice.
The son thought even more and said uncertainly:
- Thank you, father. I understand. I forgot the most important...
HARVEST
One wealthy peasant had many fields with good land. He worked hard, but the grain still did not grow as well as in the field of a poor peasant who was next to his field. The rich peasant marveled at this and asked his poor neighbor what he was doing to make everything grow so well on his sandy land, how did he cultivate the land? The poor peasant replied:
- Dear neighbor, the only difference is that you sow differently than I do.
- How are you doing?
- With a prayer, - answered the devout peasant, - in my barn, I kneel and pray that God, the Creator of the entire Universe, will multiply my sowing many times over. Therefore, the soil fertilized by prayer is the best.
GATE OF GOD
Once a certain Greek philosopher ordered one of his students to distribute silver to those who would vilify it for three years. At the end of the test, the teacher said:
- Now you can go to Athens to learn wisdom.
At the entrance to Athens, the student saw a sage sitting at the city gates, blaspheming everyone passing by. He did the same with his student. He burst out laughing.
Why are you laughing when I insult you? - asked the sage.
“Because for three years I have been paying those who abused me, and you are doing it for nothing.
“Enter the city, it belongs to you,” answered the sage.
POVERTY
Once a poor man, who complained to everyone about his cross, about his poverty, imagined in a dream that he was in a spacious room, which was all lined with crosses of various sizes, and all these crosses were covered with bedspreads. A secret voice said to the poor man: "You complain about your cross, about your poverty: choose any other cross for yourself."
The poor man began to choose. He took up the first cross, he did not lift it; the other, although he lifted it, but he too was beyond his strength, it was very heavy; the third cross seemed not heavy to him, but with its corners it painfully cut his shoulders.
So he went through all the crosses, but he did not find a single one according to his strength. There was one more cross left in the corner, which the poor man did not experience, because this cross seemed to him larger and heavier than the others. Raising this cross, the poor man joyfully shouted:
- This is the cross I will take upon myself: although it is great, it is lighter than others!
They removed the veil from this cross, and on it was the inscription - "poverty."
FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT
Once Mohammedan or Saracen scientists asked St. Cyril, brother of St. Methodius, whose brothers were the enlighteners of the Slavs and the inventors of the Slavic alphabet - Cyrillic:
- How do you Christians divide the one God into three Gods? Do you have a Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
“Do not slander against the Holy Trinity,” answered St. Cyril. - The Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three Persons - the Being is one. Look at the sun, set in heaven in the form of the Holy Trinity from God; it has three things: circle, radiance and warmth; also in the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The solar circle is the likeness of God the Father, for just as the circle has neither beginning nor end, so God is without beginning; and just as radiance and warmth come from the circle of the sun, so the Son is born from God the Father and the Holy Spirit proceeds. Radiance - the likeness of God the Son, born of the Father and enlightening the whole world with the Gospel; and the warmth of the sun, proceeding from the same circle together with radiance, is the likeness of God the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the same Father eternally.
MERCY GOD
A certain soldier once asked one of the elders if God would grant forgiveness to sinners. And the old man replied:
- Tell me, beloved, if your cloak is torn, do you throw it away?
The soldier replied:
- No. I fix it and continue to wear it.
The elder concluded:
"If you take care of your cloak, won't God be merciful to his own image?"
GREAT AND BEGGAR IN ONE PERSON
One day the monks were talking about humility. One of the noble citizens of the city of Gaza, hearing the words that the more one approaches God, the more he sees himself as a sinner, was surprised and said:
- How can it be?
One monk told him:
- Eminent gentleman, tell me, who do you consider yourself in your city?
He replied:
- I consider myself great and the first in the city.
- If you go to Caesarea, then who will you consider yourself there?
- The last of the nobles there.
- If you go to Antioch, who will you consider yourself there?
- I will consider myself one of the commoners.
- If you go to Constantinople and approach the king, then who will you consider yourself there?
- Almost a beggar.
- That's how the saints, - said the monk, - the more they approach God, the more they see themselves as sinners. For Abraham, when he saw the Lord, called himself earth and ashes.
BEST AND WORST
One hermit was chosen as a bishop. He refused for a long time, but the brothers insisted. Then he thought: “I didn’t know that I was worthy, it’s true that I have something good.” At this time, an angel appeared to him and said:
- Ordinary monk, why are you ascending! People have sinned there, and they need punishment, that's why they chose you, because no one was worse.
DON'T BE MISTAKEN!
Once in China there was a big festival where many people gathered. There was a well without any protection, and a man fell into it. He shouted very loudly, but the holiday was so big, there was such a noise that no one heard him. At this time, one bhikkhu, a Buddhist monk, came to the well - he was thirsty. The monk looked down and found a man who was screaming, crying and saying: “Have pity on me, save me quickly!”
And the bhikkhu answered: “No one can save anyone else - this is what the Buddha said: “Be your own light!” No one can save anyone - it is impossible. Don't wait for it! And more than that, the Buddha said that each person must experience his own karma. You must have committed some sins in the past and now you must suffer - so suffer in peace. And there is nothing to shout and make so much noise - screaming and crying, you are earning yourself new karma.
The man said to him, “First save me, and then I will gladly listen to your sermon. Now I just can't listen to you!"
But the bhiksha went further because the Buddha said, "Don't interfere with other people's karma."
Then a Confucian monk came up. He looked into the well, and the man again shouted, “Save me! I'm dying and no one seems to hear me!" The monk replied: “Confucius was right: he said that every well should be surrounded by a wall. And don't worry, please, we'll create a huge movement! We will change the whole society, we will force the government to build a wall around every well! Don't worry!"
The man from the well replied: “Yes, by that time I will have already given up the ends! And what use is it to me if I have already fallen!”
The Confucian said: "It does not of great importance personality doesn't really matter at all. Personalities come and go - the whole question is only in society. But you can die, consoling yourself with the fact that this will not happen to anyone else! Oh, Confucius is a great social reformer!”
Then a Christian missionary came to the well. He also looked into the well - and even before the man shouted anything again, he opened his bag, and there was a bucket with a rope, for a Christian missionary is ready to serve a man long before he said anything, and he was really already tired and thought: “That's it, this is my end; and this religious people!»
The Christian missionary threw him a rope with a bucket and shouted: “Catch! I'll get you out!"
Oh, how grateful this man was to him! Getting out, he said: "You are truly the only religious person!"
And the Christian missionary replied, “Make no mistake! We have said: until you become a servant of the last of you, you will not reach the Kingdom of God! Therefore, remember well: fall into the well again and again, and teach your children to fall into the well, then we can save you again and again, because how will we get to heaven if you stop falling?
DESP AND PEOPLE
Once a demon sat in the form of a man and dangled his legs. Seeing this with spiritual eyes, he asked him:
- Why aren't you doing anything?
Bes replied:
- Yes, I have nothing left to do now, as soon as my legs dangle: people do everything better than me.
GOD KNOWS THAT IS GOOD
The brother asked the old man:
- What would I do a good deed and live with it.
The old man replied:
- God knows what is good. I heard that one of the elders asked Abba Nesteroi: “What good deed would I do?” Abba answered him: “Are not all deeds equal?”
Scripture says: “Abraham was hospitable, and God was with him; Elijah loved silence, and God was with him; David was meek and God was with him."
So, see what your soul desires according to God, then do it and watch your heart.
WHY DO WE SCREAM AT EACH OTHER?
The student asked the teacher:
Why do we yell at each other when we are annoyed?
The teacher asks in response:
- And how do you talk to your loved one?
- Quiet.
- It's because your hearts touch! And when you get angry, your hearts move away from each other, and it seems to you that they no longer hear you! Loving people sometimes words are not needed, they understand everything by their looks.
DEBTORS
Merchants traveled across Siberia in ancient times. And there was one among them who, when a person had nothing to pay, gave him a loan. He said:
- Look, I'm writing your name in a book. Next time I'll come and collect your debt.
If, on his next visit, the debtor also had nothing to pay, the merchant would say this:
- Well, now I won’t take anything from you, but look, I put a cross in front of your name in the book, so I haven’t forgotten anything and next time I’ll definitely collect the debt from you.
Similarly, the next time, if the debtor had no money, the merchant put another cross.
And for the third time he said:
- That's it, I forgive you your debt. See, I'm crossing out your name, I'm crossing out crosses. May God take care of you.
HOW TO SAVE
A certain brother asked Abba Macarius:
- How can I be saved?
The old man said to him:
- Be like a corpse and do not reckon with the contempt of people, nor with their respect.
DRUNKENNESS
In Egypt, there lived a hermit monk. And now the demon, after many years of struggle with him, promised him that he would no longer be oppressed by any temptations, if only he committed one of the three sins. He suggested the following three sins: murder, fornication, and drunkenness.
“Perform,” he said, “any one of them: either kill a person, or commit adultery, or get drunk once - and then you will be in peace, and after that I will no longer tempt you.
The hermit thought to himself this way: “To kill a person is terrible, because this is in itself a great evil, and deserves the death penalty both by God's court and by civil. It is shameful to commit fornication, it is a pity to destroy the purity that was kept before. Getting drunk once seems to be a small sin, for a person soon sobers up with sleep. So, I will go and get drunk so that the demon no longer oppresses me, and I will live peacefully in the wilderness. And so, taking his needlework, he went into the city and, having sold it, entered the tavern and got drunk.
Through a satanic action, he happened to converse with a certain shameless and adulterous woman. Being deceived, he fell with her. When he committed a sin with her, the husband of that woman came and, finding the sinner with his wife, began to beat him, and he, having recovered, began to fight with that husband and, having overcome him, killed him.
Thus, that hermit committed all three sins: fornication and murder, starting with drunkenness. What sins he soberly feared and abhorred, those he boldly committed while drunk, and through this ruined his many years of work.
THE POWER OF THE CROSS
Three girls walked along the railway tracks and found themselves between two oncoming trains, but all three survived. Demons stood nearby and heatedly argued:
- Why didn't you throw the first one under the train? - they shouted to one, - her soul would be ours!
- I could not: she is wearing a cross!
- Why did you delay? The second is without a cross! they shouted to the other.
- Although she did not have a cross, she signed herself with the sign of the cross.
- Well, what did you yawn? The third one is totally unbelievable!
- That's how it is, but her mother crossed her on the road and said: “Go with God!”
FOOTPRINTS IN THE SAND
One day a man had a dream. He dreamed that he was walking along a sandy shore, and next to him was the Lord. Pictures from his life flashed in the sky, and after each of them he noticed two chains of footprints in the sand: one from his feet, the other from the feet of the Lord.
As the last picture of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. And saw that often along it life path there was only one line of footprints. He also noticed that these were the most difficult and unhappy times in his life.
He became very sad and began to ask the Lord:
- Didn't You tell me: if I follow Your path, You will not leave me? But I noticed that during the most difficult times of my life, only one chain of footprints stretched across the sand. Why did You leave me when I needed You the most?
The Lord answered:
- My sweet, sweet child. I love you and will never leave you. When there were sorrows and trials in your life, only one chain of footprints stretched along the road. Because in those days I carried you in my arms.
BUTTON
One person lived and lived not very well, confusingly. He decided to take up his mind, do good deeds, save his soul. I did them, I did them, but I did not notice any particular change for the better in myself.
Once he was walking down the street, he sees: one old woman's coat button broke off and fell to the ground. The man thinks: “Yes, what is there! She still has enough buttons. Don't lift it! What nonsense! But still, groaning, he picked up the button, caught up with the old woman, gave her her button and forgot about it.
Then he died and sees the scales: on the left - his evil lies, pulling down, and on the right - there is nothing, empty! And evil draws! "Oh," the man says to himself, "it's not lucky here either!" But suddenly the angels put a button on the right bowl ... And the bowl with good deeds outweighed.
“Is this one button pulled all my evil deeds? - the man was surprised. - How many good deeds I have done, but they are not visible!
And he heard the angel say to him:
- Because you were proud of your good deeds, they disappeared! But it was this button that you forgot about that was enough to save you from death!
STATUE CALMENITY
Abba Pimen, Abba Anub and their other brothers (five sons of the same mother in all) accepted monasticism in the skete. One day a barbarian tribe attacked them and destroyed the huts of the monks, killing many of the fathers in the process. Pimen and his brothers fled. They came to a place called Ferenuf, and all seven of them stopped there for a while in a deserted idol temple, with the intention of discussing the choice of a place for permanent residence. At the same time, Abba Anub said to Abba Pimen:
- Do me a favor, you and the brothers, fulfill my request - during this week we will live each separately in silence, not converging for a conversation.
Avva Pimen replied:
- We'll do as you wish.
They did just that. There was a stone statue in the temple. Anuv, getting up early every morning, threw stones at the faces of the statues, and in the evening he approached her and asked for forgiveness. He did this throughout the week. On Saturday the brothers got together.
Abba Pimen asked Abba Anuv:
- I saw, abba, that during this week you threw stones at the face of the statue, and then worshiped her and asked her forgiveness. But a believer in Christ must not bow to an idol!
The old man replied:
- I did it for you. When, as you saw, I threw stones at the face of the statue, did she even say anything? Was she angry?
Avva Pimen replied:
- No.
Anuv:
- Again, when I asked her forgiveness, was she embarrassed? Did you say, "I don't forgive"?
Avva Pimen replied:
- No.
Abba Anuv said to this:
“So we, the seven brothers, if we wish to live together, we will be like this statue, which, from the insults inflicted on it, is not indignant with anger, and when humility is shown before it, it does not become conceited and does not become arrogant. If you do not want to behave in this way, here are the four gates at this temple: let everyone go where he wants and choose the place he wants to live.
The brothers fell on their faces before Abba Anub, made a promise to act according to his advice, and remained together in great humility and patience for many years, with one goal - striving for Christian perfection.
WHAT IS SAD
One old man was asked:
- Father, what is sadness?
"To be sad is to think of yourself all the time," he answered curtly.
HEART IN PURITY
Isaac the Syrian was asked:
- How does a person know that his heart has reached purity?
The old man replied:
- When he considers all people to be kind, and no one seems to him unclean and defiled. Then he is truly pure in heart.
NOT A WORD ABOUT GOD
One owner hired a worker, but on the condition that he did not say a word to him about God, since the owner himself was an unbeliever, and he heard about this man that he goes to church.
The worker willingly agreed, and the owner soon became convinced that the one he hired turned out to be skillful and controversial in business. He did not steal and did not deceive anyone, and carried out all orders even better than other workers, the same atheists as the owner himself. The owner took a closer look: the new worker's family was in harmony, while he and the mistress kept arguing, and their children often quarreled and got sick, and this worker's whole family was healthy and smiling.
And the owner thought: maybe God really helps his worker? He approached him and asked:
- That's for me - everything is wrong, and you're happy with everything - why?
And the worker replies:
“It’s just that I know, dear man, that God does everything for my good, but you still don’t know this, that’s why you grumble.
Then the owner quietly sat down to the worker and, a little embarrassed, asked him:
- Tell me about your God...
TWO FORCES
Two monks lived in the monastery: one was sad all the time, and the other was happy. And once the sad brother asked the cheerful one:
How can you be happy all the time? I constantly pray, but the demons do not sleep, and the more I pray, the more they attack me, and they have no number, and their strength is so great that it is impossible to cope with them!
He smiled back and said:
- Come on, brother, we will rise with you at dawn to the roof of our monastery!
They got up, and the melancholy one, turning his gaze to the west, said in fright:
- Look: you see at the horizon that huge black cloud- this army of darkness is inexorably advancing on us!
“Look to the east, brother,” he heard in response.
And both saw in the glow of the rising sun countless hordes of shining snow-white Angels covering the entire horizon.
- Now you are convinced that there are much more light forces than dark ones? You were just looking in the wrong place.
ABOUT HEAVEN AND HELL
The faithful came to the prophet Elijah with a request to show him Paradise and Hell.
They entered a large hall, where a large crowd of people crowded around a huge cauldron of boiling soup. Each was holding a spoon with a very long handle. Thin, angry, hungry people eagerly put their spoons into the cauldron, with difficulty taking out the soup from there, and unsuccessfully tried to reach the tip of the spoon with their mouths. At the same time, they burned, swore, fought.
The Prophet said: “This is Hell,” and led him to another hall.
It was quiet there, the same cauldron, the same spoons. But almost all people were full and satisfied. Because they broke into pairs and alternately fed each other.
The Prophet said, "This is Paradise."
USE RIGHT NOW
Holy Father, - the newcomer addressed the Father Superior, - my heart is filled with love for the world, and it is cleansed from the temptations of the devil. What will be the next step?
The Padre asked the disciple to go with him to a sick man who needed confession. After the priest consoled the family, he turned his attention to the chest in the corner of the room.
- What is in this chest? - he asked.
“Clothes my uncle never wore,” said his niece. - He always thought that you need some special occasion to wear these things, as a result they rot in the chest.
“Remember the chest,” the abbot said to the student when they left. - If you have treasures in your heart, use them right now. Otherwise they will rot.
FINAL FALL
The evil man died and met an angel at the gates of Hell. The angel said to him:
- It is enough for you to remember one good deed in your life, and it will help you. Think well.
The man remembered that once, when he was walking through the forest, he saw a spider on his way and went around it so as not to crush it. The angel smiled, and a web descended from the sky, allowing a person to ascend to Paradise.
Other condemned to Hell, standing close to the web, also began to climb it. But the man saw this and began to throw them off in fear that the web would break. At that moment, it really broke off, and the person returned to Hell again.
“What a pity,” said the angel. “Your self-concern turned the only good thing you ever did into evil.
BRIEF EXPLANATIONS:
CHRISTIANITY is the religion that marked the beginning of the modern chronology in most countries of the world.
The center of Christian teaching is the person of Jesus Christ, who was born at the beginning of our era and crucified, according to legend, around 33 AD. e. His life, short activity and His teaching are described in the Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, the Epistles of the Apostles and the Apocalypse. There are four canonical gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Jesus Christ had twelve disciples close to Him, later called Apostles: Simon (Peter), his brother Andrew (the "First-Called"), James Zevedeev, his brother John (the Theologian), Philip, Bartholomew (in the Gospel of John - Nathanael), Thomas , Matthew, Jacob Alfeev, Judas Levvey (Thaddeus), Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot.
After a millennium of united existence, although the Christianity of the East and the Christianity of the West had been different for many centuries, in 1054 Christianity officially split into Catholicism and Orthodoxy. At the end of the XV and the beginning of the XVI centuries. Protestant reformation began in Catholicism, which led to the emergence of Protestantism. In Orthodoxy, there are fifteen autocephalous (independent) churches and several autonomous ones. Protestantism includes three main currents - Lutheranism, Calvinism, Anglicanism - and a large number of sects, many of which have turned into independent churches: Baptists, Methodists, Adventists, etc.
The share of Christianity among world religions is 33% (the largest in number), of all Christians, Orthodox make up 12% (according to the sites http://way2god.chat.ru/worldrel.htm and http://internetsobor.org).
At the heart of Christianity (from the Greek Christ - the Anointed One, the Messiah) is faith in Jesus Christ as the God-man, the Savior, the incarnation of the 2nd person of the triune Deity (Trinity). The communion of believers to Divine grace occurs through participation in the sacraments.
According to Christian doctrine, man is created in the image and likeness of God. The Fall, that is, the first act of disobedience to God, committed by the first people, destroyed the god-likeness of man - this is the weight of the so-called. original sin. The most revered Christian saints considered themselves great sinners, and from the point of view of Christianity, they were right. Therefore, from the point of view of Christianity, the most desirable state of a person in this life is not the calm painlessness of a stoic sage or a Buddhist “enlightened one”, but the tension of fighting with oneself and suffering for everyone; only by “accepting his cross”, a person, according to the Christian understanding, can overcome evil in himself and around him.
The most important of the Christian sacraments is baptism (an initiation that introduces Christian life and suppressing, according to the teachings of Christianity, the action of the inertia of original sin) and the Eucharist, or communion (eating bread and wine, according to church faith, invisibly transubstantiated into the Body and Blood of Christ for the sake of the believer's essential union with Christ, so that Christ "lives in him").
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus stated moral principles(Commandments), which became the basis of the worldview of the new era: do not kill, do not steal, do not lie, do not commit adultery, do not do to another what you do not want to receive yourself. And the main Commandments that Jesus brought to people are the Commandments of Love: “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind: this is the first and greatest commandment; the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37).
The main idea of the doctrine of afterlife in Christianity is the idea of the existence of heaven and hell. Paradise is a place of bliss, hell is a place of torment. Ancient Christians believed that heaven was in heaven (hence the expression “kingdom of heaven” became synonymous with paradise), and hell was in the interior of the earth.
LIST OF SOURCES OF BORROWING:
"Parables of mankind" (vol. 1, 2, 3), comp. V.V. Lavsky, Rostov n / a, "Phoenix", 2012.
"Modeling the Future", Vitaly Gibert, St. Petersburg, "Ves", 2013.
Desert Fathers, 101 parables. Moscow, Nikea, 2012
Websites on the Internet:
http://elims.org.ua/pritchi/spisok-pritch
http://way2god.chat.ru/worldrel.htm
http://internetsobor.org
http://www.epwr.ru/pritchi/txt_80.php
http://azbyka.ru/christianskie-pritchi#part_23331
Christian parables are an expression of the basic ideas of Christianity - a doctrine that originated in the 1st century AD. e. in Palestine. The basis of Christianity is a combination of several assumptions, the most important of which is that the entire human race, being born in the original sin of Adam and Eve, is sinful and therefore needs to be saved, and every person carries in himself from birth the grain of this sin and must redeem him before God. How to seek this path of salvation is suggested to us christian parables. It's amazing how easily they are perceived by readers. It is noteworthy that, unlike many parables based on other teachings, in Christian parables you will not find edifying moralizing.
No matter how trite it may sound, but from Christian parables it emanates exactly goodness, and the meaning of the commandment “love your neighbor as yourself” lies in each of them. They are filled with mercy, compassion and love for all living things. However, here the reader will discover an ironic mockery of human greed, bragging and stupidity in a light, but still perceptible form.
Christian parables have an amazing structure. First, the reader is asked a question, to which he himself gives the answer. It is quite obvious that the question is one, but the answers will be given by different readers, of course, different from each other. Each subsequent reading of the same parable opens us more and more new horizons of human existence.
Like many parables from other cultures, Christian parables position human existence as suffering. Before we can be delivered and fall into the hands of the Lord, we must drink the full cup of suffering. Reading these parables, we involuntarily begin to think about how we live, how we relate to people close to us, to older and just passing acquaintances or passers-by. In parables, we can learn the truth that even a random, in your opinion, passerby must be treated with respect, because “the ways of the Lord are inscrutable” and perhaps after a while your life or the life of your child will depend on this passerby.
It is also interesting that the same parable can give us answers to different questions, for example, the parable "Human Ways". Christian parables are the result of the experience of generations. The sages who lived their lives and made many mistakes, having drawn the appropriate conclusions, set out advice on paper in a simple and interesting form, and how to dispose of this source, everyone decides for himself.
Unfortunately, the modern picture of the world dictates false values to us, placing material goods above all else. The parable of the prodigal son illustrates this truth perfectly. Here we see all the suffering that every sinner goes through. Often we are too carried away by the available pleasures for the sake of our own desires. However, having achieved everything we wanted, while passing “over our heads”, we begin to feel emptiness inside. In order to overcome it, we return to the origins - to the father's house. Only here unconditional understanding and help awaits us, so now we have to go all the way anew from the beginning to the very end.
The parable of the prodigal son is for all time, its value will not be lost for a very long time, and more than one generation will find answers to their questions in it. Christian parables so subtly expose the dark sides human essence that we don't need a direct reference to them. The characters in many ways resemble ourselves, and we involuntarily come to the conclusion that we are ashamed of this or that act. What we read, as it were, by itself suggests us the idea of the need to correct or, conversely, forgive the person who hurt us.
To date, the program of many general education schools provides for the study of Christian parables by schoolchildren, and this is no accident. The inquisitive mind of children is looking for answers to their questions. It may be difficult for parents to find words or they simply do not have enough time for intimate conversations, so reading parables can calm the mind of a child and give him some clarifications about human life.
Wise Christian Parables
So, we have already decided that one of the main goals of Christian parables is to tell a person how to find the path of salvation. Precisely suggest, not specify. This is a very fine line, since human nature in many cases reacts negatively to direct pointers. The wisdom of Christian parables lies in directing a person to the true path.
Reading the parables, we begin to realize that every deed will surely have some kind of consequence, and, as you know, a person is rewarded according to his merits. At the same time, kindness must come from the heart, and it must be sincere, which means that a swindler who transferred an old lady across the road, but nevertheless continued to deceive people, will not receive atonement for his sins.
Wise Christian parables teach us that the path to the true perfect goal is thorny and full of obstacles. The parable “The Closest Way to God” tells how something that is of no value, as a rule, always lies on the surface.
It is worth noting that in Christian parables there is also a certain element of intimidation, fear of God and his punishment. This, again, to the question that for any impious deed, punishment will follow. At the same time, a bad deed cannot be hidden, since God is omnipresent and sees everything, he sees both torment and good deeds and rewards them. Reading, for example, the parable “God is everywhere,” we begin to understand that all our deeds will be, if I may say so, taken into account, and that by asking from the bottom of our hearts and, of course, making efforts to this, we can count on the help of the Almighty.
In parables, we can see another hidden meaning. True faith in God is not a daily visit to church, worship of icons, unquestioning observance of fasts, and so on. You may not do all this, but for pious thoughts, good deeds and love for your neighbors, the Almighty will undoubtedly reward you.
Parables also teach us to love ourselves. What is this love? The fact that we do not exchange for anger, envy, foul language and gossip. Leading a proper lifestyle, working hard, taking care of the family, helping those in need - we do all this, first of all, for our own sake. Only when a person realizes this simple truth will salvation be revealed to him.
Among other things, a truly noble person, with pure thoughts, tends to constantly doubt. In these doubts, we often lose ourselves, and even worse, we can come to the wrong decisions. May be, age-old wisdom Christian parables is able to return to us the light of truth?
Christian wisdom in parables
Christian wisdom in parables is subtle, but at the same time very deep. We must love our neighbors, respect them, and through this respect and love we learn to love ourselves. let's try in simple words explain how it happens. For example, imagine yourself in the role of a baker, try to bake your buns and bread as if you were baking them for yourself, for your children and parents. Similarly, you should treat everything that you undertake and how you conduct yourself in everyday life.
Day after day, by doing with others the way you would like them to do with you, constantly putting yourself in the place of another and trying on "other people's shoes", you cease to be an egoist. But it is our ego that is the source of all failures and unjustified hopes. Ego is what prevents us from opening our heart and letting love in.
In Christian parables, we often encounter a situation when an angel descends from heaven to help a person, or when the voice of God himself gives advice to the hero. All this indicates that our physical body inextricably linked with the spiritual world.
Christian parables are lively vivid narratives, both truthful and striking in their deep wisdom and hidden meaning. That is why we remember many of them from childhood, only at the very mention of the concept of “parable”, images of the father and prodigal son, Christ, sage and elder and so on.
Read Christian parables, teach your children to read this, make such reading kind family tradition, and then their wisdom will undoubtedly be revealed to you, and an inquisitive mind will find answers to all exciting questions.
Poison in the heart
Once upon a time, a girl lived in a village. According to the ancient Slavic custom, after the wedding she came to live in her husband's house. But it was very uncomfortable for the young daughter-in-law with her mother-in-law. She constantly taught and reproached her for everything.
One morning a young woman went to a healer who lived on the outskirts of the forest.
“What brings you to me, beauty?” Al bewitch the peasant? - asked the grandfather.
“I don’t need anyone, I love my husband, but it’s unbearable to live with his mother.
- What do you want from me?
- Please, help me. Give me poison so I can poison her.
“Will you build your happiness on this, young lady?” Anyway. I pity you. I'll give you a potion. Every morning you will brew it, and drink this tea to your husband's mother. Yes, I have some advice for you.
- Which? Speak, I will do everything, if only to get rid of this snake as soon as possible.
“In the village, we have rumors quickly. They will suspect you. So, to prevent this from happening, change your attitude towards your mother-in-law.
Be affectionate, friendly, smile. You won't have to suffer for long. That is what the woman did. As soon as the roosters crowed, she gets up, kneads the bread, heats the oven, cooks porridge, brews her mother-in-law's poisonous potion. And so affectionately invites her to taste the miracle tea. Mom calls, obeys in everything. The husband is overjoyed: how mother and wife became relatives. The mother-in-law does not like the soul in the daughter-in-law. And that love, yes sincere, answers. She hurries again to the healer, throws herself at his feet with tears:
“Grandfather, I beg you. You can do everything. Give me the antidote. I made too much tea for my mother-in-law. Will die. And she became a caring mother to me.
- My dear, calm down. I gave you fragrant herbs, from which you brewed delicious and healthy tea for your mother-in-law. The poison was in your heart, but with God help you got rid of him.
footprints in the sand
One day a man had a dream. He dreamed that he was walking along a sandy shore, and next to him was the Lord. Pictures from his life flashed in the sky, and after each of them he noticed two chains of footprints in the sand: one from his feet, the other from the feet of the Lord.
As the last picture of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. And he saw that often only one chain of footprints stretched along his life path. He also noticed that these were the most difficult and unhappy times in his life.
He became very sad and began to ask the Lord:
- Didn't you tell me: if I follow your path, you will not leave me. But I noticed that during the most difficult times of my life, only one chain of footprints stretched across the sand. Why did you leave me when I needed you the most?
The Lord answered:
- My sweet, sweet child. I love you and will never leave you. When there were sorrows and trials in your life, only one chain of footprints stretched along the road. Because in those days I carried you in my arms.
About the strange will of the Father
One believer had an unbelieving son. The father was very worried, but could not instill religiosity in the young man. Feeling the approach of death, he called his son:
- Fulfill one my request.
- What, dad?
- When I die, you come to this room for fifteen minutes for forty days.
- And what should I do about it?
- You don't have to do anything. Just sit. But every day at least fifteen minutes.
The son buried his father and exactly fulfilled the request: he appeared every day in the room and just sat. So forty days passed, after which the young man himself came to church and became a deep believer.
Only many years later did he realize how wise his father's will was. The father realized that the young people had too fast a rhythm of life, sheer fuss and no time to think about the eternal: about the meaning of life, about their soul, about immortality, about God. But one has only to stop, to be in silence - and the Lord will knock on the heart.
Two cherries. Parable of St. Nicholas of Serbia
One person had two cherries in front of the house. One was evil and the other good. Whenever he left the house, they called him and asked for something. The evil cherry asked different things every time: either “dig me in”, then “whiten me”, then “give me a drink”, then “remove excess moisture from me”, then “shield me from the hot sun”, then “give me more light” . And the good cherry always repeated the same request: “My lord, help me to bring a good harvest!”
The owner was equally merciful to both, looked after them, attentively listened to their requests and fulfilled all their desires. He did what both one and the other asked, in other words, he gave the evil cherry everything that she demanded, and the good cherry only what he considered necessary, with the ultimate goal of a wonderful abundant harvest.
And then what happened? The wicked cherry blossomed strongly, the trunk and branches shone as if they had been smeared with oil, and the abundant foliage was dark green, sprawling like a thick tent. In contrast to her, a kind cherry with its appearance attracted no attention.
When the harvest time came, the evil cherry bore small rare fruits, which, due to the dense foliage, could not ripen in any way, and the good one brought many, very tasty berries. The evil cherry felt ashamed that she could not give such a harvest as her neighbor, and she began to grumble at the owner, reproaching him for this. The owner became angry and replied: - Am I to blame for this? Haven't I fulfilled all your desires for a whole year? If you thought only about the harvest, I would help you to bring the same abundant fruits as hers. But you pretended to be smarter than me, who imprisoned you, which is why you remained barren.
The evil cherry bitterly repented and promised the owner that next year she would think only about the harvest, and she would only ask him about this, and leave everything else to him to take care of. As promised, she did just that - she began to behave like a kind cherry. And on next year both cherries brought an equally good harvest, and their joy, like that of the owner, was great.
***
The moral of this simple parable is clear to all who pray to God.
The owner of the garden is the God of this light, and people are His seedlings. Like every owner, God demands a harvest from His plantings. “Every tree that does not give birth to good is cut down and thrown into the fire!” says the gospel. Therefore, first of all and most of all, it is required to take care of the harvest. And one should pray to the Owner - God, "Lord of the harvest", for a good harvest. No need to ask the Lord for small things. Look, no one goes to an earthly king to ask him for some little thing that can be easily obtained elsewhere.
“Our Lord is the Lord the Giver,” says St. John Chrysostom. He loves when His children ask Him for something great, worthy of a prince. And the greatest gift that God can give to people is the Kingdom of Heaven, where He Himself reigns. Therefore, the Lord Jesus Christ commands: "Seek first of all the Kingdom of God, and the rest will be added to you." And He also says, “Don't worry about what you will eat, or what you will drink, or what you will wear. Your Heavenly Father knows you need all of this.” And He says again: “Your Father knows even before you pray what you need!”
So what should you ask God for? First of all, what is the best, the greatest and the most infinite. And this will be those spiritual riches that are called by one name - the Kingdom of Heaven. When first of all we ask God for this, He gives, along with this wealth, everything else that we need in this world. Of course, it is not forbidden to ask God for the rest that we need, but this can only be asked at the same time as the main thing.
The Lord Himself teaches us to pray for bread every day: “Give us our daily bread today!..” But this prayer in the “Our Father” is not in the first place, but only after the prayer for the holy name of God, for the coming of the Kingdom of Heaven and for the dominion of the will of God on earth as it is in heaven.
So, first the spiritual blessings, and only then the material ones. All material goods are from dust, and the Lord easily creates them and easily gives them. He gives them by His mercy even to those who do not ask for it. Gives them to animals as well as people. However, He never gives spiritual blessings, neither without human will, nor without searching. The most precious riches, that is, spiritual ones, such as peacefulness, joy, kindness, mercy, patience, faith, hope, love, wisdom and others, God can give just as easily as He gives material goods, but only to those who love these spiritual treasures and who will ask God for them.
About the sin of drunkenness
In Egypt, there lived a hermit monk. And now the demon, after many years of struggle with him, promised him that he would no longer be oppressed by any temptations, if only he committed one of the three sins. He suggested the following three sins: murder, fornication, and drunkenness.
Do, - he said, - any one of them: either kill a person, or fornicate, or get drunk once - and then you will be in peace, and after that I will no longer tempt you with any temptations.
The hermit thought to himself this way: “To kill a person is terrible, because this is in itself a great evil, and deserves the death penalty both by God's court and by civil. To commit fornication, shame, to destroy the purity of the body that has been preserved before is a pity, and it is vile to defile one who has not yet known this filth. Getting drunk once seems to be a small sin, for a person soon sobers up with sleep. So, I will go and get drunk so that the demon no longer oppresses me, and I will live peacefully in the wilderness. And so, taking his needlework, he went into the city and, having sold it, entered the tavern and got drunk.
Through a satanic action, he happened to converse with a certain shameless and adulterous woman. Being seduced, he slept with her. When he committed a sin with her, the husband of that woman came and, finding the sinner with his wife, began to beat him, and he, having recovered, began to fight with that husband and, having overcome him, killed him.
Thus, that hermit committed all three sins: fornication and murder, starting with drunkenness. What sins he soberly feared and abhorred, those he boldly committed while drunk, and through this ruined his many years of work.
