Of the three notebooks of the Diary of Novice Nikolai Mitrofanovich Belyaev (1888–1931) (later Hieromonk Nikon, the last confessor of the Optina Monastery before its closure in 1927, confessor; canonized in the host of the Reverend Elders of Optina by the Bishops' Council of the Russian Orthodox Church in 1996), only one from which several initial pages have been lost. But even on the basis of the surviving text, it is possible to form a fairly complete picture about the spiritual quest of the future elder, about his first steps in the ascetic life, about his relationship with his spiritual mentor, which is exceptional for our time. Two bright images vividly appear before the reader - the head of the Optina monastery, the confessor of the monastery, an elder both in spiritual and physical age, Venerable. Barsanuphius and, on the other hand, a twenty-year-old youth, a seeker of Truth, who decided to take the path of not only rational, but active knowledge of It. The diary reflections of the novice Nicholas himself and, even more so, the instructions of Elder Barsanuphius recorded by him represent one of the last valuable pages of the two thousand-year-old spiritual tradition of the Orthodox Church - the tradition of struggling with passions, making commandments, prayer...
But any diary is always a personal, more or less subjective document. This is an almost daily series of all - not only bright, but also negative experiences, all - not only true, but also erroneous judgments and thoughts. In addition, the author of the diary, even if we are talking about a holy ascetic, writes, as a rule, only for himself, hardly thinking about how what he wrote can be understood and perceived by another person. In addition, a diary is also a collection of small details (facts, observations, comments), which, although perhaps important milestones in the fate of this particular person, can hardly be of significant significance for people living in other conditions, in another era.
Therefore, when preparing this publication for publication, we did not consider it necessary to publish the full author’s text. The following were omitted from the original: firstly, minor (everyday, biographical, etc.) details that would have increased the volume of an already considerable book and therefore would have made it less accessible to a wide range of readers; secondly, facts, observations, thoughts that are of a purely personal nature (complicated relationships with brother Ivan, negative assessments given to specific individuals, examples of fatherly love and care of Elder Barsanuphius towards the author, etc.) - publish them , in our opinion, is simply indelicate; thirdly, some judgments by Rev. Barsanuphius, which, reflecting the individual traits of his own spiritual and life make-up, are not entirely consistent with the experience of the majority of Orthodox saints, and therefore could, in our opinion, become a “stumbling block” for many readers; finally, those places in which the author’s thought is not expressed clearly enough and therefore can be distorted and reinterpreted.
At the same time, it should be especially emphasized that when preparing the Diary for publication and editing it, we were guided solely by considerations of spiritual and moral expediency, and not by “censorship” concerns. Unlike the editors of the book “The Diary of the Last Confessor of the Optina Hermitage” (St. Petersburg, 1994), which is precisely an example of strict and very tendentious censorship, we have preserved in our publication all (apparently, those that seemed too “edgy”) passages from the “Diary” ", which touch on complex issues of Russian history (for example, the so-called Jewish question), and pressing problems of church life (the decline of monasticism, the lack of genuine spiritual leadership, the disastrous state of spiritual education, the corruption of morals in Russian society and the people as a whole, etc. .).
We hope that this publication will be interesting and, most importantly, useful not only to everyone already walking along the path of spiritual life, but also to everyone looking for this path, to everyone preparing to follow it.
Christian literature began with the Holy Scriptures, consisting of the Old and New Testaments. Based on these books, interpretations and theological works appeared. As Christianity spread, ascetics appeared who left behind patristic heritage and instructions. Their lives and exploits are described in the books of the lives of the saints. And Orthodox fiction has appeared relatively recently.
All this variety of books is usually called Orthodox literature. Let's consider the main directions in more detail.
Depending on the complexity of understanding, the books are divided into three groups:
Basics (ABOUT)- easy-to-understand books written in simple language
Horizon (G)- books that may be difficult to understand
Vertex (IN)- books that are extremely difficult to comprehend without proper preparation
Holy Bible
The central place on the bookshelf of an Orthodox Christian should be occupied by the Holy Scriptures.
Venerable Theodore the Studite:
« It is a great evil not to know the Scriptures, for countless evils are born from ignorance of the Scriptures... »
The study of Orthodoxy must first begin with reading And .
The New Testament is both a simple and incredibly difficult book to understand. Despite the fact that the Word of God was originally addressed to carpenters, fishermen, shepherds - ordinary people, with each reading of the Gospel a person discovers something new, unknown. Therefore, divinely inspired texts should be read with special diligence and care.
Bible Interpretation
To understand the Bible, it is necessary to resort to interpretations - explanations of the tests of the New and Old Testaments. Among patristic interpretations, complex, lengthy ones occupy a special place. (G), which for many centuries have been a guiding light in the study of the New Testament.
Saint Theophan the Recluse:
Many Christians have come to love relatively simple (ABOUT), and " " (ABOUT) St. Basil of Kineshma, written in a profound and modern language.
The following explanations of Scripture have also received good reviews: " " (ABOUT) biblical scholar Boris Gladkov, " " (ABOUT) " " (ABOUT) Alexandra Lopukhina, " " (ABOUT) Archpriest Oleg Stenyaev, " " (ABOUT).
God's Law
The Law of God and the Catechism (a manual containing the main provisions of Christian doctrine) will help the beginner to comprehend the basics of Orthodox doctrine, become familiar with the brief history of the New and Old Testaments, understand what prayer is, learn about the structure of the Church and the temple, the meaning of worship.
Probably the most famous book in this series is " " (ABOUT) Archpriest Seraphim Slobodsky. Much about the life of the Church can be gleaned from books such as " " (ABOUT) Archimandrite Job (Gumerov), " " (ABOUT) priest Daniil Sysoev, " " (ABOUT) Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), " " (ABOUT) Saint Philaret (Drozdov).
Instructions on Spiritual Life
Among the instructions I would like to highlight " " (ABOUT) Archimandrite John (Krestyankin). In this book, the elder invites the repentant person to build a confession according to the Ten Commandments or the Beatitudes. The path of confession helps to overcome the deep advice and apt comments of Father John, so necessary for every Christian. The elder’s experience, love, pain and kindness are felt in every word.
Such books as " " (ABOUT) Archpriest Andrei Tkachev, " " (ABOUT) Archimandrite Andrey (Konanos), " " (ABOUT) Metropolitan Anthony of Sourozh (Bloom), " " (ABOUT) Abbot Nikon (Vorobyov).
Creations of the Holy Fathers
The famous preacher Alexey Ilyich Osipov recommends that you familiarize yourself with the works of the saint (G) and letters from the abbot (G). Saint Ignatius, in his opinion, is notable for translating the ancient patristic teaching into modern language.
Saint Ignatius himself advises: “A Christian, whose lot is to live and end his life among the world, should read the Holy Fathers, who wrote for all Christians in general. These are the writers whose works were written in Russian or translated into it: St. John Chrysostom, St. Demetrius of Rostov, St. Tikhon of Voronezh, Nicephorus of Astrakhan, St. George the Recluse.” The saint does not recommend that laity read the holy fathers who wrote for monastics, saying that “There can be no benefit, but there may be harm...”
Deserves special attention " " (ABOUT) Abba Dorotheus. This book is recommended to be read by many modern priests and ancient saints.
It will also be useful, to the extent possible, to familiarize yourself with the works of Theophan the Recluse, Tikhon of Zadonsk and other Church Fathers.
Lives of the Saints
Many will be strengthened in the faith by the lives of people - descriptions of the lives and deeds of saints, whose perseverance and wisdom are a good example for a modern Christian.
Saint Tikhon of Zadonsk:
« A reliable means for maintaining faith and love is reading the holy fathers and the lives of saints... »
It will be useful to familiarize yourself with the lives of Xenia of St. Petersburg, Seraphim of Sarov, Sergius of Radonezh, Nicholas the Wonderworker and others.
Orthodox prose
Fiction is probably the most voluminous area of Orthodox literature, which is worth talking about separately.
Protodeacon Andrey Kuraev advises beginners to read the story by Nikiforov-Volgin " " (ABOUT), written on behalf of an Orthodox priest. The series is extremely popular " " (ABOUT) Archpriest Alexander Torik.
Novels can also help you understand Orthodoxy (G), (ABOUT), stories (ABOUT), (ABOUT), (ABOUT), stories (ABOUT), (ABOUT).
Lately, a lot of good children's literature has appeared - fairy tales (Dmitry Dmitriev, Irina Glazunova), parables (Olga Klyukina), stories and tales (Boris Ganago, Larisa Kalyuzhnaya, the “Grains” series, etc.), unobtrusively and fascinatingly telling about the Lord, his teaching and the godly life of a Christian.
Of the foreign authors, I would like to especially note the creativity, which includes both works for children (the Chronicles of Narnia series) and for adult audiences (“Letters from Screwtape” (O), “Balamut proposes a toast” (O)).
True stories are a special trend in fiction. The most famous collection of true stories - " " (ABOUT) Father Tikhon (Shevkunov) and followed the book of the Sretensky Monastery.
Theology
The following books will be suitable for the most prepared people for a deep comprehension of Orthodoxy: " " (G) Metropolitan Hilarion (Alfeev), " " (IN), " " (IN) Protopresbyter Alexander Schmemann, " " (G) Venerable John of Damascus, " " (G) Archpriest Vladislav Sveshnikov, "" (ABOUT) Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt, " " (ABOUT) Archpriest Ioann Goncharov, " " (ABOUT) Archbishop Nikon (Rozhdestvensky).
All publications intended for the church book trade are subject to mandatory review by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church and are assigned a special stamp. In other words, a book without a stamp cannot be sold in a church shop. This was done so that the Church had “confidence that any book purchased in a church shop or a temple candle shop will be useful to the reader and will serve his spiritual development.”
Venerable Anthony of Optina:
« I earnestly ask you, as a sincere friend, not to fill your heads with your own waste and nonsense, but to use your memory to read books, the most spiritual and edifying... »
With the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Rus'
Books marked “By the blessing of...” are considered to be of the highest quality.
The stamp is assigned to the Holy Scriptures, liturgical literature, collections of canonical rules and regulations of the Church, official church documents adopted by the Bishops' and Local Councils, as well as the Holy Synod.
The stamp is intended for the rest (not covered by the first stamp) of Orthodox literature - books on the history of the Church, lives of saints, etc.
Approved for distribution by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church
Books marked “Accepted...” do not contradict Orthodox teaching, but they are not necessarily beneficial either.
The stamp can be assigned to works of fiction that lead the reader to the truths of Christian morality, but do not carry a strictly religious theme; publications covering Orthodox customs and ritual traditions; collections of culinary recipes for fasting and holidays.
Approved for distribution by the Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church on the basis of the conclusion of the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis
The stamp was introduced to speed up the publication of books. Responsibility for their content lies with the Synodal Department of Religious Education and Catechesis.
In addition to books, the Publishing Council stamp is placed on audio and video products.
The Ukrainian and Belarusian Orthodox Churches, as well as the Orthodox Church of Moldova, have their own vultures. Books with such stamps can also be sold in the church shop at the temple.
The book “minimum” of an Orthodox person is the Gospel (or the entire New Testament) and a prayer book. Maybe also the Psalter. This does not mean that they themselves guarantee you a correct spiritual life, but without them you will definitely not have a correct spiritual life. The Gospel is the Word of God and the basis of foundations. A prayer book is a collection of prayer rules. The Psalter is comfort and support for the soul at any time of the day.
However, if you come to a large Orthodox store - for example, “Trinity Book” at the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra, you will see that there are thousands of Orthodox books. It's easy to get lost in this diversity.
One of the halls of the Trinity Book store at the Moscow Compound of the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra in Moscow
Let's try to help.
We have selected several books that, in our opinion, are the “best” of those written in the 20th or 21st centuries, and they are a must-read for every Christian.
Of course, “The best Orthodox books” is a relative concept. First of all, it is subjective. These are not necessarily the books with the highest circulation and not necessarily written by saints or about saints. First of all, we believe that these are very powerful books that can inspire everyone to spiritual life, and perhaps even convert a non-believer. All of them are understandable to modern people (they were written recently, their language and realities are similar to ours), but at the same time they carry the full depth of Christian teaching.
All these Orthodox books are a real spiritual treasury. We don't want this to sound like a ranking, but they really are the best of the best in some ways.
Is there any book that we, in your opinion, have unfairly forgotten about? Write in the comments!
The best books about Orthodoxy written in the 20th and 21st centuries
"Elder Silouan"
Perhaps this is the best Orthodox book that has been written in the last 100 years. Its author is Archimandrite Sophrony Sakharov, an elder hesychast who spent part of his life there and labored there in the most severe manner.
Later, he wrote a book, which he dedicated to his confessor, the Rev., calling it “Elder Silouan.” Formally, this is the life of St. Silouan. However, the life story of the elder in it is only an excuse to talk about Christian teaching and spiritual life in general.
The uniqueness of the book is that Elder Sophrony describes such depths and laws of spiritual life, beyond which words already fall apart and only eternity remains. They did the same thing in their books and, but these are the first centuries of Christianity and it is difficult for an unprepared person to read them and is not always necessary. And the book “Elder Silouan” is relatively simple in this regard.
Saint Silouan of Athos was from Russia and asceticised on Athos at the beginning of the 20th century
The second part of the book is the amazing writings of the saint himself, which were discovered only after his death in his cell.
Lord, give me Your humility, may Your love dwell in me... It is hard to live without love for God; the soul is gloomy and boring; but when love comes, then it is impossible to describe the joy of the soul.
from the writings of St. Silouan
In Soviet times, the book was circulated in samizdat and converted many to faith. Now it is available in all major Orthodox stores and online stores in Russia.
"The Life of Paisius the Holy Mountain"
This is also a book about an Athonite saint, which was also written by an Athonite monk - and therefore the spirit of monasticism, the spirit of Athos, and the life of Elder Paisius are very well conveyed in it.
He died quite recently. He was an amazing monk. There are hundreds of testimonies of healings through his prayers, cases of clairvoyance and other miracles that do not fit into our usual framework. He was seen rising above the ground or being in two places at once. Some pilgrims who stayed in his house overnight heard demons coming to the elder - knocking on the roof and making all sorts of noise. Elder Paisios might not appear on film if the photograph was taken without a blessing: there is a photograph, everything is depicted on it, but in the place of the saint there is nothing.
These are all miracles that, of course, can impress everyone. But most importantly, Elder Paisius was an image of incredible self-denial, humility and love. A real Christian. The pilgrims fell in love with him because he spoke to everyone in the most understandable, living and modern language. When appropriate, I tried to joke. When necessary, he was as direct or strict as possible.
The book “The Life of Paisius the Holy Mountain” consists of two parts. One of them tells the life path of this saint - from birth to death - and this is a very fascinating story (in addition, it contains many memories of the elder). The second part consists of stories about his help to pilgrims and Orthodox Christians - both during his life and after his death.
Many books have been written about St. Paisius, including great lives. But this one is the best.
"Thoughts of a Christian"
This is not a book in the literal sense of the word, but a spiritual diary - or rather, excerpts from it. They were written by one of the most revered Russian saints - the holy righteous John of Kronstadt, who died shortly before the revolution.
Divine services, everyday life, joys, illnesses, hardships - everything can be found on these pages.
A holy man lives and writes holy. Therefore, every page is permeated with love for God and Love in general.
Thousands and thousands of Christians went to Saint John of Kronstadt for blessing and help. Everyone who spoke to him received healing or consolation.
Holy Righteous John of Kronstadt (1829-1909) is one of the most famous non-monastic pastors in the history of the Russian Church.
We also have the opportunity to come into contact with the elder. All you need to do is buy this book. On its pages you can meet this saint like this - at a distance and through time. And thus - through the lines of his diary - receive a kind of blessing!
Your Lord is Love, love Him and all people in Him as His children in Christ. Your Lord is Fire; do not be cold in heart, but burn with faith and love. Your Lord is Light; do not walk in darkness or do anything in darkness of mind, without reasoning and understanding or without faith. Your Lord is the God of mercy and bounty; Be a source of mercy and generosity for your neighbors. If you do this, you will receive salvation with eternal glory.
from the book “Thoughts of a Christian”
"Conversations on the Gospel of Mark"
This book can be called a very good textbook. Not in the sense that there are hundreds of boring pages hidden under the cover. Vice versa! This is one of the most lively and touching Orthodox books. It was written shortly before the war by the holy martyr Vasily of Kineshma.
Formally, these are conversations on one of the Gospels - written by the Apostle Mark. However, as in the case of the book “Elder Silouan,” comments on the Gospel story are only an excuse to systematically present Orthodox teaching.
And if Sophrony (Sakharov) wrote about Christianity from the depths of the Athonite hesychast experience and by that time was already in England, then Hieromartyr Vasily compiled this book in the Soviet Union - for his own spiritual children, Soviet people from villages, villages and small towns.
The result is a book that will definitely be close and understandable to every heart.
"Unholy Saints"
This is perhaps the best missionary book in the entire history of Christianity - if this quality is measured by circulation.
The first edition of the book was published in 2011 and immediately sold out. The same thing happened with the second and third editions, which were released next.
Now I can’t even believe it - in the Moscow metro you could meet a person with this book almost every day. It was read by both Orthodox Christians and even those who had never been to church.
Metropolitan Tikhon (Shevkunov) spoke on his pages about the people he met during his life. These were the monks in the Pskov-Pechersk Lavra, where he labored for some time, and the elders whom he saw there or about whom he heard stories. Several chapters are devoted to laymen - “the simplest” and celebrities.
It turned out to be a kind and full of love book. But the main thing (and this is probably why everyone loved her) is that there is not a drop of such artificial sweetness in her. This is just a book about goodness and miracles - which really happened. And in fact, they happen all the time around us!
To date, the book has already been published in 2,500,000 copies and has been translated into many languages.
“Letters of Archimandrite John (Krestyankin)”
Elder John was one of the most revered monks in Soviet and post-Soviet times. People also came to him from all over the country. Those who could not come wrote letters. And he, a strong-willed monk and seer, tried to answer everyone.
All his letters are simple and understandable. There are few words in them - only the essence. There are no fancy ideas or polite evasions in his letters. He answers people directly, sometimes even sharply - if he understands that only a firm answer without sentimentality can guide or save a person.
Archimandrite John (Peasant).
A big plus of letters is that it is clear from them exactly what question the person addressed to the elder with. This makes them not only more interesting, but also more useful. Some people ask about marriage, others about divorce. Some are about studying, others are about which path to choose. Some are complaining, some are confused...
Perhaps many of you will find answers to your own questions on these pages.
Without a doubt, this is one of the most useful Orthodox books.
"Inspired at the Trinity"
In some ways this book is similar to Unholy Saints. Although it is more correct to compare them in reverse order, because the book “Inspired at the Trinity” was written much earlier - back in Soviet times. And someone thinks that she is better.
This book was written by Archimandrite Tikhon (Agrikov) from the Holy Trinity Sergius Lavra and dedicated it to the monks of this monastery. Moreover, only to those who have already died. And the death of the hero is an integral and important part of every story, because death is the path to Eternity.
Someone he writes about is an old man. Someone is a very young monk.
On the one hand, this book does not have the outward showiness of “Unholy Saints.” But the depth of the narrative here is incomparably higher. Every line is filled with love. Each page conveys the pure monastic spirit - with all its depth, joy and trials.
"Father Arseny"
The book tells about a very difficult time for our Church - Stalinist repressions.
It is unknown who wrote it. Whether Father Arseny was real or a fictional character is also unknown.
Someone says that “Father Arseny” is a book that is not indisputable in its own way and that it was edited under the supervision of the KGB - since in places it sympathizes with “good security officers.” But all this, believe me, is absolutely unprincipled.
In Soviet times, this book was also circulated in “samizdat” and was passed from hand to hand.
Now it can be found in many stores. We highly recommend reading it, because it introduces the reader not only to a certain time, but also to the human soul as a whole. With those vices that are revealed in certain people, and with those incredible powers to love that the Lord gives a person - and supports him in the most difficult - sometimes it seems unbearable - conditions. Its pages tell a deep story.
If we take Orthodox literature, the book “Father Arseny” is one of the best.
Read this and other posts in our group at
Here is a new book by the writer Natalia Gorbacheva, known to both secular and church readers, from the already beloved series “Stories about Saints and Believers.”
There are real friends, and there are true ones. Our true friends are saints. But how to learn to recognize these friends and communicate with them, you will understand after reading this book. You will find a story about the famous Abbess of the Gornensky Monastery, Georgiy (Shchukina): about her childhood during the siege and about the miracle of salvation. Previously unknown details of the life of Blessed Xenia of Petersburg and her new miracles. A Christmas story about a dying man is also waiting for you, which ends in a happy way... The path to God is not strewn with roses. This book tells how the most ordinary people search and find this road.
For a wide range of Orthodox readers, as well as for specialists involved in the study of certain aspects of homiletics, moral theology, sectology, liturgical theology, general church history, history of the Russian Church, church art. The publication can be used as educational material for pupils, students and teachers of theological educational institutions, teachers, students and graduate students of theological universities and faculties.
Guryev Viktor Petrovich
Biographical Dictionary. 2000: Guryev Viktor Petrovich - archpriest-writer (1842 - 1912). He completed a course at the Moscow Theological Seminary. He collaborated in “Soulful Reading” and in “The Helmsman”. Several editions of teachings for the people on the guidance of the Chetiih-Menai, Patericon of Athos, Kyiv and others. - See “Archpriest V.P. Guryev" (Tserkovnye Vedomosti, 1912, No. 3).
Encyclopedic Dictionary F.A. Brockhaus and I.A. Efron: - Guryev Viktor Petrovich (born in 1842) spiritual writer, archpriest. His works: The Fourth Menaion in teachings for every day of the year (M., 1896; this is not a presentation of the Fourth Menaion, but moral lessons drawn from the lives of saints); Prologue in Teachings (Moscow, 1889; 3rd ed., Moscow, 1901)
Dear reader!
This book - “Prologue in Teachings” part I and part II was adapted to modern language from the following source: Publication of the Holy Trinity Lavra of St. Sergius 1992 (reprint reproduction of the edition of the Athos Russian Panteleimon Monastery. 1912)
Adaptation of the text to modern Russian language Troyanov Alexandra. Internet version © 2002, Pagez.ru
Elder Paisios (in the world Arsenios Eznepidis) was born on July 25, 1924 in Pharas of Cappadocia, in Asia Minor, and was the tenth child in the family. Saint Arsenius of Cappadocia, who baptized the baby, gave him his name, prophetically saying: “I want to leave behind me a monk.” Fleeing Turkish persecution, the family soon moved to Greece. Arseny spent his childhood in the city of Konitz. Here he successfully graduated from school and worked as a carpenter, wanting to imitate Christ in this too. In 1945, he was drafted into the army, where he showed extraordinary courage. Many times during the battles, he took the place of his family soldier colleagues in the front line, saying: “Your wives and children are waiting for you, but I am free.” Having left the army in 1949, he immediately went to Holy Mount Athos. Elder Paisios spent forty-five years in severe labors on the Holy Mount Athos, in the Stomion Monastery in Konitsa and on the Holy Mount Sinai. Having completely surrendered himself to Christ, he wanted to remain in obscurity, but God’s Providence revealed him to people. Thousands of pilgrims came to the blessed elder and found guidance and consolation, healing and peace for their tormented souls. Despite the serious illnesses that constantly haunted him, every day from sunrise to sunset, Father Paisius instructed, consoled, solved people's problems, filled hearts with faith, hope and love for God. At night, when the flow of pilgrims dried up, he prayed and read the letters that came in huge quantities, and only at dawn rested for two or three hours to regain strength before the new day. For all of Orthodox Greece - and not only for Greece - the elder became a spiritual support, a healer for many human souls.
To be honest, this text is already on the page - it is included in the collection of stories “Bogdan and his family (Sunday school)”. But the collection is quite large, more than 30 stories, and not everyone likes thick books. Therefore, it was decided to place each story separately, so that the reader could choose whether to watch a small story of a couple of pages, or the entire book at once.
Orthodoxy is one of the ancient religions
The word means “to praise correctly.” The Orthodox religion is one of the most widespread in the world, along with Catholicism and Protestantism, and ranks third in number among generally recognized Christian religions.
The Orthodox Church emerged as an independent religion in 1054 after the Great Division, during which the final division into the Roman Catholic Church, centered in Rome, and the Orthodox Church, centered in Constantinople, took place.
What do adherents of Orthodoxy believe?
Here we will look at the main beliefs of the Orthodox, what they worship:
Icons . Believers of this movement treat icons as shrines: they kiss them and ask for help. Especially revered are icons with which cases of “miraculous healing” are associated.
"Holy relics" . According to Orthodox believers, Saints are friends of God or “pleasers.” They do not doubt the authenticity of the relics; unlike scientists, on the contrary, they endow them with miraculous healing properties.
They believe in the Trinity. This theological term was first used by Theophilus of Antioch, who lived at the end of the 2nd century; this word does not appear in the Holy Scriptures. According to the Orthodox faith, the “Trinity” is God the father, God the son and God the holy spirit. All three persons live in one, in complete unity.
According to one reference book, God can come out of Himself and still be identical with Himself. The Holy Spirit, at the same time, can be on the border of being and other being. “Trinity” is one of the main holidays of Orthodoxy.
Into the immortality of the soul . The “Holy Fathers” teach that the soul and body are united for a certain time. After death, the soul returns to its creator, where it awaits judgment. Evil souls go to fiery hell, and good souls go to heaven.
Honoring Guardian Angels . Angels glorify God, I proclaim his message. They are endowed with a mind that surpasses the human mind and help in the work of preaching. Guardian angels supposedly protect their people from death or something bad.
The Twelve Spies and the Promised Land (from the Book of Numbers)
The Israelites emerged from Egypt after four hundred years of slavery under the leadership of Moses. . Soon they approached the border of the land promised to his people. Moses sent twelve spies ahead to find out everything thoroughly.
When they returned, ten of them spoke only bad things about that land. They claimed that the people of that area were of enormous height in comparison with them, that they were good warriors with excellent weapons. They even became indignant, speaking harsh words to Moses.
Ten spies lamented with one voice that they would all perish from the sword of these Canaanites. They wanted to choose another leader to take them back to Egypt. What's happened? They, seeing how God brought ten plagues on the Egyptians, did not believe that He could deliver them from the Canaanites.
Two of the spies, Joshua and Caleb, believed that the Israelites could easily defeat them. Due to the fact that the people believed most of the spies and did not enter the Promised Land, they had to wander through the desert for another four decades.
The entire generation that came out of Egypt and did not believe God did not enter the land promised by God. After the death of Moses, the people were led by the faithful Joshua and Caleb. What does this Bible incident teach us?
Then as Today, Satan Uses Scare Tactics . It corrupts a person morally and spiritually. Those with weak faith easily fall for his bait and fall into his deadly net.
We need to develop faith in God, trust in his strength, power and that he wants a better life for us. Read the Bible on our website online for free, study it and strengthen your faith!
If until this day you have been putting off regular reading of Christian literature, then there are two reasons for this grace-filled deed. Firstly, March 14th— Orthodox Book Day. The holiday is very young, introduced 4 years ago. But reading for a Christian is an important part of spiritual work. And now, the other day, a wonderful time for spiritual exploits begins!
The most important book for a Christian should undoubtedly be the Holy Scripture. In addition, these are patristic works, the lives of saints. In addition, recently a lot of different books by Orthodox authors have appeared on the book market. And, of course, we must remember that not all of them are equally valuable. Among these books there are completely non-Orthodox in essence, there are those in which genuine Orthodox teaching is mixed with occult or pseudoscientific ideas. Every person has their own favorite books. According to the website lib.pravmir.ru, we offer you 10 most read modern books, useful in spiritual work.
1. - book by Archimandrite Tikhon Shevkunov. Published in 2011. The book aroused great interest among the reading public. Thus, by October 2012, the total circulation of the book was one million one hundred thousand copies. As Archimandrite Tikhon himself said: “I told almost all the stories that were included in the book during sermons. All this is part of our church life.”
2. is the last work of the Orthodox author Viktor Likhachev, who passed away in 2008. The writer did not have time to finish his book, but he hoped that everyone who reads it would recognize himself in it, feel that boundless love for Russia, for the Russian village that the author had, and let into his heart faith in God and hope that that the Angels, our heavenly patrons, will never leave us...
3. " Prologue in teachings for every day of the year"— the book was compiled in 2007 by Archpriest Viktor Guryev. “Prologue” is an ancient Russian hagiographic collection, originating from Byzantine month books, in which the lives of saints are arranged in accordance with the days of their church memory. In addition, the “Prologue” is decorated with understandable and often entertaining passages from the ancient Patericons, parables imbued with thoughts of repentance, mercy, Christian love for one’s neighbor, spiritual perfection and salvation of the soul.
4. "Father Arseny"- this book, published from the pen of an unknown author, clearly shows the reader the triumph of love over evil, life over death. Father Arseny is the image of a holy elder - a zealous man of prayer, sober, meek, who has completely surrendered himself into the hands of God. The first editions spread throughout Russia and beyond its borders and made the book “Father Arseny” one of the most beloved in the Orthodox world.
5. "Soul after death"(O. Seraphim Rose) - there is probably no book that so clearly, accessiblely and understandably reveals a person’s post-mortem experience and gives the concept of the angelic and otherworldly world. The book contains two thousand years of experience of the holy fathers. The publication has a twofold purpose: firstly, from the point of view of Orthodox Christian teaching about the afterlife, to provide an explanation of modern “posthumous” experiences that have aroused such interest in some religious and scientific circles; secondly, cite the main sources and texts containing Orthodox teaching about the afterlife.
6. "Red Easter"(Pavlova N.A.) - it was after this book that the author became widely known. The book is already 11 years old, but it does not lose popularity. It tells the story of the three Optina new martyrs - Hieromonk Vasily and the monks Ferapont and Trofim. These are three completely different people, their paths to God were special. The ascetic life is amazing; many readers note that after this book they immediately want to visit Optina Pustyn.
7. “Who will hear the linnet?”(Likhachev V.V.) — a novel about the Motherland and the Russian soul. He leads the reader along the roads of the Russian province. The main character is drawn into real adventures: he carries a miraculous icon, evading a bandit pursuit... And internally, he goes through the path of spiritual growth: from unbelief to faith, from confusion to blessed peace, from spiritual blindness and deafness to insight and hearing miracle of God.
8. "Heavenly Paths"(Shmelev I.S.) - a novel about the fate of the skeptic-positivist engineer Viktor Alekseevich Weidenhammer and the believer, meek and internally strong Darinka, a novice of the monastery who left the monastery to connect her life with Viktor Alekseevich. Through suffering and joy, in mysterious and incomprehensible ways to the worldly mind, these heroes are led to the Source of Life. The internal plot of the book is “spiritual warfare” with passions and thoughts, temptations and attacks of dark forces.
9. "Chief of Silence"(Vsevolod Filpyev) - the book addresses eternal questions - love and hatred, loyalty and betrayal, truth and lies. The characters in the book resolve these issues differently and sometimes unexpectedly. An action-packed, realistic narrative draws the reader into the events that take place in the winter of 2002 in Moscow and North America. Together with the heroes, the reader finds himself in St. Petersburg of the 19th century and in the historical times of princes Boris and Gleb. The parable story is intended for a wide range of readers, and everyone is free to interpret it in their own way.
10. "Repentance is left to us"(abbot Nikon Vorobyov) - letters addressed to his spiritual children, laity and monastics. Father Nikon edifies, instructs, calls for repentance and patience, shows what needs to be done, what thoughts need to be kept, consoles, teaches how to properly relate to sorrows: “The Fathers have long said about our times that people will be saved only by sorrows and illnesses. Healthy and happy people forget about God, about the future life: they live as if they will live forever on earth and will never die. And sorrows and illnesses force a person to break away from earthly interests and turn to God... Save your souls through repentance, patience and humility.”
Enjoy reading!
Prayer before reading spiritual books:
Lord Jesus Christ, open the eyes of my heart, so that when I hear Your Word, I understand it and fulfill Your will. Hide not Your commandments from me, but open my eyes, that I may understand the wonders of Your law. Tell me the unknown and secret of Your wisdom! I trust in You, my God, and I believe that You will enlighten my mind and meaning with the light of Your mind and that then I will not only read what is written, but also fulfill it. Make it so that I do not read the Lives of the Saints and Your Word as a sin, but for renewal and enlightenment, and for holiness, and for the salvation of the soul, and for the inheritance of eternal life. For You, Lord, are the illumination of those who lie in darkness, and from You is every good gift and every perfect gift. Amen.
Veronica VYATKINA