Virtues: what are they? List of virtues. There are no separate sins and separate virtues of sins and their interpretation
There are several types of virtues, which, although they have internal unity, as originating from one God, at the same time show visible diversity. The fact that the Lord offers different paths in the form of different virtues for those who want to achieve holiness shows His attention to human freedom, or, in other words, His love for us.To acquire virtues, it is necessary to dedicate all good deeds done to Christ, to do them in His name. So, for example, if they offend us and want to take revenge on us, then we will restrain ourselves, saying to ourselves: “I will forgive for the sake of Christ, who forgave me my sins.” If we ourselves have little money, and a beggar comes up to us, and we don’t want to give, in addition, demons send thoughts that he is not worthy of our alms, then we will overcome ourselves and give with the thought: “I will give for the sake of Christ, who gave me everything, what I have." If we have already eaten enough, and our belly asks for more and more, we will stop, get up from the table, saying to ourselves: “I will abstain for the sake of Christ, who taught me abstinence through His fasting.”
With a similar disposition, you need to do all other good deeds, big and small. In addition to such internal dedication, the performance of good deeds must necessarily be accompanied by prayer, for example: “Lord, give me the strength to forgive (or to give, or to abstain.” “Prayer is the mother of all virtues.” We cannot acquire virtues without the help of God. The Lord Himself said : “Without Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5) Those who do not understand this and try to fulfill the commandments relying only on their own strength quickly become overwhelmed and become disappointed.
In order to successfully comprehend virtues, it is also very useful to consult with those who have already walked along this path. It is not possible for everyone to find such an experienced spiritual mentor in their life - this is a special gift from God; but anyone can receive such advice from the books written by the holy fathers. That is why Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) said that “reading the fatherly writings is the parent and king of all virtues.”
Evil spirits seeking to lead a person astray will, of course, try to interfere with someone who has decided to strive for virtue. But even if they did not interfere, our very nature, accustomed to sin, all our vicious habits will, especially at first, prevent us from taking root in true goodness.
Therefore, the holy fathers warn: “Before starting a good deed, prepare for the temptations that will befall you, and do not doubt the truth” (Rev. Isaac the Syrian). “Whoever does a work pleasing to God will certainly be faced with temptation. For every good deed is either preceded or followed by temptation; and what is done for the sake of God cannot be firm unless it is tested by temptation” (Reverend Abba Dorotheos).
So, “when, while doing good, you suffer some evil, even for a long time, do not be tempted: God will certainly reward you. The longer the reward is delayed, the greater it will be” (St. John Chrysostom). “Do not think that you have acquired virtue if you have not previously fought for it to the point of bleeding” (Reverend Neilus of Sinai).
This, of course, does not mean that out of fear of possible temptations it is better not to do anything good. We must do good without any fear: let the devil hinder us, but God Himself, Who is stronger than the devil, helps us. On our side is not only God, but also all His angels and saints, especially our personal guardian angel and heavenly patron saint, in whose honor we were baptized. They all help on our path to good.
So let any Christian remember the words that the prophet Elisha said to his servant, who was afraid of the enemy hordes: “Do not be afraid, for those who are with us are greater than those who are with them” (2 Kings 6:16).
Warnings about temptations are given so that a person knows in advance and is not surprised, embarrassed or depressed when encountering them. The Holy Fathers warn about them in the same way as someone who knows the way warns a beginner: “Be careful, there’s a ditch on the side, don’t fall into it.” He who is warned easily emerges from all temptations. Whoever, when performing a good deed, dedicates it to God and prays, relying not on himself, but on God, the devil is powerless to lead him astray.
And one more extremely important warning: to succeed in virtues you need to be patient.
The Lord says: “Through your patience save your souls” (Luke 21:19) and “He who endures to the end will be saved” (Mark 13:13). From this it is clear that “patience is that fertile soil on which every virtue grows” (St. Theophan the Recluse).
Sinful passions are divided into different types, and virtues of different types serve as an antidote to one or another sinful passion. We need to observe ourselves, comprehending which virtues are closer to us, and, conversely, which sins we suffer the most from. Having understood this, we will be able to determine the priorities of the internal struggle: with which virtue should we begin our ascent to immortality. Since all the virtues are interconnected, then, starting with one and performing it as it should, we will certainly attract all the others into our soul.
There are developed classifications of virtues; many holy fathers described them. Below are descriptions of only seven main ones, especially relevant for those who are at the beginning of the path.
Abstinence
What is this virtue?
It is often identified with fasting, but this is not entirely true. Of course, fasting is included in abstinence, but abstinence itself is broader than the everyday understanding of fasting, it is not limited only to the food sphere and extends not only to periods of fasting defined by the Church, but should become a general healing principle for a person’s entire life.
Here is how the Monk Ephraim the Syrian explained it:
“There is abstinence of the tongue: not to talk a lot and not to speak empty, to master the tongue and not to slander, not to talk idlely, not to slander one another, not to judge a brother, not to reveal secrets, not to engage in what is not ours.
There is also abstinence for the eyes: to control vision, not to direct your gaze or look... at anything indecent.
There is also abstinence in hearing: to have control over your hearing and not to be amazed by empty rumors.
There is self-restraint in irritability: control anger and not suddenly flare up.
There is abstinence from glory: to control your spirit, not desiring glorification, not to seek glory, not to be arrogant, not to seek honor and not to be arrogant, not to dream of praise.
There is abstinence in thoughts: not to be inclined to seductive thoughts and not to be deceived by them.
There is abstinence in food: control yourself and not seek out rich food or expensive dishes, do not eat at the wrong time...
There is abstinence in drinking: to control oneself and not go to feasts, not to enjoy the pleasant taste of wines, not to drink wine unnecessarily, not to seek out different drinks, not to chase the pleasure of drinking skillfully prepared mixtures.”
For modern man, this virtue is especially important, since it is precisely this that many people lack and from its absence many suffer and torment their loved ones. All education is essentially the instillation of minimal abstinence skills - when a child is taught to give up his “want” in favor of what he “needs.” But, unfortunately, in our time this is possible less and less. From here arise people who are dissolute in every sense. Hence, for example, adultery and marriage breakdowns. Hence the well-known problems with alcoholism. Hence the unprecedented spread of foul language - due to the fact that people have now forgotten how to restrain themselves even in the smallest things.
An intemperate person experiences a clouding of mind, memory and all abilities are dulled, he becomes hot-tempered, irritable, cannot control himself, and becomes a slave to his passion. Intemperance makes a person weak. Every dissolute person is internally weak and weak-willed.
An intemperate person's thoughts are in disarray, feelings are unbridled, and the will allows itself everything; such a person is almost dead in soul: all his forces act in the wrong direction.
But the virtue of abstinence frees a person from servility to base passions and makes him strong and strong-willed. It has long been known that fasting is an excellent means of training the will. Fasting is a wonderful opportunity to train resilience and toughness, which are so necessary when facing harsh life circumstances. Fasting allows you to learn to overcome yourself, to endure difficulties, and those who have the experience of overcoming themselves become much more resilient, strong, and are not afraid of difficulties.
As St. John Chrysostom said, “God commands abstinence in food so that we curb the impulses of the flesh and make it an obedient instrument for fulfilling the commandments.” We undertake the work of bodily abstinence in order to achieve purity of heart through this fasting. Its purpose is not to torment the body, but to position it to more conveniently serve spiritual needs.
Therefore, “water and vegetables and a fasting table will not bring us any benefit if we do not have an internal disposition corresponding to these external measures” (St. Gregory of Nyssa). “He who believes that fasting only means abstaining from food is mistaken. True fasting is removal from evil, bridling the tongue, putting aside anger, taming lusts, stopping slander, lies and perjury” (St. John Chrysostom).
Without God's help, our labors in abstinence will not be successful. Therefore, prayer should always be combined with fasting. “Prayer is powerless if it is not based on fasting, and fasting is fruitless if prayer is not created on it” (St. Ignatius Brianchaninov). “Fasting sends prayer to heaven, becoming like wings for it” (St. Basil the Great).
It is also important that fasting be connected with forgiveness of neighbors and acts of mercy. About this, the Monk Seraphim of Sarov said: “True fasting does not consist in exhaustion of the flesh alone, but also in giving that part of the bread that you yourself would like to eat to the hungry.”
Orthodox fasting has nothing to do with therapeutic fasting and diet, because fasting primarily heals not the body, but the soul, and strengthens it. By agreeing to abstain, we thereby testify that material life in itself, separated from God, is not a goal or good for us.
The virtue of abstinence is all the more important for us because it was precisely in this virtue that our ancestors, the first people who received from God in Paradise the only commandment of fasting: not to eat the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, did not keep this commandment and through this harmed not only themselves, but also everyone who comes from them.
So, if the commandment of fasting was necessary for us in paradise, before our fall, then all the more necessary is it after the fall. Fasting humbles the body and curbs disordered lusts, but enlightens the soul, inspires it, makes it light and soaring in height.
The Savior Himself fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, “leaving us an example, that we should follow in His steps” (1 Pet. 2:21), so that we, according to our strength, would fast on Holy Pentecost. It is written in the Gospel of Matthew that Christ, having cast out a demon from a certain young man, said to the apostles: “This generation is cast out only by prayer and fasting” (Matthew 17:21). This is the great fruit of abstinence, how perfect it makes a person, and what power the Lord gives through it.
When abstaining, it is important to observe moderation and consistency. Too excessive feats of abstinence can unnecessarily strain a person both physically and mentally.
Perfect abstinence is done out of love. This is clearly seen from the story told in Lavsaik. Once upon a time they sent Saint Macarius of Alexandria a bunch of fresh grapes. The saint loved grapes, but decided to send this bunch to one sick brother. With great joy, having received the grapes, this brother sent them to another brother, although he himself wanted to eat them. But this brother, having received the grapes, did the same to him. Thus, the grapes passed through many monks, and not one ate them. Finally, the last brother, having received the bunch, sent it again to Macarius as an expensive gift. Saint Macarius, having learned how everything happened, was surprised and thanked God for such abstinence of the brethren.
Each of the monks managed to abstain because they first thought about others, and not about themselves, and had true love for them.
Mercy
Grace, or mercy, is, first of all, a person’s ability to effectively respond to someone else’s misfortune. The virtue of charity forces a person to go beyond himself and actively pay attention to the needs of other people.
Speaking about this virtue, the Lord Jesus Christ especially emphasized that the one who works in it is likened to God Himself: “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Scripture also says: “He who sows generously will also reap generously” (2 Cor. 9:6) and “Blessed is he who thinks about the poor! In the day of trouble the Lord will deliver him” (Ps. 40:2).
This virtue is the only effective cure for selfishness, which destroys a person, causing him to torment loved ones and ultimately himself, because of which the more selfish a person is, the more unhappy and irritable he is.
This virtue is the most active and allows a person to go beyond his limitations. It connects a person not only with another person to whom he provides a benefit, but also with God, for whose sake this benefit is provided. Saint John Chrysostom said: “When we give to him who lies on the earth, we give to him who sits in heaven.” Why could he say such strange words at first glance? Because God Himself testified to this in the Gospel: “When the Son of Man comes in His glory and all the holy angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory, and all nations will be gathered before Him; and will separate one from another, as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right hand, and the goats on His left. Then the King will say to those on His right hand: Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry, and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you accepted Me; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me. Then the righteous will answer Him: Lord! when did we see you hungry and feed you? or to the thirsty and gave them something to drink? when did we see you as a stranger and accept you? or naked and clothed? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and came to You? And the King will answer them: “Truly I say to you, just as you did it to one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did it to Me” (Matthew 25: 31-40).
Thus, the alms we provided during our lifetime will become our intercessor on the day of the Last Judgment. However, this applies not only to the future, but also to the present. People often ask: “Why doesn’t God fulfill our prayers?” But, looking deep into their hearts, many could answer this question themselves.
In our needs there are no stronger intercessors before God than the deeds of mercy we have done before. If we are merciful to people, then the Lord will be merciful to us in the same measure. This is what the words mean: “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, shaken together, pressed, and running over, will be poured into your bosom; For with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:38). Christ also said: “As you want people to do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:31) and also: “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy” (Matthew 5:7).
If we ourselves pass indifferently past the outstretched hand of our neighbor and refuse requests for help addressed to us, then is it surprising if our requests for help suffer the same fate? Even Saint John Chrysostom warned that “without alms, prayer is fruitless.” It is not surprising that God does not listen to the prayers of egoists; Moreover, this is quite fair.
And on the contrary, sincere, selfless doing of good to one’s neighbor attracts God’s mercy to a person. The Lord hears the prayers of the merciful and fulfills their good requests, and grace, like a tender mother, protects them from all evil on all paths of life. St. Augustine wrote: “Do you really think that the one who feeds Christ by feeding the poor will not himself be fed by Christ?”
Anyone can experience the effectiveness of this principle in their life. And then, in addition to what has already been mentioned, he will be convinced that charity performed in a Christian way miraculously ennobles his soul, pacifies his conscience, brings inner peace and joy, which often unfortunate people try to find in various artificial amusements, but cannot, because it is not there. No.
Almsgiving is the most reliable means of finding true joy. It is, perhaps, the simplest and most accessible godly deed that can give life to our faith. Charity is effective love. A person who does deeds of love for God will undoubtedly soon feel true love within himself, because true love is not an overheated feeling, as is sometimes thought, but a gift from God. Deeds of mercy will fill life not only with love, but also with meaning. Saint John of Kronstadt said: “We only truly live for ourselves when we live for others. It seems strange, but try it and you will be convinced by experience.” Charity also strengthens faith in a person: those who sacrificially serve their neighbors will have their faith increase.
What are the works of mercy? Some people think that this is just a cash donation to the poor. In fact, mercy includes any deed done for the sake of the Lord to help one’s neighbor.
Works of corporal mercy - feeding the hungry, protecting the weak, caring for the sick, comforting the suffering, helping not only with money or food, but also sacrificing personal time and energy where there is a need for this, and, broadly speaking, providing all possible help to anyone truly to the needy. Not everyone can provide sufficient help with money, but everyone can pay attention and provide moral support to the sufferer.
The works of spiritual mercy are as follows: to convert, through exhortation, a sinner from error, for example, an unbeliever, or a non-believer, a schismatic, or a drunkard, a fornicator, a spendthrift; teach the ignorant truth and goodness, for example, teach the one who does not know how to pray to God to pray, teach the one who does not know the commandments of God the commandments and their fulfillment. The highest alms for one's neighbor is to quench the spiritual thirst for knowledge of eternal truth, to satisfy the spiritually hungry.
In addition to “free” alms, there can also be involuntary ones. For example, if someone was robbed, and he endured it without a murmur, then such a loss will be counted as alms to him. Or if someone took out a loan and did not return it, but the person forgave and did not become angry with the debtor and find ways to collect debts from him, this will also be counted as alms. Thus, we can use even the sad events of our lives to our advantage if we treat them correctly. If we become angry and grumble, then most likely we will not get back what we lost, and we will not receive any benefit for the soul, so we will end up with not one, but two losses.
The Monk Silouan of Athos said that he learned this lesson from his father, a simple peasant: “When trouble happened in the house, he remained calm. One day we were walking past our field, and I told him: “Look, they are stealing our sheaves.” And he says to me: “Eh, son, the Lord has created enough bread, we have enough, but whoever steals, therefore, he has needs.”
So, there are many types of mercy, but the most important of all is forgiveness of enemies. Nothing is so powerful in the presence of the Lord as forgiveness of offenses, for it is an imitation of one of the closest acts of God’s mercy to us. Compassion for others is the main cure for resentment.
Deeds of mercy should be performed in secret as much as possible. Christ warns: “See that you do not do your alms in front of people so that they will see you: otherwise you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” (Matthew 6:1). People's praise robs us of our reward from God. But this is not the only reason why goodness must be done in secret. Obvious mercy develops pride and vanity, conceit and complacency, therefore the one who hides his good deeds even from close people acts wisely, according to the words of Christ: “Do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing” (Matthew 6:3).
You need to understand that great mercy appears when you give alms not from excess, but from what you need. The selfish attitude of thoughts prevents you from becoming merciful, so first of all you need to make your thoughts merciful, then it will be easy to become merciful in reality.
A truly merciful Christian pours out mercy on everyone around him, without distinguishing who is “worthy” and who is “unworthy” of attention. At the same time, prudence should be exercised when providing assistance. For example, non-believing acquaintances of one Orthodox Christian asked for money, and he gave without asking. And then he was very sad when he found out what this money was used for: the spouses took it to have an abortion. If a person asks for money to commit a sin, then in this case it would be merciful on our part to refuse and at least try to protect him from sin.
Of course, donations that a person makes from stolen or taken from others are not alms, as sinners sometimes do, hoping to drown out remorse with such gifts. In vain! Taking from one and giving to another is not mercy, but inhumanity. Such giving is an abomination before God. A person must return everything illegally taken away from those from whom he took it and repent. Alms are only what is given from honest acquisition.
It is good to try, if possible, to give alms secretly from everyone, even from the one we are helping. In this way we will show respect for the feelings of those we help, freeing them from embarrassment, and we will free ourselves from any expectation of self-interest or glory from people. So, for example, St. Nicholas the Wonderworker, when he learned that one person had fallen into extreme need, approached his house at night and threw a bag of gold, immediately leaving after that.
After providing assistance, a person may often feel inner exaltation and boasting. This is how the passion of vanity manifests itself, which is a sinful distortion of the feeling of joy and kindness towards other people. Therefore, if such thoughts come, they must be immediately cut off with a prayer to God: “Lord, deliver me from the sin of vanity!” not by themselves. It is the Lord who does all good deeds, and a true Christian feels happiness and gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the work of God, without attributing these deeds to himself.
Non-covetousness
This virtue removes from the heart the passion for money and gain, which gives rise to greed, love of luxury and cruelty.
The Holy Scripture commands: “When wealth increases, do not set your heart on it” (Ps. 62:11).
Many would agree that such traits can indeed be seen in rich people. That is why the Lord Jesus Christ said: “It is difficult for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of Heaven” (Matthew 19:23), condemning with these words not wealth itself, but those who are addicted to it.
Some believe that these words apply only to the very fabulous rich - billionaires and millionaires. But if you look closely, it is not difficult to see that there are people next to us, in comparison with whom we are real rich, and in addition, people of average income can develop an addiction to certain things, a desire to spend money on luxury goods and hope for one’s own savings. For example, how many low-income pensioners saved “for a rainy day” or “for a funeral,” and when the USSR collapsed, their deposits disappeared and their savings became worthless. This was such a blow that some even suffered mental damage. But they could have spent this money ahead of time on works of mercy - then a reward in heaven would await them, and already in this life they would have a clear conscience and maintain peace of mind in times of trial.
So the words of St. John Chrysostom are relevant for each of us: “Did the man-loving Lord give you a lot so that you could use what was given to you only for your own benefit? No, but so that your excess will make up for the lack of others”; “God made you rich so that you could help those in need, so that you could atone for your sins by saving others.”
The Lord Jesus Christ, having given the commandment about alms, said: “Prepare for yourselves treasures that do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief approaches and where moth does not destroy, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Luke 12:33). –34).
As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) explains, with these words, “The Lord commands, with the help of alms, to transform earthly possessions into heavenly ones, so that a person’s very treasure, being in heaven, will attract him to heaven.”
Whoever in this life gives away his money for good deeds of helping others, with every good deed he prepares in heaven the best reward that will await him after death.
Speaking about the virtue of non-acquisitiveness, you need to understand that the inclination to hoarding itself is natural for a person and can be good and useful if it is directed in the proper direction, but it becomes sinful if it is directed towards undue, low objects. It is good to be rich in virtues and accumulate heavenly rewards from God, but it is foolish to strive to accumulate banknotes and luxury items.
Our property can be stolen by thieves, destroyed by a natural disaster, or even by the normal course of events: for example, the most expensive fur coat can be eaten by a moth. But even if this does not happen, any earthly savings are limited and tend to end and dry up. And even if suddenly they do not dry up during our lifetime, we will still lose them at the time of death.
But the virtues we have collected and the heavenly rewards accumulated thanks to good deeds are the only savings that neither a thief can steal nor a moth can eat, and which, being provided by the eternal God, will never run out, and with death not only will not disappear, but how once they become completely accessible to us.
If you think about this, it is not difficult to guess that the wisest people follow the commandment of Christ and through alms transform a temporary and changeable treasure into an eternal and unchanging treasure. Therefore, St. Basil the Great says that “if you begin to take care of wealth, it will not be yours; and if you begin to lavish [to those in need], you will not lose.”
The truly rich person is not the one who has acquired a lot, but the one who has given away a lot and thereby trampled on the passion for worldly wealth. It is shameful for a Christian to be a slave to money and other material things; he must be a wise master of them, using them for the eternal benefit of his soul.
As you know, the Lord Jesus Christ said: “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will wear. Is not the life more than food, and the body than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap, nor gather into barns; and your Father in heaven feeds them. Aren't you much better than them?.. So, don't worry and say: what shall we eat? or what to drink? or what to wear? because the pagans seek all this, and because your Heavenly Father knows that you need all this. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6: 25–26, 31–33).
Thus, He teaches us to completely surrender to the will of God. As Saint Ignatius (Brianchaninov) said, “in order to acquire love for spiritual and heavenly objects, one must renounce love for earthly objects.” Non-covetousness removes all obstacles on the path to complete trust in God. And as long as we connect our secure existence with our own savings, work, property, we sin by lack of faith and force God to send us everyday sorrows that would show the fragility of all worldly things that we hope for, in order to finally bring us to our senses and help us turn our gaze to God.
The Lord said to the rich young man who sought His instruction: “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your property and give it to the poor; and you will have treasure in heaven; and come and follow Me” (Matthew 19:21).
Anyone who fulfills such advice and acts according to the word of the Lord, by this action destroys all his false hope in the world and concentrates it in God. Such a person, who has reached the highest stage of non-acquisitiveness, so that he no longer considers any of the earthly things his own, according to the words of the Monk Isidore Pelusiot, already “here reaches the highest bliss, which contains the Kingdom of Heaven.”
A person who is perfect in non-acquisitiveness has no attachment even to the smallest everyday things, since even an attachment to a small thing can harm the soul, separating the mind from attachment to God.
A person who becomes attached with his heart, for example, to his home, immediately acquires the fear of losing his home, and someone who knows this can, using such fear and threatening to take away the house, manipulate the person and force him to do what he would willingly do. didn't. But it is precisely non-covetousness, like a sharp sword, that cuts off all the ropes that connect us with perishable things, and makes powerless the one who is used to controlling us by pulling these ropes. In other words, the virtue of non-covetousness gives a person unprecedented freedom.
An example of such freedom is seen in the life of St. Basil the Great. When he was summoned by a royal official and ordered to admit heresy, that is, a false teaching about God, the saint refused. Then the official began to threaten him with deprivation of property, prison and even execution, but he heard: “There is nothing to take from me except poor clothes and a few books; imprisonment is not scary for me, because wherever they imprison me, everywhere is the Lord’s land; and death is even a blessing for me, because it will unite me with the Lord.” The amazed official admitted that he had never heard such speeches from anyone. “Apparently, you just never talked to the bishop,” Saint Basil humbly replied. Thus the persecutor found himself powerless in the face of a truly free man. All attempts at manipulation failed. Saint Basil was not attached to anything earthly and therefore was not afraid of losing anything, so it turned out that there was nothing to blackmail him with and nothing to threaten him with. The boss backed down.
Non-acquisitiveness frees us not only from the fear of losing earthly things to which we are attached, but also from many worries about acquiring them and from the many dangers associated with this. In addition, it frees up a significant part of a person’s time and, most importantly, attention in order to turn it to God and others and devote it to doing good.
The less a person needs to live, the more free he is. Therefore, a wise person, even with large incomes, learns to be content with little and live simply. The aforementioned Saint Basil the Great advised: “One should not worry about excess and make efforts for the sake of satiety and pomp; one must be clean from all forms of covetousness and panache.” This is a very important principle - to be content with only what is necessary, and to strictly limit anything beyond that.
After all, if a person, having quite suitable shoes, clothes and things, for example, a cell phone, strives to buy himself a new one only because the old one supposedly “has already gone out of fashion,” such a person is infected with covetousness and is far from the virtue of non-covetousness.
Anyone who wants to be healed from the destructive passion of love of money and covetousness, let him keep in mind the answer that the Lord gave to the rich young man.
But what should those do who do not feel such determination in themselves that would be commensurate with this commandment for the perfect? Saint John Chrysostom gives the following advice: “If it is difficult for you to achieve everything at once, then do not try to get everything at once, but gradually and little by little climb this ladder leading to heaven... And nothing stops this passion so easily as gradual weakening of selfish desires."
Indeed, for many people it is beyond their power to immediately decide to give away all their property to the poor. But everyone can devote at least a small part of it to feed the hungry or support someone in need. You need to start doing this at least a little, but regularly and, moreover, expand your good deeds over time. The more we are willing to give, if necessary, from our property, the less we depend on it.
(The ending follows.)
Particularly grave sins that are disgusting to God. Mortal sins that make a person guilty of eternal death or destruction:
1. The dignity of Nebuchadnezzar, despising everyone, demanding servility, ready to ascend to heaven and become like the Most High, in a word, pride to the point of self-adoration.
2. An unsatisfied soul, or Judas's greed for money, combined for the most part with unrighteous acquisitions, does not allow a person to think about the spiritual for even a minute.
3.Fornication, or dissolute life the prodigal son who squandered all his father's property.
4. Cain's envy, leading to any crime against one's neighbor.
5. Gluttony or carnality, not recognizing any fasting, combined with a passion for various amusements, following the example of the Evangelical rich man, who had fun all day long (see: Luke 16, 19).
6. Irreconcilable anger, leading to terrible destruction, following the example of Herod, who in his anger beat the infants of Bethlehem.
7. Laziness or complete carelessness about the soul, neglect of repentance until the last days of life, as, for example, people in the days of Noah.
These are the virtues that overcome mortal sins:
Love is hatred, discord, enmity, rage, deceit, murder, ingratitude, gloating.
Alms - love of money, love of money, accumulation of wealth, addiction to beautiful things, stinginess, greed, unmercifulness, callousness towards those asking and needy, extortion, theft, deceit, greed.
Chastity - fornication, adultery, corruption, incest, foul language, reading sweet books and listening to conversations, viewing pictures, films, accepting unclean thoughts, not storing feelings.
Fasting is gluttony, gluttony, drunkenness, failure to keep and break fasts, secret eating, delicacy, excessive love of repentance, of oneself, self-love, which causes failure to maintain fidelity to God, the Church, and virtue to people.
Humility - pride, contempt of one's neighbor, ridicule of others, preference for oneself over everyone, insolence, disrespect for elders and disobedience to authorities, unbelief, blasphemy, heresy, vanity, boasting, deceit, hypocrisy, self-justification, envy, man-pleasing, self-confidence, flattery.
Prayer - despondency, despair, murmuring, bitterness, irreverence, neglect, idleness, laziness towards every good deed, insensibility.
Long-suffering - anger, hot temper, swear words, enmity, vengeance, slander, resentment, condemnation, insult to one's neighbor.
Seven Virtues- in Western Christianity, a set of the main positive traits of human character. The seven virtues are divided into cardinal and theological.
The origins of the doctrine of cardinal virtues are in the ancient philosophy of Plato, Aristotle, and the Stoics. Theological virtues are identified on the basis of the New Testament.
The seven virtues are traditionally contrasted with the seven deadly sins. In artistic form, the struggle between virtues and sins in the human soul was described by Prudentius in “Psychomachy.”
In fine art, Giotto's frescoes in the Scrovegni Chapel and a series of engravings by Bruegel are dedicated to the seven virtues.
List
Chastity (lat. Castitas)
Love (lat. Caritas)
Diligence (Latin: Industry)
Patience (lat. Patientia)
Meekness (lat. Humanitas)
Humility (lat. Humilitas)
Prudence (lat. Prudentia)
Faith (lat. Fides)
Love (lat. Caritas)
Courage (lat. Fortitudo)
Hope (lat. Spes)
Justice (lat. Justitia)
Moderation (lat. Temperantia)
« Love is patient and kind, love does not envy, love does not boast, it is not proud,
does not act outrageously, does not seek his own, is not irritated, does not think evil,
does not rejoice in untruth, but rejoices in the truth;
covers all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”.
(1 Cor. 13:4-7)
St. Ignatius (Brianchaninov) lists the virtues that resist condemnation:
« Meekness
Avoidance of angry thoughts and indignation of the heart with rage. Patience. Following Christ, who calls his disciple to the cross. Peace of the heart. Silence of the mind. Christian firmness and courage. Not feeling insulted. Kindness.
Humility
Fear of God. Feeling it during prayer. Fear that arises during especially pure prayer, when the presence and greatness of God is especially strongly felt, so as not to disappear and turn into nothing. Deep knowledge of one's insignificance. A change in view of one’s neighbors, whereby they, without any coercion, appear to the humbled person to be superior to him in all respects. The manifestation of simplicity from living faith. Hatred of human praise. Constant blaming and beating yourself up. Rightness and directness. Impartiality. Deadness to everything. Tenderness. Knowledge of the mystery hidden in the cross of Christ. The desire to crucify oneself to the world and passions, the desire for this crucifixion. Rejection and oblivion of flattering customs and words, modest due to compulsion, or intent, or the skill of pretending. Perception of the riot of the gospel. Rejection of earthly wisdom as indecent for heaven. Contempt for everything that is lofty in man and an abomination before God. Leaving word justification. Silence before those who offend, studied in the Gospel. Putting aside all your own speculations and accepting the mind of the Gospel. The casting down of every thought placed upon the mind of Christ. Humility, or spiritual reasoning. Conscious obedience to the Church in everything.
Love
Changing during prayer the fear of God into the love of God. Fidelity to the Lord, proven by the constant rejection of every sinful thought and feeling. The indescribable, sweet attraction of the whole person with love for the Lord Jesus Christ and for the worshiped Holy Trinity. Seeing the image of God and Christ in others; resulting from this spiritual vision, the preference for oneself over all neighbors and their reverent veneration for the Lord. Love for neighbors is brotherly, pure, equal to everyone, impartial, joyful, flaming equally towards friends and enemies. Admiration for prayer and love of the mind, heart and whole body. Indescribable pleasure of the body with spiritual joy. Spiritual intoxication. Relaxation of bodily members with spiritual consolation. Inactivity of the bodily senses during prayer. Resolution from the muteness of the heart's tongue. Stopping prayer from spiritual sweetness. Silence of the mind. Enlightening the mind and heart. Prayer power that overcomes sin. Peace of Christ. Retreat of all passions. The absorption of all understandings into the superior mind of Christ. Theology. Knowledge of incorporeal beings. The weakness of sinful thoughts that cannot be imagined in the mind. Sweetness and abundant consolation in times of sorrow. Vision of human structures. The depth of humility and the most humiliating opinion of oneself...
The end is endless!
We cannot help but see sin, not recognize it as a crime of God’s law, as evil, but at the same time we need to separate the sin of man from the man himself, from his immortal soul, created by God, and, hating sin, one must love man as the image of God.
The Holy Fathers teach to see sin as something alien to God's creation, treat your neighbor’s sin as his illness, weakness and misfortune.
Abba Dorotheus speaks of the virtue of Christian love:
“So, if, as I said, we had love, then this love would cover every sin, just as the saints do when they see human shortcomings. For are the saints blind and do not see sins? And who hates sin as much as the saints? However, they do not hate the sinner and do not condemn him, do not turn away from him, but have compassion for him, grieve for him, admonish him, console him, heal him like a sick member, and do everything to save him. Like fishermen, when they throw a fishing rod into the sea and, having caught a big fish, feel that it is rushing and fighting, they do not suddenly attract it strongly, for otherwise the rope will break and they will completely lose the fish, but they let the rope go freely and allow it to go as it wants ; when they see that the fish is tired and has stopped fighting, then little by little they attract it; So the saints, with patience and love, attract their brother, and do not turn away from him and do not disdain him. Like a mother who has an ugly son, not only does not disdain him and does not turn away from him, but also decorates him with love, and everything she does, she does to console him; So the saints always cover, decorate, help, so that over time they can correct the sinner, and no one else receives harm from him, and they themselves can succeed more in the love of Christ.
What did you do Saint Ammon how one day the brethren came to him in confusion and said to him: “Go and see, father, such and such a brother has a woman in his cell”? What mercy this holy soul showed, what love it had! Realizing that his brother had hidden the woman under a tub, he went and sat on it and ordered them to search throughout the cell. When they found nothing, he said to them: “May God forgive you.” And so he shamed them, strengthened them and did them great benefit, teaching them not to easily believe the accusation against their neighbor; and he corrected his brother, not only covering him according to God, but also admonishing him when he found a convenient time. For, having sent everyone out, he took him by the hand and said to him: “Think about your soul, brother.” This brother immediately felt ashamed, became moved, and the elder’s philanthropy and compassion immediately affected his soul.
So, we too will acquire love, we will acquire condescension towards our neighbors in order to save ourselves from harmful slander, condemnation and humiliation, and we will help each other as if we were our own members. Who, having a wound on his hand, or on his leg, or on any other member, abhors himself or cuts off his member, even if it festers? Doesn't he rather cleanse it, wash it, put a plaster on it, bind it, sprinkle it with holy water, pray and ask the saints to pray for him, as Abba Zosima said? In a word, no one leaves his member neglected, does not turn away from it, or even from its stench, but does everything to heal it. So we must sympathize with each other, we must help each other, ourselves and through the strongest others, and invent and do everything in order to help ourselves and each other; for we are members of one another, as the Apostle says: “ Likewise, we are one body that is many in Christ, and judge one another in one way” (Rom. 12:5), and: “if one soul suffers, all the people suffer with him.”"(1 Cor. 12:26).
And in order for you to understand more clearly the power of what has been said, I will offer you a comparison handed down from the fathers. Imagine a circle drawn on the ground, the middle of which is called the center, and the straight lines going from the center to the circumference are called radii. Now understand what I am going to say: suppose that this circle is the world, and the very center of the circle is God; radii, that is, straight lines running from the circle to the center, are the paths of human life. So, as much as the saints enter inside the circle, wanting to get closer to God, as they enter, they become closer to both God and each other; and as they draw closer to God, they draw closer to each other; and as they draw closer to each other, they draw closer to God. Think about removal in the same way. When they move away from God and return to the external, it is obvious that to the extent that they come from the center and move away from God, to the same extent they move away from each other; and the more they move away from each other, the more they move away from God. This is the nature of love: to the extent that we are outside and do not love God, to that extent each person is removed from his neighbor. If we love God, then as much as we approach God through love for Him, we are united by love with our neighbor; and the more we unite with our neighbor, the more we unite with God. May the Lord God vouchsafe us to hear what is useful and to do it; for as we try and care about fulfilling what we have heard, God always enlightens us and teaches us His will. To him be glory and power forever and ever. Amen".
“What does it mean that the Apostle said: “ the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect? (Rom. 12:2). Everything that happens happens either by the grace of God or is permissible, as the Prophet says: “ I am the Lord God, who created light and created darkness"(Isa. 45:7). And further: " or there will be evil in the city, which the Lord has not created"(Am. 3, 6). Evil here is called everything that burdens us, that is, everything sorrowful that happens to our punishment for our depravity, such as: hunger, pestilence, earthquake, lack of rain, illness, battles - all this happens not by the grace of God, but is permissible, when God allows it to come upon us for our benefit. But God does not want us to desire this or contribute to this. For example, as I said, there is the permissive will of God for a city to be ruined, but God does not want us - since His will is for the destruction of the city - to start a fire ourselves and set it on fire, or for us to take axes and begin to destroy it . God also allows someone to be sad or sick, but although God’s will is such that he should be sad, God does not want us to make him sad, or to say: since it is God’s will that he was sick, then let's not feel sorry for him. This is not what God wants; does not want us to serve His will. He wants, on the contrary, to see us so good that we do not want what He does permissibly.
But what does He want? He wants us to desire His good will, which happens, as I said, according to good will, that is, everything that is done according to His commandment: to love one another, to be compassionate, to give alms and the like - this is God’s good will.”
St. rights John of Kronstadt teaches to love every person as the image of God:
"Love every person, despite his sins. Sins are sins, eh basis in a person there is one - image of God. Sometimes people's weaknesses are obvious when, for example, they are angry, proud, envious, greedy. But remember that you are not without evil, and maybe there is even more of it in you than in others. At least with regard to sins, all people are equal: “all,” it is said, “ have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God"(Rom. 3:23); We are all guilty before God, and we all need His mercy. Therefore, we must tolerate each other and forgive each other, so that our Heavenly Father will forgive us our sins(see Matthew 6:14). Look how much God loves us, how much He has done for us and continues to do, how He punishes lightly, but has mercy generously and graciously! If you want to correct someone's shortcomings, do not think about correcting him using your own means. We ourselves spoil more than we help, for example, with our pride and irritability. But put " Your worries are on the Lord"(Ps. 54:23) and with all your heart pray to Him that He Himself will enlighten the mind and heart of man. If He sees that your prayer is imbued with love, He will certainly fulfill your request, and you will soon see a change in the one for whom you are praying: “ behold, the change of the right hand of the Most High"(Ps. 76:11).
Remember that man is a great and dear creature to God. But this great creature after the Fall became weak, subject to many weaknesses. Loving and honoring him as a bearer of the image of the Creator, also endure his weaknesses - various passions and unseemly actions - like the weaknesses of a sick person. It is said: " We, the strong, must endure the weaknesses of the powerless and not please ourselves... Bear one another's burdens and thus fulfill the law of Christ"(Rom. 15:1; Gal. 6:2).
Oh! How disgusting I am with this devilish gloating about my neighbor’s sin, this hellish effort to prove his true or imaginary weakness. And people who do this still dare to say that they respect and try with all their might to fulfill the law of love for God and neighbor! What kind of love for one’s neighbor is there when even in great and holy people they deliberately want to see and look for dark spots, for one sin they denigrate his whole life and do not want to cover up the sin of his neighbor, if he really exists? they forgot that love covers everything t (1 Cor. 13:7)."
Venerable Nikon of Optina:
We must love every person, seeing in him the image of God, despite his vices. You can’t push people away from you with coldness.
Archpriest Mikhail Vorobyov:
But the image of God in us is a shrine. And to protect it within yourself, cleansing it of these same layers, and to love it is the duty of a Christian. Does Scripture say anything about this? Yes, he says. And not in a general sense - love the image of God in yourself, which for many would be incomprehensible, and even tempting, but quite specifically. If God is the true Light, which enlightens every person coming into the world(John 1:9), then a person receives the commandment to keep this light within himself: You are the light of the world... So let your light shine before people, so that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.(Matt. 5, 14, 16). If God is Reason, then man also receives the commandment be wise as serpents and simple as doves(Matt. 10:16). If God is love(1 John 4:8), then the Lord leaves an eternal new commandment: May you love one another; how I have loved you...(John 13, 34)
Venerable Ambrose of Optina:
If you will accept people for God's sake, then, believe me, everyone will be good to you.
Hegumen Nikon (Vorobiev):
If love is in the heart, then it is poured out from the heart on everyone around and manifests itself in pity for everyone, in patience with their shortcomings and sins, in not judging them, in prayer for them, and when necessary, in material support.
Ancient patericon gives us an example of the saving action of true love:
Avva Pimen, when he came to live in the countries of Egypt, he happened to live next to his brother, who had a wife. The elder knew this, but never denounced him. It happened that his wife gave birth at night, and the elder, having learned about this, called his younger brother to him and said: take one vessel of wine with you and give it to your neighbor, for he now needs it. But the brethren did not understand his action. The messenger did as the elder commanded him. The brother, taking this to his advantage and repenting, released his wife a few days later, rewarding her in case of need, and said to the elder: from now on I repent! And, leaving him, he built himself a cell nearby, and from it he entered to the elder. The elder instructed him on the path of God and “ bought it"(compare Matthew 18:15).
Archpriest Georgy Neyfakh writes how important it is do not mix natural hatred of sin with sinful hatred of one's neighbor, which can only be healed by love:
“When we hate the evil in ourselves, this is definitely good. The more we hate, the more we hate him, the more salutary this state is. Here we may not know either moderation or caution. We can fan the fire of this anger with all the power of our lungs. Only, unfortunately, it burns poorly. When we feel anger against the world's evil, we must be careful not to hate people.
It happens, such a church disease really exists. Human stops to love people, except for a select number of saints and righteous people, to which he himself usually does not belong. He begins to dislike everyone else as being stricken by sin. It can be seen in sects, it can be found in many ancient heresies. And unfortunately this happens in our Orthodox Church too. Particularly great caution and judgment must be applied if we experience supposedly righteous anger against our neighbors. Then, when we see obvious sin, we must, I emphasize once again, look into our hearts and try to test it. And here we must admit that we often fall into delusion. Our eye becomes confused with rage and ceases to clearly see light and darkness, and we do not create righteousness. Our hatred of sin is mixed with hatred of our neighbor, with anger at our neighbor, and we find no way to help that we could find. And here it must be said that the main remedy that exists against sin is love. Love, mercy - this is the main weapon with which righteous anger readily arms itself. When we seem to hate the sin of our neighbor, we can, mentally checking our hearts, imagine: what if you try to fix it with love? If we it will immediately become somehow unpleasant, not at ease in our hearts, it means it only seems to us, that our anger is righteous. In fact This is the real anger, the real malice, the enemy that we must drive out. True righteous anger which hates sin And loves, even struck by sin, the image of God, always gladly accepts the possibility of healing this illness with love and with regret and contrition, if necessary, takes up the sword.
And indeed, love produces great results. I will give an example from the Holy Scriptures of the New Testament. When the Lord directed His steps to Jerusalem, He passed through a Samaritan village. The Samaritans, who believed that prayers to God should be offered not in the Jerusalem temple, but on the mountain on which they live, did not accept Christ, did not show Him hospitality, but began to expel Him from the village. Inflamed by jealousy, two brothers, the apostles John and James, who received from the Lord the name “sons of Thunder”, feeling, on the one hand, jealousy, and on the other hand, the power that the Lord gives them, they say: “If you want, we will call fire from heaven , and he will burn this wicked village, just as Elijah in the Old Testament burned the wicked who were sent after him by Queen Jezebel?” And the Lord said: “ Don't know what kind of spirit you are A". Here, among these future apostles, righteous anger was mixed with unrighteous anger. The Lord corrects them: “ You don’t know what kind of spirit you are. I came not to burn with fire, but to heal with love."(see: Luke 9, 52-56). And these words bore fruit in the holy apostles, especially in the Apostle John. The Apostle James, the eldest of the brothers, soon after the departure of Christ, the first of the apostles, suffered a martyr's death. And the Apostle John lived a long life. He is the only one of all the apostles who did not suffer martyrdom and received the title, besides the “son of Gromov,” “apostle of love,” because in his Scriptures (the Gospel and Epistles) he especially emphasized the commandment of love.”
Virtues are manifestations of the highest kindness. Actions dictated to us not by human morality or worldly concepts of good and evil, but by a Higher Power. Man himself cannot acquire virtue without the help of the Lord. After the Fall, virtues became unavailable to the human race “by default.” But it is virtues that are contrasted with sin, as manifestations of belonging to the “new” world, the world that gave us the New Testament.
The concept of virtues existed not only in Christianity, but also in ancient ethics.
What is the difference between virtue and a simple good deed?
So, virtues are different from standard “good deeds.” Virtues are not a list of prerequisites for going to heaven. This means that if you try very hard to be virtuous formally, without putting your soul into your good deeds, their meaning is lost. Virtue is what is natural for a person who loves God. A virtuous person does not simply follow a set of certain rules, but tries to live as Christ commanded, because he sees life only in the Lord.
Unfortunately, man has already fallen into sin and is not born with such a state of soul with the rare exception of the Saints, many of whom, even in adolescence, were called to show the world the works of the Lord. How can we learn to live a virtuous life?
Pray, go to Church, take communion, love God and your neighbors. We can say that all virtues flow from the commandments to love your neighbor as yourself and the Creator. Virtues are actions that are naturally performed by a person living in peace with God and people.
The theme of virtues has been played out more than once in art: in painting and literature. Thus, Giotto’s frescoes, a series of engravings by Bruegel, and a series of paintings of the backs of judge’s chairs by Pogliollo, one of which was painted by Botticelli, are dedicated to the seven virtues.
Virtues: list
There are two lists of virtues. The first one simply lists them:
- Prudence (lat. Prudentia)
- (lat. Fortitudo)
- Justice (lat. Justitia)
- Faith (lat. Fides)
- Hope (lat. Spes)
- Love (lat. Caritas)
The second comes from the opposition to sins:
- Chastity (lat. Castitas)
- Moderation (lat. Temperantia)
- Love (lat. Caritas)
- Diligence (lat. Industry)
- Patience (lat. Patientia)
- Kindness (lat. Humanitas)
- (lat. Humilitas)
In fact, virtues mean not only these basic lists, but also other concepts. Such as sobriety, hard work, jealousy and many others.
The main thing we know about virtues is that the Lord does not “invent” anything to complicate a person’s life, but makes it possible to turn even evil into good. Until the last moment, a person is given a chance to correct his bad deeds and change his life.
Virtues
Hope And Love as virtues differ from the worldly understanding of these words. For example, if a married man falls in love with another woman, their relationship will not be virtuous, although the man will indeed suffer from his feelings. Virtuous love is the highest love and the highest truth. So, a manifestation of love for a wife will be a fight against sinful passion for another.
If we talk about faith, then for Christians, faith without works is dead and they do not believe in God the way other people believe in aliens, faith is active and for a person who sincerely trusts the Scriptures it would be strange to avoid keeping the commandments and striving to follow the will of God. Not out of fear, but out of a desire to get at least a little closer to Divine holiness.
As a virtue, it is expressed not only in charitable actions or material assistance to the homeless and disadvantaged, but also in a general compassionate attitude towards one’s neighbor. Trying to forgive, understand and accept the weaknesses of another person. Mercy is giving your last, sparing nothing for other people, giving up the search for gratitude and rewards for this.
Humility- this is victory over the sin of pride, awareness of oneself as a sinful and weak person who will not get out of the power of dreams without the help of the Lord. It is humility that opens the door to other virtues, because only the person who asks God to give him spiritual strength and wisdom for this can acquire them.
Jealousy, as a virtue, it has nothing to do with the desire to “appropriate” a person to oneself and not allow him to communicate with the opposite sex. We usually use the word “jealousy” in this context. But among the virtues, jealousy is the determination to be with God, hatred of evil.
It would seem that among the virtues I found myself moderation? What should it be expressed in? Moderation gives a person freedom and the opportunity to be independent of any habits, moderation in food, for example, protects a person from many diseases, moderation in alcohol does not allow one to slide into the abyss of addiction, which destroys not only the body, but also the soul of a person.
It is no coincidence that the list of virtues included prudence. According to the definition of Saint Gregory of Nyssa, “chastity, together with wisdom and prudence, is the well-ordered management of all mental movements, the harmonious action of all mental forces.”
He speaks not only about physical, but also about spiritual purity, about the integrity of the Christian personality. This is avoidance of temptation.
Of course, acquiring virtues is not easy for people, but with God, a person can do anything.
Sayings about Christian virtues
“Actions are single actions at this hour and in this place, and dispositions mean constant moods of the heart, which determine the character and disposition of a person, and where his greatest desires and directions of his affairs come from. The good ones are called virtues” (St. Theophan the Recluse).
“Whoever has found and has within himself this heavenly treasure of the Spirit, with it immaculately and purely performs all righteousness according to the commandments and all practice of virtues, without coercion or difficulty. Let us beg God, let us seek and ask that He grant us the treasure of His Spirit, and thus be able to abide blamelessly and purely in all His commandments, to fulfill all righteousness purely and perfectly” (St. Macarius the Great)
“When grace is in us, the spirit burns and strives for the Lord day and night, for grace binds the soul to love God, and it has loved Him, and does not want to tear itself away from Him, for it cannot be satisfied with the sweetness of the Holy Spirit. Without the grace of God we cannot love our enemies,” he says about the gospel love for enemies, “but the Holy Spirit teaches love, and then we will even feel sorry for the demons, because they have fallen away from goodness, have lost humility and love for God” (St. Silouan Athos)
“Every gospel virtue is woven from the action of God’s grace and human freedom; each of them is a Divine-human action, a Divine-human fact” (St. Justin Popovich)
“Everyone who wants to be saved must not only not do evil, but must also do good, as it is said in the psalm: turn away from evil and do good (Ps. 33:15); It is not only said: turn away from evil, but also: do good. For example, if someone is accustomed to offending, then he must not only not offend, but also act truthfully; if he was a fornicator, then he must not only not indulge in fornication, but also be abstinent; if you were angry, you should not only not be angry, but also acquire meekness; if someone was proud, then he should not only not be proud, but also humble himself. And this means: turn away from evil and do good. For every passion has a virtue opposite to it: pride - humility, love of money - mercy, fornication - abstinence, cowardice - patience, anger - meekness, hatred - love and, in a word, every passion, as I said, has a virtue opposite to it" (St. Abba Dorotheus)
“What dispositions a Christian should have in his heart are indicated by the sayings of Christ the Savior about the beatitudes, namely: humility, contrition, meekness, love of truth and love of truth, mercy, sincerity, peace and patience. The Holy Apostle Paul points out the following Christian dispositions of the heart, as the fruits of the Holy Spirit: love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, mercy, faith, meekness, self-control (Gal. 5:22-23). In another place: clothe yourself... as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, in the womb of generosity, kindness, humility, meekness and long-suffering, accepting one another and forgiving yourself, if anyone blames anyone: just as Christ forgave you, so do you . Over all these, acquire love, which is the basis of perfection: and let the peace of God dwell in your hearts, in the same place and in one body: and be grateful (Col. 3:12-15). (St. Theophan the Recluse).
“What is virtue? This is freedom that does not choose. A virtuous person does not think that he needs to do good deeds; goodness has become natural to him. Let's say that we, in general, honest people, can bend our hearts from time to time, although we mostly try to tell the truth. This is what distinguishes us from truly virtuous people. A person who has established himself in virtue simply cannot lie. A virtuous person is faithful in small matters” (Archarch Alexy Uminsky)
Mortal sins, that is, those that make a person guilty of the death of the soul.
1. Pride, despising everyone, demanding servility from others, ready to ascend to heaven and become like the Most High: in a word - pride to the point of self-adoration.2. Love of money. Greed for money, combined for the most part with unrighteous acquisitions, does not allow a person to think even a minute about spiritual things.
3. Fornication.(that is, sexual activity before marriage), adultery (that is, adultery). Dissolute life. Failure to preserve the senses, especially the sense of touch, is the insolence that destroys all virtues. Foul language and reading voluptuous books.
Voluptuous thoughts, indecent conversations, even a single glance directed with lust at a woman are considered fornication. The Savior says this about it: “You have heard that it was said to the ancients, “You shall not commit adultery,” but I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust after her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”(Matt. 5, 27. 28).
If he who looks at a woman with lust sins, then the woman is not innocent of the same sin if she dresses up and adorns herself with the desire to be looked at, seduced by her, “For woe to that man through whom temptation comes.”
4. Envy leading to every possible crime against one's neighbor.
5. Gluttony or carnalism, not knowing any fasting, combined with a passionate attachment to various amusements, following the example of the Gospel rich man who had fun “all the days of the day” (Luke 16:19).
Drinking, drug use.
6. Anger unapologetic and deciding to commit terrible destruction, following the example of Herod, who in his anger beat the Bethlehem babies.
Hot temper, acceptance of angry thoughts: dreams of anger and revenge, indignation of the heart with rage, darkening of the mind by it: obscene shouting, argument, abusive, cruel and caustic words. Malice, hatred, enmity, revenge, slander, condemnation, indignation and insult to one’s neighbor.
7. Dejection. Laziness towards any good deed, especially prayer. Excessive restfulness with sleep. Depression, despair (which often leads a person to suicide), lack of fear of God, complete carelessness about the soul, neglect of repentance until the last days of life.
Sins crying to heaven:
In general, intentional homicide (this includes abortions), and especially parricide (fratricide and regicide). Sin of Sodom. Unnecessary oppression of a poor, defenseless person, a defenseless widow and young orphans.
Withholding from a wretched worker the wages he deserves. Taking away from a person in his extreme situation the last piece of bread or the last mite, which he obtained with sweat and blood, as well as the violent or secret appropriation of alms, food, warmth or clothing from those imprisoned, which are determined by him, and in general their oppression. Sorrows and insults to parents to the point of daring beatings. Sins of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit:
Excessive trust in God or continuation of a hard sinful life in the sole hope of God’s mercy. Despair or the feeling opposite to excessive trust in God in relation to God’s mercy, which denies the fatherly goodness in God and leads to thoughts of suicide. Stubborn unbelief, not convinced by any evidence of truth, even obvious miracles, rejecting the most established truth.
ABOUT seven virtues opposite to the main sinful passions
1. Love. Change during the fear of God into the love of God. Loyalty to the Lord, proven by the constant rejection of every sinful thought and feeling. The indescribable, sweet attraction of the whole person with love for the Lord Jesus Christ and for the worshiped Holy Trinity. Seeing the image of God and Christ in others; the preference for oneself over all one's neighbors resulting from this spiritual vision. Love for neighbors is brotherly, pure, equal to everyone, joyful, impartial, flaming equally towards friends and enemies.
Inaction of bodily senses during. Prayer power that overcomes sin. Retreat of all passions.
The depth of humility and the most humiliating opinion of oneself...
2. Non-covetousness. Satisfying yourself with one thing necessary. Hatred of luxury. Mercy for the poor. Loving the poverty of the gospel. Trust in God's Providence. Following Christ's commandments. Calmness and freedom of spirit. Softness of heart.
3. Chastity. Avoidance of all kinds of fornication. Avoidance of voluptuous conversations and reading, from the pronunciation of voluptuous, nasty and ambiguous words. Storing the senses, especially sight and hearing, and even more so the sense of touch. Modesty. Refusal from the thoughts and dreams of prodigals. Ministry to the sick and disabled. Memories of death and hell. The beginning of chastity is a mind that does not waver from lustful thoughts and dreams; the perfection of chastity is purity that sees God.
4. Humility. Fear of God. Feeling it during prayer. Fear that arises during especially pure prayer, when the presence and greatness of God is especially strongly felt, so as not to disappear and turn into nothing. Deep knowledge of one's insignificance. Changes in the view of others, and without any coercion, seem superior to him in all respects. The manifestation of simplicity from living faith. Hatred of human praise. Constant blaming and beating yourself up. Rightness and directness. Impartiality.
Rejection and oblivion of flattering customs and words.
Rejection of earthly wisdom as unbecoming before God (Luke 16:15). Leaving word justification. Silence before the offender, studied in the Gospel. Putting aside all your own speculations and accepting the mind of the Gospel.
5. Abstinence. Refrain from excessive consumption of food and drink, especially from drinking excess wine. Precise keeping of fasts established by the Church. Restraining the flesh by moderate and constantly equal consumption of food, from which passions in general begin to weaken, and especially self-love, which consists of a wordless love of the flesh, its life and peace.
6. Meekness. Avoidance of angry thoughts and indignation of the heart with rage. Patience. Following Christ, who calls His disciple to the cross. Peace of the heart. Silence of the mind. Christian firmness and courage. Not feeling insulted. Kindness.
7. Sobriety. Zeal for every good deed. Attention when praying. Careful observation of all your deeds, words, thoughts and feelings. Extreme self-distrust.
Continuous abiding in the word of God. Awe. Constant vigilance over oneself. Keeping yourself from a lot of sleep and effeminacy, idle talk, jokes and sharp words. Remembrance of eternal blessings, desire and expectation of them.
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According to books:
“To help the penitent”, from the works of St. Ignatius Branchaninov.
Sretensky Monastery 1999 Page. 3-16.
"The Seven Deadly Sins"
M.: Trifonov Pechenga Monastery, "Ark", 2003. Pp. 48.
