February 28, 7534
What is fasting? In general, fasting is abstinence—abstinence from carnal things, from sin, from anything that may corrupt our soul and lead us astray from the path of salvation. Fasting is a multifaceted discipline that touches not only on food but also on many other aspects of Christian life. There are three components, three dimensions…
Unfortunately, what was once considered natural for believers is today met with profound misunderstanding. Before the Church schism of the 17th century, all Orthodox men in Rus’ did not shave their beards—such an idea, I think, never even occurred to them. Wearing a beard was a common religious and ethical norm. The same was true…
Priests in their sermons must emphasize the role and significance of the traditional family, its strengthening, and the increase in childbirth.*According to the commandments of Scripture, the family is sacred, and its destruction is punished by God. Thanks be to God that our Old Believer Church today sets an example of strong, large families. Special…
The Holy Fathers teach: “Think of death, and you will never sin.” We must consider the fate that awaits a person who does not think about death, does not prepare for it, does not confess, and does not struggle against their sins. I had a conversation with a young Old Believer who said: “Vladyka, perhaps…
There is perhaps no more useful invention that holds within it one of the spiritual treasures of humanity—knowledge. A book must not be regarded as a mere vessel of information. A thoughtful book is far more to a person than the volume of information measured in printed sheets, number of pages, or physical thickness; a…
Faith is one of the cornerstones of our salvation from sin and of attaining eternal life with Christ. The spiritual life of every person, all knowledge of God, begins precisely with faith. Without faith, there are no truly good deeds; without faith, there is no sincere prayer; without faith, communion with God is impossible —…
Quotes from Metropolitan Korniliy (Titov) The foundation of Christian life is growth in the Holy Spirit, so that the spirit in man may govern the flesh, and not the flesh the spirit. The holy fathers—hermits and ascetics—have left us, for our instruction, a teaching on bodily abstinence. A person needs only as much food as…