On Religious Upbringing
We are living through dreadful days. The years pass swiftly, years filled with ominous and apocalyptic events. By God’s permission, “wickedness has multiplied in the world, and everywhere evil deeds are committed.”
Before our very eyes, people are turning into ravenous worms, groveling in the dust of the earth. Caught up in the hustle and bustle of worldly life, without a thought for the eternal reward beyond the grave, we have all become attached to the material. Brotherly love, restraint in life, and chastity have been forgotten. Our principle has become, “He who can, devours the other.” The precepts of pious antiquity have grown outdated for us. We live according to the spirit of the times.
“They loved the world and the things in it: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life.” An unprecedented flourishing of technology coincides with an equally unprecedented spiritual decline. A complete reevaluation of all values is taking place. What was once considered the highest is now deemed low. Conversely, what is vile in the sight of the Lord has become exalted. Vice is elevated to virtue, and virtue is branded as vice.
The modern family often resembles a hotel where strangers reside. The family is losing its educational significance. It is time to awaken from spiritual slumber. Life does not wait. Spiritual decay will continue to spread unless we actively resist it. It is not enough to dream of the past. We must build the future.
Children are our future. The foundations of human character are laid in the family. The family must once again become a nurturing environment for religious upbringing. From this stems the struggle to strengthen the foundations of the family and promote religious education. Society, the state, and the church all need this. May our publication serve as a humble contribution to this common cause.
Man comes into God’s world as the most helpless creature. In the first days of life, he is weaker than all earthly beings. A child needs external help—in upbringing. To nourish means to introduce necessary nutrients into the body. Upbringing (to raise) means to instill certain spiritual qualities in a person.
Upbringing is guidance, elevating a person to what he should be, providing external assistance in the complex task of forming the human soul. Upbringing is the transmission from the older generation to the younger of intellectual and moral experience. The significance of upbringing is great. Only through upbringing does a person become better, as the wise thinker Plato said many years before the birth of Christ. Upbringing is found even in the world of animals and birds. But in them, it is unconscious. The upbringing of a child must be conscious. Educators must clearly understand the goal of upbringing and the paths to achieving it (methods and means).
Unfortunately, people think differently about what an educated person should be. For many, it means being well-dressed and able to speak beautifully in various languages. Others see the goal of upbringing in developing dry scholarship or physical health. Such upbringing is partially necessary, but it is insufficient. It does not touch the depths of the human soul. The goal of true upbringing is to form people wise in mind, prudent in actions, and pious in heart.
“Be perfect, as your Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). This is our destiny, says Christianity. This is the high goal to which we must constantly strive.
But how few among us live with a clear awareness of this goal. How few among us realize that the human soul is above all worldly goods. Forgetting the high nobility of the soul, we value only what glitters and shines, what smells good and tastes good, what delights our senses, what satisfies the lower (animal) half of our being. We accumulate wealth, love honors, pleasures, and idle amusements, but care little for spiritual development.
“We were not born merely to eat and drink and clothe ourselves in garments,” says St. John Chrysostom, “but to receive divine wisdom, avoid evil, advance in virtue… for when creating man, God said, ‘Let us make man in Our image and likeness,’ and we become like God not when we eat, drink, and clothe ourselves (for God does not eat, drink, or clothe Himself in garments), but when we uphold justice, show humanity, are indulgent and meek, have mercy on our neighbor, and adorn ourselves with virtue.” Man’s purpose is to know his Creator and glorify Him. We can glorify God through a pious and righteous life. To build our life not as we wish, but as God and the laws of the Church require.
“Glorify God in your bodies and in your souls, which are God’s” (1 Cor. 6:20). “Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man,” says the wise Solomon (Eccl. 12:13). Religious upbringing leads to this high goal. The teaching of our Lord Jesus Christ should be the foundation of human upbringing. In this teaching lies true enlightenment, true virtue, and true happiness for man.
Religious feeling is inherent in man. It is necessary to help develop this feeling. Without it, there is no true love for oneself, for loved ones, nor loyalty to the homeland. Children instinctively sense God. They sense Him with their heart, not with their mind, as adults do. Children strive for communion with God—they love to pray. And they pray better than we do.
They desire to serve God with love, to fulfill God’s will. These are all good inclinations. They must be developed. In their development, they create what the holy apostle calls “peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.” The development of these inclinations is the task of religious upbringing.
If a child receives good religious upbringing, these feelings will develop. If a child does not receive such upbringing, these feelings will weaken, become stifled, and he will grow up godless. That is why children need help in their spiritual development. They need to be raised. Nourished with healthy spiritual food. To strengthen and develop the spiritual-moral qualities of the child’s soul. To foster good habits in them.
The task of true upbringing is to help the child free himself from the bonds of crude animality, to cultivate a sense of truth, moral goodness, and beauty. To prepare the child for this life and for the heavenly life. To direct the main efforts toward educating the heart. “For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matt. 15:19). Educators must always remember that true culture lies in the development and perfection of the higher qualities of the human soul, in the beauty of its moral properties, and not in the perfection of mere external technical education.
Upbringing of Children Among the Ancient Christians
The ancient Christians zealously strove for the attainment of the Kingdom of Heaven, exerting all efforts to make their children worthy heirs of this Kingdom.
All education and upbringing they sought to give to children was directed toward this holy and high goal. First of all, the ancient Christians endeavored to imprint in the child’s mind a vivid knowledge of Jesus Christ. Children absorbed the name of the Savior, so to speak, with their mother’s milk. It is natural, therefore, that in their earliest years, children fearlessly confessed the most holy name of the Lord before torturers. One Christian boy was asked: “Where did you learn the Christian teaching about the One God?” He replied: “My mother taught me. When I nursed at my mother’s breast, then I learned to believe in Christ.”
Along with the concept of the Redeemer, children were instilled with the high teaching about the truths of the faith in Christ and the rules of a God-pleasing life, such as: the One God, eternal life, love for God, respect for parents, forgiveness of offenses, humility, patience, modesty, compassion, obedience, and chastity.
In general, Holy Scripture was the first textbook, so that church writers, speaking of Christian schools, call them schools of Holy Scripture, exercises in Divine Writings, and every Christian home, every Christian family—a church. The holy teachers of the Church said to parents: “If you want your children to obey you, accustom them to the word of God. The soul, destined to be a temple of God, should be accustomed to hear and speak only that which arouses and sustains the fear of God.” In raising children, the ancient Christians carefully kept them away from everything that could arouse unchaste thoughts and feelings in them. Thus, they did not allow children under any circumstances to attend wedding feasts, theatrical spectacles and games, hid from them the seductive writings of pagan authors, protected them from acquaintance with worldly songs and voluptuous music, kept them away from association with persons of the opposite sex and with people of questionable behavior.
In general, the ancient Christians strove to remove from children everything that could disturb the quiet and pure heart of children and produce unchaste feelings and impulses in it. For this, they limited coarse and immoderate gluttony in children and accustomed them to moderation, abstinence, and simplicity in food and drink. Intemperance and sensuality were considered the main cause of disorder in the body, as well as the beginning of all bodily passions that bind a person to the earth. Therefore, the prudence of educators required giving children light, simple, uncomplicated food that was beneficial for the body, not one that pleased and satisfied the capricious sensuality of youth, and which did not hinder exercises in pious occupations.
When the time came to teach children literacy, they were given Holy Scripture for reading practice. When sitting down to write, they were given copybooks consisting of sayings from Holy Scripture. When it came to oral study of religious truths (dogmatic) and the duties of a Christian toward God and neighbor (moral), again Holy Scripture was given to children as a guide, assigning lessons from it to be memorized. The child’s soul, beginning its series of sensations and thoughts with the study of the word of God, soon became accustomed to this pious occupation, found in it a high delight for itself, and preferred it to other occupations and pleasures.
Blessed Jerome tells of one Christian who, in his childhood, never sat down at the table without first reading some chapter from Holy Scripture, never went to bed before someone from his family read to him some passage from the holy book. He did the same in the morning: as soon as he finished his prayer, he immediately took up reading.
The study of the truths of faith and the rules of Christian life was accompanied by practical examples, through active participation in domestic prayers and public worship services. The ancient Christians spent the greatest part of their time in prayer. It can be said that their entire life was an unceasing prayer. All their activities began and ended with prayer, from the important to the most insignificant: when putting on shoes, dressing and undressing, teaching children, lighting a fire, sitting down or rising from a seat, walking and resting, taking up handicrafts, sitting at the table, eating food and leaving the table, entering the house and leaving it—in general, in every action and state, even in the silence of the night, upon waking from sleep, they protected themselves with the sign of the cross and performed the Jesus Prayer. And in this unceasing prayer, it was not only adults or the elderly who abode, but they also called upon children to participate in public worship, as well as in domestic worship conducted by the head of the family in the presence of all the household inhabitants; they made children memorize prayers, sing psalms, rise for prayer even at night.
Training children in acts of piety was one of the primary means of instilling in them habits of Christian virtues. Children everywhere and at all times participated in the pious actions of their parents. Parents necessarily took their children to the house of God for common prayer. Christian children were accustomed to Christ’s service from a young age. They attentively followed the ongoing worship.
Therefore, the house of God was a true school of all Christian virtues, for here in their prayers, children, together with everyone, not only glorified God and rendered Him due worship, but also prayed for their neighbors, thus being trained in practice to fulfill Christ’s two greatest commandments: love for God and love for neighbor.
These are the measures by which pious educators planted Christian virtues and habits in the hearts of their young pupils.
It has become customary to consider statesmen and public figures as creators of life. Scientists, writers, and artists are also commonly called creators. They spiritually lead humanity. They outline paths of life for people. All this is true to a certain extent. These people influence life. That is correct. But the basic coloring of life is still not given by them.
They work with semi-finished material. The initial shaping of people, the formation of character, is done by the family and school. Here is the real workshop. Here the human mind, will, and character are cast. And life later only polishes them: improves or disfigures.
That is why it is not enough to improve state and social orders, issue laws, and so on. The most important thing is to improve the human personality. The great and most complex and holy art—the formation of the human personality—begins in the family. The family is the basic unit of human society. The spiritual health and moral strength of this initial unit determine the spiritual health and moral strength of the entire society. Where the family is destroyed, there is no healthy young generation. Even in a country of official godlessness, they have begun to understand this. And there they have started to cry out about the crisis of the family, about the need to restore the desecrated dignity of the family.
In all countries, leaders of statehood call upon society to heal family principles. They come to the conclusion that only a family established on a religious foundation can become a solid basis for happy personal and social life.
Public upbringing, kindergartens, sports and educational organizations cannot replace the family. Only a healthy family can ensure the spiritual development of the child.
And true development of the human soul is achieved by introducing the young soul to the Source that leads to eternal life.
From the first days of their existence, our children should be dedicated to God. Therefore, the main duty of parents and educators should be to awaken and establish in their charges filial fear and active love for God the Father, our Lord Jesus Christ the Son of God, and the All-Holy Spirit. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom” (Ps. 110).
The main task of family upbringing is to raise a child as a useful member of earthly society and a truly pious Christian.
When sailors set out on a journey, they stock up on food, drink, and medicines. Our children are future navigators on the sea of life. Do we arm them with firm knowledge of the faith and unshakable steadfastness?
All around there are so many temptations and dangerous underwater rocks. Do we provide our children with the garment of piety, spiritual food and drink, medicines for the soul? And the voyage ahead is so dangerous.
Unfortunately, our children in the modern family do not receive such preparation. They grow up spiritually neglected. Parents care about their physical health, about providing pleasures, but care little about spiritual development. Where they play, with whom they play—this interests us little. Children are impressionable. From bad companions, they quickly adopt bad habits. And the result? A seven-year-old comes to school and brings cigarette butts with him. The tender flower fades prematurely. And who is to blame? Not only the social environment and circumstances of the time—very often we ourselves, the parents, are to blame. Is it not to us that the words apply: “Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones.” As a good gardener protects a tender flower from wind and heat, let us protect our children from everything that can infect their tender, simple hearts, stain their bright, pure souls. “Whoever receives one such child (that is, whoever cares for a child, whoever guards his soul), receives Me,” says Jesus Christ Himself for our edification.
Mother as Educator
The upbringing of youth is one of the greatest and most important national, social, and state tasks. By upbringing youth, we upbringing the future of the nation. As the youth is taught, so will the future of the nation go. “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it” (Prov. 22:6). We see the smiling face of our mother from our infant days at our cradle. With a smile, she awakens our heart. She teaches us our first word. The maternal language is the best and dearest gift from our mother. That is why we call our native language maternal. In the matter of a child’s upbringing, the mother’s influence is the strongest. School usually provides external upbringing. The mother’s upbringing touches the deepest recesses of the soul.
As a sponge absorbs water, so a child absorbs everything he sees around him. Happy will be the child who grows up in a pious family. At his little bed, he sees an icon of the Savior or the Mother of God with the Child in her arms. He sees a little lamp that his mother lights on feast days. He sees his beloved mother standing before the icon and fervently praying to God. The child does not yet know how to speak, but he undergoes his first silent lesson in knowing God. His mother is the first educator. Children are especially close to God. Close to the Kingdom of God (Matt. 18:3-5). A field flower turns its petals to the sun, and a child’s soul strives toward God. Without the sun, the flower withers, loses its fragrance and beauty. Likewise, a child’s soul darkens, withers, and coarsens when deprived of God’s light. Happy is the child who, along with his first words, learns the name of Jesus.
Great is the significance of the mother as educator. Great writers describe the holy moments of distant childhood with love.
The mother is our best and most faithful friend, who does not abandon us in the most difficult moments of life. Grief, trouble—all find response in the mother’s heart. How many sleepless nights mothers spend at the bedsides of sick children. Great is maternal love. Time does not destroy this love. Old age does not cool it. There is no heart so cruel in the world that would not soften at the word “mother.”
St. Gregory the Theologian indicates that his deep faith in God was instilled in him by his mother Nonna. Or recall Anthusa, who raised the teacher of the Church, John Chrysostom. Oh, if only modern mothers would imitate them! It is not without reason that pagans marveled: “What women these Christians have!”
Woman lives and is guided more by feeling. And this indicates that she is destined not so much for public as for domestic, family activity. The main vocation of woman is the well-ordering of the home and the upbringing of children. To tear a woman-mother away from the family means to undermine the very foundation of the family, and consequently the foundation of society and the state.
In the separation of the woman-mother from the family lies the main cause of the crisis of the modern family. The woman-mother can, through the upbringing of children, heal morality in the family and society. This is what must be striven for.
If our young generation carries away from the family two images—the image of a loving, believing mother and the image of a strong, benevolent father—there is no need to fear for the future.
Upbringing of the Venerable Macrina
The Venerable Macrina, sister of Basil the Great (329-379), was born into a virtuous family. Her pious mother did not wish to entrust the upbringing of her daughter’s mind and heart to others. As soon as the infant tongue of Macrina began to form coherent sounds, she started to pronounce the name of Christ.
Her mother would usually take the girl on her lap and tell stories from Holy Scripture that were suitable for a child’s age. In this way, the young Macrina learned the Christian language from her own parent.
She received her first lessons in literacy from her dear mother. Other parents usually began their children’s education with fables; for Macrina, the first textbook was the Psalter and the Wisdom of Solomon. She memorized many passages and thereby gladdened her mother’s heart. The gifted maiden, at seven years old, already knew Holy Scripture well. From her mother, she also learned singing. She did not perform voluptuous worldly songs, but “O Gladsome Light, holy glory…” and similar hymns brought her listeners to sweet rapture.
The first concepts and words of the child were dedicated to God—this is how her mother raised her. To the One God belong the first fruits of all. The pious mother destined her to live in the world but warned her against the vanity of this world. Other mothers often take their children themselves to the theater and various places of amusement. Attending the house of God was Macrina’s only outing. Women’s needlework and household supervision were her occupations. And reading Holy Scripture served as her rest.
After the death of her fiancé, Macrina wholly dedicated herself to God. She eased her mother’s household cares, helped raise her younger sisters and brothers, instructing them in sciences and good morals.
Working for the Lord in prayers, fasting, humility, and love, the Venerable Macrina lived her earthly life and quietly surrendered her spirit to the Lord. Her memory is on July 19.
About Juliana of Murom
In the days of the pious Prince Ivan Vasilyevich, there lived a certain faithful and merciful man named Justin, a steward by rank. And he had a God-loving and merciful wife named Stephanida. And they lived in all piety and purity. And the Lord sent them a daughter—Juliana.
From her early years, she loved God and His Most Pure Mother. She honored her parents and was obedient to them in everything. Juliana loved humility and silence, diligently applying herself to prayer and fasting. When Juliana grew up, she was married to a noble and wealthy man named George, surnamed Osoryin. And her father-in-law and mother-in-law entrusted her with managing the entire household. She carried out all their commands with complete humility and obedience. From childhood, the blessed one had the habit of praying to God every evening at length with prostrations. Likewise, upon rising from sleep, she prayed to God at length. And she instructed her husband to do the same.
When her husband was away on campaigns, during that time she spent all nights without sleep. She prayed much to God. And her lamp did not go out all night.
She was skilled in embroidery. And she sold her work. She distributed the money to the poor. She cared for widows and orphans like a true mother, feeding and giving them drink with her own hands, washing and clothing them.
And the word of the wise Solomon was fulfilled in her: “Who can find a virtuous wife? For she is far more precious than jewels; her husband lacks no gain, and his heart rejoices in her.” All in her house were clothed and fed, and she gave each work according to their strength; she did not love pride and arrogance. Soon God’s wrath befell the Russian land. A great famine came. Many people died. But Juliana secretly performed much almsgiving from everyone. She took food from her mother-in-law, as if for morning and midday meals, and gave it to the poor. And she herself, from childhood, ate only twice a day. When any of the poor died, she hired someone to wash him and bought burial garments. And she sent money for the burial. And when she saw a dead person being buried in her village, known or unknown, she always prayed much for his soul.
Living in this way for many years with her father-in-law and mother-in-law, she never disobeyed them in anything. She honored them as their own daughter. And they passed away in deep old age. She honored her father-in-law and mother-in-law with hymns and psalms over the grave and a fitting burial. And she distributed much alms. And she set up tables in her house: for priests and monks, and the poor, and widows, and orphans.
The Lord sent her a trial. Her son was killed in war. Though she grieved, she did not cry out, did not tear her hair. By day she commemorated her son, and spent nights without sleep, praying to God for the forgiveness of the departed’s sins. She took up fasting and abstinence beyond measure. On Fridays, she did not eat at all and spent the whole day in prayer. On Mondays and Wednesdays, she ate once a day, dry food without cooking. And on Saturdays and Sundays, she set up a table in her house. She heard the commandment of the Savior: when you make a feast or supper, do not call your relatives, nor your rich neighbors, lest they invite you in return; but call the poor and the lame, who have nothing to repay you.
Her husband also passed away. Then Juliana renounced the world even more. She buried her husband with psalms and hymns, and gave much alms to the poor, and distributed forty-day commemorations to many churches. And she prayed for her husband, because she heard the Scripture saying: a good wife saves even after her husband’s death. She emulated the pious Empress Theodora and other holy women who entreated God for their husbands after their death.
And from that time, she added fasting to fasting. And prayer to prayer. And tears to tears. And showed almsgiving beyond measure. She took from her children for warm clothing, but gave it all to the poor, and herself remained without warm clothes in winter. In the days of famine, she baked bread from tree bark and quinoa and distributed it to the poor. And there was no sweeter bread than that received from her.
When her honorable repose drew near, Juliana called her children. And she kissed them all, and gave peace and forgiveness to all. Then she lay down, crossed herself three times, and surrendered her soul into the hands of the Lord. They washed and laid her in the cell. And that night, burning candles were seen there, and the whole house was filled with fragrance.
Upbringing in the Family
In the matter of upbringing, the family has enormous significance. Unfortunately, there are still parents who do not understand the great educational value of the family. “We have given you our children,” they say to school teachers, “so educate them.” And then the usual story begins. The children study poorly, or have bad character, and again conversations: “the teachers are to blame.” It is forgotten that the school primarily handles the child’s instruction, while the foundations of upbringing, the formation of character, are laid in the family. One must not forget that children usually spend 5-6 hours in school, and the rest of the time in the family. Subtracting time for food and sleep, 5-6 free hours remain in the family. In a normal family, this time is occupied with useful activities (reading, preparing lessons, helping the family). In a bad family, the child is bored. There is no interest. The elders are busy with their work. They are not interested in the children. What is the child to do? He goes to the street, there he seeks something more interesting. And there are plenty of “interesting” things there. One can ride on the tram’s footboard or hang on the back of a carriage. Or sneak into the cinema, stealing apples or sweets from a stall on the way. And how many “friends” on the street! They will teach them to blow smoke rings from chewed cigarette butts, to swear with “indecent” words, and so on. And the main thing—”freedom.” I do what I want, responsible for nothing.
And such a spiritually neglected child grows up to the horror of his parents and close neighbors, giving no peace to other children or animals. He grows up, they take him to school—”for upbringing.” And then they wonder: “Who did my child turn out like? Every day troubles. Must be the school spoiled him.” Teachers will tell such parents that the family also needs to care for the children, and they reply: “We earn bread. We labor and are busy all day.” This is not an excuse. To educate does not mean to sit all the time beside the child and follow him everywhere, reading moral lessons every minute. Others say: “We are simple people, illiterate, how can we engage in upbringing.” And this is not an excuse. One’s own example is the best means of upbringing. We ourselves must show this example: parents and educators. To teach children good morals and piety, the family must itself be distinguished by this. If home life is conducted in the spirit of the Church’s teaching and God’s Law, the children grow up moral. Do not expect good from children if we ourselves do not give a good example, if there is no spirit of piety and love in the family. Such a case comes to mind. A father came to school by summons and brought his son with him.
“I don’t know what’s with him and who he takes after as such a fighter?”
But the boy couldn’t hold back:
“Yes, you complain about me, but what do you do? You come home drunk and immediately start beating mom.”
And to ask such a parent: who, in your opinion, turns out to be guilty?
Here comes a holiday, and the parents do not go to the church service, dedicating the day to amusements, eating forbidden foods during the fast, and then they wonder why their children grow up as savages. And such a child will grow up like a flower without stamens. He will have neither firm convictions nor a correct view of life.
And how many various outrages we sometimes commit in front of the children’s eyes. There are families where every word is cursing and profaning the holy name of the mother on every occasion. They poison the brain with tobacco and vodka, and words with the filthy poison of obscenity. Children are very observant and notice everything. And they begin to repeat after the elders what they see: they curse, paint their nails with polish, and lips.
Upbringing is not an easy matter. One must know how to approach a child. Not to shout, not to intimidate. This only embitters, and the child completely breaks away from the family. But strictness is needed. Love and strictness—these are the conditions for proper upbringing. Extremes in every matter are harmful. The same in the matter of upbringing. Some believe that the main thing is strictness. More fear—the better it will be. And they always have a strict appearance and strict words. But strictness does not affect everyone the same way. This must be remembered. In one family, there can be children with completely different characters. Reasonable strictness educates character, but does not break it.
Other parents, on the contrary, abuse affection. They indulge children in various mischiefs. And when they come to the teacher’s room, they defend the children with their chests. In front of the child, they shout: “You teachers spoiled him, and he is not guilty of anything.” So the child begins to think that he is never guilty of anything, everyone else is guilty. Such upbringing will not yield good fruits, and the child will grow up willful. Sometimes it is necessary to resort to measures of influence. One must know when and what measure to apply. First, clarify the reason for the misconduct. The measures of influence on children are as follows:
- Persuasion—parents explain and clarify how one should have acted and why exactly that way. The child must be accustomed to conscious discipline.
- Encouragement—the child should have faith in his own strengths. One must encourage him in overcoming difficulties. But encouragement must be done cautiously. Encourage only when the child lacks confidence in his abilities.
- Coercion—punishment. A stricter measure of educational influence. It is necessary that the child has a consciousness of guilt, and the educator—justice. St. Chrysostom likens the child’s and youthful age to a horse without a bridle. With what else can you restrain a horse if not with a bridle? An unbroken horse is stubborn, says the book of the Wisdom of the son of Sirach—and a son left to his own will becomes insolent. Do not give him freedom in youth, and do not indulge his folly. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom”—it is said in Scripture.
What is this fear and what does it consist of? Of course, not in teaching children to fear God as a child fears when shown a rod. One must instill in the child that the Lord God is his Heavenly Father, Who loves children. One must instill in the child to observe God’s Commandments for the sake of his love for God. And then parents will give an answer before the Judge with a calm conscience: “Lord, here am I and my children.”
Address to the Modern Girl
To you, young girls, is my address! Not to all—I sometimes see exceptions—but, alas, to the majority of you! Looking at your appearance, the thought involuntarily arises: poor, unfortunate mothers of these girls! How many tears they shed! How fervently they taught, implored—but all in vain! The tormented mother’s heart bleeds. Anxiety is in her soul: how will this path chosen by her daughter end?
Whom has the modern girl replaced her best advisor and protector in life—her mother—with? Whose words are now an indisputable law for her? Whose examples, views on life does she now adopt? Her daughter fears earning the nickname “backward,” “old-fashioned.” Her daughter strives to imitate modern fashion. And so the girl adopts the frivolous look of modern fashionistas. She cuts and curls her hair grotesquely. She turns her pretty face into an actor’s mask with powder and lipstick. She displays bare arms and legs. With each day, with each step, she moves further and further away from the image of purity and morality.
Frivolous friends draw her onto the path of debauchery and shamelessness. Drinking, smoking, mixed bathing and sitting on the shore in indecent attire. And the girl gets used to what earlier would have brought a blush of shame to her face. Oh, poor, weak-willed Russian girl! Why must you follow the crowd? Wouldn’t it be better to point the way yourself to the bright joys of the spirit? Dear girls! Start at least by ceasing to come to the house of God in inappropriate attire. Do not distort the natural beauty given to you by the Lord. Seek true beauty and the true purpose in life. Revive again all the nobility of the character of the Russian girl: purity of thought, modesty, and gentleness of soul. Then your mothers’ faces will brighten! Then we will see a worthy image of the Russian girl—a Christian. They will speak of you with respect and admiration. And Christ’s Church will rejoice at your salvation!
“Religious Upbringing in the Family,” Riga, 1937. From a collection of articles edited by I.N. Zavoloko