"WE WAS INTO A DIFFERENT WORLD"

- Father Sergius, what instructions did Father Seraphim give, and in general, what was communication with him for those who were honored with it?

Basically, of course, those who came to Rakitnoye were edified by the spirit and mood that reigned in the father's house, in the church. Due to physical weakness, the priest could not talk for a long time, so it was believed that 2-3 minutes of conversation was already good. However, none of us grumbled, everyone understood that the priest loves everyone and tries to help everyone, but there are many of us, and he is alone.

One of the very first instructions he gave me was: "Let the Jesus Prayer be your crown." Unfortunately, I didn't do it.

Once I witnessed such an interesting scene. We were sitting at the batiushka’s for a meal: the batiushka himself, one man with his son, whom he brought for a blessing so that he could enter the seminary, and I. The priest is talking about something, and suddenly interrupts and says: “Priesthood is like the anointing of Aaron: whoever has this anointing, sooner or later, whether he wants to or not, will definitely become a priest.” That is, what is predestined by God will be.

And the priest blessed me on the path of the priesthood ten years before I took holy orders. He said, “Your path is the priesthood. Get ready." And he said even without my questioning. I was very surprised, embarrassed, because I didn’t even think of becoming a priest, I didn’t expect such a turn, and I said: “Father, there are canonical sins that forbid taking holy orders. And if suddenly I can’t stand it: I’m a young man, suddenly I fall into some kind of fornication, what should I do then? He looked at me and said: “Then it will be necessary to confess this sin,” he paused a little, “to confess.” That is, the priest had a very condescending look at this.

Quite surprised, I went home, and then I began to remember the words of the priest, I began to think about it, especially about what he said: “Get ready.” And how to prepare? You have to ask your dad.

I arrived in Rakitnoye a month later. Father was, as always, ill. I lived in the firewood in the yard: it was summer. We talked with one hieromonk, who also lived there, waiting for a meeting with the priest. And he talked about one amazing old man, who used to be his confessor, and after his death handed him over to Father Seraphim. That late priest had such a custom - to answer the questions of his spiritual children during a sermon. They came to him from different places, and he was sick, old. On Sundays he served, and when he went out to preach, he turned to someone, looked at him and answered his inner question, then turned to another and also gave an answer to the question, and all this in the context of the sermon. Naturally, before that he had not spoken to these people, they had not written notes to him. This is the gift this old man had. The service ended, everyone got on the train and left, and testified that the priest had answered all their questions during the sermon.

I was surprised by this story and thought: “Wow, what kind of elders are there.” The next day after this conversation, the memory of St. John Chrysostom was celebrated, Father Seraphim served the Liturgy. And so he went out to preach. Briefly recounted the life of St. John, and at the end he added: “St. John Chrysostom wrote many wonderful books, and among them there is such a book called “On the Priesthood”.” I immediately had a thought: why did the priest mention this book, because St. John wrote twelve thick volumes? And in the temple there were only grandmothers, that hieromonk and me. Then I remembered our yesterday's conversation and understood: "Here's your answer, please: find a book, read it, and it will tell you everything." After the service, I went up to the priest and said: “Batiushka, bless me, I have gone, I have to go.” He looked at me and said: "God bless, go."

I found this book very quickly, read it - and, indeed, received the most wonderful answer, because the whole spirit of this book speaks of what a priest should be like. Whoever has the desire and blessing to become a priest, read this book and you will see everything.

By the grace of God, with holy prayers, Fr. Seraphim, time has passed, and the Lord has honored me with holy orders.

Once a possessed priest came to the priest. And the priest so reassured him: “This happened to you because of your lack of faith. Nothing, go to church, pray, take communion, and gradually, by the grace of God, the Lord will deliver you from this disease.”

Once, during a meal, when many priests were sitting at the table, the priest said that recently someone brought a thorn from the Holy Land, from which the Savior's crown of thorns was woven. He says, “You see, this turn is like barbed wire. And how did our Savior wear it?” And cried right at the table. Everyone fell silent. Batiushka raised his eyes, looked around at everyone, then quietly continued the conversation, finding other topics. Thus, the priest constantly remembered the Savior, His torments on the Cross, for him the crucified Savior was the meaning of life. Therefore, he spoke so freely, easily and a lot about Him.

I also remember that once during a meal, which was attended by priests, the priest said: “Earlier in seminaries they asked this question: the priest must go to commune the dying, he needs to cross the river, and the bridge is dilapidated, and no one walks on it for that reason that it is in a state of disrepair. What should a priest do? Everyone was silent. In general, when the priest asked questions, the brethren preferred to silently wait for the father himself to say. Batiushka paused and said: "The correct answer will be this - the bridge will not fail." And once again he repeated: "The bridge will not fail." This is the kind of faith he demanded from the pastors of the Church.

About the importance of the spirit itself that reigned in the house of Father Seraphim and what influence the father had on the whole subsequent life of those who knew him, the story of the servant of God V. testifies: “During the years of teaching, I lived in Rylsk and went to Fr. Seraphim quite often - two or three times a month. When they were sent to work the fields, without straightening up, she was in a hurry to fulfill her norm, in order to only earn the legal days of freedom and fly away to the priest. I had to travel at night. At first, it was necessary to wait a long time for the train, then wait at the transfers, sometimes even walk from the nearest station to Rakitnoye, without waiting for the local bus, which, of course, did not run at night.

We walked 10 km in the summer with fellow travelers, sang prayers. We went to the priest, getting immediately into another world. He was real, ours, but already transformed by the presence of God's servant, his prayer, his love for everyone, sincere, pitying and inspiring. For what? To prayer, to life by faith, to the perfect recognition of one’s sinfulness, one’s unworthiness, to complete agreement that everything around is better, that the Lord loves and pities everyone, if the priest can love all those who come. A full temple was recruited to those who came to him, and not everyone managed to receive his blessing or ask something immediately upon arrival. You could write about your difficulties and worries, ask to pray, you could even leave without hearing an answer, however, with the faith that the Lord, through the prayers of the priest, would arrange everything. And indeed, it was.

The years of study and the next few years were warmed and protected by the hope of the priest's prayers. Any interest in the temptations of the world, in the hobbies inherent in youth, simply melted like early snow falling on warm earth. I wanted to pray, to remember the Lord, to read spiritual books, which only fell into my hands, to live not by what my classmates lived. And how could one compare their pleasures with what the soul received in the church where Fr. Seraphim!

Years of study have passed. I had to work and live far from Rylsk and from home. Father was getting sicker and weaker. The circumstances developed in such a way that the priest, to whom I began to turn, was not only wary, but sharply negative towards the priest, believing the opinion of his confessor that he was in delusion. Go to about. He did not allow Seraphim, he himself began to demand from those who turned to him the revelation of thoughts, frequent and detailed.

You used to stand at his confession, and an hour or more, like there was nothing left to say, and he was still waiting for the disclosure of something that I didn’t even know in myself. From such tension, I left confession more depressed than relieved. The next time I tell him about my condition, then I go and think what else I need to say. All this is more depressing than encouraging. The priest answers this: “You have a demon, you are demon-possessed, you are delusional.” One can imagine how such a sentence works. I remember about. Seraphim, my soul yearns for him, but the current confessor won't let him in."

Memories of Spiritual Children

Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky

Shiigumen Mikhail

(Laptev)

Cleric of the Belgorod diocese

And Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky wrote his work “On the Jesus Prayer” at the request of Father Mikhail (Laptev) in his apartment in Drohobych, Western Ukraine.

In 2002, Schemagumen Michael published this work in his book The Life and Instructions of Archbishop Anthony. In this book were also published the works of Bishop Anthony "The Forgotten Path of Experienced Cognition of God or the Mystery of Salvation" about smart doing and "Advice from a Spiritual Father." Here Father Michael placed his memoirs about Vladyka Anthony. These memoirs, corrected and supplemented, were published with his consent in the books of the priest Vladimir Pankovets.

Abbot Sergius

(Akintikov)

Rector of the Holy Intercession Church

villages of the Novoivanovskaya Tikhoretsk diocese

V commemoration of the 1st hegumen Sergius (Akintikov). Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, Yekaterinodar diocese. Novoivanovskaya. 2011

O Father Sergius is the spiritual child of Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky, who tonsured him a monk and ordained him to the holy rank of hierodeacon and hieromonk. These ordinations were recognized as legitimate by the Reverend Glinsk Elder Schematropolitan Seraphim (Mazhuga), who, after the repose of Vladyka Anthony, accepted Father Sergius under his omophorion. Read the memoirs of Father Sergius about Bishop Anthony in the book of the priest Vladimir Pankovets "The Forgotten Hierarch", Part 2. p. 273-276.

V commemoration of the 2nd hegumen Sergius (Akintikov). Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, Yekaterinodar diocese. Novoivanovskaya. 2011

V commemoration of the 3rd hegumen Sergius (Akintikov). Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, Yekaterinodar diocese. Novoivanovskaya. 2011

V commemoration of the 4th hegumen Sergius (Akintikov). Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, Yekaterinodar diocese. Novoivanovskaya. 2011

V commemoration of the 5th hegumen Sergius (Akintikov). Church of the Intercession of the Mother of God, Yekaterinodar diocese. Novoivanovskaya. 2011

Sheigumenia Anthony

(dry)

V commemoration of the 1st Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

Since higumenia, Antonia, since 1958, she labored together with Vladyka Anthony. She was his closest spiritual daughter. She directed the home church choir, baked prosphora, and accompanied Vladyka on all his travels. He elevated her to the rank of abbess. In her arms the lord rested. His will was addressed to her as a collaborator of repentance. In the remembrance of Anthony's schiegumenia about Vladyka Anthony, read in the book of Priest Vladimir Pankovets "The Forgotten Hierarch", Part 2. p. 213-234.

V commemoration of the 2nd Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V commemoration of the 3rd Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V commemoration of the 4th Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V commemoration of the 5th Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V Commemoration of the 6th Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V Commemoration of the 7th Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V commemoration of the 8th Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V Commemoration of the 9th Schema of Anthony (Sukhikh) Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

Priest Vladimir Pankovets

V commemoration by Priest Vladimir Pankovets, the author of a true biography of Vladyka Anthony, about the spiritual children of the saint. Convent in honor of the Iberian Icon of the Mother of God, Rostov diocese of Rostov-on-Don. 2011

Schema-nun Melitina

(Nezhinskaya)

V commemoration of the 1st schema nun Melitina (Mezhinskaya). Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V commemoration of the 2nd schema nun Melitina (Mezhinskaya). Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

V commemoration of the 3rd schema nun Melitina (Mezhinskaya). Convent in the name of Alexy the Man of God, Kursk diocese. Zolotukhino. 2011

Day of the Angel of the Sheigumenia Anthony - cell-attendant of St. Anthony of Mikhailovsky
January 30, 2012
Zolotukhinsky convent of the Kursk diocese

Schema nun Uriel

(REMIZOVA)

Matushka, who bailed out Vladyka Anthony from places of deprivation of liberty

Happy Trinity Day - Happy Pentecost!

On June 4, 2016, schema-nun Uriel (Remizova), one of the first spiritual children of Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky, reposed at the age of 90.

Vladyka Anthony, while in a special camp, wrote a letter to her family, in which he blessed one of them in a secret form to come to him and take him on bail as "his own grandfather."

In the family of mother Uriel, at that time a thirty-year-old girl, they decided to send her to Vladyka. Documents were drawn up with a petition for his early release, after which matushka went to Bishop Anthony.

Your enlightened attention is presented with a video and audio recording of Mother Uriel, where she talks about her trip, about the miraculous early release of Vladyka Anthony, when the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene appeared to her in the form of a camp employee and handed her the necessary documents for release.

On the personal file of Vladyka Anthony, the conclusion was stamped “Contain in the camps indefinitely - until death.” The Holy Scriptures say: "What is impossible for man is possible for God." And Vladyka was freed by the wise Providence of God in order to write to all of us a guide to salvation - a guide to doing the Jesus Prayer - “the only way of salvation open to us, all other ways are closed,” writes Vladyka Anthony in his God-wise writing “The Forgotten Path Experienced Knowledge of God or the Mystery of Salvation.

Vladyka, being free, was persecuted until the last hour of his earthly life; his release from the special camp was carried out without the permission of the atheistic authorities.

The same authorities, through the high priests of the Moscow Patriarchate devoted to it, slander him to this day, forbid the publication of his works, and persecute the priest who returned the good name to Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky.

The Moscow Patriarchate has taken the path of denying the doing of the Jesus Prayer - the path of "Westerners" - the disguised heresy of Arianism, condemned by the First Orthodox Ecumenical Council; unworthy of the glorification of Vladyka Anthony among the saints.

This greatest honor of glorification among the saints of Archbishop Anthony of Mikhailovsky will be bestowed on the Church that will follow the path of the Jesus Prayer - the only path of salvation for contemporary Christianity. And this time is near, such is the will of God!

MIRACLE OF MARY MAGDALENE

In the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is Risen!

Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters, I sincerely congratulate you all on the Feast of Feasts and the Triumph of Triumphs - Easter - the Bright Resurrection of Christ - a prototype of our future resurrection! ..

The legendary “Father Arseniy,” Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky, writes to his spiritual children: “The First Word of the Risen Lord: Rejoice!..” And the first to hear this Word was Mary Magdalene. In the Gospel of Mark we read: Having risen early on the first day of the week, Jesus appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he cast out seven demons. She went and announced to those who were with him, weeping and weeping; but when they heard that he was alive and she saw him, they did not believe (16, 9-11).

The cell-attendant of Vladyka Schema Anthony recalled that he greatly venerated Saints Equal-to-the-Apostles Nina and Mary Magdalene. Saint Nina saved him in Turkey from the hands of fanatics who killed Russian missionaries - he himself told her this story. And somehow, Matushka notes, Vladyka was connected with Mary Magdalene. He greatly valued the icons of these saints. Always, returning home, he asked her: “Where is Nina, where is Maria?” “Yes, here they are, Vladyka, in place,” she answered.

As an Easter gift to all of you, let me present my new research regarding the miraculous release of Vladyka from a special regime camp on June 20, 1956. This story was told to me this year at the Week of the Cross in Diveevo by his spiritual daughter, who accompanied him from this camp.

In 1950, Archbishop Anthony was sentenced to 25 years in prison for his faith in God. He served his sentence in a special regime camp, Potma, Mordovia. Remember his book “FATHER ARSENY. Camp. Path. Children” or read in it about this camp, which was worse than execution.

In 1956, after Easter, this mother came to his camp. Vladyka was to be set free, but he was not on the release lists. She went to the head of the camp. He could not do anything and advised to turn to someone who is higher than him. After his words, the wall in his office moved away and there was a room in which there was a woman. She began to tearfully beg this woman for the release of “her own grandfather,” as she called Vladyka Anthony. She listened to her attentively, said that she would do everything that depended on her, and invited her to come tomorrow.

The next day, the first word that this woman uttered at the meeting was: Rejoice!.. And then she handed her the release papers. This woman was, without any doubt, Mary Magdalene! Vladyka Anthony did not tell anyone about this, and to this day no one has known about it. If you do not believe this miracle, then ask yourself honestly: is it possible in real time to prepare and agree on all the documents for the release of the person whose personal file has a stamp: “Keep in camps indefinitely - until death” in real time in one night. What is impossible for man is possible for God! By God's providence, God's dispensation still needs it!

Saint Anthony rested on April 13, and this year it is Monday of Bright Week - the first day after Pascha. He is glorified by God in heaven as the universal First Hierarch, in this last century leading Orthodox Christians along the narrow and narrow path to the Kingdom of God, and there is no other way there. This path - the crucifixion of the mind on the words of the Jesus Prayer - this is the cross, without taking which and following Christ, we are unworthy of Him and we cannot be His disciples (Luke 14:27).

The Lord writes: “Death celebrates mortification, hellish destruction, otherwise the life of the eternal beginning. The victory of Jesus Christ over the devil, hell and death is also our victory. And therefore, rejoice and be glad!.. in the Lord!.. Saint Apostle Paul: Rejoice in the Lord!.. Again I say, rejoice!.. Forget what is behind - stretch forward!..»

I ask for your holy Prayers!.. Be healthy, happy and God bless!..

Your priest Vladimir Pankovets

2015

SPIRITUAL FATHER OF ARCHIMANDRITE KIRILL (PAVLOV; 1919-2017)

On February 20, 2017, in the evening, at the 98th year of his life, the righteous spirit-bearing Elder of the Trinity-Sergius Lavra, Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov, reposed. He is that Hero - “Sergeant Pavlov”, who glorified the valor of Russian weapons in the Battle of Stalingrad and himself gained faith in Jesus Christ at that time.

After the Victory, he entered the Moscow Theological Seminary, and then the Academy. After their completion, he labored in the Trinity-Sergius Lavra and searched among the elders of his day for an experienced mentor in doing the Jesus Prayer - the only way of true salvation.

Divine Providence led him, and near Kiev, in Lesnaya Bucha, he met with Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky (1889-1976) - the legendary "Father Arseny", who himself walked the path of the Jesus Prayer and was raised by God to the highest virtue - a visual prayer, in order to write guidance in its doing to all who thirst for true salvation. Saint Anthony became the Spiritual Father of Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov.

Until now, few people knew what was the secret of the spiritual success of Father Kirill, who became the fraternal confessor of the Lavra, and later the confessor of three Russian Patriarchs. His good name is widely known throughout the modern Orthodox world. And the whole secret is that Archimandrite Kirill followed the forgotten path of experiential knowledge of God—by doing the Jesus Prayer under the guidance of his Spiritual Father, Archbishop Anthony of Mikhailovsky. Father Cyril taught his spiritual children the Jesus Prayer.

His meetings with his Spiritual Father, St. Anthony, were secret, because of the persecution of the Russian Orthodox Church. They also met in Sergiev Posad. Through Father Kirill, Vladyka Anthony sent his spiritual children to the Moscow Seminary and the Academy.

We have the honor to be the spiritual children of Schema Anthony (Sukhikh; 1929-2012), the cell-attendant of St. Anthony, who also followed this only path of salvation, practicing the Jesus Prayer according to his God-wise guidance.

Here is her letter to Father Kirill: “Dear, dear Father! Father Kirill! Mother Anthony is writing to you. I write in the car. The bright past about you is always in my heart. I believe in your big loving heart, ready to receive and caress everyone. Leave a small part of my heart for my unworthiness. I need a small corner to warm up, calm down and not turn off the indicated path, without fear with the sisters to go through the path appointed by the Lord. Help, do not leave in your holy prayers. There are many temptations, many temptations. Sorrow, a cry from the heart, even despair happens. Oh Lord, help! With the humblest admirer of Schema Antony. October 14, 1998"

The father replies: “Dear mother Anthony! I remember the warm, joyful past, and, Lord, give us now the present time is difficult, vague to somehow reasonably live, not to leave the Lord. I am saved and consoled only by the Holy Gospel, the Word of God. Greater challenges lie ahead of us. Help you, dear mother, to steer the monastic ship so that you can swim across the abyss and land on a quiet shore. With love, A. Kirill.

All faithful Orthodox Christians should know the Mystery of the salvation of all the saints, by which they were saved - this is the doing of the Jesus Prayer, and we need to follow this path, but only according to the God-wise guidance of St. Anthony of Mikhailovsky - the Spiritual Father in God of the late Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov - the great modern Elder.

Spiritual children of Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky: Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov and Schema Antony Sukhikh.

Priest Vladimir Pankovets

February 22, 2017

Rostov-on-Don

ARCHIMANDRITE KIRILL PAVLOV - TYPE OF "FATHER PLATO SKORINO"

BOOK OF ARCHBISHOP ANTONY MIKHAILOVSKY "FATHER ARSENY"

By the grace of God, it became known that the Spiritual Father in Bose of the deceased Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov (1919-2017) was St. Anthony Mikhailovsky, Archbishop of Bryansk (1889-1976).

In his book "Father Arseny", part three "Children", there is a story "Father Platon Skorino". It is written in the form of the memoirs of Father Plato about how he came to God. From the story we learn that Father Plato became a believing Christian during the Great Patriotic War. He started the war as a soldier and ended as a senior lieutenant. Front line scout. Full cavalier of the Order of Glory, which was equated with the Hero of the Soviet Union. After the war, according to a vow given to God, he entered the Theological Seminary and became a priest. The spiritual son of Father Arseniy, a priest, the protagonist of the book. After meeting with Father Arseniy, he says: “I thank God for this. I gave my whole life into his hands, I’m leaving just renewed.”

An autobiographical literary narrative is not a literal description of the life of a particular person, but a presentation in an artistic form of the main events that carry a moral, edifying character for the reader.

Therefore, we will trace the life of Archimandrite Kirill Pavlov in this regard. Became a believer in the Great Patriotic war, in Stalingrad, while protecting the legendary house of "Sergeant Pavlov", named after him. For this feat he was awarded the gold star of the Hero of the Soviet Union. For refusing to join communist party he was thrown into front-line intelligence. He finished the war as a senior lieutenant and entered the Moscow Theological Seminary. He became a hieromonk, and later the spiritual son of St. Anthony of Mikhailovsky, the author and protagonist of the book Father Arseny.

The similarity of the image and the prototype is undeniable!

How spiritually beautiful the story “Father Platon Skorino” begins: “In the old Patericon I read what the holy fathers once said that the Lord gives every person the opportunity to look back at the life path they have traveled, comprehend it and determine their attitude to God and take a step towards knowledge of the Lord, or push away from Him. Events constantly occur in life that give everyone the opportunity to feel and realize God and come to Him. The right to choose belongs to the individual. The Lord, creating a chain of certain events around a person, wants to help the rushing human soul to come to Him, and it is our fault if we push away the path to salvation.

There were several such turning points in my life when I had the opportunity to decide - where to go? Twice (so it seems to me) I pushed away the thread of Truth that was extended to me, but the Lord was merciful and again and again led me to the path of faith. Thanks to this grace, I became a believer, a Christian, and then a priest.

On the way to faith, I met wonderful people, true helpers of God, who helped me a lot, taught me a lot and showed me what a Christian is by the example of their lives. “So Father Plato told me, at times falling silent, thinking, and then again continuing the story.”

We stand on the threshold of future terrible events. Among the believers of Russia, Archimandrite Kirill is associated with a prophecy that with his repose peaceful life will be interrupted and there will be war. She will come from the east. Saint Anthony writes:

“This is the horror of war, the cry and hunger all around,

The boastful lies of the wide streets,

Envy, anger, resentment ripened in silence,

The groan of those tortured in distant prisons.

And like a beacon in the distance - the word of eternal love,

Word of life, hope, forgiveness,

Like a mighty call to the kingdom of the glory of the Creator,

Without borders and end - into the realm of a bright day.

Schema Antonia Sukhikh, the cell-attendant of the Saint, recalls: “Vladyka said that the martyrdom and blood of those who suffered in the revolution and during the communist persecution freed us for a while from external suffering, as if they took it upon themselves. Christians are now given only inner suffering and sorrow. This will last until the time of Antichrist, and then the body will have to suffer.”

Matushka Anthony adds: “Vladyka said: “The suffering of our generation has set aside the suffering of other people for decades.”

Father Cyril writes in a letter to mother Anthony: “Give, Lord, now we are now in a difficult time, vague to somehow reasonably live, not to leave the Lord. I am saved and consoled only by the Holy Gospel, the Word of God. There are more challenges ahead of us.”

“To live wisely, not to forsake the Lord” is a smart life, by which all the saints were saved, by which Father Cyril went, at the heart of this life lies the unceasing repentant prayer of Jesus: Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me a sinner.

Having heard the prophecy about the war, there is no need to panic, there is no need to dry the crackers and burrow into the ground, but it is necessary to strengthen the smart doing - the doing of the Jesus Prayer, firmly believing that even in wartime events occur that make it possible for everyone to feel and realize God and come to Him.

Read more than once the story "Father Platon Skorino" and become believing Christians who truly follow the only path of salvation - by doing the Jesus Prayer.

Priest Vladimir Pankovets

February 28, 2017

Rostov-on-Don

great post

CHRIST IS RISEN!

Paschal Kulich of the Holy Dormition Pachive Lavra,

presented by the will of God to our site.

THE ONLY WAY OF SALVATION

DOING THE JESUS ​​PRAYER

He came to his own, and his own did not receive him. And to those who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the power to become children of God, who were born neither from blood, nor from the desire of the flesh, nor from the desire of a man, but from God. In. 1, 11-13.

Christ is Risen!

Beloved in our Lord Jesus Christ, brothers and sisters, these lines are written by the one who, by the grace of God, restored the good name of St. Anthony of Mikhailovsky, Archbishop of Bryansk, slandered by Satan in such a way that not a single saint in all ages has been slandered. This slander is being spread to this day by the God-fighting authorities and the Moscow Patriarchate. This slander has passed on to me.

At the diocesan and general church courts, they demanded that I not speak or write about Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky, since, in their opinion, there is no such person. I was even accused of being my literary pseudonym, and that Vladyka’s works are mine, and, therefore, they are theologically untenable and harmful. They demanded from me that I renounce the truth about Vladyka Anthony, to which I did not agree, and for this I was deprived of my holy dignity.

This year, April 13 marks the 40th anniversary of the death of St. Anthony of Mikhailovsky, who, by the wise Providence of God, rested in Ukraine near Kiev in Lesnaya Bucha.

Under His Beatitude Vladimir, Metropolitan of Kiev and All Ukraine, with his blessing, the material necessary for canonization of Saint Anthony was collected, but with the repose of His Beatitude Vladimir, his successor Metropolitan Onufry (Berezovsky) refused to continue this holy work and work on materials was stopped .

St. Anthony of Mikhailovsky wrote a guide to salvation through the Holy Spirit - a guide to doing the Jesus Prayer, which for us Christians of the last century is, according to him, the only way of salvation.

The Holy Fathers write that it is impossible to be saved by doing the Jesus Prayer without the guidance of an experienced mentor. Therefore, it is very disastrous for any person to follow this path without the guidance of Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky.

The Monk Lawrence of Chernigov, who reposed in 1950, said to his spiritual children: “The last time is coming when the clergy will be carried away by worldly vain wealth. They will have their own cars, dachas, will visit resort places. And the Jesus Prayer is taken away. They will forget about her. Therefore, they themselves will not go the way they need to go, and they will lead the faint-hearted people along with them. But you be wise and prudent. Listen to their beautiful words, but do not follow their deeds.

During the days of Bright Week, by the grace of God, the Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia, under the omophorion of Archbishop Vladimir of San Francisco and Western America, found the opportunity to receive me into its fold in the existing priesthood.

In Easter joy, on May 9, I met with shiigumen Mikhail Laptev. Our common spiritual father, Bishop Anthony Mikhailovsky, at his insistent request, wrote a guide to doing the Jesus Prayer. Father Michael told me: “Vladyka wrote on a hundred sheets in a common notebook. He hands it to me and says: “This notebook will be a book. She will be in America, England, France ... "

You must believe in the name of God Jesus Christ, correctly call on him incessantly, as you breathe earthly air, and take the God-wise writings of St. Anthony of Mikhailovsky as your guide and you will be saved!

By God's permission, Satan took on my appearance and appeared to an old woman-scheme, who personally knew Vladyka Anthony and was kind to me. He tortured her, but she survived. Saint Anthony did not allow Satan to abuse his spiritual daughter.

Now we are working on new works by Bishop Anthony. They were preserved by his cell-attendant, Schema Abbess Anthony (Sukhikh) and handed over for safekeeping to the collaborator of her repentance. Mother told her: "Keep it, the time will come - they will come in handy." This is a beautiful story about life in a maiden's monastery before the revolution in Russia. New theological work in defense of Orthodoxy, sermons and poems.

See how the Lord comforts, and we stand on the threshold of a new joy in the Lord. This joy must be lived - the joy of walking the path of the wise men under the guiding star to Christ, the star is the prayer of Jesus.

I ask for your holy prayers.

Your pilgrimage and humble priest Vladimir Pankovets.

PS: May 17 - Father Mikhail Laptev's 90th birthday. Many and good years to him. Save, Lord, all those who love him and keep him in his old age.

Memory of Rev. Theodosius, hegumen of the Kiev Caves (1074)

May 16, 2016

Azov

PRAYER TO THE HOLY SPIRIT.

HOLY ANTHONY MIKHAILOVSKY

Come, true Light!.. Come, eternal life!.. Come, hidden Mystery!.. Come, nameless treasure!.. Come, unspeakable thing. Come, face, fleeing from human comprehension. Come, unceasing cheerfulness!.. Come, true hope of all those who are being saved. Come, resurrection of the dead! Come, mighty: You always do everything, transform and change with just one wave! .. Come, completely invisible, impalpable, inviolable. Come, always abiding, immovable, although You move all hourly, and come to us who lie in the underworld, although You Yourself live above all heavens. Come, most desirable and most frequent name; but to say of You what You are, or to know what You are and what kind You are, we are decidedly denied.

Come, eternal joy!

Come, unfading wreath.

Come, Great God and Lord of our goddess. Come, girdle, as transparent as crystal, and illuminated by precious stones. Come, unapproachable refuge. Come, royal goddess and holy majesty's right hand! .. Come. my wretched soul needed and still needs you! Come, You separated me and made me lonely on earth.

Come, You have made me need You, to whom no one has access.

Come, my breath and my life! Come, unspeakable - the consolation of my soul! .. Come, joy and glory and my unceasing joy. I give thanks to You, because here, in the midst of confusion, change, circulation, You became one spirit with me, and although You are God above all, yet You became everything to me in everything. Come, drink inexplicable! You cannot be taken away in any way, and you continually flow into the mouth of my soul and flow abundantly in the fountain of my heart. Shining clothes, and demons scorching!

Cleansing Sacrifice!

You wash me with unceasing and holy tears, plentifully exuding from Your presence at those to whom You come - You! You fill the universes with Yours. You have never hidden Yourself from anyone, but we ourselves are always hiding from You, as long as we do not want to come to You. After all, where would You hide Yourself when there is nowhere for You to rest? Or why would You hide Yourself - You, who despise none of all, fear no one? Now create in me a tabernacle for Yourself, meek Lord, and dwell in me, and until my death do not be torn away, do not separate from me, Thy servant, so that at my death and after death I would be in You and reign with You! .. —God over all reigning. Stay, Lord, and do not leave me alone, so that when my enemies come, who are constantly looking to devour my soul, and they found You abiding in me, and completely - they fled and did not gain the upper hand over me, because they will notice You, the strongest of all, inside, in my humiliated soul who settled! ..

In truth, as You remembered me, O Lord, when I was in the world, and how, without my knowledge, You Yourself chose me and removed me from the world and set me before the face of my glory: so also now guard me through Your being in me perfectly placed, always immovable, so that by contemplating You every day I, a mortal, live, so that by possessing You, I, a beggar, will always be rich. Thus, I will be more powerful than any kings: and eating and drinking You and dressing in You every now and then, I will enjoy the unspeakable joy of blessings. Since you are every blessing and every adornment and every delight, and glory is due to you, the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity, which is glorified in the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and is known, and honored, and honored by the entire assembly of the faithful now and always and according to the infinity of ages. Amen.

PS: The publication is dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the birth of Sheikhumen Mikhail Laptev

Help for those who buy

God-wise writings of Archbishop Anthony of Bryansk

(Mikhailovsky; 1889-1976)

In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Brothers and sisters, beloved in Christ our Lord Jesus Christ!

When purchasing Bishop Anthony's books, do not put them on the shelf, but proceed to study them thoroughly. And do not put off this holy work, but be zealous, like good and faithful soldiers of Christ, in order to be fully armed with you.

His books contain all the wisdom of the patristic heritage. The most important thing that anyone who longs for true salvation encounters is briefly and clearly stated.

We bring to your attention an extremely brief summary of the instructions of Archbishop Anthony - the legendary "Father Arseny" - the author and protagonist of the world-famous book of the same name, published many times before, but without indicating the author - for such was the Providence of God.

Starting to study the God-wise writings of Vladyka Anthony, everyone experiences timidity, which is natural at the beginning of any new business. And this is a matter of exceptional importance, for it concerns personal salvation—personal communion with true eternal life.

Having sincere respect for you and knowing from personal experience about the importance of the first steps, with love in Christ, we offer you our personal experience of many years of studying the works of Vladyka and outline it for your speedy success in this good deed.

Just as a warrior should not give his personal weapon to another, so the books of the lord should not be given to others, for they must always be at hand, studied daily and very carefully. There is a sly twist - to take books from you and leave you without them, and the other will not use them worthily, because they do not rightfully belong to him. Orient those who wish to read them to a serious approach to them and recommend that they acquire them and have them in their daily use. Thankfully these books exist!

May God bless you on all your paths, and may the works of Vladyka Anthony be your true guide on the path to God, and our fraternal advice be evidence of a sincere and respectful attitude towards you.

Holy Apostolic Cathedral Church of Christ's Orthodox Your wretched priest Vladimir Pankovets.

July 14, 2016

On the way to salvation

instructions of "Father Arseny" -

Archbishop Anthony Mikhailovsky (1889-1976)

For all those who want salvation, there is only one way left: the inner one. We can be saved in the midst of the world smart living - take care of your mind, i.e. engage him in unceasing prayer. This is the only way for us, accessible and open, and in time. All other paths are closed to us (the Forgotten Path of Experienced Cognition of God or the Mystery of Salvation).

DAILY:- exercise in the Jesus Prayer - in the morning and evening rule, you can add five hundred to the one read from the prayer book, doing this with attention: before the rule, generally put 33 bows of the earth, and when you read the Jesus Prayer, then after each hundred put 3 bows of the earth, and after each ten - 1 belt, at the end of the whole rule - again 33 earthly bows (ON THE PRAYER OF JESUS. Guide in doing);

- from the rule read from the prayer book, you can leave the morning and evening prayers for the usual, and leave everything else for a while, so that the skill in the Jesus Prayer is perfected (Ibid.);

- by the inspiration of God, a prayer for the exodus of the soul to the Lord and His Mother and the canon of asking for tears of repentance (the canon for the exodus of the soul - O. V.) is imputed to all the reverend as a daily duty, as obedience to his elder (clause 8 of the Testament before death and after death);

- every morning to read according to the old style on the date of his book “DAY BY DAY. Diary of an Orthodox Priest” (Experience of the Holy Empress Alexandra Feodorovna Romanova);

- before prayers for the future to sleep, read his prayers before reading the Gospel and one chapter of the Gospel and the Apostle each (Tradition of his home monastery);

- going to bed, look into the mirror of Christ's commandments, in order to clearly see your shortcomings, your imperfections - read his "Manual for confessing sins to the Lord Jesus" - this rite of home confession is obligatory for everyone (clause 7 of the Will before death and after death).

azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ignatij_Brjanchaninov/o-prayer.
Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). "On Prayer".
Student. Some argue that delusion will always, or almost always, follow from the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and it is very forbidden to engage in this prayer.
Elder. In assimilation of such a thought and in such a prohibition lies a terrible blasphemy, lies a deplorable delusion. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only source of our salvation, the only means of our salvation; His human name borrowed from the Divinity His unlimited, all-holy power to save us, how can this power that works for salvation, this only power that bestows salvation, be perverted and act for destruction? This is meaningless! this is an absurdity, woeful, blasphemous, soul-destroying! Those who have assimilated such a way of thinking are definitely in demonic charm, deceived by a false mind that has come out of Satan. Satan rebelled treacherously against the all-holy and magnificent name of our Lord Jesus Christ, uses human blindness and ignorance as his weapon, slandered the name, “more than any name. In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10). Those who forbid praying the Jesus Prayer can be answered with the words of the apostles Peter and John to a similar prohibition made by the Jewish Sanhedrin: “Is it right to eat before God, listen to you rather than God, judge.” The Lord Jesus commanded to pray in His all-holy name, He gave us a priceless gift; what is the significance of human teaching, which is contrary to the teaching of God, of human prohibition, which is intensifying to eliminate and destroy the commandment of God, to take away a priceless gift? It is dangerous, very dangerous, to preach a doctrine contrary to that which is preached by the Gospel. Such an undertaking is an arbitrary excommunication of oneself from the grace of God, according to the testimony of the Apostle (Gal. 1:8)...
Student. However, the Holy Fathers greatly warn those who are engaged in the Jesus Prayer from delusion.
Elder. Yes, they do. They warn against delusion and those who are in obedience, and the silent, and fasting - in a word, anyone practicing any kind of virtue. The source of delusion, like all evil, is the devil, and not some kind of virtue. “With all prudence, one must observe,” says St. Macarius the Great, “the intrigues, deceptions and malicious actions arranged by the enemy (the devil) from all sides. Just as the Holy Spirit through Paul serves all for all (1 Corinthians 9:22), so the evil spirit strives maliciously to be all for all, in order to bring everyone down to destruction. With those who pray, he also pretends to be praying, in order to lead him into arrogance about prayer; he fasts with those who are fasting in order to deceive them with self-conceit and lead them into a frenzy; with those who are versed in Holy Scripture, and he rushes into the study of Scripture, apparently seeking knowledge, but in essence trying to lead them to a perverse understanding of Scripture; with the light that was rewarded with illumination, he also seems to have this gift, as Paul says: “Satan is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor. It’s simple to say: he takes on all sorts of forms for everyone, so that by an action similar to the action of good, he enslaves the ascetic to himself, and, covering himself with plausibility, overthrows him into destruction. 43 into the greatest conceit, the greatest self-delusion. Their spiritual passions - anger, pride, slyness, disobedience - received an unusual development. Selfishness and selfishness prevailed in them definitively. They resolutely and vehemently rejected all the most salutary advice and warnings of confessors, rectors, even saints: they, violating the rules not only of humility, but also of modesty, of decency itself, did not stop expressing contempt for these persons in the most insolent way.
Some Egyptian monk at the beginning of the 4th century became a victim of the most terrible demonic delusion. Initially, he fell into arrogance, then, due to arrogance, he came under the special influence of an evil spirit. The devil, based on the arbitrary arrogance of the monk, took care to develop this illness in him, so that through the medium of mature and strengthened arrogance he would finally subjugate the monk to himself, draw him into soul death. Assisted by a demon, the monk achieved such disastrous success that he became bare feet on hot coals, and, standing on them, read the entire Lord's Prayer "Our Father".
Of course, people who did not have spiritual reasoning saw in this action a miracle of God, the extraordinary holiness of the monk, the power of the Lord's prayer, and glorified the monk with praises, developing pride in him and helping him to destroy himself. Neither the miracle of God, nor the holiness of the monk was here; the power of the Lord's Prayer did not act here, Satan acted here, based on man's self-delusion, on his falsely directed will, demonic charm acted here ... Azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ignatij_Brjanchaninov/o-prayer.
St. Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). " About prayer".
The pupil. Some argue that the exercise of Jesus" prayer is always, or almost always, followed by charm, and is very forbidden to engage in this prayer.
The elder. In mastering this thought and in such a prohibition is a terrible blasphemy, there is a regrettable charm. Our Lord, Jesus Christ, is the only source of our salvation, the only means of our salvation; His human name has been borrowed from the Godhead of His unlimited, all-holy power to save us, how can this power acting in salvation, this only power that gives salvation, pervert and act in perdition? This is meaningless! It is an absurdity, woeful, blasphemous, soul-destructive! Those who have assimilated this way of thinking are exactly in demons" delights, they are deceived by the false intellect, which came from Satan. Satan rebelled insidiously against the all-holy and magnificent name of our Lord Jesus Christ, uses blindness and human ignorance in his instrument, slandered the name, "even more so than any name. On the name of Jesus, every knee will bow to the heavenly and earthly and to the underworld "(Philippians 2: 9-10). Those who forbid praying by the prayer of Jesus can be answered by the words of the apostles Peter and John to such a prohibition made by the Jewish Sanhedrin: "Is it righteousness before God, to hear you more, more than God, judge?" The Lord Jesus commanded us to pray with His holy name, He gave us a priceless gift; What meaning can the human teaching, which contradicts the teaching of God, have, the prohibition of the human, increasing to eliminate and destroy the command of God, to give up the priceless gift? doctrine preached by the Gospel Such an undertaking is an arbitrary excommunication from the grace of God, according to the testimony of the Apostle (Gal. 1:8) ...
The pupil. However, the holy Fathers very much caution the person who is engaged in the prayer of Jesus from the delights.
The elder. Yes, caution. They warn against the charm and obedience, and the silent, and the fast, in short, anyone who exercises any virtue. The source of charm, like all evil, is the devil, and not some kind of virtue. "With all circumspection, it should be observed," says Saint Macarius the Great, "arranged by the enemy (devil) from all sides of the plot, deceptions and malicious acts. As the Holy Spirit through Paul serves all (1 Corinthians 9: 22), so the evil spirit tries to be evil for everyone, so that everyone can be reduced to death. , to deceive them by conceit and bring them to a mental process; With those who are versed in Scripture, and he rushes into the study of the Scriptures, seeking, apparently, knowledge, while in fact trying to bring them to the perverted understanding of Scripture; With the light that has received the light, he also appears to have this gift, as Paul says: "Satan is transformed into an angel of the light" (2 Corinthians 11:14), so that she can be attracted to her with the ghost of light. or all, in order to enslave an ascetic to himself by an action similar to the action of good, and, covering himself with a species, to cast him into perdition 43. I happened to see the elders exclusively engaged in the intensified bodily feat, and those who came from him In the greatest conceit, the greatest self-delusion. Their spiritual passions - anger, pride, wickedness, insubordination - received extraordinary development. Self and self-domination prevailed in them definitively. They resolutely and bitterly rejected all the most heartfelt advice and warnings of the confessors, the abbots, even the saints: they, violating the rules of not only humility, but modesty and decency, did not stop expressing contempt for these persons in the most insolent manner.
Some Egyptian monk at the beginning of the IV century became a victim of the most terrible devilish charm. Initially, he fell into high mind, then, due to his high-mindedness, he acted under the special influence of the wicked spirit. The devil, based on the arbitrary lofty nature of the monk, concerned himself with developing this ailment in him, so that by means of a ripe and strengthened highness finally subjugate a monk, and involve him in a soul-killer. Possessed by a demon, the monk reached such a poor prosperity that he became barefoot on the burning coals, and, standing on them, read all the Lord's Prayer "Our Father".
Of course, people who did not have spiritual reasoning saw in this action the miracle of God, the extraordinary holiness of the monk, the power of the Lord's prayer, and glorified the monk with praise, developing pride in him and helping him to ruin himself. Neither the miracle of God nor the holiness of the monk was here; The power of the Lord's prayer here did not work, here Satan acted, based on the self-delusion of man, on the falsely directed outrage of him , then the demonic charm

The elder Sergius considered the Jesus Prayer to be the highest form of prayer. He himself acquired the grace to create it in his heart without stopping. At the same time, he did not reject other forms of prayer either, reading every morning and every evening the prayer rule prescribed by the Church, and performed divine services in the monastic parish and in the skete, where he was abbot, without abbreviations and in strict accordance with the Typicon. Therefore, he did not favor the Jesus Prayer over other forms of prayer.

Since this prayer is a repetition of a brief formula, it better than any other allows you to fulfill the covenant given by the apostles, the holy fathers, and after them by Elder Sergius himself: the covenant to "pray without ceasing", and, in particular, to pray when time is short, or when we are busy, or are near other people, since it can be uttered internally in a very short period of time and even accompany most of our studies with it.

The Jesus Prayer is a priori publicly available. But, on the one hand, this doing should be the result of free choice, stemming from a personal need or desire. On the other hand, its special character presupposes a preliminary blessing, as well as the constant guidance of the confessor, since if it is not carried out correctly, it can pose a considerable danger: spiritual, mental and bodily. Finally, its fulfillment requires certain spiritual conditions.

The practice of the Jesus Prayer is an integral part of the tradition Orthodox Church and her spiritual teachings. Therefore, Elder Sergius persistently spoke of the need to perform the Jesus Prayer only in the bosom of the Church, in parallel with participation in divine services and communion with the Sacraments, and also in close connection with other aspects and manifestations of spiritual life.

This prayer must be accompanied by an active struggle with the passions and no less active cultivation of the virtues; both of these deeds can lead to results only in the bosom of the Church, by the power of grace given to us through the Sacraments.

According to the elder, outside the Church and without a struggle with the passions, this prayer has neither meaning nor value.

This doing is incompatible, in particular, with pride, impurity and any manifestation of malice directed at one's neighbor. On the contrary, the Jesus Prayer can be performed only in a state of repentance, humility, chastity, and love for God and neighbor.

That is why this kind of prayer cannot be identified with any technique. "Christ," said the elder, "came not to bring us technology, but to teach us repentance." Another reason is that grace-filled help is never the result of certain methods that a person uses, but always remains a disinterested gift of God. Prayer is always a kind of space for personal communication with God, and in this communication request and contemplation coexist.

These spiritual states precede prayer, accompany it, and give it its value. Prayer uttered with impure thoughts or in pride is not only useless, but even detrimental to the one who prays. Elder Sergius spoke about this in very capacious phrases: "Prodigal sin makes prayer impossible", "Jesus' prayer without humility is a disaster." He also said that if we begin to pray without reconciling ourselves with God through repentance, then because of this, “our prayer will be rotten,” recalling the story of the horse thief who often prayed to St. Nicholas and, once falling into the pit where they were rotting corpses of horses, saw how the saint appeared to him with the words: "Your prayer is like this pus."

The Jesus Prayer can be spoken aloud or inwardly. It is preferable that this prayer be silent, as in this case it is deeper. The expression "noetic prayer" means "inner" and not "rational." The Jesus Prayer should not be done by the mind alone; in this work, the mind must unite with the heart and act in unity with it. This means that the mind must unite with the feelings and with the will.

Elder Sergius, like all the holy fathers whose teachings are contained in the "Philokalia", spoke of the need to "root" the mind in the heart and argued that it should become the subject of constant attention. However, this does not mean that such a state is easy to achieve - on the contrary, it takes time and patience.

The connection of the mind with the heart is the means that allows a person to participate in prayer most holistically and deeply, and also helps us protect ourselves from temptations and demonic influence, for "dugbed in the depths of our hearts, we find ourselves safe." Thanks to this connection, we can understand everything "with the heart".

The mind enters the heart and unites with it through humility and repentance.

The connection of the mind with the heart during prayer is not given to us immediately, but it takes time and great patience.

To have prayer in oneself unceasingly, so that it becomes both spontaneous and constant, a person can also only as a result of a long and regular feat. Through discipline and regularity, prayer will eventually penetrate into us, like water, drop by drop, finally begins to penetrate into the stone on which it drips.

In Elder Sergius' teaching about the Jesus Prayer, two words from the Philokalia tradition are key: sobriety and attention. The worshiper should strive to constantly listen to the content of the prayer (however, this effort should never turn into a convulsive state and tension). And therefore, he should be vigilant in cutting off the temptations that constantly appear before him in the form of thoughts (ie thoughts or images). We should not only avoid evil thoughts, but also simple thoughts that can distract our attention.

These various thoughts can amaze us with their number and strength (the elder compares them to a swarm of flies scurrying around, or to a pack of dogs barking near us), as well as by their nature. However, there is nothing abnormal in their occurrence. Prayer does not give rise to thoughts: inside us, in the depths, they exist imperceptibly for us, and prayer only reveals them.

Elder Sergius explained that prayer for our soul is like a stick that muddies the water in a swamp and makes all the impurities that lie at the bottom, in the depths, rise to the surface. To think that our soul is pure is just as delusional as the idea that water in a swamp is clear.

Among the thoughts that confuse our soul during prayer, some come to us from ourselves, while others are of a demonic nature, and their purpose is to prevent us from praying.

When we pray, temptations in the form of evil thoughts come in much greater numbers than when we do not pray. This does not mean that when we do not pray, we are supposed to be in a better state. This is a demonic trick: to make us believe in it and eventually instill in us: "I will still pray badly, and if I don't pray, then these bad thoughts will not come, and everything will be fine."

There is nothing strange in the fact that we are tormented by thoughts or that it is difficult for us to concentrate; The desert fathers were also constantly subjected to such temptations.

First of all, you should not despair and give up prayer - you need to show patience, constancy and steadfastly hold on. By persevering, we come out victorious in any temptations, we manage to gradually cleanse ourselves, and after this, prayer becomes easier.

The opposition to thoughts is to cut them off whenever they arise, and cut them off immediately. You should try to ignore them, because the more you pay attention to them, the stronger they become, and then it becomes difficult to get rid of them. On the contrary, the less attention is paid to them, the weaker they become. The elder explained that when demons begin to tempt us in prayer, they try to attract our attention and enter into an interview with us in order to penetrate into our hearts. On no account should they be allowed to penetrate us, and therefore we should reject any interview with them, resist them with a categorical refusal, and continue to pray, regardless of what they offer us.

Some thoughts are mere thoughts, that is, ordinary ideas that are innocent. They are harmful, because they scatter attention and interfere with concentration, and therefore disturb prayer and prevent it from being pure, that is, one whose only subject is God. They should simply be rejected. Other thoughts are passionate thoughts (that is, associated with passions), and cause temptations, which, if yielded to, can lead to sin and develop or increase the corresponding passions. We should not only reject them in order to prevent them from penetrating into the depths of us, but also repent of them. Repentance consists in recognizing that part of the responsibility for the fact that evil thoughts arise in us lies with us, since we are fertile ground for them or provoke their emergence with our sins and passions. In addition, if we do not yield to the thoughts that arise before us, then neither guilt nor responsibility lies on us: they remain temptations, but not sins. This is all the more true if the thoughts come from the evil one and have no connection with our internal state in the past or present (for the impure one often presents us with such temptations to which we have nothing to do). And repentance helps to recognize one's own powerlessness before God and allow the mind to descend into the heart so that it is safe there.

If we get used to doing this, then the temptations that always exist (for the devil and demons do not cease to act against us and even, sometimes, begin to act even more strongly), which previously found food for themselves in us, will no longer find it: thanks to unscattered prayer and repentance, our hearts will be cleansed and we will deprive them of this food, so that they will retreat outward and their power over us will decrease, as it is said in the Psalter: I see my enemies around me, but they are powerless. The elder compared the demons that inspire thoughts in us during prayer with a pack of dogs barking around us. "We cannot help hearing them," he said, "but we can choose not to listen."

Prayer is easy at times, difficult at others. We are in a fallen state, and therefore we have to overcome ourselves, especially in order to achieve regularity or duration in prayer. Effort in prayer should not be purely intellectual; it might even be dangerous. At the same time, it should not be only volitional. All abilities and forces must act together, and the effort must be both mental and spiritual. We should not regret that we have to make an effort: when prayer comes easily from the fact that we are in a state of euphoria, then there is no merit in this; moreover, such lightness can inspire us with proud thoughts. On the contrary, when prayer is given with difficulty, then the quality of our attachment to God is measured precisely in accordance with our effort.

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• Reading psalms for every need- what psalms to read in various circumstances, temptations and needs
• Prayers for the well-being and happiness of the family- a selection of famous Orthodox prayers about family
• "Orthodox akathists"- collection of akathists
• Prayers of Orthodox soldiers- a collection of prayers for spiritual help and protection of Orthodox soldiers, as well as prayers during a disaster and an invasion of enemies, foreigners and non-believers ..
• See also other prayers in our section "Orthodox prayer book"- different prayers for all occasions, prayers to the saints, prayers of travelers, psalms, Prayers of warriors, prayers for the sick, prayers for various occasions family life: blessing for marriage, prayers for the protection of God for those entering into marriage, prayers for a happy marriage, prayers of pregnant women for a safe resolution and the birth of healthy children, prayers of parents for children, prayers for infertility, prayers for student children and many others.
• Orthodox akathists and canons. A constantly updated collection of canonical Orthodox akathists and canons with ancient and miraculous icons: to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Mother of God, the saints ...

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Like all modern spiritual mentors, Elder Sergius harbored distrust of prayer "techniques" - on the one hand, because the wrong idea might arise that the grace received in prayer is a mechanical result of the technique itself, and on the other hand, for the reason that the use of technology can go to the detriment of what is of paramount importance, that is, the spiritual attitude. The elder tried to dissuade all beginners from using them, believing that it is not technology that helps to acquire prayer, that it can be useful only in order to preserve prayer. In any case, it is never necessary. The true source of pure and constant prayer is a feeling of need for God, a feeling that without Him we are nothing (repentance and humility contribute to this), and love for God, which makes us constantly desire union with Him.

But to practice the Jesus Prayer together, jointly, he considered it inappropriate. On the one hand, everyone has their own rhythm, which must be treated with respect. On the other hand, prayer is something very personal, and there must be a certain amount of personal freedom in it. "Everyone," he said, "should have the freedom to pray to God as he pleases." In particular, everyone should be able to stop when he reaches the state to which prayer aspires (but which is not an end in itself). In this regard, Elder Sergius recalled the words of St. Seraphim of Sarov: “Why call on God to me if He is already in me?”

The elder believed that in the morning and in the evening for the Jesus Prayer it is necessary to set aside a special time when it would be performed with particular concentration and intensity. These moments can be determined by some fixed period of time (ignoring the number of prayers said) or by the number of prayers (ignoring the time). One thing is important: to have a permanent rule and stick to it. At the same time, these periods should be only a "strong beat in tact" and contribute to the general practice of prayer. It is important not to stop praying after the most intense moments, but to continue it more simply and freely, so as not to leave the house empty (see Matt. 23:38; Luke 13:35) and not allow demons to rush into it.

The Jesus Prayer must always be intimate. The one who creates it in the presence of other people should not make it clear in any way. Moreover, noisy and visible manifestations, such as, for example, which we can observe in the circle of "charismatics", must be excluded and are never characteristic of a healthy prayer practice.

Since the request that we formulate in prayer is to be filled with faith and hope, then we should not look for some kind of "higher" state. We should not look for the state of "satisfaction" and joy that accompanies prayer. If, when we pray, they are not there, then we should not feel longing for this; one should not worry about it at all, but one should persevere in prayer, even if this joy never comes at all.

The rapture and ecstasy techniques taught by some Western and Eastern spiritual leaders are unacceptable; meditation, in the form in which it is promoted, is an unhealthy phenomenon. Getting quick results in prayer is most often evidence of delusion.

As a rule, God delays to give us this joy in order to warn us against pride, so that we do not think that the grace we have received is the fruit of our prayer, our will and our efforts.

You just need to pray and wait with patience and humility, even if our soul is callous and praying is a burden to us.

We must always tell ourselves that we are not worthy to receive an answer to our prayer, that we have not deserved any reward or pleasure from God.

We must seek only God, and not our own pleasure.

If we do experience a state of contentment once or twice (as evidence of a tangible presence of grace), we should view it as a gift from God, and not as the result of our own efforts. Speaking about this, the elder repeated the words that he had uttered in other circumstances: "You need to grow rich in God, and not in yourself."

The practice of the Jesus Prayer requires guidance from an experienced spiritual father, not because he will help "master its technique," but because he is capable of spiritual discernment. Much has already been said about the dangers that this doing can pose to the mental and physiological health of one who practices it on his own and blindly. Elder Sergius was especially persistent in speaking about spiritual dangers: the practice of the Jesus Prayer, if evaluated from the point of view of results, gives rise to a considerable danger of falling into delusion.

This risk lies more in wait not for beginners, but for those who have already begun to succeed in prayer. “For one who prays a lot, there is a great risk of falling into delusion,” said Elder Sergius. The spiritual father who should be addressed should not be the same practitioner (and certainly not an adherent of the prayer "technique"), but one who has gone through all the reefs and has been rewarded with receiving the gift of discernment from God and can, thanks to this, determine for sure which prayer states are emotional, and some are spiritual, some are from God, and some are from the evil one.

The one who prays will be able to avoid most of the dangers if he has deep humility and does not look for out of the ordinary "results" and "fruits". The slightest pride, combined with prayer, gives rise to deviations and even mental disorders. In this regard, Elder Sergius repeated that the practice of prayer is incompatible with passions, and that one who prays, being, for example, in a state of pride or impurity, runs towards his own catastrophe and can even quickly go insane. The Jesus Prayer for the one who does it becomes a light that allows you to see clearly your soul from within. Penetrating into the heart, it allows you to live more deeply, to live not for yourself, but for God. In addition, it helps to penetrate the mind into the depths of people and things and live, perceiving them not superficially, but heartily understanding and loving them.

azbyka.ru/otechnik/Ignatij_Brjanchaninov/o-prayer.
Saint Ignatius (Bryanchaninov). \"About prayer\".
Student. Some argue that delusion will always, or almost always, follow from the practice of the Jesus Prayer, and it is very forbidden to engage in this prayer.
Elder. In assimilation of such a thought and in such a prohibition lies a terrible blasphemy, lies a deplorable delusion. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the only source of our salvation, the only means of our salvation; His human name borrowed from the Divinity His unlimited, all-holy power to save us, how can this power that works for salvation, this only power that bestows salvation, be perverted and act for destruction? This is meaningless! this is an absurdity, woeful, blasphemous, soul-destroying! Those who have assimilated such a way of thinking are definitely in demonic charm, deceived by a false mind that has come out of Satan. Satan rebelled treacherously against the all-holy and magnificent name of our Lord Jesus Christ, uses human blindness and ignorance as his weapon, slandered the name, “more than any name. In the name of Jesus every knee shall bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth” (Philippians 2:9-10). Those who forbid praying the Jesus Prayer can be answered with the words of the apostles Peter and John to a similar prohibition made by the Jewish Sanhedrin: “Is it right to eat before God, listen to you rather than God, judge.” The Lord Jesus commanded to pray in His all-holy name, He gave us a priceless gift; what is the significance of human teaching, which is contrary to the teaching of God, of human prohibition, which is intensifying to eliminate and destroy the commandment of God, to take away a priceless gift? It is dangerous, very dangerous, to preach a doctrine contrary to that which is preached by the Gospel. Such an undertaking is an arbitrary excommunication of oneself from the grace of God, according to the testimony of the Apostle (Gal. 1:8)...
Student. However, the Holy Fathers greatly warn those who are engaged in the Jesus Prayer from delusion.
Elder. Yes, they do. They warn against delusion and those who are in obedience, and the silent, and fasting - in a word, anyone practicing any kind of virtue. The source of delusion, like all evil, is the devil, and not some kind of virtue. “With all prudence, one must observe,” says St. Macarius the Great, “the intrigues, deceptions and malicious actions arranged by the enemy (the devil) from all sides. Just as the Holy Spirit through Paul serves all for all (1 Corinthians 9:22), so the evil spirit strives maliciously to be all for all, in order to bring everyone down to destruction. With those who pray, he also pretends to be praying, in order to lead him into arrogance about prayer; he fasts with those who are fasting in order to deceive them with self-conceit and lead them into a frenzy; with those who are versed in Holy Scripture, and he rushes into the study of Scripture, apparently seeking knowledge, but in essence trying to lead them to a perverse understanding of Scripture; with the light that was rewarded with illumination, he also seems to have this gift, as Paul says: “Satan is transformed into an angel of light” (2 Cor. It’s simple to say: he takes on all sorts of forms for everyone, so that by an action similar to the action of good, he enslaves the ascetic to himself, and, covering himself with plausibility, overthrows him into destruction. 43 into the greatest conceit, the greatest self-delusion. Their spiritual passions - anger, pride, slyness, disobedience - received an unusual development. Selfishness and selfishness prevailed in them definitively. They resolutely and vehemently rejected all the most salutary advice and warnings of confessors, rectors, even saints: they, violating the rules not only of humility, but also of modesty, of decency itself, did not stop expressing contempt for these persons in the most insolent way.
Some Egyptian monk at the beginning of the 4th century became a victim of the most terrible demonic delusion. Initially, he fell into arrogance, then, due to arrogance, he came under the special influence of an evil spirit. The devil, based on the arbitrary arrogance of the monk, took care to develop this illness in him, so that through the medium of mature and strengthened arrogance he would finally subjugate the monk to himself, draw him into soul death. Assisted by a demon, the monk achieved such disastrous success that he stood with his bare feet on red-hot coals, and, standing on them, read the entire Lord's Prayer "Our Father".
Of course, people who did not have spiritual reasoning saw in this action a miracle of God, the extraordinary holiness of the monk, the power of the Lord's prayer, and glorified the monk with praises, developing pride in him and helping him to destroy himself. Neither the miracle of God, nor the holiness of the monk was here; the power of the Lord's Prayer did not act here, Satan acted here, based on man's self-delusion, on his falsely directed will, demonic charm acted here ...