Modern parables about the miracles of the Holy Spirit. Parables about life with morals - short
The girl was waiting for her flight at a large airport. Her flight has been delayed and she will have to wait for the plane for several hours. She bought a book, a bag of cookies and sat in a chair to pass the time. Next to her was an empty chair with a bag of cookies on it, and on the next chair sat a man reading a magazine. She took the cookies, and the man took them too! This infuriated her, but she said nothing and continued reading. And every time she took a cookie, the man continued to take it too. She was furious, but did not want to cause a scandal in a crowded airport.
When there was only one cookie left, she thought, “I wonder what this ignoramus will do?”
As if reading her thoughts, the man took the cookie, broke it in half and handed it to her without looking up. This was the limit! She got up, collected her things and left...
Later, when she got on the plane, she reached into her purse to take out her glasses and pulled out a packet of cookies... She suddenly remembered that she had put her packet of cookies in her purse. And the man she thought was ignorant shared his cookies with her without showing an iota of anger, just out of kindness. She was so ashamed and had no opportunity to correct her guilt.
Before you get angry, think about it: maybe you are the one who is wrong!
I once had to stand waiting for a taxi near the Ukraine Hotel. A young man came up to me and said: “Judging by your dress, are you a believer, a priest?” I answered: “Yes.” - “But I don’t believe in God...” I looked at him and said: “It’s a shame!” - “How will you prove God to me?” - “What kind of proof do you need?” - “And here: show me your God in the palm of your hand, and I will believe in Him...” He extended his hand, and at that moment I saw that he had a wedding ring. I tell him: “Are you married?” - “Married” - “Are there any children?” - “And there are children” - “Do you love your wife?” - “Well, I love you” - “Do you like children?” - “Yes” - “But I don’t believe in it!” - “What do you mean: I don’t believe it? I’m telling you...” - “Yes, but I still don’t believe it. Now put your love in the palm of my hand, I’ll look at it and believe it...” He thought: “Yes, I didn’t look at love from this point of view!...”
Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh
One day a man sinned. With complete repentance, he came to the priest for confession. After confession and communion, the man began to doubt: “Is his sin really forgiven?” After all, instead of peace of mind, he began to think and regret his sin even more. A week later the man came to confession again. But this time there was no peace in my soul.
“I’m so sinful and hopeless,” the man thought, “that the Lord forgives everyone, but I don’t!”
No matter how many times a person repents and then receives communion, his thoughts still return to his sin. This is how he lived his life, constantly measuring himself and his life against the sin that had long been forgiven in confession.
The day came when the man died. In heaven he met the Lord. With a broken heart, he fell before the Lord and said:
“Lord, not a day went by that I didn’t remember my terrible deed.” But You never forgave me.
“My child,” said the Lord, “I have forgiven you long ago, for I forgive everyone who comes to me with repentance. Only you couldn’t forgive yourself. Every time you sincerely repented, I forgave you and rejoiced at it. But when you remembered your sin again, I was sad about it, because you, like many people, were too busy with your sin, and thought about it, and not about God and eternal life. Because where your mind is, there your heart is, and where your heart is, that is where you serve.”
One day, a thief snuck into the house of a wealthy landowner and stole an antique brooch decorated with precious stones. Before he had time to leave the landowner's estate, a pursuit was organized after him.
The robber began to run with all his might, but he could not lag behind the pursuit. The thief tried to hide in the forest, which was located not far from the estate, but the well-groomed, without thickets, forest could not serve him as a reliable shelter.
Suddenly, the thief spotted a small hut in the depths of the forest and hurriedly headed towards it. Near the hut he saw a monk, but without telling him anything, he ran into the house and hid under the bed.
By this time, a landowner, surrounded by servants, rode up to the hut on horseback. The monk humbly bowed to the landowner.
- Was there a person running through here? - asked the landowner.
“No, I didn’t run,” answered the monk.
As soon as the landowner was out of sight, the monk called an unexpected guest. The thief, leaving the hut, carefully looks around.
“Don’t be afraid,” the monk reassured him, “the landowner galloped away.”
The monk smiled. Then he went into the house and brought out a small bag of crackers.
- Hold it. – The monk handed the bag to the thief. – I welcome every guest as if they were family.
The thief took the bag and deftly hid it in his pocket, where someone else’s brooch was already located. Saying goodbye to the monk, the fugitive asked with curiosity:
- Why didn’t you hand me over to the landowner? After all, I... - the thief began to speak and stopped.
- I know who you are. Let God himself decide what to do with you! - answered the monk.
Coming out of the forest, the thief still could not get rid of the thoughts inspired by the words of the monk: “Let God himself decide what to do with you...”.
On the same day, the thief returned the stolen brooch, and, remembering the words of the monk, did not steal again, even if a suitable opportunity presented itself.
A boy of about ten, shivering from the cold, stood barefoot at the window of a shoe store and, without looking away, looked at the warm shoes. One lady came up to him and asked:
- My little friend, what are you looking at behind this glass with such interest, what are you thinking about?
“I ask God to give me one pair of shoes,” the boy answered.
The lady took the child by the hand and entered the store with him. She asked the seller to bring six pairs of children's socks and asked if he could bring a basin of warm water and a towel. The servant brought everything the lady asked him for. She took the boy to the back of the store, took off her gloves, washed the child's feet, and dried them with a towel. The seller brought socks. The lady put one pair on the child's feet, then tried it on and bought him shoes, asked him to wrap up the rest of the socks and gave them to the boy. Then she stroked his head and said:
- Now, without a doubt, you feel much better.
She turned to leave. At that moment the boy reached out to her hand and, looking at her with tears in his eyes, asked:
-Are you the wife of God?
"Faith without works is dead" (James 2:26)
In one village there lived a pious peasant who regularly visited the temple of God every holiday. Wherever he was, hearing the ringing of the church bell, he gathered his children and went to church with them, and ordered his wife not to hesitate at home with cooking, but to hurry to the service.
Once, on the day of remembrance of St. Nicholas, the hostess was in such a hurry to finish her business that in the bustle she forgot to lock the door. At this time, a thief known throughout the village passed by the house. Noticing an unlocked door, he entered the house and began collecting everything that was valuable to him. He tied up all his things and was about to leave, when suddenly St. Nicholas himself entered through the closed door in full bishop’s vestments. Looking menacingly at the thief, he exclaimed; "How?! People who love God went to the temple and forgot to lock their hut, and you took advantage of this to steal their hard-earned wealth?” At these words, the saint hit the thief on the cheek, and he immediately became blind. He began to wander around the house to find the door, and could not get out.
The owners returned from the temple and noticed that someone was walking in the house. When they entered, they saw a well-known thief, who with tears told about the appearance of St. Nicholas to him and about the punishment for theft.
The thief, to the joy of the entire village, was sentenced to settlement in Siberia. The prisoners walked past the temple, where there was an icon of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker. Entering the church and falling to his knees in front of the icon, the thief, with bitter, repentant tears, began to ask for forgiveness from the Pleasant of God and promised not to return to his former life. As he kissed the icon, he felt that he was seeing the light again.
The young Angel, who had just been directed to the earth, sat on a tree branch and listened to the conversation of the children's group.
My dad gave me a bow yesterday, look how beautiful it is. I just asked him, he immediately gave it to me. Mom said that it is a great joy for a person when they give him gifts,” said Masha, fingering the ends of her hair.
Everyone stared at the Machine bow with interest.
- A-a-and I have... colored pencils. I recently bought them too. So, do I have joy too? – asked Tanya.
Romka rubbed his nose and, apparently deciding on something, said:
- They bought me a bike, but I don’t know how to ride it yet. This is also considered a gift, right?
“Mom said that joy is when you receive gifts and it makes you feel good,” said Masha, making herself comfortable on the bench.
- And if they don’t give you gifts, then you don’t have any joys? - Romka asked, glancing sideways at Seryozha, who was picking at a mound of sand trampled by his boot.
“That means no,” Masha said edifyingly, “that means no one loves you if they don’t give you anything.”
And everyone looked towards Seryozhka. They knew that Seryozhka lived with his grandmother and received gifts infrequently, i.e. receives almost no money at all.
They felt sorry for their friend.
Seryozhka apparently felt that they were about to start feeling sorry for him, and jumped up cheerfully and said:
- And I’m happy too. Yesterday the forest gave me a basket of mushrooms, can you imagine? A basket full of mushrooms.
Everyone looked at Seryozhka with interest.
- It doesn’t count, because you collected them yourself. But someone just needs to give it as a gift,” said Masha
Seryozhka thought for a minute, and then blurted out:
- Yesterday it rained, you remember, right? You've all run home yet. And I was sitting in the gazebo, my grandmother went to the store. So yesterday the rain gave me such a huge rainbow. Such a beautiful, multi-colored rainbow, reaching to the very sky - joy.
Everyone again stared at Seryozha in amazement.
- And after the rain, silver fish swam in the puddles. Honestly, I saw it myself. “It’s all rain,” the boy added with respect for the gifts of rain.
The guys looked at their friend with silent admiration.
This was during the time of persecution of Christians. In one village there lived a Christian family. It was difficult for the father to feed his wife and small children, even though he worked tirelessly. But he placed all his sadness on the Lord and believed that someday everything would change for the better. Once, in order to cheer up both himself and his family, my father engraved the words on a tablet: “IT WILL NOT ALWAYS BE SO.” And he hung the inscription in a prominent place in the house.
Years of persecution have passed, and the time of prosperity and freedom has come. The children grew up and grandchildren appeared. They gathered at a richly laid table in their parents' house. We prayed, thanking the Lord for the gifts sent. The eldest son suddenly noticed the old sign.
“Let’s take it off,” he says to his father, “I don’t want to remember those hard times.” Because now it's all over.
- No, my children, let it hang. Remember that this will NOT ALWAYS be the case. And teach this to your children. You need to be able to thank the Lord for everything. Difficult time - thanks for the trials. Life is easy for you - thank you for the abundance. Only he knows how to be grateful who always remembers eternity.
Not long ago, one of the Internet users (his name is Mikhail) posted a short story on one of the social networks, which underwent many “reposts” in a short time. Here is its content (excluding obscene language):
“I’m traveling on the Moscow-Petushki train. A homeless man enters from the Kursk station. A bruise is a bruise. The muzzle is swollen. He looks about thirty years old. Looking around, he begins:
Citizens, gentlemen, I haven’t eaten for three days. Honestly. I'm afraid to steal because I don't have the strength to run away. And I really want to eat. Give as much as you can. Don't look at my face - I'm drinking. And I’ll probably drink whatever you give me too! - and walked along the carriage.
The main reason for any spiritual fall is PRIDE!
Monk Simeon of Athos
In the office of a young KGB officer, a Christian was subjected to brutal interrogation. After many unsuccessful attempts to persuade him to cooperate, the officer suggested a frank conversation.
Let's be honest, he said. - What did your God, whom you serve so fanatically, give you?..
Read more -->
Monk price
One smuggler, fearing police raids, approached a very famous monk with a request to hide contraband goods in the monastery. He hoped that the police would not suspect the priest - he had an impeccable reputation.
The monk reacted to such a request with indignation and demanded that the person immediately leave the monastery...
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Kingdom of Chains
Once upon a time there lived in a certain kingdom a blacksmith. He learned to make such beautiful chains that he eventually began wearing them on himself. Other blacksmiths liked this innovation. Then other people, and even the king and the nobility, began to put chains on themselves. The king issued a special decree on the universal wearing of chains. Children in schools were taught how to wear chains correctly...
Read more -->
Hooligan in the temple
One day, during a service, a young man of large build came into the temple, whose face showed bad intentions. He walked ahead of everyone, sat down on a bench and, lounging, began to husk seeds and swear loudly. There was a sermon, a priest stood at the pulpit...
I took most of the parables given here from various open sources /links at the end/, but I slightly shortened 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 one Father instructs all of us - His children.
PIECE OF CLAY
God molded a man from clay, and he was left with an unused piece.
– What else do you need to make? – asked God?
- Bring me happiness! - the man asked.
God did not answer anything, but only placed the remaining piece of clay in the man’s palm.
TWO ANGELS
There were two Angels in heaven. One always rested on a cloud, and the other flew from the 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 must carry messages to the Lord that begin with the words “Thank You, Lord...”.
CROSSING
Two monks were coming from the monastery. When they approached the river, they met a girl who asked them to take her to the other side.
The monks were forbidden by vows 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 the other:
“Why did you do this, since our vows prohibit touching women?”
To which the second monk replied:
“I moved it an hour ago, and you continue to carry it to this day.”
Let go of the past - it no longer exists.
IN GOD'S SHOP
One day a woman had a dream that the Lord God was standing behind the store counter.
- God! It's you? - she exclaimed with joy.
“Yes, it’s me,” God answered.
- 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 into the utility room to get 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 answered. - Didn’t you know that my store only sells seeds?
BE HAPPY!
A beggar stood by the road and begged for alms. A horseman passing by hit the beggar in the face with a whip.
He, looking after the retreating horseman, said:
- Be happy.
The peasant who saw what happened, hearing these words, asked:
-Are you really that humble?
“No,” answered the beggar, “it’s just that if the rider was happy, he wouldn’t hit me in the face.”
STAND IN PLACE
One day, Mark the Thracian, who had been in the desert for more than 90 years, talked with one ascetic about faith.
“If you have faith,” Mark explained, “and you say to the mountain, “Move!”, then it will move.
And the mountain located not far from them actually began to move. Then the Monk Mark said to the mountain:
- I’m not telling you, take your place.
The mountain fell into place.
LITTLE SON
A certain man asked one elder:
- Tell me, father, how is it that you not only are not angry with those who speak ill of you, but also continue to love them?
The elder laughed for a long time and answered:
- Tell me, man, did you have a little son?
- Was.
- Were you angry with him if he did or said something wrong?
- No.
“Didn’t you, on the contrary, try to somehow cover up his shortcomings so that he wouldn’t get upset?”
- I tried.
- So I am: I don’t 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 orders 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
Once they spread a rumor about a monk that he was a saint. And everyone even told him this to his face. And he kept calling himself a sinner and at the same time humbly bowing to everyone. But one day he said to someone, as usual:
- I'm a sinner.
And he answered him:
- I know that you are a sinner.
He started up like this:
- How? Have you heard anything about me?
WOULDN'T IT BE A SHAME?
One day Abba Ephraim was walking through the city when, at someone’s instigation, a harlot approached him to seduce him into a shameful union, and if not, then to make him angry, since no one had ever seen him angry. Ephraim told her:
- Come after me!
Approaching a place where there was a large crowd of people, Abba Ephraim said to her:
- Here, do what you wanted to do.
The harlot, seeing the multitude of people, exclaimed:
- How can we do this in the presence of so many people? Wouldn't it be a shame?
“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 WHOM THE LORD SENT TO YOU
Elder Macarius of Optina corresponded with many laity. One day a St. Petersburg merchant writes to Macarius that his servant has left him and his acquaintances recommend him a village girl.
- Should I hire her? - asks the merchant.
“Yes,” the elder answers him.
After some time, the merchant sends a new letter.
“Father,” he writes, “let me fire her, she’s a real demon.” From the moment she appeared in my house, I have been constantly angry and have lost all self-control.
“Don’t drive her out under any circumstances,” answered the elder. - This is the angel whom the Lord sent to you so that you could see how much anger was hidden in you, which the previous maid was unable to 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 were amazed at his holiness and they said to God:
- Lord, grant him the gift of miracles!
“I agree,” God answered. - Ask him what he wants.
And the angels asked him:
- Do you want to give health to the sick with the touch of your hands?
“No,” answered the saint. “It’s better to let the Lord Himself do this.”
- Don’t you want 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 of a weak person. I pray for the conversion of sinners, but I do not convert.
But the angels continued to insist:
- Still, you need to ask yourself for the gift of miracles.
“Okay,” the saint agreed, “I want to do good without knowing it myself.”
THIS IS HOW I LEARNED
One day one monk asks another:
- Tell me, who taught you the Jesus Prayer?
“Demons,” he answers.
- How can that be? - the monk was surprised.
- Yes, like this: they keep bothering me with sinful thoughts, but I keep saying prayers and doing things. That's how I learned.
WE WERE TAUGHT
One day Abba Isaac came to Abba Pimen and saw him pouring water on his feet. Surprised, he edifyingly spoke to him:
- How so! Others live in strictness and torment their bodies, but what are you doing?
“We were not taught to mortify the body, but the passions,” the elder calmly answered.
WHO KNOWS THEMSELVES
A monk once asked an elder:
- Tell me, father, why do I constantly condemn my brothers?
“Because,” the elder answered, “you have not yet known yourself.” He who knows himself does not look at the affairs of others.
OH THAT'S WHAT!
Once an old woman came to an Orthodox priest for advice and said:
- Father, I have been praying continuously for almost fourteen years, but I have never had a feeling of God’s presence.
The priest looked carefully at the woman and asked:
- Tell me, did you let Him get a word in?
- Oh, that's what I was thinking about! - she exclaimed. - No, I spoke all the time myself.
ACCORDING TO MY WISH
One kind man met a beggar old man on the church porch. His emaciated body was covered with rags, and he was covered in wounds.
- Good afternoon to you, old man! - the man said in greeting to the beggar.
“I don’t remember that a day has ever been unkind for me, dear man,” answered the beggar.
“I wish you happiness,” the man continued.
- I have never been unhappy.
The man was surprised and thought. that the beggar did not listen to his words, he added:
- I wish you to be prosperous.
- I have never been ill-fated.
“Are you really the only lucky one among all people,” the man asked in complete bewilderment, “when earthly life is full of sorrows and hardships?”
“Unhappy is the one who seeks happiness,” the old man said edifyingly. - And on earth there is no other happiness than to rely in everything on the will of God: I always accept the pleasant and the nasty, the bitter and the sweet in life from God with love and humility and I desire only what pleases God. And therefore everything happens according to my desire.
PROPERTY IN THE UPPER HOUSE
A thief sneaked into one of the hermits at night. Not finding anything valuable 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?
One day they invited Elder Herman, who lived in Alaska, to board a frigate that came from St. Petersburg.
- Do you love God? - the old man asked the ship’s officers.
“Of course,” everyone answered, “we love God.” How can you not love Him?
“And I, a sinner, have been trying to love God for more than forty years and cannot say that I absolutely love Him,” Father Herman objected to them.
And he continued:
- If we love someone, we always remember him, try to please him, 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 his Creator,” he said to himself, “suffers sin when he could burn it with fire, then who am I that I can condemn him?
THE ELDER AND THE YOUNG PRIEST
One day the elder wanted to kiss the hand of a newly ordained priest, but he, out of humility, did not allow this to happen.
“If you want the hand to be your property,” said the elder, “then you should not have become a priest.”
TWO PICTURES
One monk once asked Abba Pimen:
- Tell me, Abba, how can you achieve this without speaking 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 perfections 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 ANGER?
One day they asked an old man:
- Tell me, Abba, how can I achieve not to get angry when others humiliate and slander you?
He replied:
- Whoever considers himself insignificant in his heart is no longer indignant at any humiliation.
PLANTING CABBAGE
Five disciples came to one elder to ask to enter the monastery. He looked at them carefully and gave them a task: he sent them to plant cabbage with the roots on top and the leaves in the ground.
They came to the field and began to work. Two began to plant as he ordered, and three began to plant in their own way, as they believed, in the correct way, with roots in the ground.
The elder came to see how they were doing the job, and those who, according to his instructions, were planted with their roots up and their leaves in the ground, he took into the monastery, but he did not accept others.
THAT TREE
One day, Elder Joseph of Optina Monastery was walking through the forest, and he was told that in a certain convent there were hermits. The elder said:
- This is a dangerous path - passions grow in solitude, but it is more useful among the people. Look, where people walk, on the road, grass doesn’t grow there, and where they don’t walk, it’s thick. They even go into solitude out of impatience. And it is useful for us when we are pushed. The tree that is swayed more by the wind is strengthened by its roots, but the tree that is in silence immediately falls.
BIG HARVEST
One elder was once asked:
- Tell me, Abba, who is a person like who boasts of his good deeds?
“He who reveals and divulges his good deeds is like one who sows on the surface of the earth: the birds of the air fly in and peck off the seed,” the elder answered them. - And he who hides his life is like one who sows in the furrows of the arable land: he will reap a bountiful harvest.
HOW ARE YOUR HEARTS NOT PURE!
One of the desert fathers once left the gates of Alexandria with his disciples. On the way, a beautiful-looking woman approached them. The disciples quickly covered their faces with cloaks so as not to fall into temptation. But curiosity took over, and they began to observe their mentor from under their cloaks. With indignant amazement, they saw that he was looking at 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 of looking at this woman?”
And he sadly answered:
- How unclean your hearts are! You saw in her only an object of temptation, but I saw God’s wonderful creation.
THE FISH ROTS FROM THE HEAD
One day the abbot of a monastery came to visit Father Kondrat.
-Where is the old man? - the abbot asked one of the monks.
“He’s downstairs in the pantry,” he answered.
That day they were salting sardines there - making a supply for a year. And, as usual, the elder was the first at work.
- Elder, are you here? - asked the abbot, going down into the cellar.
- What about it, my brother! - Father Kondrat answered. - You know yourself, a fish rots from the head.
WE WOULD JUST DO OUR RIGHT
Once the monk of the Optina Hermitage, Varlaam, heard that in one village there was a peasant who loved God and lived a spiritual life. He found this peasant and, after talking with him for some time, said:
- How can one manage to attract the grace and mercy of God to oneself?
“Eh, father,” answered the simple-minded peasant, “we just want to do what’s due, but God’s business is not up to us.”
Abyss
One day a crowd of people was walking along the road. Each one carried his own cross on his shoulder. One man felt that his cross was very heavy. He was very cunning. Lagging behind everyone else, he went into the forest and sawed off part of the cross. Satisfied that he had outwitted everyone, he caught up with them and moved on.
Suddenly an abyss appeared on the way. Everyone put down their crosses and crossed over. The cunning man remained on this side, since his cross turned out to be short.
WINTER PANTS FOR SON
On a summer evening, a young woman sat near the house and sewed trousers for her son, listening to the voices of the children who were playing in the garden. Her husband came home from work and sat down next to her. The woman sighed heavily 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’m sewing trousers for our son for the winter,” she answered.
- Does he know about this?
Of course not. Can you hear how fun he is walking 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, why are you worried about winter? - the husband asked a question. - If we take care of our son, then our Father will take care of us.
BE NOT QUADAR, BUT ROUND
One day a monk asked Abba Matoi:
- Tell me, Abba, what should I do? My tongue worries me. When I am with people, I cannot restrain him, but I condemn and accuse them of every good deed.
“If you cannot control yourself, then run into solitude, for this is help,” the elder said in response. - He who lives with his brothers should not be quadrangular, but round, so that he can roll towards everyone.
“And I live in solitude,” added the elder, “not out of strength of spirit, but out of weakness.” And the strong live among people.
YOUR CROSS
One person thought that his life was very difficult. 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 a storage room where there were crosses, and said: “Choose.”
A man entered the storage room, looked and was surprised: “There are so many crosses here - small, large, medium, heavy, and light.” The man walked around the storage room 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?” “It’s possible,” God answered. “It’s your own.”
GREAT FEAT
A disciple came to one elder and said:
- Abba, I see Angels with my spiritual eyes.
“This is not a feat, my dear,” the elder answered him. - When you see with your spiritual eyes the abyss of your sins, like sea sand, then it will be a great feat.
BELIEVE!
One day an atheist was walking along a cliff, slipped and fell down. While falling, he managed to grab the branch of a small tree growing from 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 onto the branch became weak.
“Well,” he thought, “only God can save me now. I never believed in God, but I must have been wrong. What do I have to lose? 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 really think so! I will believe!" - “Oh no, you won’t! All of you say it this way!" The man begged and convinced.
Finally God said, “Okay. I will save you... Let go of the branch.” “Let go of the branch?!” - the man exclaimed. “Don’t you think I’m crazy?”
ON A DESERT ISLAND
One day the ship was caught in a storm and crashed on the rocks of a desert island. Those who were saved began a new life, since during the shipwreck everyone’s memory was impaired, which also resulted in the fact that they forgot the exact words of the daily prayer.
A few years later, Christian missionaries arrived on the island. After asking the inhabitants of the island about their lives, they taught them to pray correctly. And when the missionaries sailed from this island, after a while they noticed people from the island following them on the water. It turned out that they had again forgotten the words of the prayer and wanted to learn them again.
The missionaries, seeing such a phenomenon as walking on water, replied:
- Pray as they prayed before us. This way you are probably closer to God.
SHUTTLE FROM THE SPADE
A thousand years ago, in a Russian village there lived a man. This man could not move since childhood, and therefore the only thing he could do was lie on the stove. And he lay there for about thirty years. Probably, his life would have ended on this same stove if an old man had not passed through the village one day. The traveler walked into the hut in which the young man was lying and begging for death, and asked for water.
The patient began to cry and said that he was unable to help, because in his entire life he had never taken a single step without help. The elder asked:
- How long have you tried to take this step?
It turned out that it was a very long time ago - the patient did not even remember how many years ago. Then the elder said:
- Here's a magic staff, lean on it and go get some water.
The patient seemed to be in a dream. He crawled down from the stove, grabbed the staff with his hands and... stood up! He cried again, but this time with happiness.
- How can I thank you and what kind of wonderful staff did you give me?! - exclaimed the young man.
“This staff is an ordinary handle from a spade, which I picked up on your porch,” answered the elder. - There is nothing magical about it, just as your illness did not actually exist. You were able to stand up because you forgot about your weakness. But you don’t need to thank me, instead, find a person who is as unhappy as you yourself were just recently, 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 town came, and the whole town laughed at one child. The child came with an umbrella.
And everyone laughed and said:
- Fool, why did you bring an umbrella? You'll lose. It won't rain.
The child said:
- I thought that if you prayed, it would rain.
A young cheerful man came to his father and said:
- Father, rejoice with me, I entered the university. I'll be a lawyer! Finally I found my happiness!
“Very good, my son,” answered the father, “that means you want to study hard now.” So what then?
- In four years, I will defend my diploma with excellent marks and leave the university.
- And what next? - the father did not back down.
“Then I will work as hard as I can to become an independent lawyer as soon as possible.”
- So what is next?
- And then I will get married, start my own family, raise and educate children, help them study and get a good profession.
- So what is next?
- And then I will go to a well-deserved rest - I will rejoice in the happiness of my children and rest in a good old age.
- What will happen next?
- After? - the young man thought for a minute. - Yes, no one lives on this earth forever. Then I will probably need to die, like all people.
- What then? - asked the old father. - Dear son, what will happen next? - the father said in a trembling voice.
The son thought even more and said uncertainly:
- Thank you, father. I understand. I forgot the main thing...
HARVEST
One wealthy peasant had many fields with good soil. He worked hard, but the grain still did not grow as well as in the field of the poor peasant next to his field. The rich peasant was amazed 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 prayer,” answered the devout peasant, “in my barn I kneel and pray that God, the Creator of the entire Universe, will multiply my crops many times over.” Therefore, 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 wear it for three years. At the end of the test the teacher said:
- Now you can go to Athens to study wisdom.
Upon entering Athens, the student saw a sage sitting at the city gates, scolding everyone passing by. He did the same with the student. He burst out laughing.
- Why do you laugh when I insult you? - asked the sage.
- Because for three years I paid those who reviled me, but you do it for nothing.
“Enter the city, it belongs to you,” answered the sage.
POVERTY
Once a poor man, who was complaining to everyone about his cross, about his poverty, dreamed that he was in a spacious room, which was all lined with crosses of different sizes, and all these crosses were covered with blankets. 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. I took hold of the first cross, but didn’t lift it; Although the other one lifted it, it was too heavy for him - it was very heavy; The third cross did not seem heavy to him, but its corners painfully cut his shoulders.
So he went through all the crosses, but couldn’t find a single one he could find. Another cross remained 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 shouted joyfully:
- This is the cross I will take upon myself: although it is great, it is lighter than others!
They removed the cover from this cross, and there was an inscription on it - “poverty”.
FATHER, SON AND HOLY SPIRIT
Once Mohammedan or Saracen scholars asked Saint Cyril, brother of Saint Methodius, whose brothers were the enlighteners of the Slavs and the inventors of the Slavic alphabet - the Cyrillic alphabet:
- How do you, Christians, divide one God into three Gods? Do you have a Father, Son and Holy Spirit?
“Do not slander the Most Holy Trinity,” answered Saint Cyril. - The Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are three Persons - but the Being is one. Look at the sun, placed in the sky by God in the image of the Holy Trinity; there are three things in it: circle, radiance and warmth; also in the Holy Trinity - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. The solar circle is a likeness of God the Father, for just as the circle has neither beginning nor end, so God is beginningless; and just as radiance and warmth come from the circle of the sun, so from God the Father the Son is born and the Holy Spirit proceeds. Radiance is the likeness of God the Son, born of the Father and enlightening the whole world with the Gospel; and the warmth of the sun, coming from the same circle along with radiance, is the likeness of God the Holy Spirit, who proceeds from the same Father eternally.
MERCIFUL GOD
A certain soldier once asked one of the elders whether God grants forgiveness to sinners. And the elder answered:
- 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 care about your cloak, will God really not be merciful to his own image?
NOBILE AND PEGOR 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 to be in your city?
He answered:
- 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 to be there?
- There I will consider myself one of the common people.
- If you go to Constantinople and get closer to the king, then who will you consider yourself to be?
- Almost beggars.
“That’s how saints are,” said the monk, “the closer they come to God, the more they see themselves as sinners.” For Abraham, when he saw the Lord, called himself earth and ashes.
THE BEST AND THE 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, I must have something good.” At this time an Angel appeared to him and said:
- Ordinary monk, why are you ascending! People there have sinned and they need punishment, that’s why they chose you, because there was no one worse.
DON'T BE MISTAKEN!
Once upon a time there was a big holiday in China, where many people gathered. There was a well without any fence, and a man fell into it. He shouted very loudly, but the celebration was so big, there was such a noise that no one heard him. At this time, one bhikkhu, a Buddhist monk, approached 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 bhikkhus responded: “No one can save anyone else - this is what the Buddha said: “Be your own light!” Nobody can save anyone - it's impossible. Don't wait for it! And moreover, Buddha said that every person must experience his karma. You must have committed some sins in the past and now you must suffer - so suffer peacefully. And there’s no point in shouting and making so much noise - by screaming and crying, you’re earning new karma for yourself.”
The man said to him: “First save me, and then I will listen with pleasure to your sermon. Now I’m simply not able to listen to you!”
But the bhiksha went further because the Buddha said: “Don’t interfere with other people’s karma.”
Then a Confucian monk approached. He looked into the well, and the man shouted again: “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 will 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: “By then I’ll be dead! And what good does it do me if I’ve already fallen!”
The Confucian said: “It doesn’t matter much, personality doesn’t matter much at all. Personalities come and go - the whole question is only in society. But you can die, consoling yourself that this will never happen to anyone again! Oh, Confucius is a great social reformer!”
Then a Christian missionary approached 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 has said anything, and he was really already tired and thought: “That’s it, this is my end; and these are religious people!”
The Christian missionary threw him a rope with a bucket and shouted: “Catch it!” I'll get you out!"
Oh, how grateful this man was to him! Having got out, he said: “You are truly the only religious person!”
And the Christian missionary replied: “Do not be mistaken! We are told: until you become a servant to the least of you, you will not achieve 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 will be able to save you again and again, because how will we get to heaven if you stop falling?
BESN AND PEOPLE
Once a demon sat in the form of a man and dangled his legs. He who saw this with spiritual eyes asked him:
- Why aren’t you doing anything?
The demon answered:
- Yes, now I have nothing left to do but dangle my legs: people do everything better than me.
GOD KNOWS WHAT IS GOOD
The brother asked the elder:
- I wish I could do a good deed and live with him.
The elder answered:
- God knows what is good. I heard that one of the elders asked Abba Nesteroi: “What good deed should I do?” Abba answered him: “Aren’t all things 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 guard your heart.
WHY DO WE YELL AT EACH OTHER?
The student asked the Teacher:
- Why do we shout at each other when we are irritated?
The teacher asks in response:
- How do you talk to your loved one?
- Quiet.
- This is because your hearts touch! And when you are angry, your hearts move away from each other, and it seems to you that you are no longer heard! Loving people sometimes don’t even need words; they understand everything just by their looks.
DEBTORS
In ancient times, merchants traveled around Siberia. 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 the book. Next time I will come and collect your debt.
If on his next visit the debtor also had nothing to pay, the merchant said this:
- Well, okay, now I won’t take anything from you, but look, I’m putting a cross next to your name in the book, so I haven’t forgotten anything and next time I’ll definitely collect the debt from you.
Likewise, the next time, if the debtor did not have money, the merchant put another cross.
And for the third time he said this:
- That's it, I forgive you your debt. You see, I cross out your name, I cross out the crosses. May God punish you.
HOW TO BE SAVED
A certain brother asked Abba Macarius:
- How can I escape?
The elder said to him:
- Be like a corpse and do not consider either the contempt of people or their respect.
DRUNKENNESS
In Egypt there lived a hermit monk. And so the demon, after many years of struggle with him, promised him that he would no longer oppress him with any temptations, as long as he committed one sin out of three. He suggested the following three sins: murder, fornication and drunkenness.
“Do,” he said, “any one of them: either kill a person, or commit fornication, or get drunk once - and then you will remain in peace, and after that I will no longer tempt you.”
The hermit thought to himself this way: “To kill a person is terrible, for this is in itself a great evil, and deserves the death penalty both by God’s court and by civil law. It is a shame to commit fornication; it is a pity to destroy the purity previously preserved. 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 desert.” And so, taking his handicrafts, he went to the city and, having sold them, entered the tavern and got drunk.
By satanic action, he happened to talk with a certain shameless and adulterous woman. Being seduced, he fell with her. When he was committing a sin with her, the woman’s husband came and, finding him sinning 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. Whatever sins he feared and abhorred when sober, he boldly committed while drunk and through this ruined his many years of work.
THE POWER OF THE CROSS
Three girls were walking along the railway tracks and found themselves between two oncoming trains, but all three survived. Demons stood nearby and argued heatedly:
- Didn’t you throw the first one under the train? - they shouted to one, - her soul would be ours!
- I couldn’t: she’s wearing a cross!
- Why did you hesitate? The second one is without a cross! - they shouted to the other.
“Even though she doesn’t have a cross, she made the sign of the cross over herself.”
- Well, why were you yawning? The third one is completely unbelieving!
- That’s how it is, but her mother crossed herself on the road and said: “Go with God!”
FOOTPRINTS ON 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.
When the last picture of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. And he saw that often along his life’s path there was only one chain of traces. He also noted 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 abandon me when I needed You most?
The Lord answered:
- My dear, dear 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
There lived one man and his life was not very good, it was confusing. He decided to come to his senses, do good deeds, and save his soul. I did them and did them, but didn’t notice any particular change for the better in myself.
One day he was walking down the street when he saw an old woman’s coat button break off and fall to the ground. The person thinks: “What’s wrong! 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 him down, and on the right - there is nothing, empty! And evil overwhelms! “Eh,” the man says to himself, “no luck here either!” But suddenly the angels put a button on the right cup... And the cup with good deeds outweighed it.
“Is it really this one button that has pulled out 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 precisely this button that you forgot about that was enough to save you from death!
THE EQUALITY OF THE STATUE
Abba Pimen, Abba Anuv and their other brothers (five sons of one mother in total) took monasticism in the monastery. One day they were attacked by a barbarian tribe and destroyed the huts of the monks, killing many of the fathers. Pimen and his brothers escaped. They came to a place called Ferenuf, and all seven stayed there for a while in an empty idol temple with the intention of discussing the choice of a place for permanent residence. At the same time, Abba Anuv said to Abba Pimen:
- Do me a favor, you and the brothers, fulfill my request - during this week we will each live separately in silence, without meeting to talk.
Avva Pimen answered:
- We will do it according to your wishes.
That's what they did. There was a stone statue in the temple. Anuv, getting up every day early in the morning, threw stones at the statue’s face, and in the evening he approached it and asked for forgiveness. He did this throughout the week. On Saturday the brothers came together.
Avva Pimen asked Abba Anuva:
“I saw, Abba, that during this week you threw stones at the face of the statue, and then worshiped it and asked for its forgiveness. But a believer in Christ should not bow to an idol!
The elder answered:
- I did this for you. When, as you saw, I threw stones at the statue's face, did it even say anything? Was she angry?
Avva Pimen answered:
- No.
Anuv:
- Again, when I asked her for forgiveness, was she embarrassed? Did she say: “I don’t forgive”?
Avva Pimen answered:
- No.
Avva Anuv said to this:
“So we, the seven brothers, if we wish to live together, will be like this statue, which, from insults inflicted on it, is not indignant with anger, and with humility shown before it, does not become vain and does not become arrogant. If you do not want to behave in this way, here are the four gates of this temple: let everyone go where he wants and choose for himself the place to live that he wants.
The brothers fell on their faces before Abba Anuv, promised to act on his advice, and remained together in great humility and patience for many years, with one goal - the pursuit of Christian perfection.
WHAT IS SADNESS
One elder was asked:
- Father, what is sadness?
“Being sad means thinking about yourself all the time,” he answered briefly.
HEART IS PURE
Isaac the Syrian was asked:
- How does a person know that his heart has reached purity?
The elder replied:
- When he considers all people to be good, and no one seems unclean and defiled to him. Then he is truly pure in heart.
NOT A WORD ABOUT GOD
One owner hired a worker, but on the condition that he should not say a word to him about God, since the owner himself was an unbeliever, and he had heard about this man that he went to church.
The worker readily agreed, and the owner soon became convinced that the person he hired turned out to be skillful and controversial in business. He did not steal or deceive anyone, and carried out all the instructions even better than other workers, who were atheists like the owner himself. The owner took a closer look: there was harmony in the new worker’s family, while he and the hostess quarreled every now and then, and their children often quarreled and got sick, but this worker’s whole family was healthy and smiling.
And the owner thought: maybe God really helps his worker? He approached him and asked:
- For me, everything is wrong, but you are happy with everything - why?
And the worker answers:
“I just know, dear man, that God does everything for my good, but you don’t know this yet, that’s why you grumble.”
Then the owner quietly sat down next 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 one day 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 suggested:
- Come on, brother, let’s go up to the roof of our monastery at dawn!
They stood up, and the sad one, turning his gaze to the west, said in fear:
- Look: you see that huge black cloud on the horizon - this army of darkness is inexorably advancing on us!
“Look to the east, brother,” he heard in response.
And both of them saw in the glow of the rising sun countless hordes of shining snow-white Angels covering the entire horizon.
- Now are you 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 Heaven and Hell.
They entered a large hall, where many people were crowded around a huge cauldron of boiling soup. Each one had a spoon with a very long handle in their hands. Thin, angry, hungry people greedily stuck their spoons into the cauldron, with difficulty removing the soup from there, and unsuccessfully tried to reach the tip of the spoon with their mouths. At the same time, they got burned, swore, and fought.
The Prophet said: “This is Hell,” and led him to another room.
It was quiet there, the same pot, the same spoons. But almost all the people were full and happy. Because they split into pairs and took turns feeding each other.
The Prophet said: “This is Paradise.”
USE RIGHT NOW
Holy Father,” the newcomer turned to the Father Superior, “my heart is filled with love for the world, and it is cleansed from the temptations of the devil. What's 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 that my uncle never wore,” said his niece. - He always thought that there needed to be 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 there are treasures in your heart, use them right now. Otherwise they will rot.
FINAL FALL
An evil man died and met an angel at the gates of Hell. The angel told him:
- It is enough for you to remember one good deed in your life, and it will help you. Think carefully.
The man remembered that one day, when he was walking through the forest, he saw a spider on his way and walked 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.
Others 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 man returned to Hell again.
“What a pity,” said the angel. “Your concern for yourself turned the only good thing you ever did into evil.
BRIEF EXPLANATIONS:
CHRISTIANITY is the religion that laid the foundation for modern chronology in most countries of the world.
The center of Christian teaching is the personality of Jesus Christ, 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 Apostolic Epistles 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 (“First-Called”), Jacob of Zebedee, his brother John (the Theologian), Philip, Bartholomew (in the Gospel of John - Nathanael), Thomas , Matthew, Jacob Alpheus, Judas Levway (Thaddeus), Simon the Canaanite and Judas Iscariot.
After a millennium of unified 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 15th and beginning of the 16th centuries. The 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 a large number of sects, many of which have become independent churches: Baptists, Methodists, Adventists, etc.
The share of Christianity among world religions is 33% (the largest in number), of all Christians the Orthodox make up 12% (according to the sites http:// way2god.chat.ru/worldrel.htm and http:// internetsobor.org).
The basis of Christianity (from the Greek Christ - Anointed One, Messiah) is faith in Jesus Christ as the God-man, Savior, the incarnation of the 2nd person of the triune Godhead (Trinity). The introduction 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, i.e. the first act of disobedience to God, committed by the first people, destroyed man's likeness to God - this is the weight of the so-called. original sin. The most revered Christian saints considered themselves great sinners, and from the Christian point of view 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 struggle with oneself and suffering for everyone; Only by “accepting his cross” can a person, according to Christian understanding, defeat evil in himself and around him.
The most important of the Christian sacraments are baptism (initiation that introduces one into Christian life and suppresses, according to the teachings of Christianity, the effect 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 essential union of the believer with Christ, so that Christ “dwells in him”).
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus substantiated the moral principles (Commandments) that 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 others what you do not want to receive yourself. And the main Commandments that Jesus brought to people are the Commandments of Love: “You shall 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 similar to it: love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37).
The main idea of the doctrine of the afterlife in Christianity is the idea of the existence of heaven and hell. Heaven 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 heaven), and hell was in the bowels of the earth.
LIST OF BORROWING SOURCES:
“Parables of Humanity” (vol. 1, 2, 3), comp. V.V. Lavsky, Rostov n/D, “Phoenix”, 2012.
“Modeling the future”, Vitaly Gibert, St. Petersburg, “Ves”, 2013.
"Desert Fathers", 101 parables. M., "Nikea", 2012
Internet sites:
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/xristianskie-pritchi#part_23331
Orthodox parables are not only church, but also everyday knowledge and wisdom that have accumulated over centuries. As we see from the Gospel, they were often used by Jesus Christ himself.
What are Christian parables
In fiction and esoteric literature we often come across various kinds of instructive stories and stories. But they have little in common with the Christian tradition.
Definition and Description
As a rule, they, especially Christian parables for children, are short and written in simple and figurative language. They convey the basic ideas of Christianity.
Authorship of works
As you know, the most important book for Christians is the Bible. Quotes from the Holy Scriptures are often used by clergy in their spiritual sermons about faith.
They appeared in Palestine in the 1st century AD. And their first author was Jesus Christ himself. Many edifying stories can be found in the Gospel of Matthew, some of them told by John Chrysostom.
Many spiritual writers and preachers later resorted to this genre, and it has not been forgotten in our time.
Orthodox parables
In different places and different eras, stories about the exploits of the elders were collected and systematized, telling about their attitude towards God and love. The heroes of these stories are simple and ingenuous, alien to guile and self-interest. They are easy to read and remember; any schoolchild will understand the moral.
Many stories are collected in the widely known collection “Ancient Patericon”. Elder Paisiy Svyatogorets, not without humor, remembers the Athonite hermits, instilling goodness and peace in the hearts of his listeners. Saint Nicholas of Serbia, as an ardent missionary, with the help of succinct aphorisms and vivid images, attracts new novices to the banner of Christ. And our contemporary, Archpriest Artemy Vladimirov, using modern comparisons, again returns to the eternal theme of the Fall of man and the atonement of his sins by Jesus.
The most popular stories are on everyone’s lips, let’s remember some of them:
- about the return of the prodigal son;
- about faith;
- about three friends;
- about pride and humility;
- about footprints in the sand
- about a tireless dog.
Let us retell the last story, in which deep meaning lies in its apparent simplicity.
Once a doubting Christian, like the New Testament Thomas, asked an old man he knew a question that had long tormented him:
“How can a person resist earthly sin when there are so many temptations around, and even monks sometimes, unable to withstand the test, return to the sinful world?”
Here's the answer:
“When a dog chases a hare, the whole pack rushes after it, but only one pursues it to the end. This is how you need to seek God, overcoming all difficulties until you reach your goal.”
Let's give another story.
The woman raised two sons. They were, as they would say now, small entrepreneurs: they sold umbrellas and dyed fabrics. And that’s what worried the loving mother. When the sun was shining, no one needed umbrellas, and when it rained, the fabrics got wet. She was very sad about this; her sons’ business depended on the vagaries of nature.
But a wise man met her, and this is what he advised:
“If it rains, rejoice for your youngest son; if the sun shines, rejoice for your eldest.”
The woman heeded the advice, and peace and joy settled in her heart.
The Meaning of Scripture
The Orthodox Church views the Bible as something inseparable, and puts the Gospel at the forefront. The Old Testament is considered as a preparation for it, and the New Testament as the most authoritative interpretation of the good news conveyed by the Teacher to his disciples.
Moreover, unlike Western theological schools, the Orthodox Church does not contrast the Scripture of the holy apostles with the Tradition of the holy elders.
What the Bible Teaches
The main book of believers shows people the path to goodness and love, since God “is love.”
It turns people away from evil deeds and bad thoughts, and teaches them to live according to God’s laws.
Bible Quotes
Sayings from the Bible are another inexhaustible reservoir of wisdom from which the afflicted quench their thirst in search of their God. The Bible tells you how to build relationships with your neighbors and solve certain life problems and tasks. In it you can find an answer to almost any question and get advice on any situation.
The most important advice is contained in God’s commandments, let’s name the very first:
- “I am the Lord your God... You shall have no other gods before Me” (1st Commandment).
- “You shall not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them” (2nd Commandment).
- “Do not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not leave without punishment the one who takes His name in vain” (3rd commandment).
In addition, many more aphoristic phrases and sentences can be cited. The Bible is literally strewn with them.
The most famous of them:
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.”
(Matt. 5:1–12)
“Do not listen to empty rumors, do not give your hand to the wicked to be a witness of unrighteousness.”
(Ex. XXIII, 1)
“Do not speak into the ears of a fool, for he will despise your wise words.”
(Book of Proverbs of Solomon. XXIII, 9)
“Whoever digs a hole will himself fall into it, and whoever sets a net will himself be caught in it.”
(Book of the Wisdom of Jesus, son of Sirach. XXVII, 29)
Daily Instructions
Once in the Christian circle, believers do not always know how to behave and need daily guidance. Spiritual fathers do not deprive their flock of attention, taking them under constant guardianship and care.
More than 100 years ago it was said:
“Whoever does not read the books of the holy fathers now cannot be saved.”
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov
One of these books is the “epistles” of the Venerable Abba Dorotheos for all days of the week. The Teacher asks not to commit even minor sins, to avoid slander and condemnation, not to lie, not to fornicate, not to show anger and contempt even in the most conflict situations. Otherwise you are insulting Christ himself.
A parable is one of the most ancient types of edifying stories. Instructive allegories allow you to briefly and succinctly give any moral statement, without resorting to direct persuasion. That is why parables about life with morality - short and allegorical - have at all times been a very popular educational tool, touching on a variety of problems of human existence.
The ability to distinguish between good and evil distinguishes a person from an animal. It is not surprising that the folklore of all nations contains many parables on this topic. They tried to give their own definitions of good and evil, explore their interaction and explain the nature of human dualism in the Ancient East, and in Africa, and in Europe, and in both Americas. A large corpus of parables on this topic shows that, despite all the differences in cultures and traditions, different peoples have a common understanding of these fundamental concepts.
Two wolves
Once upon a time, an old Indian revealed to his grandson one vital truth:
– There is a struggle in every person, very similar to the struggle of two wolves. One wolf represents evil - envy, jealousy, regret, selfishness, ambition, lies... The other wolf represents good - peace, love, hope, truth, kindness, loyalty...
The little Indian, touched to the depths of his soul by his grandfather’s words, thought for a few moments, and then asked:
– Which wolf wins in the end?
The old Indian smiled faintly and replied:
– The wolf you feed always wins.
Know it and don't do it
The young man came to the sage with a request to accept him as a student.
– Can you lie? - asked the sage.
- Of course not!
- What about stealing?
- No.
- What about killing?
- No…
“Then go and find out all this,” exclaimed the sage, “but once you know, don’t do it!”
Black dot
One day the sage gathered his students and showed them an ordinary piece of paper on which he drew a small black dot. He asked them:
-What do you see?
Everyone answered in unison that it was a black dot. The answer was not correct. The sage said:
– Don’t you see this white sheet of paper - it’s so huge, bigger than this black dot! This is how it is in life - the first thing we see in people is something bad, although there is much more good. And only a few see the “white sheet of paper” right away.
Parables about happiness
Wherever a person is born, whoever he is, whatever he does, in essence, he does one thing - seeks happiness. This inner search continues from birth to death, even if it is not always realized. And on this path a person faces a lot of questions. What is happiness? Is it possible to be happy without having anything? Is it possible to get happiness ready-made or do you need to create it yourself?
The idea of happiness is as individual as DNA or fingerprints. For some people and the whole world is not enough to feel at least satisfied. For others, a little is enough - a ray of sunshine, a friendly smile. It seems that there can be no agreement between people regarding this ethical category. And yet, in different parables about happiness, common ground is found.
A piece of clay
God molded man from clay. He sculpted an earth, a house, animals and birds for man. And he was left with an unused piece of clay.
- What else should you make? - God asked.
“Make me happy,” the man asked.
God did not answer, thought for a moment and put the remaining piece of clay in the man’s palm.
Money can not buy happiness
The student asked the Master:
– How true are the words that money does not buy happiness?
The master replied that they were completely correct.
- It's easy to prove. For money can buy a bed, but not sleep; food - but not appetite; medicines - but not health; servants - but not friends; women - but not love; home - but not home; entertainment - but not joy; teachers - but not the mind. And what is named does not exhaust the list.
Khoja Nasreddin and the traveler
One day Nasreddin met a gloomy man wandering along the road to the city.
- What happened to you? – Khoja Nasreddin asked the traveler.
The man showed him a tattered travel bag and said plaintively:
- Oh, I'm unhappy! Everything I own in the infinitely vast world will barely fill this pitiful, worthless bag!
“Your affairs are bad,” Nasreddin sympathized, snatched the bag from the traveler’s hands and ran away.
And the traveler continued on his way, shedding tears. Meanwhile, Nasreddin ran ahead and placed the bag right in the middle of the road. The traveler saw his bag lying on the way, laughed with joy and cried out:
- Oh, what happiness! And I thought I had lost everything!
“It’s easy to make a person happy by teaching him to appreciate what he has,” thought Khoja Nasreddin, watching the traveler from the bushes.
Wise parables about morality
The words “morality” and “morality” in Russian have different connotations. Morality is rather a social attitude. Morality is internal, personal. However, the basic principles of morality and ethics are largely the same.
Wise parables easily, but not superficially, touch on these basic principles: the attitude of man to man, dignity and baseness, attitude towards the Motherland. Issues of the relationship between man and society are often embodied in parable form.
Bucket of apples
A man bought himself a new house - large, beautiful - and a garden with fruit trees near the house. And nearby, in an old house, there lived an envious neighbor who constantly tried to ruin his mood: either he would throw garbage under the gate, or he would do some other nasty things.
One day a man woke up in a good mood, went out onto the porch, and there was a bucket of slop. The man took a bucket, poured out the slop, cleaned the bucket until it shined, collected the largest, ripest and most delicious apples into it and went to his neighbor. The neighbor opens the door in the hope of a scandal, and the man handed him a bucket of apples and said:
- He who is rich in what, shares it!
Low and worthy
One padishah sent the sage three identical bronze figurines and ordered him to convey:
“Let him decide which of the three people whose statues we are sending is worthy, who is so-so and who is low.”
No one could find any difference between the three figurines. But the sage noticed holes in his ears. He took a thin flexible stick and stuck it into the ear of the first figurine. The stick came out through the mouth. The second figurine's wand came out through the other ear. The third figurine has a wand stuck somewhere inside.
“A person who divulges everything he hears is certainly low,” the sage reasoned. - Anyone whose secret goes in one ear and comes out through the other is a so-so person. The truly noble one is the one who keeps all secrets within himself.
This is what the sage decided and made corresponding inscriptions on all the figurines.
Change your voice
The dove saw an owl in the grove and asked:
-Where are you from, owl?
– I lived in the east, and now I’m flying to the west.
So the owl answered and began to hoot and laugh angrily. The dove asked again:
– Why did you leave your home and fly to foreign lands?
- Because in the east they don’t like me because I have a nasty voice.
“It was in vain that you left your native land,” said the dove. “You don’t need to change the land, but your voice.” In the West, just like in the East, they do not tolerate evil hooting.
About parents
The attitude towards parents is a moral task that was solved long ago by humanity. Biblical legends about Ham, gospel commandments, numerous proverbs, and fairy tales fully reflect people’s ideas about the relationship between fathers and children. And yet, there are so many contradictions between parents and children that it is useful for a modern person to be reminded of this from time to time.
The constant relevance of the topic “Parents and Children” gives rise to more and more new parables. Modern authors, following in the footsteps of their predecessors, find new words and metaphors to again touch on this issue.
Feeder
Once upon a time there lived an old man. His eyes were blinded, his hearing was dull, and his knees trembled. He could hardly hold a spoon in his hands, he would spill soup, and sometimes food would fall out of his mouth.
The son and his wife looked at him with disgust and during meals began to sit the old man in a corner behind the stove, and the food was served to him in an old saucer. One day the old man's hands were shaking so much that he could not hold the saucer of food. It fell to the floor and broke. Then the young daughter-in-law began to scold the old man, and the son made a wooden feeder for his father. Now the old man had to eat from it.
One day, when the parents were sitting at the table, their little son entered the room with a piece of wood in his hands.
- What do you want to do? - asked the father.
“A wooden feeder,” answered the baby. – When I grow up, dad and mom will eat from it.
Eagle and eaglet
An old eagle flew over the abyss. He carried his son on his back. The eaglet was still too small and could not make it this way. Flying over the abyss, the chick said:
- Father! Now you carry me across the abyss on your back, and when I become big and strong, I will carry you.
“No, son,” the old eagle answered sadly. - When you grow up, you will carry your son.
Suspension bridge
On the way between two high-mountain villages there was a deep gorge. The residents of these villages built a suspension bridge over it. People walked on its wooden planks, and two cables served as railings. People were so used to walking across this bridge that they didn’t have to hold on to these railings, and even children fearlessly ran across the gorge on the planks.
But one day the ropes and railings disappeared somewhere. Early in the morning people approached the bridge, but no one could take a single step on it. While there were cables, it was possible not to hold on to them, but without them the bridge turned out to be impregnable.
This is what happens with our parents. While they are alive, it seems to us that we can do without them, but as soon as we lose them, life immediately begins to seem very difficult.
Everyday parables
Everyday parables are a special category of texts. In a person’s life, every moment a situation of choice arises. What role can seemingly insignificant little things, unnoticed little meanness, stupid provocations, absurd doubts play in fate? Proverbs answer this question clearly: huge.
For a parable, nothing is insignificant or unimportant. She firmly remembers that “the flutter of a butterfly’s wing echoes with thunder in distant worlds.” But the parable does not leave a person alone with the inexorable law of retribution. She always leaves the opportunity for the fallen to rise and continue on their way.
All in your hands
In a Chinese village there lived a sage. People came to him from everywhere with their problems and illnesses, and no one left without receiving help. For this they loved and respected him.
Only one person said: “People! Who do you worship? After all, he is a charlatan and a fraudster!” One day he gathered a crowd around him and said:
- Today I will prove to you that I was right. Let's go to your sage, I will catch a butterfly, and when he comes out onto the porch of his house, I will ask: “Guess what I have in my hand?” He will say: “Butterfly,” because anyway, one of you will let it slip. And then I’ll ask: “Is she alive or dead?” If he says that he is alive, I will squeeze his hand, and if he is dead, then I will release the butterfly to freedom. In any case, your sage will be made a fool!
When they came to the house of the sage, and he came out to meet them, the envious man asked his first question:
“Butterfly,” answered the sage.
- Is she alive or dead?
The old man, smiling into his beard, said:
- Everything is in your hands, man.
Bat
A long time ago, a war broke out between animals and birds. The hardest thing was for the old Bat. After all, she was both an animal and a bird at the same time. And therefore she could not decide for herself who it would be more profitable for her to join. But then she decided to cheat. If the birds prevail over the animals, then she will support the birds. Otherwise, she will quickly go over to the animals. So she did.
But when everyone noticed how she was behaving, they immediately suggested that she not run from one to the other, but choose one side once and for all. Then the old Bat said:
- No! I'll stay in the middle.
- Fine! - said both sides.
The battle began and the old Bat, caught in the middle of the battle, was crushed and died.
This is why he who tries to sit between two stools will always find himself on the rotten part of the rope that hangs over the jaws of death.
A fall
One student asked his Sufi mentor:
- Teacher, what would you say if you found out about my fall?
- Get up!
- And next time?
- Get up again!
– And how long can this continue – keep falling and rising?
- Fall and rise while you're alive! After all, those who fell and did not rise are dead.
Orthodox parables about life
Also Academician D.S. Likhachev noted that in Rus' the parable as a genre “grew” from the Bible. The Bible itself is littered with parables. It was this form of teaching the people that Solomon and Christ chose. Therefore, it is not surprising that with the advent of Christianity in Rus', the genre of parables took deep roots in our land.
Popular faith has always been far from formalism and “bookish” complexity. Therefore, the best Orthodox preachers constantly turned to allegory, where they generally transformed the key ideas of Christianity into a fairy-tale form. Sometimes Orthodox parables about life could be concentrated into one phrase-aphorism. In other cases - into a short story.
Humility is a feat
Once a woman came to the Optina hieroschemamonk Anatoly (Zertsalov) and asked him for a blessing for a spiritual feat: to live alone and fast, pray and sleep on bare boards without interference. The elder told her:
– You know, the evil one does not eat, does not drink and does not sleep, but everything lives in the abyss, because he has no humility. Submit in everything to the will of God - that’s your feat; humble yourself before everyone, reproach yourself for everything, bear illness and sorrow with gratitude - this is beyond any feats!
Your cross
One person thought that his life was very difficult. 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 storage room where there were crosses, and said:
- Choose.
A man walked around the storehouse for a long time, looking for the smallest and lightest cross, and finally found a small, small, light, light cross, approached God and said:
- Lord, can I take this one?
“It’s possible,” God answered. - This is your own.
About love with morals
Love moves worlds and human souls. It would be strange if the parables ignored the problems of relationships between men and women. And here the authors of the parables raise a great many questions. What is love? Is it possible to define it? Where does it come from and what destroys it? How to find it?
Parables also touch on narrower aspects. Everyday relations between husband and wife - it would seem that what could be more banal? But here too the parable finds food for thought. After all, it’s only in fairy tales that things end with a wedding crown. And the parable knows: this is just the beginning. And keeping love is no less important than finding it.
All or nothing
One man came to the sage and asked: “What is love?” The sage said: “Nothing.”
The man was very surprised and began to tell him that he had read many books that described how love can be different, sad and happy, eternal and fleeting.
Then the sage replied: “That’s it.”
The man again did not understand anything and asked: “How can I understand you? All or nothing?"
The sage smiled and said: “You yourself just answered your own question: nothing or everything. There can be no middle ground!”
Mind and Heart
One person argued that the mind on the street of love is blind, and that the main thing in love is the heart. As proof of this, he cited the story of a lover who swam many times across the Tigris River, bravely fighting the current, to see his beloved.
But one day he suddenly noticed a spot on her face. After that, while swimming across the Tigris, he thought: “My beloved is imperfect.” And at that very moment the love that held him on the waves weakened, in the middle of the river his strength left him, and he drowned.
Repair, don't throw away
An elderly couple who had lived together for over 50 years was asked:
- Probably, you have never had a fight in half a century?
“We were arguing,” the husband and wife answered.
– Maybe you never had any need, you had ideal relatives and a full house?
- No, everything is like everyone else.
– But you never wanted to separate?
– There were such thoughts.
– How did you manage to live together for so long?
– Apparently, we were born and raised in a time when it was customary to fix broken things and not throw them away.
Don't demand
The teacher learned that one of his students was persistently seeking someone's love.
“Don’t demand love, so you won’t get it,” said the teacher.
- But why?
- Tell me, what do you do when uninvited guests break into your door, when they knock, scream, demanding to open it, and tear out their hair from the fact that it is not opened for them?
“I lock it tighter.”
– Don’t break into the doors of other people’s hearts, as they will close even more tightly before you. Become a welcome guest and any heart will open to you. Take the example of a flower that does not chase bees, but by giving them nectar, attracts them to itself.
Short parables about insult
The outside world is a harsh environment that constantly pits people against each other, striking sparks. A situation of conflict, humiliation, or insult can unsettle a person for a long time. The parable comes to the rescue here too, playing a psychotherapeutic role.
How to react to an insult? Give vent to anger and respond to the insolent? What to choose – the Old Testament “an eye for an eye” or the Gospel “turn the other cheek”? It is curious that of the entire corpus of parables about insults, the Buddhist ones are the most popular today. The pre-Christian, but not Old Testament, approach seems most acceptable to our contemporaries.
Go your own way
One of the disciples asked Buddha:
– If someone insults or hits me, what should I do?
– If a dry branch falls from a tree and hits you, what will you do? – he asked in response:
- What will i do? “It’s a simple accident, a simple coincidence that I found myself under a tree when a branch fell from it,” said the student.
Then the Buddha remarked:
- So do the same. Someone was mad, angry and hit you. It's like a branch falling from a tree on your head. Don’t let this bother you, go on your way as if nothing happened.
Take it for yourself
One day, several people began to viciously insult Buddha. He listened silently, very calmly. And that's why they felt uneasy. One of these people addressed the Buddha:
– Don’t our words hurt you?!
“It’s up to you to decide whether to insult me or not,” replied the Buddha. – And mine is to accept your insults or not. I refuse to accept them. You can take them for yourself.
Socrates and the insolent
When some impudent person kicked Socrates, he endured it without saying a word. And when someone expressed surprise why Socrates ignored such a blatant insult, the philosopher remarked:
- If a donkey kicked me, would I really bring him to court?
About the meaning of life
Reflections on the meaning and purpose of existence belong to the category of so-called “damned questions”, and no one has a definite answer. However, deep existential fear - “Why am I living if I’m going to die anyway?” - torments every person. And of course, the genre of parable also touches on this issue.
Every nation has parables about the meaning of life. Most often it is defined as follows: the meaning of life is in life itself, in its endless reproduction and development through subsequent generations. The short-term existence of each individual person is considered philosophically. Perhaps the most allegorical and transparent parable in this category was invented by the American Indians.
Stone and bamboo
They say that one day a stone and a bamboo had a heated argument. Each of them wanted a person's life to be similar to his own.
The stone said:
– A person’s life should be the same as mine. Then he will live forever.
Bamboo replied:
- No, no, a person’s life should be like mine. I die, but am immediately born again.
The stone objected:
- No, it’s better to be different. Let a better person be like me. I do not bow to the wind or the rain. Neither water, nor heat, nor cold can harm me. My life is endless. For me there is no pain, no care. This is how a person's life should be.
Bamboo insisted:
- No. A person's life should be like mine. I die, it is true, but I am reborn in my sons. Isn't that right? Look around me - my sons are everywhere. And they too will have their own sons, and all will have smooth and white skin.
The stone was unable to answer this. Bamboo won the argument. This is why human life is like the life of bamboo.
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