Sayings of the Holy Fathers about happiness. Holy Fathers on Spiritual Joy
The goal of an Orthodox person is to acquire the Holy Spirit. But we are accustomed - everyday experience and fiction and cinema tell us this - that all people strive for happiness, and it is the achievement of happiness that is the criterion for the success or failure of a “life project”. Let's take a critical look at these two attitudes: how contradictory are they?
Happiness and bliss
So. Happiness is a purely philosophical subject; for many centuries it has troubled the minds of many thinkers. For example, in the philosophy of Epicureanism, happiness is identified with pleasure (or rather, with the absence of suffering). It was in antiquity that eudaimonism arose (“eudaimonia” is the fate of a person under the protection of the gods), an intellectual direction that puts happiness at the forefront. Eastern thought in all its aspects - biopsychic, social, economic and logical - also teaches how the individual can achieve happy life. IN modern science They also talk about happiness in a physiological aspect. Scientists introduce the concept of “happiness hormones.” The amount of endophrine, serotonin and dopamine in the blood affects the state of the human psyche, a short-term state of euphoria and joy, and in ideal proportions even creates a background of happiness and inner satisfaction. The 20th century Austrian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl, comparing happiness to a butterfly, said: “The more you catch it, the more it escapes.” This is probably why humanity is plagued by such problems as drunkenness, drug addiction, and gambling addiction.
Does it teach us how to achieve happiness? Holy Gospel? In His teachings and sermons, the Savior does not call us to “inner harmony,” a healthy lifestyle, or success. The only place on the basis of which the doctrine of happiness is attributed to Him is the Sermon on the Mount, during which our Lord Jesus Christ pronounced the Beatitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them is the Kingdom of Heaven
Blessed are those who cry, for they will be comforted
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied
Blessed be the mercy, for there will be mercy
Blessed are those who are pure in heart, for they will see God
Blessed are the peacemakers, for these shall be called sons of God
Blessed is the expulsion of truth for the sake of them, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs
Blessed are you when they revile you, and ridicule you, and say all sorts of evil things about you lying, for my sake:
Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is abundant in heaven!
(Matt. 5:3-11).
In tradition Orthodox Church The Greek word μακάριος is understood as “blessed.” However, some modern translators of the Holy Scriptures render this word as “happy,” completely distorting the meaning of the Gospel teaching. While the Savior tells us: “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36), we are constantly trying to grab hold of what is earthly and temporary. Moreover, we are transforming the very teaching of the Lord, trying to reveal the meaning of the Gospel in earthly and perishable symbols, such as, for example, happiness.
The first difference: happiness is not in God, but in worldly things
In the earthly dimension of human values, we can be happy when we achieve some goal, for example, the accumulation of wealth, which creates the illusion of stability and security. But we must understand that the goals of one person may not coincide with the goals of another and even cause harm to that person. We can experience happiness through sports, extreme activities or the use of special chemicals, thus managing chemical composition your blood. But is Christ really talking about such happiness when he addresses us with the words: “ Blessed are the poor, blessed are those who weep, blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness...."? Even St. Augustine realized that a person is unable to be happy within the framework of earthly concepts and definitions. In the “Confession,” turning to the Creator, he exclaimed: “You created us for Yourself, and our heart knows no rest until it rests in You.” All attempts to satisfy your needs are futile. No matter how much a person eats and no matter how tasty and high-quality his food is, after a short period of time he experiences hunger again. No matter how much water he drinks, it is impossible to get drunk forever. IN hot weather a person dreams of winter coolness and snowy fun. With the arrival of winter, he again experiences difficulties and dreams of a hot and sunny summer. Everything turns out to be temporary and perishable and is not capable of bringing complete satisfaction to a person. Only God can fill a person's life with true meaning. He can give a person something that no one can take away, which “neither moth nor rust destroys” (Matthew 6:20). Once, in a conversation with a Samaritan woman, Christ said this: “ Whoever drinks the water that I will give him will never thirst"(John 4:14). The awareness of one’s involvement in the eternal, imperishable gives a person the same bliss in search of which people roam the universe and perish on the altars of their proud aspirations. Only in Christ is a person able to find this longed-for bliss: “ Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest."(Matthew 11:28).
Difference two: happiness is impermanent, bliss is eternal
In my pastoral practice, I often encounter parents bringing their children to be baptized in the hope that they will become healthier, wealthier, more successful, and generally happier. We have to disappoint them, explaining that the baptismal font is a symbol of dying for the world, which “ lies in evil"that our success and happiness do not depend on the fact of baptism. On the contrary, those who find bliss expelled for the sake of truth, whom reviled, and ostracized, and on whom they say all are evil verb. Newlyweds make a similar mistake when they get married in the hope of finding happiness. Let us remember Frankl and his fickle butterfly. Happiness is fickle. But God grants bliss to Orthodox spouses in their act of sacrificial love for each other. And constantly growing spiritually, they can abide forever in these gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit.
It is often difficult to accept the good news. To our consciousness, burdened with sin, the Gospel teaching seems simply incomprehensible and terrible. However, the Savior calls us not to temporary happiness, which is preached in the world by the kingdom of Antichrist, but to eternal bliss, which is abundantly taught by His Holy Church in the gracious gifts of the Holy Spirit to all who believe in Him and follow Him.
Difference three: happiness is subjective, bliss is objective
For an individual person focused on happiness, relying solely on his subjective experience, bliss is practically unattainable. That is why God created the Church as a community of believers, united not only by a common goal and faith, but also by the grace of the Holy Spirit. All these people, in their work to acquire saving grace, seem to exchange their experiences with each other. Entire generations of people from generation to generation pass on their accumulated experience of life in Christ. There is a wonderful liturgical prayer: “Save, O God, Thy people and bless Thy inheritance...”, which lists a host of holy saints of God, starting from Holy Mother of God, angelic powers, apostles, martyrs and saints, and ending with the saints, whose memory we celebrate on this day. It would seem, why do we list whole hosts of the same names every day? But it is precisely thanks to this orderly chain that the Church’s Sacred Tradition is carefully preserved and passed on from generation to generation, from generation to generation. All these holy people, like single organism, as the Body of Christ, reveal to us life in the Church in the Holy Spirit. In this objectivity the truth is revealed to us. Now we know for sure that we rely not only on our own experience of Christian life, but we join in the experience of church life of many generations.
When something is unclear to me, something is in doubt, I force myself to trust the experience of the Church. After some time, the secret is revealed, the answer to the question is found. What seemed incomprehensible and doubtful becomes “clear as day,” and I am again convinced of the great wisdom of God. Therefore, when newly enlightened people come to the Church and conversations begin about the irrelevance and archaic nature of some church canons and traditions or the optionality of regularly attending services, I always try to convince them to trust the experience of the Church. This is also one of the arguments in favor of the statement of the holy fathers: “ Without the Church there is no salvation" Outside the Body of Christ, it is practically impossible for a person to open the door to the Kingdom of God, which means that communion with God itself becomes impossible.
Difference four: happiness is individual, bliss is social
The social service of the community is a continuation of the Liturgy. Therefore, the priest must also play a key role here. It is on him that the responsibility lies for ensuring that the flock does not stray from the path of salvation. However, pastoral leadership in the form of lectures given from the pulpit is alien to the Orthodox perception. In the East, students who came to the elder teacher did not just listen to his words. They stayed to live with him. For a long time they perceived his worldview, watched how the teacher eats, how he drinks, how he acts in a given situation. In this way, they became familiar with his life experience and one day became mentors themselves. Now the disciples came to them and stayed to live with them. This continuity is of great importance in the matter of churching. The shepherd instructs his flock by example. It is no coincidence that for many people contact with a clergyman in direct live communication is perceived as a mysterious contact with the Church itself. A person’s further choice largely depends on how deeply the shepherd was able to sow the seed of the Divine Word. And here the main thing is not so much the priest’s oratorical abilities, but the correspondence of his image to the Image of Christ. By listening to the instructions of our confessor, we join the grace-filled church life. This means that the possibility of fulfilling the Beatitudes opens up for us.
By acquiring the priceless gifts of the Holy Spirit in the Sacraments of the Church, adjusting our worldview under the guidance of a confessor and honing our virtues in the community among our brothers and sisters, we find bliss in our real Christian life outside the church fence, where the words begin to come true for us in their entirety, spoken by Christ in the Sermon on the Mount.
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Orthodox calendar
Commemoration of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Sschmch. Autonoma, ep. Italian (313). St. Athanasius of Vysotsky, Serpukhov, miracle worker (1395).
Transfer of relics of rights. Simeon of Verkhoturye (1704). St. Vassian Tiksnensky (1624). Mch. Juliana and with him 40 martyrs (IV). Mch. Theodore of Alexandria. Sschmch. Cornuta, ep. Nicomedia (Iconian) (249–259).
Sschmchch. Theodore Lebedev, John Prudentov, Nikolai Zhitov presbyters, martyr. Alexia Voroshina (1937).
Gal., 207 ch., III, 15–22. Mark, 23 readings, VI, 7–13, and for Thursday (beginning): Gal., 208 readings, III, 23 – IV, 5. Mark, 25 readings, VI, 30–45. Theotokos: Phil., 240 readings, II, 5–11. Luke, 54, X, 38–42; XI, 27–28.
At Matins we don’t sing “The Most Honest,” but we sing the choruses of the holiday. A great doxology is sung.
We congratulate the birthday people on Angel Day!
Icon of the day
Venerable Afanasy Vysotsky, Serpukhov, the Younger, abbot
Memorial Days: 12-th of September 
Rev. Afanasy Vysotsky the Younger , second abbot of the Serpukhov Vysotsky Monastery, was born in Yaroslavl around 1362 into a pious and noble family. At baptism he received the name Amos. His father Hilarion and mother Anna raised their son, who naturally had a “sharp mind,” in strict rules of piety.
On December 2, 1374, the Venerable Sergius of Radonezh, inclining to the request of the pious Serpukhov Prince Vladimir Andreevich, visited Serpukhov, and, choosing a beautiful and very comfortable spot“on the High,” founded a monastery here in the name of the Most Holy Theotokos, Her honorable conception by righteous Anna. He appointed his favorite student, the Monk Athanasius the Elder, as abbot of the new monastery. The fame of the community monastery, the exploits and experience of its abbot in the spiritual guidance of novices quickly spread everywhere.
Wanting to “learn the way of the Lord,” young Amos came to the Monk Athanasius in 1378, and he, seeing his zeal and love for God, accepted him into the monastery. Five years later, seeing his obedience, purity and patience in his struggle, the Monk Athanasius vouchsafed him monastic tonsure, calling him by his own name - Athanasius. In 1381, 3 years after his tonsure, at the consecration of the newly built cathedral church, when the Monk Athanasius the Elder was elevated to abbot, Saint Cyprian of Moscow, in the presence of the Monk Sergius, ordained him a hierodeacon, and after another 2 years he was ordained a hieromonk.
During a trip to Kiev, the Monk Athanasius the Elder, seeing the experience of the Monk Athanasius, entrusted him with the management of the monastery, and in 1387, together with Saint Cyprian of Moscow, leaving for Constantinople forever, he appointed him as his successor as abbot at the Vysotsky Monastery. Under St. Athanasius the Younger, the Vysotsky monastery continued to flourish and the number of brethren in it multiplied. Hegumen Athanasius was an example for the brethren in the exploits of a virtuous monastic life: “he had perfect abstinence, was strong in fasting, not lazy in prayer, patient in poverty.” Loving the Lord God, he knew how to instill the same love for God and for prayerful deeds and brethren. Know how to keep them from sins and teach them how to overcome the attraction of passions, directing their hearts and thoughts to the Lord.
Around 1395, the Monk Athanasius received at his monastery an embassy from the Monk Athanasius the Elder, who sent from Constantinople seven beautiful icons of the Deesis order, other church objects and manuscripts.
In 1395, from his great deeds and labors, the Monk Athanasius felt “senile exhaustion” and on September 12, the day of the Feast of the Nativity of the Most Holy Theotokos, he reposed in the Lord. According to his will, he was buried opposite the western doors of the cathedral church under the stairs. His successor in managing the monastery was the Monk Nikita, a relative and disciple of the Monk Sergius.
From the very moment of his burial, the Monk Athanasius was glorified by miracles. One of the brethren, angry with the saint, did not go to his burial, and for this he was suddenly attacked by an unclean spirit. With tears, he then hurried to the church and, before the grave, asked forgiveness from the monk, after which he was freed from the evil spirit. When they lowered the body of the Monk Athanasius into the ground, this monk fell into the grave and when he was taken out of it, he told the brethren that the Monk Athanasius from the grave extended his hand to him and said: “You, brother, are destined to soon leave life, your death is near.” On the third day after this, the monk died. The monks of the monastery and other people at different times saw burning candles over the burial place of the monk. They walked behind the Throne, on the right side, and, having reached the tomb of the monk, became invisible. More than once the brethren heard his sweet-voiced singing over the tomb: “Holy God...”, or saw the Monk Athanasius walking around the monastery with a censer and lighted candles. During the invasion of the Crimean Tatars on Serpukhov, when the monks fled from the monastery, the enemies and some residents of the city saw a monk ride out of the monastery on a white horse with a large staff in his hand. He had a dark complexion and a thick black beard. Having traveled around the enemy camp, he rushed at them with a threatening look, and they, immediately lifting the siege of the city, took to flight. The city leaders reported this to the king.
Soon after his death, the staircase above the saint’s coffin was dismantled and a chapel was built. In 1697, the mother of Peter I, Tsarina Natalya Kirillovna, built a one-domed stone church over the tomb of the saint in the name of St. Athanasius of Athos. In 1878, this temple, which had fallen into disrepair, was dismantled, and in memory of the 500th anniversary of the monastery, a beautiful and extensive temple was erected in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh and Athanasius of Athos. In 1967, this church was “demolished by restorers as a structure of no architectural or historical value”... Above the place of the saint’s burial, the staircase was restored to its original form, and the saint’s grave was again located under it. With the blessing of His Eminence Metropolitan Juvenaly of Krutitsy and Kolomna, work was carried out to determine the burial place and discover the holy remains of St. Athanasius. On September 11-24, 1994, the discovery of the venerable relics of the Pleasant of God took place, and on the very day of the repose of the saint, they were solemnly transferred to the temple by a host of clergy led by the Bishop.
From the holy relics of St. Athanasius, resting in the Intercession Church of the monastery, significant cases of healing of the suffering continue to take place in our time.
The authentic Life and Service to St. Athanasius were written in 1697 by Hieromonk Karion Istomin, director of the Moscow Patriarchal Court, Chudovsky.
From ancient times, the Monk Athanasius was revered as a wonderworker, mentor of monks and heavenly patron of the Vysotsk monastery, the city of Serpukhov and its borders.
Troparion to St. Athanasius of Vysotsky, Serpukhov, the Younger
The image of God in your God-created soul, / keeping your mind, word, and spirit, / you have fixed your eyes, O Father Athanasius, / on love for the All-Creator God, / and for this sake / prayers We will accept your labors and deeds of virtue,/ you have passed into the eternal heavenly shelters ./ Watch over us from here,/ praying to the Holy Trinity,// to inherit for us the most mountainous, all-joyful bliss.
Translation: The image of God in your God-created soul: preserving your mind, word and spirit, you, Father Reverend Athanasius, aspired with love for the Creator of all God, and therefore, having completed prayers, works and deeds of virtue, you moved to the eternal heavenly abodes. From there, watch over us, praying to the Holy Trinity that we may inherit heavenly all-joyful bliss.
Prayer to St. Afanasy Vysotsky, Serpukhov, the Younger
Oh, our reverend and God-bearing Father Athanasius! You, desiring to work for the Lord, lived here, and you labored without laziness in labor, in vigils, in prayers and fasting, and you were a mentor to monastics and to all people zealous teacher. Now, after your departure from the earthly, you stand before the Heavenly King, pray to His goodness to bless the place of your settlement, this holy abode, where the spirit of your love is not remain at your feet, and all your people, who fall in faith to your race, for their good requests fulfill. Ask our Merciful Lord to grant us an abundance of earthly blessings, and even more so for the benefit of our souls, and may we end this life in repentance. He beats, on the Day of Judgment may He be honored with prestige and enjoyment in His Kingdom forever and ever . Amen.
Second prayer to St. Afanasy Vysotsky, Serpukhov, the Younger
Oh, glorious miracle worker and mighty intercessor of this God-gathered army! To you, as the speedy and chosen intercessor for our salvation, the God-chosen commander of the spiritual armies, I come with the weapon of your prayer as a conqueror over your enemies, before the reliquary of your holy relics Giving, like our Father Athanasius, we resort with all our souls: do not turn away from our poverty, heed our prayer, and from troubles us, preserve this holy monastery, this city and its borders. Stretch out your hand, giving first aid. Guide our minds from harmful dispersion, and cleanse, sanctify and strengthen our defiled hearts. Save us from enemies, visible and invisible, so that we may emerge victorious over passions, creating holiness in the passion of the Lord, and having overcome all despondency, let us begin to rejoice in the Lord: and so with your progress Sacraments, in humility and simplicity of heart let us be vouchsafed until our last breath to gloriously glorify the Holy Trinity, the Father , and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Reading the Gospel with the Church
We read the Gospel together with the Church. Gospel of Mark, chapter 6, v. 7–13.
7 And having called twelve, he began to send them out two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits.
8 And he commanded them not to take anything for the journey except one staff: no bag, no bread, no copper in their belts, 9 but to put on simple shoes and not wear two clothes.
10 And he said to them: If you enter a house anywhere, stay in it until you leave that place.
11 And if anyone will not receive you and will not listen to you, then when you leave there, shake off the dust from your feet as a testimony against them. Truly I say to you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that city.
12 They went and preached repentance; 13 They cast out many demons and anointed many sick people with oil and healed them.
(Mark 6:7-13.)
Cartoon calendar
Orthodox educational courses
TRANSITION TO ETERNAL LIFE: Word on the Day of the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
U The singing of the Mother of God gives a completely new meaning to a person’s transition from this life to eternal life. Dormition - a person literally falls asleep in order to meet the Lord in the Kingdom of Heaven. There was sorrow at the temporary separation, but joy filled the hearts of people and Angels who solemnly escorted the Mother of God on this journey. Death and sorrow no longer had such power over them. And the Mother of God really just fell asleep: already on the third day Her body was not found in the tomb, She was already in the Kingdom of Heaven.
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Archimandrite Tikhon (Shevkunov)
Preparation for the Sacrament of Holy Baptism
IN section " Preparation for Baptism" site "Sunday school: on-line courses " Archpriest Andrei Fedosov, head of the department of education and catechesis of the Kinel Diocese, information has been collected that will be useful to those who are going to receive Baptism themselves, or want to baptize their child or become a godparent.
R This section consists of five cataclysmic conversations in which the content of Orthodox dogma within the framework of the Creed is revealed, the sequence and meaning of the rites performed at Baptism are explained, and answers to common questions related to this Sacrament are given. Each conversation is accompanied additional materials, links to sources, recommended literature and Internet resources.
ABOUT course conversations are presented in the form of texts, audio files and videos.
Course topics:
- Conversation No. 1 Preliminary concepts
- Conversation No. 2 Sacred Bible story
- Conversation No. 3 Church of Christ
- Conversation No. 4 Christian morality
- Conversation No. 5 The Sacrament of Holy Baptism
Applications:
- FAQ
- Orthodox calendar
Reading the lives of saints by Dmitry of Rostov for every day
Recent Entries
Radio "Vera"
Radio "VERA" is a new radio station that talks about the eternal truths of the Orthodox faith.
TV channel Tsargrad: Orthodoxy
"Orthodox newspaper" Ekaterinburg
Pravoslavie.Ru - Meeting with Orthodoxy
- There are many miracles!
After a car accident and several craniotomies, this man was in a coma. Relatives placed a bag of earth on his head from the grave of the righteous Simeon - and the patient’s consciousness returned and he quickly began to recover.
Happiness– satisfaction with human aspirations and needs. A person initially has a desire for the Source and all kinds of things. Complete happiness is found only with God, in God.
Is it possible to achieve happiness outside of God and without God?
Man's desire for God is inherent in his nature at creation. This means that outside of His Creator, man will not be able to fully satisfy his natural and personal aspirations. It is God who is the inexhaustible Source of goods, the Source of happiness, and it is in Him that a person can find real, eternal happiness.
Living at a distance from God, a person, of course, can experience pleasure, even something similar to the highest happiness that saints experience, for example, in love. However, even in this case, satisfaction will not be exhaustive, and happiness will not be complete (see:).
As for satisfaction material benefits or sensual pleasures, then they are even less like the happiness of saints.
Thus, King Solomon, who seemed to possess all the earthly blessings that a man of his time could dream of (fame, wealth, wives, respect), nevertheless asserted: vanity of vanities, all is vanity ().
Let us remember that during the Transfiguration of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Apostle Peter, who felt contact with God, immediately forgot about all his earthly worries and sorrows, wanting to remain on the mountain, with His God, which, in fact, was expressed in the words: “Lord! It’s good for us to be here; If you want, we’ll make three tabernacles here: one for you, one for Moses, and one for Elijah” ().
On Orthodox icons the general state of eyewitnesses of the Transfiguration is expressed in the positions of their bodies (they are often written upside down, upside down), and in gestures, and in facial expressions.
All cultures can be divided into soteriological (from the Greek - salvation) and hedonistic (from the Greek - pleasure). Happiness is usually chosen by people at three ascending levels: bodily pleasure, mental well-being or involvement in the highest, the Absolute.
Happiness is in love for God and for man... Love is a synonym for happiness, and since we all strive for happiness, we must strive to cultivate love in ourselves. While we are choked by dullness, despondency, loneliness, hostility, hatred. But He who is can teach us. ( prot. Alexander Men)
Root of the word happiness- "Part". Happiness. Happy man- this is a person living with a part of something, having some part. Part of some Good. The good is common to all. Universal. Worldwide. Immeasurable. Inexhaustible Good. And this Good is God! Truly happy - having a common part with God. Living in God. And the closer a person is to God, the happier he is.
In Orthodoxy, instead of the concept of happiness, a more specific concept is used. Through communion and acquisition of the Holy Spirit, a Christian becomes involved in God: “Abide in Me, and I in you” (). This is real, timeless, eternal happiness, which begins in this world, but is fully achieved in the Kingdom of Heaven. It has nothing to do with the philistine concept of “happiness.”
In the Bible there are reflections on the search for happiness “under the sun”, i.e. in our world are contained in the book of Ecclesiastes or Preacher. Cm. .
Hieromonk Macarius (Markish): The Lord sets us a task: to be happy. Happy in this life and in the next. It is clear to everyone that current happiness is nothing if it does not continue. The Savior opens His Sermon on the Mount () with the “beatitudes”, “makarisms”: each verse begins with the word Blessed, in Greek makarii, which exactly translated into Russian means happy.
But what is happiness? Continue reading the Sermon on the Mount, and you will see that Christ refutes the usual stereotypes. He calls happy not the proud, but the poor in spirit, that is, not satisfied, but hungry and thirsty for righteousness, not winners, but peacemakers...
Happiness, of course, is subjective, that is, it ultimately depends on what is in me, in my soul. However, we understand well that “the search for happiness within oneself” is an absolutely rotten and disastrous business: after all, our soul is not free from sin... Hence the conclusion is very simple and definite: happiness is possible and achievable only with Christ, on the way to Him and behind Him.
Archimandrite Melchizedek (Artyukhin): Do you know what the biggest cause of unhappiness is? It is a constant search for happiness. Happiness is life with God. Everything else is as God wills. Because our life after the Fall in this sinful, sin-soaked world is not a place of rest, but a place of achievement.
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How mistaken are those people who seek happiness outside themselves - in foreign countries and travels, in wealth and fame, in great possessions and pleasures, in pleasures and excess and in empty things that end in bitterness! Building a tower of happiness outside our heart is like building a house in a place that is subject to constant earthquakes. Very soon such a building will collapse...
Brothers and sisters! Happiness lies within ourselves, and blessed is the one who understands this. Test your heart and observe its spiritual state. Perhaps you have lost your boldness before the Lord? Perhaps conscience denounces the transgression of His commandments? Maybe she denounces you for injustice, for lies, for failure to fulfill our duties to God and neighbor? Experience, perhaps, evil and passions have filled your heart; perhaps it has deviated onto crooked and impassable paths...
Unfortunately, the one who neglected his heart was deprived of all blessings and fell into many evils. He expelled joy and was filled with bitterness, sadness and spiritual distress. Banished the world and acquired depression, anxiety and horror. He expelled love and found hatred. And finally, he expelled all the gifts and fruits of the Holy Spirit that he acquired at his baptism, and became akin to all the atrocities that make a person miserable and damned.
Brothers and sisters! The most merciful God wants happiness for all of us both in this life and in the next. For this purpose, He founded His saint, so that she would cleanse us from sin, so that she would sanctify us, reconcile us with Him and give us heavenly blessing.
The Church always has open arms for us. Let us all, whose conscience is burdened, hurry into them quickly. Let us hurry, and the Church will lift the weight of our burden, give us boldness towards God, and fill our hearts with happiness and bliss.
“We are used to calling something external happiness... But it is not outside, but within us, in a state of spirit that is gratifying, joyful, and well-dissolved.”
“If it pleases the Lord and is not harmful to a person, then external happiness is given.”
“Such is the human race, such is human happiness: it is like the most inconspicuous traces of a ship, which cut in front and disappear behind!”
“Love-wisdom knows how to do both - to use happiness in moderation, and to maintain decency in adversity.”
“Beloved Christian! May people prosper in the happiness of this world. You will be quite happy when you have happiness within yourself. This is true, immovable and inalienable happiness!”
“Happiness for people is to have strong people protectors and helpers. For a Christian, happiness is to have God as your Protector and Helper.
“Blessed is the man whose protection is with You, O God!”
“This is true happiness and true bliss, which neither fire, nor water, nor prison, nor exile, nor captivity, nor cunning, nor human malice, nor death can take away.
“If God is for us, who can be against us” ()?
“Man, having confessed himself to be a slave and a creation of God, having surrendered himself entirely to the will of God, immediately enters with his whole being into the realm of holy Truth. Truth brings the right mood to the spirit and life. He who has ascended to the realm of Truth, who has submitted to the Truth, receives moral and spiritual freedom, receives moral and spiritual happiness. This freedom and this happiness do not depend on people and circumstances.”
“If the mere contemplation of (Divine) glory (at the Transfiguration of the Lord) filled the disciples (Jesus) with bliss, then what should be the happiness of a person who has achieved close and sincere unity with God to such a degree that the Lord dwells in him, permeating his entire being with His rays unfading glory, which seems to flow from a person sanctified and enlightened by His presence! This is the highest happiness: in unity with God, which makes a person a partaker of the Divine glory.”
Among people far from the Church, there is a widespread idea that the Christian faith is incompatible with a state of happiness, a feeling of joy, that to be Orthodox means to constantly be in a state of sorrow, at best about one’s sins. It is clear that this gloomy picture has or should not have anything to do with reality. It is not in vain that the Apostle Paul calls us: Rejoice always (1 Thess. 5:16). But what does it mean to rejoice in a Christian way?
We talk about the Orthodox understanding of happiness with the first deputy chairman of the Educational Committee of the Russian Orthodox Church, professor at the Moscow Theological Academy, Archpriest Maxim Kozlov.
—Father Maxim, does an Orthodox Christian have the right to think about happiness?
- Undoubtedly. And this needs to be actively discussed when addressing the Orthodox audience, because, unfortunately, there is a certain kind of tendency in the perception of life, especially among those who have recently come to the Orthodox faith, which assumes that the path to salvation is necessarily a path of suffering. To put it more bluntly, the idea that the profession of the Orthodox faith and happiness are incompatible suggests that God wants people to suffer, while the text of Holy Scripture, Holy Tradition and the One in Whom we believe answer this question differently: God is already here, in earthly life, giving those who believe in Him the opportunity to find real, and not illusory, happiness, which is the beginning of eternal life. Reading the lives of the saints, we understand that, despite adversity and trials, they were happy people — of course, in a different sense than what is commonly said in the world.
—The word “happiness” does not appear very often in Holy Scripture…
—The noun “happiness” does not appear at all in the New Testament. In the Old Testament it occurs no more than once per book. Paradoxically, the word “happiness” is most often used in the book of Job, which tells about the suffering of this righteous man.
The adjective “happy” is found somewhat more often, but only in everyday contexts or in etiquette formulas. For example, in the Acts of the Apostles, the Apostle Paul addresses his interlocutor: King Agrippa! I consider myself fortunate that today I can defend myself before you (Acts 26:2).
However, I propose to pay attention to an adjective that is close in meaning to the concept of “happy”, but is translated into modern Russian by another word - the Greek word makЈrioj. It appears frequently in the Greek translation of the Old Testament and in the New Testament, which was originally written in Greek. This word is translated into Church Slavonic as “blessed.” This word is not translated in the Synodal Translation of the Holy Scriptures, but if we nevertheless translate the word makЈrioj (“blessed”) into Russian, we get the word “happy.” Happy not in the sense of “lucky”, but in the sense of “ontologically involved in the state of unity with God.”
In the English Bible the word makЈrioj is translated as “blessed” (blessed, happy, blissful. - Ed.), and in German - as “selig” (blessed, happy, joyful. - Ed.). It cannot be said that these words belong to the stylistically neutral range of vocabulary in English and German language, nevertheless they are widely used in modern language and, unlike the Church Slavonic “blessed”, are completely understandable to the average modern reader.
If we understand the Beatitudes in this way, we will see that happiness is not a state of suffering or suffering. Happy are the meek, happy are the peacemakers, happy are those persecuted for Christ’s sake. Happy are those who force themselves to heroically fulfill the commandments, contrary to what, both at all times and in our time, the enemy of the human race and the spirit of this age calls them to do.
—You say that there are two understandings of happiness: happiness in the sense in which it is spoken of in the Holy Scriptures, and the worldly understanding of happiness, which now dominates in society. What's the difference? What is the false understanding of happiness? What, so to speak, are its “traps”?
—The traps of imaginary happiness on the path to real happiness are the tricks of the enemy of the human race. They can be quite varied. Nowadays, these are, most often, promises of a different life than the one you have: you would be happy if you had more money, if you had another wife, if you were born in another country... For a person active-active, this thought moves from the realm of dreams to the realm of plans: you will find the desired happiness if in one way or another you move yourself to these conditions. However, on the path to such happiness, as a rule, there is one small obstacle: you need to break the commandment. “One or two... It’s not scary... And if it’s scary, then for the sake of happiness you can endure it,” the evil one inspires us. But this is not true. We must firmly remember that the path to happiness is the path to God, and it never lies through conscious consent to sin.
—Now, along with the word “happiness,” the words “success” and “positive” are used in society. Is it dangerous for a Christian to strive to be successful or “to be positive”?
—Striving for success is, first of all, risky. We must remember that success depends not only on our efforts, but also on the will of God. The Lord may not bless one or another of our endeavors. Achieving success in a particular field of activity is not a sin in itself. Success does not bring spiritual harm to those who do not pursue it, to those for whom it is not the goal of their activity. After all, the Lord, out of His love, does not allow us to “play” with the “toys” that tie us to the earth. If in my professional activity The main thing is not improvement in this or that area of knowledge, not achieving a greater level of skills and mastery, but rather “stepping over” from career step to step. God, for my own good, can deprive me of career success. Therefore, in my opinion, best advice about how to be successful is to not strive for success at all — at least not to desire it in the first place.
There are two risky things associated with positive thinking. The first is obvious for a Christian: you need to evaluate yourself realistically, not positively. This does not mean at all that we should evaluate ourselves based on a falsely understood humility: that I am, they say, mean, disgusting, and we need to spit on ourselves and rub ourselves with our boots. But we also cannot turn a blind eye to the obvious flaws or unrealized opportunities that exist in our lives. The second danger associated with positive thinking is that it presupposes—I’m exaggerating a little, of course—the perception of life’s misfortunes according to the well-known formula: “Everything is for the best in this best of all worlds.” But such an attitude towards reality when coming into contact with a real tragedy or, to put it mildly, with a tense dramatic situation - a serious illness loved one, loss, war, disaster - it may turn out to be a house of cards. We all need to get rid of illusory thinking, learn to accept life according to the gospel principle: the day’s care is sufficient, that is, each day has enough of its own care (Matthew 6:34). We need to accept life as it is given to us today, and not build structures around it, even the most positive ones.
—The concept of “comfort” is also close to the concept of “happiness”. But should an Orthodox Christian strive for comfort?
-Gilbert Keith Chesterton (English Christian thinker, journalist and writer of the late 19th - early 20th centuries - Ed.) said this very well in his time: “If I were looking for comfort first of all in my life, then half a bottle of port would have been given to me.” its much faster and simpler than my religion." Christianity is by no means a religion of spiritual comfort. By the way, Soviet anti-religious propaganda also spoke about this, but, of course, it blamed Christianity for this. The idea of Christianity as a religion of consolation and reassurance is, of course, false. Religion is not a pill or a band-aid, and certainly not an antidepressant that can help a person actually feel more comfortable. Christianity is a religion of causing mental discomfort. Let us remember the parable of the publican and the Pharisee. In it, the one who left the temple in a state of mental discomfort, the one who felt bad and the one who felt that he had no right to be there at all, came out of the temple more justified. And the person who was in a state of religious comfort turned out to be less justified.
- So if we feel happy, then this is a reason to be afraid? Think about it?
-No, we must be afraid and think if we feel satisfied with ourselves. A happy person is not necessarily a self-satisfied person. See how the Apostle Paul says: It is a great gain to be pious and content (1 Tim. 6:6), that is, to live according to the truth of God and be content with the circumstances around us, to walk without grumbling along the path of life that God sends us.
-Still, it is very difficult psychologically to combine the call of the Apostle Paul to rejoice and repentant crying about one’s sins...
—Saint Peter of Athos says that salvation is found between fear and hope: between fear for the way I live, that because of my sins I am worthy of hell - and the hope that God, in His love for mankind and mercy, will save me all -it will save you. This is, if you like, an antinomy. But it is precisely in the combination of fear and hope that the middle royal path of a Christian lies - the path of salvation. Relying only on God's mercy can lead to moral irresponsibility and indulgence in one's sins. The absolutization of fear turns God from a loving Father into a punishing Judge, which is much closer not to Christianity, but to other monotheistic religions. We turn to God as our Heavenly Father, in relation to Whom we are often not even children, but inexorable slaves. But we must not forget about His fatherhood.
—Today we are bombarded with tons of negative information every day: deaths, terrorist attacks, wars. Is it possible to be happy knowing about all this?
-There is nothing new under the sun. The great Russian philosopher Alexei Fedorovich Losev once said that those who have suffered little in their life are embarrassed by the imperfections of the world. Those who have seen evil and trials in their life treat new ones fearlessly. Well, what's new happened in beginning of XXI century compared to what it was? Yes, now there are terrorist attacks - but before there were barbarian conquests. Now there is cancer - but before there was plague and pestilence. Now we have sudden climate changes, environmentally unclean products - and before there was famine. People often lose self-control precisely because they were brought up with the feeling that the world has become stable and comfortable. After all, after World War II, life, at least for some part of humanity, improved in such a way that it became possible to predict it. We have the illusion that we ourselves are the architects of our own happiness. But the Lord reminds us that this is not so, that without God we cannot reach the threshold. And then we begin to understand that our inner feeling of the fullness of being does not depend on external circumstances.
—But sometimes the flow of negative information dulls the feeling of compassion...
—Yes, this is a specific disease of our time - oversaturation of information flow. And here we can only advise one thing: limit the flow of information, especially that which concerns issues where your reaction is meaningless and useless. There is no need to listen to the news for more than five minutes a day. Or you may not listen at all. Your colleagues will tell you everything really important. It is better to try to help someone with whom you happen to be close in real, not virtual life, someone who is within human reach, as they say, within six handshakes. In general, virtuality, which seems to make us a person of the world, at the same time suppresses us with its volume, just as, perhaps, in the Middle Ages the colossal size of the cathedrals suppressed a pilgrim who came to Rome. But the majestic cathedral aroused reverence for God in a person’s soul, and crazy streams of negative information inspire us with the idea that you, in fact, cannot do anything. In order to maintain self-control and, even more so, to get closer to what we call happiness, we must remain in the real, privacy. After all, Christianity is to a large extent a personalistic religion; it presupposes personal relationships both between God and man, and between man and those whom he knows in his real experience.
—And yet can we say that Christianity is a religion of happiness?
—We can say that Christianity is a religion of love. Love for God and love for man. God's love for us exceeds all degrees of love that we can imagine and, of course, much stronger than our earthly love for people. And if we, “being evil,” wish our loved ones happiness, can God wish us anything else?
Newspaper " Orthodox faith» No. 02 (550)
To begin with, I will describe the happiness of the Jews. For a long time, Jews did not have their own state; their religion was scattered across various neighboring countries, but Jews did not live in the majority in any of them. Therefore, the happiness of a Jew is national happiness. The happiness of the Jews is to realize their chosenness.
Judaism is one of the most ancient monotheistic religions, but despite this, its ideas about “bliss” are quite modern.
For modern man The main thing in life is the pursuit of happiness, which is usually defined as a combination of a high position in society, money, honors, friendship and other benefits. Each of us has our own idea of happiness. But, ultimately, the only true happiness is a state of contentment, when a person is satisfied with his circumstances, and first of all, with his behavior and character, for such a person lives in harmony with himself.
Judaism also places great emphasis on family. Jews sincerely value family and those involved in it. Home is a place of peace and balance. They also receive guests with honor.
Happiness is Paradise. And Jews can achieve Heaven on earth, but only in one case. Every Jew must follow the rules of the “new covenant.” It is then that happiness will reign on earth for the chosen Jews.
So it turns out that Jews see happiness in themselves and in people, they are able to achieve it on earth, but for this all Jews must try.
Happiness from the point of view of Orthodox Christianity
Let me start with the fact that this religion is familiar to me, since the majority of those around me are Orthodox Christians.
Arriving at the church, the first thing we will of course see is a huge number of icons. They depict " great martyrs“Who are they? The best Christian heroes, saints, are a bunch of martyrs, holy fools (mentally disabled), beggars, wretched people who do not live a normal life healthy life, but those who suffered. A Christian cannot be joyful, happy, enjoy life and receive pleasure from it. This is contrary to the very pessimistic spirit of Christianity. Hell, Satan, Apocalypse, sin, punishment, fear of God- What could be fun here? Blessed - this in the Christian interpretation means “mentally burdened.” Christianity likes them like that. Nothing strong-willed or life-affirming. All of them have been taught by a lot of churches and are actively promoting their extremely unhappy lifestyle.
What does Jesus say about enjoying life? He says: “Woe to you who laugh now! For you will weep and lament... Blessed are you who mourn now, for you will laugh” (Luke 6:21-24). That is, everything is turned inside out. Christ really doesn't like it when people laugh. He feels better when people cry and suffer. And the more, the better. It is no coincidence that in Rus' they said: “A lot of laughter leads to tears”, “I laughed a lot - I will cry”
The Christian teaching about happiness is at the same time a teaching about the Kingdom of Heaven, about eternal life, about paradise. So, the first step on the ladder to Heaven, the first step to happiness is repentance, repentance for one’s sins. Repentance(from Greek "metanoia" - a change in consciousness) - the beginning of improvement, self-education. Repentance leads to the breaking of our old heart and the creation of a new one; repentance leads to spiritual cleansing. Repentance is the refining of an old heart into a new one. The fire and light that touches the heart is Jesus Christ. Repentance necessarily presupposes the mental and then practical rejection of the sin committed. We cannot overcome sin until we realize its destructiveness; Until our hearts turn away from it, there will be no real change in our lives.
A purified soul and a mind enlightened by Christ gradually pull a person out of the whirlpool of worldly, bodily life and advance him to spiritual life in Christ Jesus. This is how the second birth of a person occurs, the birth from above, the birth of a Christian. A person who has received strength from God as a result of this is able to overcome joys, tying him to this world, to “conquer the world” with his faith. This is how a person gains eternal life is happiness.
Thus, Christianity offers the most paradoxical version of happiness - selflessly accepting suffering. So the main motto of Christians is: “Be prepared always for everything, including the worst.”
Happiness from the point of view of the religion of Islam
A Muslim's happiness is family happiness when everyone is at home. Muhammad's first followers were his wife, uncle and nephew. The only valid reason to leave the family home is the hajj (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Sharia law states that a Muslim's happiness in this world is the key to true happiness, but that is a righteous wife and well-educated children. Another Muslim recipe for happiness is to pay attention to those who are poorer and appreciate what you have. Financial assistance to relatives is also a religious obligation. “The best thing after reading prayers is the joy you do for your brother,” says the Koran.
Islam in general is a very practical religion - all the steps are described in the Koran, right down to advice on doing business.
Thus, a Muslim’s happiness lies in a good family and helping his neighbors.
From the above text the following follows:
The biggest difference in the views of these religions on happiness is that for some it is possible on Earth, for others, on the contrary - a person must gain humility before God in order to later find Paradise.
All religions agree on one thing: the only possible happiness for a person is to belong to the true faith and follow its postulates. The main ones, of which are more or less the same for all religions and consist of observing God’s commandments, helping others, improving oneself and the world around us.
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